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Major city · China

Guilin桂林

Base in Guilin 2 nights for the city caves and peaks, then move to Yangshuo for the river: 3 nights total does both without rushing.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
CNY
Best months
Apr–May, Sep–Oct
avoid Jun–Aug (heavy rain and heat), Chinese New Year and Golden Week
Airport
KWL
Nights
2–3
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 7
  • East Asia ↗Every border in East Asia is a full international border, Hong Kong and Macau included: an entry permission for one never covers the next.
  • East Asia ↗Ferries between Korea, Japan and China cancel in rough seas and typhoons; keep a flight or a spare day behind every sea leg.
  • China ↗Most nationalities need a visa, a unilateral visa-free entry (the list and end dates change) or the transit exemption below. Confirm your route on the official sites before you buy a ticket.
  • China ↗Transit stay without a visa: up to 240 hours (10 days) for citizens of about 55 listed countries who pass through China to a third country or region, with a confirmed onward ticket and a stay inside the permitted area (Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei count as one area). It replaced the 144-hour rule in December 2024, which some older pages still quote. Use the transit lane at immigration, show the onward ticket, and check the current nationality list. Hong Kong and Macau count as separate regions; check whether your ticket qualifies.
  • China ↗Foreign visitors must register their address with the police within 24 hours; hotels do it at check-in with your passport. Carry the original passport at all times: hotels, trains, museums, Tiananmen Square and police checks ask for it.
  • China ↗Set up Alipay or WeChat Pay with a foreign card before you fly. QR payment is the default in shops, taxis and many stalls, and some places refuse cash or a foreign card. Carry cash as a backup.
  • China ↗Google, WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and many news sites are blocked. Use an eSIM with roaming (it routes through your home network) or install and test a VPN before you fly; VPN sites and app stores are hard to reach inside China, and only government-approved VPNs are officially permitted.

Guilin is the hub for the karst country of North Guangxi: a compact city of rivers, lakes and limestone peaks, with the Li River, Longji rice terraces and Yangshuo all within a day of it. Most travellers give the city one or two nights and put the rest of the trip downstream in Yangshuo. It is a clean, walkable, mid-size city with a tourist economy and low street crime.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Guilin, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • Coffee¥20–35 (≈ US$3–5)
  • Street or quick mealBowl of Guilin rice noodles¥8–15 (≈ US$2–3)
  • Beerdraught / can at a shop¥15–30 (≈ US$3–5)¥5–10 (≈ US$1–2)
  • Taxi, about 5 km5 km taxi¥15–25 (≈ US$3–4)
  • Metro or bus rideCity bus ride¥2 (≈ under US$1) (5x buses free)
  • SIM or eSIM, a weekeSIM or data SIM, about a week¥80–150 (≈ US$12–25)
  • Budget bedHostel dorm bed, a night, per personCN¥60 (≈ US$9)
  • Mid-range bedMid-range double room, a night, per roomCN¥350 (≈ US$50)
  • High-end bedMid-range double room, a night, per roomCN¥700 (≈ US$100)

A day, not counting the bed: Budget CN¥300 (≈ US$45) · Mid CN¥600 (≈ US$85) · High CN¥1,200 (≈ US$170)

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Karst limestone peaksLi River sceneryReed Flute Cave and Elephant Trunk HillGateway to Yangshuo and Longji terraces
Airports
KWL Guilin Liangjiang International (About 30 km southwest of the centre; airport buses run to the city terminal and Guilin North station, and a taxi to a central hotel is around ¥100.)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Guilin: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

12°C

6°C

15 rd

Feb

14°C

8°C

15 rd

Mar

18°C

11°C

18 rd

Apr

24°C

17°C

19 rd

May

28°C

21°C

19 rd

Jun

31°C

24°C

18 rd

Jul

33°C

25°C

17 rd

Aug

33°C

25°C

15 rd

Sep

31°C

23°C

10 rd

Oct

26°C

18°C

10 rd

Nov

21°C

13°C

10 rd

Dec

15°C

8°C

11 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

City buses cover the parks and river spots and fares are capped at ¥2; buses numbered 5x are free, and bus 58 links the stations with several sights. Taxis are cheap and easy to hail except 17:30–19:00. For a half or full day of outlying sights, a hired driver is often the simplest option.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Yangshuo

go

Door to door: 1–1.5 h by road

Bus from the Guilin bus terminal or minibus by the railway station, about 1–1.5 h; or the Li River cruise downstream

Most travellers move here rather than day-trip; the cruise is the scenic way to arrive.

