Yangshuo & Xingping Itinerary: What We Wish We Knew

After our amazing experience at Longji Rice Terraces, we headed south towards the majestic karst peaks of Yangshuo (阳朔) and Xingping (兴坪). This is the second half of our four-night adventure through Guangxi.

In this post, we share our 2 nights itinerary for making the most of your time in Yangshuo and Xingping. We found the absolute best way to explore the countryside, the must try bamboo raft route, and a sunset hike that took our breath away. We also share a crucial warning from an experience that went wrong, so you can learn from our mistakes and have an amazing trip!

Getting from Longji to Yangshuo (And Why We Skipped the Li River Cruise)

Leaving the terraces behind, our next challenge was the 3+ hours journey from Longji to Yangshuo. The most efficient method we found was a shared chartered car (WeChat Mini-Program link below). We booked a ride that cost about ¥120 per person, a great value for a direct, hotel-to-hotel service. Remember to factor in the ¥70 expressway toll, which you can split among the passengers.

This direct route was a result of a major decision we made: skipping the famous Li River Cruise. The iconic cruise from Guilin to Yangshuo is a highlight for many, but it consumes 4 to 5 hours on the water. And this does not include the 2+ hours drive from Longji to Guilin. With our limited time, we decided that a direct car ride was a much better use of our precious day. It allowed us to arrive in Yangshuo quickly and start exploring immediately.

✳️ It is possible to book a Didi ride. And this may cost upwards of ¥400 for the one-way ride. Check the App or Mini-program for the latest rates.

If you have a more relaxed schedule, the Li River cruise from Guilin is a great way to soak in the beautiful scenery. We highly recommend buying your Li River cruise tickets online as popular timings get snapped up fast. For us, the practical choice of a direct car ride gave us the freedom and extra time we needed to explore Yangshuo.

Where to Stay in Yangshuo: Shili Gallery vs West Street

While many tourists flock to the bustling West Street (西街) area, we opted for the much more scenic and peaceful Shili Gallery (十里画廊) or Ten-Mile Gallery. This turned out to be one of the best choices of our trip.

Staying in the Shili Gallery area places you directly amidst the iconic karst mountain scenery, away from the constant noise of the town center. We planned to visit the lively West Street for dinner and drinks during evening time.

Another reason we chose this area was its proximity to the end point of our preferred Yulong River bamboo raft routes (more on this later). We want the option to freshen up after the ride, and being able to walk back to our hotel was incredibly convenient.

If you value stunning scenery and a peaceful retreat over nightlife at your doorstep, we can't recommend the Shili Gallery area enough. We found a couple of incredible hotels that perfectly capture the beauty of the area.

For views of the Yulong River against Karst Mountains: We stayed at this fantastic hotel that offered stunning river views right from the window. It was the perfect, tranquil base for our explorations. 👉🏻 Check room availability.

For views of Rice Paddies against Karst Mountains: If you're looking for something a bit more upscale, this highly-rated hotel offers premium comfort while being surrounded by breathtaking landscapes. 👉🏻 Check room availability.

Our Top Picks in Yangshuo: A River Raft, a Hotel Discount, and a Spectacular Show

These three activities were the absolute highlights of our stay, offering a perfect mix of nature, food, and culture.

The Yulong River Bamboo Raft

A peaceful bamboo raft ride on the Yulong River (遇龙河) is an essential Yangshuo experience. Taking the bamboo raft ride is a great way to support the local community, as villagers from the area own and operate their own rafts along this segment.

After researching the many routes available, we found the Shuiedi (水厄底码头) section offers the best experience. This 40-minute float takes you through stunning scenery without consuming your whole day. Remember to bring your passport for entry. We forgot ours and were luckily able to get in by showing our booking confirmation.

Tickets for are only open for booking at 8PM the night before. You can buy tickets (¥200 for a 2-person raft) via their WeChat mini-program, which is in Chinese. Or use this booking service in Trip.com, with a small markup, to reserve the bamboo raft ticket for you.

When you arrive at Shuiedi Wharf (Didi is cheap and convenient), head to the where ticket holders are seated (while waiting for their turn), check-in with your reservation QR code to get your actual queue number.

We waited for 25mins to board our bamboo raft. The seats are basic but safe, and you are required to wear your life jacket and staying seated on the raft. Your footwear will get wet, and expect some water splashes. Overall good fun!

Where and What To Eat at Yangshuo

To be blunt, we were not wow-ed by the food we had in Guilin. We were quite tired of Guilin cuisine at this point of our trip, and went for the most popular fast food in China - KFC 😆. Nonetheless, there were two in particular that stood out.

