Guilin begins, Guilin ends
🏞️ Iconic Karst Landscapes: See Guilin's symbol, Elephant Trunk Hill, and cruise the city's Two Rivers & Four Lakes. Take a bamboo raft down the Li River past the famous 20 Yuan Bill backdrop scenery.
🌾 Magnificent Mountain Terraces: Visit the spectacular Longji (Dragon's Backbone) Rice Terraces, a stunning masterpiece of agricultural landscaping carved into the mountains.
🛶 Diverse & Scenic Experiences: Enjoy different perspectives: a city lake cruise, a peaceful Li River raft trip, and a drift on the smaller Yulong River by bamboo raft through Yangshuo's pastoral scenery.
🏔️ Peak Views & Glittering Caves: Ride the Ruyi Peak Cable Car for panoramic views of Yangshuo's karst peaks. Explore the magnificent Silver Cave, filled with shimmering stalactites and stalagmites.
🚲 Countryside Cycling: Bike or drive through the picturesque Ten-Mile Gallery in Yangshuo, a landscape of rolling hills, rice paddies, and rural villages.
ArrivWelcome to Guilin, a landscape so ethereal it has defined the Chinese ideal of beauty for millennia. Upon arrival at the airport or high-speed railway station, you will be met by your private representative and escorted to your hotel overlooking the tranquil cedar lakes or the winding Li River. Settle into your sanctuary as the mist begins to settle over the distant limestone peaks.
Begin your exploration at Elephant Trunk Hill, the iconic symbol of the city that appears to drink from the river. Delve into the history of the Ming Dynasty at the Princes' City (Jingjiang Wangcheng), an imperial mansion set beneath the "Solitary Beauty Peak." As evening falls, board a deluxe cruise on the Two Rivers and Four Lakes, drifting past illuminated pagodas and glass bridges that transform the city into a sparkling water garden.
Journey to the Longji Rice Terraces, a breathtaking feat of "land art" hand-sculpted by the Zhuang and Yao minorities over seven centuries. Traverse the winding paths along the "Dragon’s Backbone," where emerald tiers of rice follow the mountain's contours. Engage with local villagers in their traditional wooden stilt houses to learn about their enduring heritage and high-altitude way of life.
Travel by road to the ancient riverside town of Xingping. Capture the timeless vista featured on the 20-yuan banknote before boarding a private 4-person bamboo raft. Drift along the most storied stretch of the Li River to Nine-Horse Fresco Hill, where the sheer karst cliffs and bamboo groves create a living Chinese ink painting. Conclude your day in the vibrant, cosmopolitan atmosphere of Yangshuo West Street.
Ascend the Ruyi Peak via cable car to walk the "Skywalk" suspension bridge, offering a staggering 360-degree panorama of the karst forest. Afterward, descend into the crystalline depths of Silver Cave (Yinziyan). Wander through this subterranean palace where towering stalactites and pillars shimmer like draped silk and frozen waterfalls under the cave’s soft illumination.
Immerse yourself in the pastoral poetry of the Ten-Mile Gallery, a serene corridor of limestone pinnacles and emerald fields. Experience the ultimate in rural tranquility with a bamboo raft drift on the Yulong River. Unlike the grand Li River, the Yulong is quiet and intimate; listen to the gentle splash of the oarsman’s pole as you glide under ancient stone bridges before returning to Guilin city for the evening.
Enjoy a final morning at leisure, perhaps taking a quiet walk along the riverbanks. Following breakfast, your private transfer will escort you to Guilin Liangjiang International Airport or the High-Speed Railway Station for your onward journey, leaving the "finest mountains and rivers under heaven" behind you.
Daily Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
Comprehensive Travel Insurance
English-speaking or other language-speaking tour guides
24/7 On-Call Support
Entrance Fees, Taxes and All Gratuities Except Resident Tour Director
Hand-selected Luxury Hotels
Premium Private Transportation
Airport Meet and Greet with Private Transfers
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