Exploring the Karst | 5-Day Guilin + Huixian + Yangshuo + Xingping Ancient Town + Yangshuo Countryside Highlights Tour (Karst Cave Adventure + Yulong River Bamboo Raft)

Welcome to Guilin. Our guide will meet you at the airport/train station exit and escort you to your downtown hotel for check-in. You can arrange the remaining time freely. If you are tired, you can rest at the hotel to recharge. If it is still early, you can also stroll around the area. You can refer to the free-time suggestions below or ask the guide for travel advice. Free-Time Suggestions 1. Elephant Trunk Hill: Elephant Trunk Hill is one of Guilin's landmark attractions, located in Guilin at the confluence of the Peach Blossom River and the Li River. It is named because the mountain shape resembles a giant elephant standing by the river, extending its trunk to drink the sweet spring water of the Li River. It is a typical representative of Guilin's scenery. 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 the rise and fall of Guilin since the city was established during the Wude period of the Tang dynasty. Strolling leisurely through it, you can admire ancient historical buildings and cultural relics, taste the most authentic local snacks, browse distinctive handmade art shops, and experience Guilin's intangible cultural heritage, such as round fans and sandstone paintings. 3. Boat tour of the Two Rivers and Four Lakes: The Two Rivers and Four Lakes are an important part of Guilin's landscape beauty, and a boat tour of the Two Rivers and Four Lakes is the best way to enjoy Guilin's landscape and city night views. You can tour Guilin's core scenic belt and experience the city-encircling 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 in total. 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 take a car for about 1.5–2 hours to charming Huixian Town to begin your adventure. After arriving, first experience the exciting [wild cave exploration] and appreciate dreamlike underground world scenery. A professional guide will lead the way, provide safety training in advance, and supply necessary caving equipment such as helmets with headlamps, gloves, and caving suits. Inside these caves are many breathtaking natural wonders, such as sparkling stalactites, stalactites of various shapes, and karst cave landforms formed over thousands of years, which are extremely magical. Among them, the most exciting moment is descending along a professional rope to the ground about 20 meters below, feeling the thrill and fun of being suspended in midair. You will also be amazed by the various strangely shaped rocks standing around you. Strolling within feels like entering a sci-fi world, fascinating and intoxicating. Wild cave exploration tips 1. We will have lunch inside the cave, so remember to carry some convenient ready-to-eat or high-calorie food. 2. During the journey, be sure to follow the professional guide's instructions, do not leave the group at will, and do not remove safety equipment at will. 3. If you are interested in cave camping, you can also tell your travel consultant in advance, and we will thoughtfully arrange it for you, providing a unique and wonderful travel experience. In the afternoon, you will visit [Glass Fields], known as the "kidney of the Li River." This is a representative of Guilin's pastoral landscape and one of Guilin's most distinctive scenic spots. The scenery here is beautiful, and the karst landforms are unique. Under the play of light and shadow, the rice fields look like panes of glass, reflecting the sky, mountain colors, tree shadows, ancient bridges, villages, and other scenery. It is the best place to enjoy and photograph the unique pastoral landscape. Whether at sunset or under evening glow, the beautiful scenery of Glass Fields makes people linger. In winter, Glass Fields have a special charm, like a crystal-clear glass world, breathtakingly beautiful. Strolling through it feels like entering a dreamland carefully carved by nature. In addition, you can walk for about 30 minutes to the viewing platform to enjoy this amazing panoramic view of Glass Fields. After the visit, you will take a car for about 80 km (1.5–2 hours) to Xingping Town and check into a quiet and comfortable hotel.

After breakfast, you will be taken up to Xianggong Hill (about 15 minutes) to 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 pastoral landscape, and feel the beauty of "the river like a green silk belt, the mountains like jade hairpins." In addition, if you want to capture the most beautiful sunrise scenery, it is recommended to set off early in the morning. After the visit, 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 Mural Hill and the reflections at Huangbu Shoal. Then you will take a ferry to visit the ancient town of Xingping, with a history of more than 1,700 years. Here you can stroll along the stone-slab roads in the ancient town, admire antique buildings such as old streets, old bridges, and old opera stages, and feel the rich atmosphere of ancient town life. Afterward, head to the location featured on the back of China's 20-yuan banknote. You can take out a 20-yuan banknote and take a very meaningful travel photo together with the real landscape scene. After the visit, you will drive about 1 hour to Yangshuo County, check in, and have a good rest.

After breakfast, you will fully explore the breathtaking 【Yangshuo countryside】 and enjoy Guilin's most outstanding pastoral scenery. You can choose the following ways to tour: (1) driving plus walking, (2) cycling. Whichever way you choose, you can travel along country roads and enjoy the beautiful scenery along the way, including karst mountains, rice fields, villages, and rivers. You may also see scenes of people working in the fields, children playing by the river, and cattle grazing in the fields. Then, head to the Yulong River bamboo raft boarding point to begin the classic 【Yulong River bamboo raft】 drifting trip, experiencing the fun of a man-powered bamboo raft going over the dams. You can also sit on the raft, relax, and enjoy the beautiful pastoral scenery on both banks: villages scattered along the riverbanks, crisscrossing fields, green grass, lush bamboo, and shady trees. The river water is emerald green and clear, with fish and shrimp swimming in it. When the breeze passes over the water, ripples spread out, which is very beautiful. Along the way, you will also pass ancient bridges, where you can briefly stop to photograph the beautiful scene formed by the ancient bridge and Guilin's beautiful karst mountains. Afterwards, in picturesque Yangshuo, you can find a small shop to leisurely enjoy afternoon tea (optional), which both relaxes your body and mind and allows you to be more immersed in the poetic and picturesque scenery. After the tour, head to Yangshuo's busiest district—【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, order a drink, relax, and enjoy a rare leisurely time, it can satisfy your needs. Recommended Evening Activity (Optional): If you are interested in the folk customs of Guangxi's ethnic minorities, you can watch the real-scene landscape performance "Impression Liu Sanjie," directed by the famous director Zhang Yimou and set against the Li River landscape. The performance lasts 1 hour.

After breakfast, you can spend some time strolling around the scenery near the hotel, enjoying Yangshuo's charming morning natural scenery and experiencing the living atmosphere of local residents up close. After the visit, this unforgettable Guilin and Yangshuo exploration journey 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.