The best meal of our entire Guilin trip was at Sheng Tai Yuan 生态苑, a restaurant located at Shili Gallery. The food was pretty good and authentic. We had a 15% discount as guests staying at Huaxin Hotel.

The next one was the fried beancurd at 町奶奶酱汁炸豆腐 at West Street (西街). The food kiosk is very popular and we had to wait 45mins for our food.

The Impression Liu San Jie Show

The Impression Liu San Jie is directed by the famous Zhang Yimou and a unique experience. This award winning performance unfolds on the Li River with the magnificent karst mountains serving as a natural, floodlit backdrop. The open-air theatre is huge and our cheapest tickets offered a fantastic view of the grand spectacle. A bonus tip we wish we knew: Enter early to the arena to catch some fun pre-show performances outside the theatre.

You can often find great deals and secure your tickets for the Liu San Jie show online. 👉🏻 Check ticket prices and timing.

The Best Way to Explore Yangshuo: Renting an E-Scooter

The absolute best way to experience the stunning countryside around Yangshuo is on two wheels. Renting an e-scooter gives you the freedom to explore at your own pace, stop for photos whenever you want, and feel completely immersed in the landscape.

You do not need a license to rent an e-scooter here. You can easily book one through your hotel or at one of the many rental kiosks around town. We recommend opting for a model with a longer-life battery, which gives you a full day of worry-free exploring. We paid a very reasonable ¥40 for a full day's rental. Your e-scooter rental should come with a charger (which we didn’t need to use) and helmets. And there is enough storage space lift to store a small bag.

With dedicated cycling and scooter paths alongside most main roads, it feels surprisingly safe. And you can park your e-scooter for free along the road to explore the area on foot.

One crucial piece of advice: wear footwear with good grip while exploring on foot. We learned this the hard way when I took a slow-motion tumble on a slippery path, falling into a waterway. Thankfully, I got only a few scratches and the nearest first-aid was 10 minutes away.

Recommended Route to Explore Shili Gallery Yangshuo

Our pre-trip research online for routes to explore Shili Gallery came up unsatisfactory with more questions than answers. We reached our hotel at 1pm, and had half-day left to explore Shili Gallery. After getting some rough recommendations from the hotel and familiarizing with our e-scooter, we crossed our fingers and started our mini-adventure!

Below is the recommended route we would take if we were to re-do our first time at Shili Gallery. This route is perfect for e-scooters or bicycles. Alternatively, you can hop on the sightseeing bus that costs ¥20 for a one-day pass for unlimited rides from 8am to 530pm. Didi is very convenient as well. We also see some touts offering private ride services, this is useful for those with mobility concerns.

We took 4-hours to explore this route at a leisurely pace, including a dessert break at the halfway mark. We didn’t enter attractions that required tickets. Do note that some paid attractions may not be opened, so make sure to use our links to check online for availability and opening hours.

⭐️ Bookmark this article so you can reference this route map when you are at Shili Gallery. We have also included direct Amap links to help guide you.

Shili Gallery E-Scooter Route (12km one-way)

A → Moon Hill 月亮山 - Naturally formed hole shaped like a moon. Go south towards 🌕 for nice views of Moon Hill. Tickets are required to enter Moon Cave. 👉🏻 Check ticket prices.
B → Gold Water Cave 金水岩 aka 元宝岩 1km - The golden tael entrance is great for photos. Tickets are required to enter the cave. 👉🏻 Check ticket prices.
C → Assembling Dragon Cave 聚龙潭 1km - Ticket includes a short boat ride to explore karst peaks resembling dragons. Worth visiting if you have never explored a Karst cave. 👉🏻 Check ticket prices.
D → Big Banyan Tree 大榕树 1km - This tree is a thousand years old!
E → Gongnong Wharf 工农桥码头 0.7m - Bamboo rafting end point from Shuiedi. Has a commemorative rock that makes a nice photo spot.
F → Gongnong Bridge 工农桥 0.1km - A popular spot to view bamboo rafts.
G → Tree Swing 网红秋千 3.6km - Made popular by social media. Optional.
H → Dragon by the Rice Fields 梦幻遇龙花映稻香 0.3km - Spot the dragon amongst rice fields. There is a scenic riverside walk path (dotted line) and is nice for a stroll.
J → Ricefields 1.5km - Take close-up photos among the rice fields here. Between J and L is an area of small roads where you get fantastic views of Karst Mountains.
K → Chaoyang Dam 朝阳坝 1.1km - You can literally step into Yulong River here. Beware of slippery ground, this was where I fell.
L → One Foot Rice Paddy Cafe 一尺稻田咖啡 1.4km - Perfect spot for a coffee/cake break. We enjoyed it here!
M → Cafes 村上春树咖啡店 & 张先生的树屋 - Explore these smaller cafes just further up.

