Tour Code: gl-9
Departure Date: Daily
Features: Private Tour Guide
Private Car & Driver
Authentic Local Restaurants
This active journey through Guilin, Yangshuo, and the surrounding countryside brings you ever closer to the wonders of nature that highlight the region. Beyond the steep, limestone peaks and vast, fertile agricultural paddies, you will also find enriching human cultures and communities that have survived the passing of countless dynasties and centuries. As you explore by hiking and biking and taking part in much exercise, you will become one with this incredible environment!
Welcome to Guilin! On arrival into the city at the airport, we will pick you up and take you to your hotel. Have the rest of the day at leisure. Feel free to ask your guide for more information about entertainment and resources nearby.
Your first tour day with us will be by bicycle. We will pick you up from your hotel in Guilin in the morning (in order to better avoid large crowds) and arrange you with a top quality bicycle for which you will be responsible throughout the day. It will also be your vehicle for discovery!
Begin your tour with a ride past verdant paddy fields and the trickling of Peach Blossom River. If you are here in springtime, the tree blossoms burst with the color of thousands of light pink flowers, creating a magical scene. At other times in the year, you will see the towering mountains in the background contrasted with the tranquility of the river waters.
After about 40 minutes of riding, you will reach Reed Flute Cave. Its name comes from the plants that grow at its mouth, used to make local typical musical instruments. Within, the cave is full of striking rock formations such as stalactites, stalagmites, and stone pillars illuminated with many colorful lights in order to enhance their details using light and shadows.
Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant nearby and after a break, continue our cycle to a tea plantation. The farm is run and operated by the Guilin Tea Research Institute, and experts are on the grounds to teach you about the process of growing, picking, drying, and making tea, and how to enjoy these delicate drinks.
Finally, tide you bicycle to Yao Mountain, the tallest mountain in the Guilin city area standing at 909 meters high. You will park your bicycle at the base of the mountain and take a cable car to the top. The views along the ride are spectacular. Once you are at the top, you will see some wonderful temples and Buddha statues recalling the Chinese zodiac characters. Descend Yao Mountain by cable car and get back on your bicycle.
Riding about 1 hour, you will arrive back in central Guilin, and we will assist you with your hotel and dropping off of your bicycle.
A stunning natural scenery awaits you along your one day Li River Hiking from Yangdi to Xingping. On this journey, you will see typical rice paddies, hills, traditional villages, ancient stone bridges, gardens, bamboo forests, orchards, the inescapable mountains, and scenes of local farmers at work on their properties. Three short ferry rides across the Li River will also be part of this full day hike. The most famous destination along this part of the Li River is Mural Hill which you will see in the distance. It is said that there are the images of 9 horses on the hill and that being able to point out and count all 9 signifies that you are an intelligent person. Before long, you will find yourself in the town of Xingping, a picturesque and historic place represented on the back of the Chinese 20 Yuan note. The village is still alive with the spirit of its ancestors. Many old buildings are the originals that still stand after many centuries of existence.
Finally you will meet with your driver in Xingping and drive to the village of Yangshuo where you will spend the night.
Back on your bicycle today, you will go on an exploration of Yangshuo to Baisha and Yima towns which are two naturally pristine and authentic towns. The countryside is peaceful and inspiring. Ponds, fields, mountains, and the Yulong River complete the panoramas. After about 2.5 to 3 hours of riding, you will reach the part of the Yulong River near Yulong Bridge where you can enjoy your lunch.
When you feel ready, start biking for another 40 minutes back to your hotel in Yangshuo. In the late afternoon, you will be transferred from Yangshuo back to Guilin and dropped off at your hotel in the city.
We will take you back to Guilin airport for your outbound journey. Thank you for discovering the Guilin area with us!
We use different hotels for different tour classes while the itinerary is the same. Deluxe Class is usually staying at a 5-star hotel, Superior Class at a 4-star hotel and Tourist Class at a 3-star level hotel. The prices for one person are based on sharing twin hotel rooms with another guest. A supplement is necessary if you want to book single rooms. And the prices may rise during national holidays, such as the National Day (September 30th to October 6th) and Chinese New Year (late January or early February)
All of our tour guides are certificated and experienced. They are local experts with detailed knowledge about attractions, history, culture and more. They know the best places to visit, can give you advice on restaurants that serve great local food, the best places to shop, or theaters for the best shows in town.
We use the modern air-conditioned luxury cars for families or 2-3 persons and small buses for small groups of 4-7 persons.
We ensure that all of the vehicles that we use are well-maintained (not over 4 years) and always very clean. Our drivers are very nice and careful with over 5-year drive experience.
Sally Guo
Travel Advisor