Guilin Hiking | 5-Day Guilin + Longji Rice Terraces + Xingping + Yangshuo Essence Hiking Tour (Yulong River Hike + Cave Adventure/Rock Climbing/SUP)

Welcome to Guilin. Our guide will meet you at the airport/train station exit and escort you to a downtown hotel for check-in. The rest of the time is yours to arrange freely. If you are tired, you can rest at the hotel to recharge; if it is still early, you can explore the surrounding area. You may refer to the free-time suggestions below or ask your guide for travel advice. Free-time suggestions 1. Prince Jingjiang's Mansion: Prince Jingjiang's Mansion is the longest-existing and best-preserved Ming Dynasty princely mansion site in China. Here, you can admire exquisite ancient architecture and picturesque garden design, visit precious historical relics, learn about Guilin's history and culture, and climb Solitary Beauty Peak to enjoy a magnificent panoramic view of Guilin. 2. East-West Lane: East-West Lane is the only remaining historical street area from the Ming and Qing dynasties, witnessing nearly 1,400 years of Guilin's rise and fall since the city was founded during the Wude era of the Tang Dynasty. Strolling leisurely through it, you can admire quaint historical buildings and cultural relics, taste the most authentic local snacks, browse specialty handicraft shops, and experience Guilin's intangible cultural heritage, such as round silk fans and sand-stone paintings. 3. Two Rivers and Four Lakes cruise: The Two Rivers and Four Lakes are an important part of Guilin's landscape beauty, and a cruise on the Two Rivers and Four Lakes is the best way to enjoy Guilin's landscape-city night views. You can tour the core scenic belt of Guilin and experience a city-ring water system comparable to Venice, lasting about 1–1.5 hours. Suggested ways to arrive 1. By plane: Guilin Liangjiang International Airport (KWL) has many direct domestic routes, such as Beijing, Shanghai, Xi'an, Chengdu, Chongqing, Hangzhou, etc., making transportation extremely convenient. 2. By train: Guilin has 3 train stations. You can take high-speed rail to Guilin from cities such as Changsha (2.5–3h), Hong Kong (4h), Chengdu (5.5–6h), Chongqing (4.5–5h), Guangzhou (3h), and Zhangjiajie (7h).

This morning, you will drive about 77 km (2 hours) from Guilin to the [Longji Rice Terraces Scenic Area]. The Longji Rice Terraces (Longsheng Rice Terraces) are one of the ten most beautiful rice terraces in the world, with a long history of about two thousand years, and are known as the "birthplace of the world's rice terraces." They consist of three parts: the Jinkeng•Dazhai Red Yao Rice Terraces, the Ping'an Zhuang Rice Terraces, and the Longji Ancient Zhuang Village Rice Terraces. After arriving at the scenic area, first visit Huangluo Yao Village, known as "the world's No. 1 long-hair village." Huangluo Yao Village is the only Yao village among the thirteen villages of Longji, inhabited entirely by Red Yao people. The women here have a traditional custom of growing long hair, which can reach up to 2.72 meters and once broke the Guinness World Record. Here, you can watch local folk performances (45 minutes, optional), such as folk songs, long-hair performances, long-stick dances, and umbrella dances, and also learn about the history and traditional way of life of the Red Yao people, such as spinning and weaving. If you are interested, you can also talk with locals about how to care for long hair and how to make rice-water shampoo. Afterward, head to Ping'an Village for lunch, where you can taste local specialties such as rice wine, bamboo tube rice, bamboo tube chicken, and cured meat. If you are interested, you can also learn to cook these popular specialty dishes. In the afternoon, you will head to the Ping'an Zhuang Rice Terraces near Ping'an Village to begin a classic hike (about 2–3 hours). This is the earliest-opened area of the Longji Rice Terraces and is famous for its beautiful scenery and unique Zhuang customs. You can hike through the terraces and immerse yourself in the magnificent beauty of the rice terraces, and you can also climb to the Nine Dragons and Five Tigers (980 m, sunset viewing point) and Seven Stars Accompanying the Moon (880 m, sunrise viewing point) viewing platforms to admire the most magical natural landscapes. If you are lucky, you can also capture a stunning sunset at the Nine Dragons and Five Tigers viewing platform. It is worth mentioning that the film "Outcast," starring Jackie Chan, was shot on location at the Ping'an Zhuang Rice Terraces. In addition, you can also stroll through Ping'an Village, where people wear traditional Zhuang clothing: men in short robes of handwoven cloth, and women in white tops and black trousers with brightly colored floral headscarves. Here, you can immerse yourself in the unique folk customs of the Zhuang people, observe Zhuang-style stilt houses up close, gain an in-depth understanding of the splendid Zhuang culture, and taste the most authentic Zhuang cuisine. After the hike, you will return to Guilin.