Xingping

go

Door to door: 2–2.5 h

Bus toward Yangshuo then a local bus, or a boat down the Li River

The ¥20-note viewpoint is here; go early before the tour boats.

Longsheng (Longji rice terraces)

overnight

Door to door: 2.5–3 h

Bus from Guilin to Longsheng then a local bus up to the terraces

Too far for a comfortable return day; sleep in a village guesthouse.

Liuzhou

caution

Door to door: About 1.5 h

High-speed train from Guilin station

A city, not scenery; only worth it for the food.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

City centre (Xiufeng, around Central Square)

Two rivers and four lakes on foot, Sun and Moon Pagodas and Jingjiang Princes' City nearby; best for a first night with bags.

Guilin North station area

Convenient if you arrive or leave by high-speed rail; a bus ride from the sights.

Xiangshan (Elephant Trunk Hill side)

Quieter, river-facing hotels; 15–20 min walk or a short taxi to the centre.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
¥250–450 (≈ US$35–65) excl. bed
Mid
¥450–900 (≈ US$65–130) excl. bed
High
¥900 (≈ US$130)+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Mid-range double room1 × 2 nights × CN¥350CN¥700
Food, local transport, entries2 × 2 days × CN¥600CN¥2,400
Airport bus, one way2 × CN¥20CN¥40
City bus ride2 × CN¥2CN¥4
eSIM, about a week of data2 × CN¥100CN¥200
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeCN¥334
Trip total≈ CN¥920 per person per day, bed includedCN¥3,678≈ US$550

2026 estimate in yuan; flights and long-distance rail excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Bowl of Guilin rice noodles¥8–15 (≈ US$2–3)
Coffee¥20–35 (≈ US$3–5)
Beer: draught / can at a shop¥15–30 (≈ US$3–5) / ¥5–10 (≈ US$1–2)
5 km taxi¥15–25 (≈ US$3–4)
City bus ride¥2 (≈ under US$1) (5x buses free)
eSIM or data SIM, about a week¥80–150 (≈ US$12–25)

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Guilin is a low-crime, walkable city; the real risks are pickpocketing in crowds, overpriced tours sold by touts, and summer heat and rain. Use official ticket counters and keep valuables out of sight.
  • Ignore drivers at the train station who push tours or add charges; walk past them to the bus stop.
  • Buy Li River cruises and cave tickets from official counters or your hotel, not from touts.
  • Summer is hot and wet, with the heaviest rain June–August; check river levels before booking a cruise.
  • The 144-hour visa-free rule for some ASEAN passports covers only Guilin, Yangshuo and Longsheng, and needs an approved group tour — check your own nationality's rules.

Emergency numbers

Police
110
Fire
119
Ambulance
120

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

Guilin桂林

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

请到这个地址To this address, please

Emergency

  • Police110
  • Fire119
  • Ambulance120

Embassy

Most countries have embassies in Beijing and consulates-general in Guangzhou or Chengdu; check your own country's nearest office before you travel.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Airport → city centre, bus: about ¥20 (≈ US$3), then a short taxi
  • Airport → city centre, taxi: about ¥100 (≈ US$14)
  • Guilin → Yangshuo, bus: about ¥18 (≈ US$3), 1–1.5 h

Say or show

  • 你好 — Hello (nǐ hǎo)
  • 谢谢 — Thank you (xiè xiè)
  • 多少钱？ — How much is it? (duō shǎo qián)
  • 这个 — This one, please (zhè ge)
  • 厕所在哪里？ — Where is the toilet? (cè suǒ zài nǎ lǐ)
  • 可以刷卡吗？ — Can I pay by card? (kě yǐ shuā kǎ ma)

Prices are 2026 estimates in yuan.

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Guilin. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: Apr–May, Sep–Oct · avoid Jun–Aug (heavy rain and heat), Chinese New Year and Golden Week · month by month →
  2. 1 airport and 3 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 4 day-trips, door to door
  6. 4 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for KWL: last airport-bus departures, taxi fallback and the ¥100 band field-checked.
  2. Four walking clusters with rescue anchors: Central Square and the lakes, Jingjiang Princes' City, Elephant Trunk Hill, and the station areas.
  3. Place pages with verified cutoffs (Reed Flute Cave, Elephant Trunk Hill, Sun and Moon Pagodas, Jingjiang Princes' City) and eat pages with last orders.
  4. Li River cruise and Longji transfer fixtures so gates A–D can go green.

Meanwhile

Back to China

Sources