Key Attractions & Points

N → Tianlai Butterfly Spring 天籁蝴蝶泉 4A - This park has the original suspension bridge in Yangshuo. 👉🏻 Check ticket prices.
O → Totem Ancient Trail 图腾古道 4A - A village showcasing Zengpiyan culture and life dating 12,000 years ago. 👉🏻 Check ticket prices.
P → Guilin Romance Park 桂林千古情 - A top-rated performance and park. Go early for the park activities before the performance. 👉🏻 Check ticket prices.
Q → Impression Liu San Jie 印象刘三姐 - A large-scale outdoor performance against the backdrop of Karst mountains. Great way to spend the evening. 👉🏻 Check ticket prices and timing.
W → Yangshuo West Street 阳朔西街 - Popular pedestrian street of Yangshuo Ancient Town.
1 → Yangshuo Huaxin Hotel - We highly recommend this hotel. It has 2 buildings, one with River views (that we recommend) and the other with Mountain views. 👉🏻 Check room availability.
2 → Shuiedi Wharf 水厄底码头
3 → Jima Wharf 骥马码头
4 → Shili Gallery North Gate 十里画廊北门
5 → Yangshuo Opera House 阳朔戏楼 - Relatively new shopping area. We had our KFC here 😆

Other Yangshuo Attractions We Would Visit

Here are the attractions we would visit if time allows.

1. Ruyi Peak 如意峰 - Yangshuo’s first mountain top park. Enjoy panoramic views of endless karst peaks through glass walks, bridges and cableways.

2. Fuli Bridge 富里桥 - A beautiful bridge that forms a full circle with it’s reflection on the river. Best visited in the early morning where they are less crowds. This is 10km away from L.

3. Yingman Hotel Cafe 阳朔影缦酒店 - Feed Nara deers while having breakfast or afternoon tea here!

3 Things You Must Do at Xingping 兴坪

After lunch at Sheng Tai Yuan, we took a Didi to Xingping. You cannot go wrong with staying at Mercure Xingping. Shortly after check-in, we explored Xingping Ancient Town.

Xingping Ancient Town 20 RMB Viewpoint

Xingping ancient town is small and packed with F&B and shops selling all kinds of stuff. The key attraction in Xingping is the 20 RMB viewpoint. Along the banks of the Li River, you will see many vantage points (here is one) for the famous view of the 20-yuan dollar note.

Fishing Village 渔村 and/or Xianggong Mountain 相公山

On the opposite side across Li River is a quaint village. To get over, take this 5-mins public boat ride (¥5 per pax one way) to Fishing Village Wharf 渔村码头. The boat ticket is sold from a desk right by the boarding area. From there, touts will offer transport services to explore the area. Negotiate the price for the amount of time you have (eg. 1-hour), and they will curate the key spots for you.

If you have at least 2 hours, make your way to Xianggong Mountain 相公山. While many recommend doing this for the sunrise, we don’t fancy waking up at 4am for it. The observation deck is popular for its panoramic views and is a 10-mins climb up well-maintained steps. 👉🏻 Check ticket prices for Xianggong Observation Deck.

Climb Laozhai Mountain 老寨山

After exploring the fishing village, take the same boat back and you are already near the starting point for the climb up to Laozhai Mountain. At more than 300 metres high, Laozhai Mountain is a great place to see Li River and all of Xingping, and it is free!

We planned to catch the sunset from Laozhai. The climb up was steep and relentless, and took us 25mins with a fairly quick, half panting pace (because the sun was setting soon). There was already a crowd when we reached. We saw an honour-based sales basket (payment via WeChat QR) with bottled water for purchase mid-climb, but bring your own!

At the peak, we were rewarded with spectacular views and stayed up there for as long as we could. We left just in time to have enough twilight to see our path down. Do note that the path has no lights, so bring your own headlight if you plan to climb Laozhai in the dark.

Our journey through Yangshuo and Xingping was a lesson in adventure. The freedom of an e-scooter and the sunset from Laozhai were unforgettable highlights. This guide is the itinerary we wish we had, and our biggest takeaway is this: if you can, stay for one more night! Yangshuo’s beauty deserves it, and it's the one change we would make in a heartbeat.

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