After breakfast, you will take a car from Guilin for about 1-1.5 hours to the Li River to tour the picturesque landscape. First, you will be taken to hike up to the [Xianggong Mountain] viewpoint (about 15 minutes), enjoy a 360-degree panoramic view of the Li River, photograph the stunning first bend of the Li River, overlook the continuous and spectacular karst mountains and the picturesque rural scenery, and feel the beauty of "the river is like a green silk belt, the mountains are like jade hairpins." After the tour, you can hike along the [Li River] to enjoy the charming karst landscape and admire famous Li River sights such as the magnificent Nine Horses Painting Hill and Yellow Cloth Shoal Reflection. Then, you will take a ferry to visit [Xingping Ancient Town], which has a history of more than 1,700 years. Here, you can stroll along the stone-paved roads in the ancient town, admire ancient streets, bridges, and opera stages, and other antique buildings, and feel the strong atmosphere of ancient town life. After that, head to the location of the background pattern of China's 20-yuan RMB. You can take out a 20-yuan note and take a very meaningful travel photo with the real landscape scene. In the afternoon, you will depart from Xingping to Yangshuo, passing through [Fuli Town], known as "three mountains surround the ancient town, one water embraces the green islet." It is also China's famous hometown of painted fans. Here, you can stroll and admire the thousand-year-old ancient town, and learn to make Chinese painted fans, listed as national intangible cultural heritage, with your family. The painted fan production has a long history, with themes such as Guilin landscapes, Yangshuo scenery, flowers, birds, grass, and insects, full of poetic charm. Under the professional guidance of local artists, you will make your painted fan works more exquisite, and you can also take this very meaningful work as a souvenir of this trip. Finally, you will be taken to Yangshuo County (about 12 kilometers from Fuli Town). Upon arrival, you can visit Yangshuo's busiest street - [West Street]. This is a street perfectly combining Eastern and Western elements and the best place to experience Yangshuo's nightlife. Whether you want to taste some local food or find a small shop to order a drink, relax, and enjoy a rare leisurely time, it can meet your needs.

After breakfast, you will fully explore the breathtaking 【Yangshuo countryside】, enjoying Guilin's most spectacular karst landscape and rural scenery and experiencing the tranquil and leisurely village life. You can hike along the Yulong River or hike on specific sections, and the most popular hiking route is from Yulong Bridge to Gongnong Bridge. The scenery along this section is stunning, allowing you to better relax and take in up close the charming pastoral views, the magnificent karst mountains, the distinctive wooden houses of the local dwellings, the beautiful river scenery... You can also see people working hard in the fields, children playing by the river, and water buffalo grazing in the fields. In addition, you can choose to take a distinctive Yulong River bamboo raft to enjoy the picturesque karst and pastoral scenery and experience the fun of riding a man-powered bamboo raft over the dams. In the afternoon, you can choose to take part in activities in Yangshuo such as caving, rock climbing, or SUP. Simply tell your travel consultant your preferences, and we will arrange them thoughtfully for you. Evening activity recommendation (optional): If you are interested in the folk customs of Guangxi's ethnic minorities, you can watch the outdoor landscape performance "Impression Liu Sanjie," directed by the famous director Zhang Yimou and staged against the backdrop of the Li River scenery. The performance lasts 1 hour.

After breakfast, you can take some time to stroll around the scenery near the hotel, enjoy Yangshuo's charming natural scenery in the morning, and experience the living atmosphere of local residents up close. After the visit, this unforgettable Guilin and Yangshuo hiking tour will come to an end. Our guide will take you to the airport/train station. If you would like to extend this trip and explore more destinations in China, such as Beijing, Harbin, Shanghai, Yunnan, Xi'an, Zhangjiajie, Chengdu, Tibet, Xinjiang, etc., you can also contact our customer service to arrange it for you.