Guilin
Li River Cruise Private Day Tour
Four hours downstream through the karst towers to Yangshuo, then the countryside by road on the way back. The classic Guangxi day.
From US$139/per person
View tourGuilin
Yangshuo Cycling & Countryside Day Tour
Flat paved lanes between the towers, a bamboo raft on the Yulong River, and cormorant fishing at dusk. Guangxi at ground level.
The short version
The karst towers around Yangshuo are best seen from a bicycle, because the lanes between them are flat, paved and largely car-free. A day here is 20-odd kilometres of easy riding through paddy fields and villages, a bamboo raft on the Yulong River, and cormorant fishing at dusk. About 10 hours from Guilin, small group.
- The lanes between the towers are flat and paved — this is riding, not climbing.
- A bamboo raft on the Yulong is poled by hand and takes an hour.
- Cormorant fishing at dusk is the one staged experience here that earns its place.
- Small group, maximum 8, so the riding stays sociable and safe.
What not to miss
07:30
Hotel pickup
Private vehicle south to Yangshuo, about 1h 30m. Bikes and helmets are waiting at the edge of town.
09:30
Into the paddy lanes
Out of town within ten minutes: flat lanes between rice fields, with towers on every side and water buffalo in the fields.
11:00
Moon Hill viewpoint
A short stop below the arch in the hill, then back on the bikes through the villages that supply Yangshuo's market.
12:30
Village lunch
Beer fish — the Yangshuo dish, cooked in a light beer broth — plus river snails and morning-glory greens.
14:00
Bamboo raft on the Yulong
An hour on a hand-poled bamboo raft down a shallow, clear tributary, past the low weirs.
17:30
Cormorant fishing
Back on the water at dusk with a fisherman and his birds, working by lantern light as the towers go dark. Then the drive back to Guilin.
What's included and what isn't
Includes
- Private transfer between Guilin and Yangshuo
- Licensed English-speaking guide
- Hybrid bike hire and helmet
- Bamboo raft on the Yulong River
- Village lunch with beer fish
- Cormorant fishing demonstration
Not included
- Breakfast and dinner
- Gratuities
- Cycling in the rain gear, which we lend rather than sell
- Personal travel insurance
Pickup, timing and getting around
Pickup at 07:30 from hotels in Guilin. If you are already staying in Yangshuo, we meet you at your hotel there at 09:00 and the day runs shorter.
Tell us heights at booking so the bikes are set up before you arrive. Children's bikes, tag-alongs and a support vehicle for the tired are all available without notice being a problem.
Route diagrams are schematic and illustrative, not to scale.
More day tours from Guilin
Guilin
Longji Rice Terraces Private Day Tour
Terraces cut by hand over 650 years and still farmed, in the mountains two and a half hours north-west of Guilin.
From US$149/per person
View tourFrequently asked questions
How fit do I need to be?
Moderately active is enough. The route is about 20 km on flat paved lanes with four or five gentle rises, and the support vehicle follows the whole way for anyone who wants to sit out a stretch.
What if it rains?
Light rain is fine and the landscape is better for it. For real rain we shorten the ride, keep the raft and the lunch, and spend the extra time in the villages by vehicle.
Is the cormorant fishing cruel?
The birds are working animals with a ring at the neck that stops them swallowing large fish, and they are fed after the demonstration. It is a genuine practice on this river, not a reenactment invented for tourists.
Can we skip the cycling?
Yes. We run the same day by vehicle with short walks instead, which loses very little — the villages and the raft are the substance of it.
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- Do I Need a Visa for China? Requirements, Costs and How to Apply
- China's 240-Hour Visa-Free Transit: Who Qualifies and How It Works
- Paying in China: Alipay, WeChat Pay, Cards and Cash
- China's High-Speed Rail: How to Book, What It Costs, How Fast It Goes
- Is China Safe for Tourists? Honest Risks and How to Avoid Them
- Best Time to Visit China: Month by Month, Region by Region
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