Li River Cruise and Yangshuo

The Day before Your Day Trip 
Your guide will call you the night before the tour day via hotel, to inform you the exact pick-up time for the next day’s trip.

Please Note:
With your permission, your guide may adjust your travel itinerary according to the weather, transportation or other reasonable situations.

8:00 –10:00 Hotel Collection and Drive to Xianggong Hill
You will meet your guide in the hotel lobby or other spots at an appointed time (usually around 8 am and 8:30 am). He or she will hold a banner for you to recognize. There will be no more than six members in your group, so you can have a better tour experience.

After all the members collected, we will head to our first destination—Xianggong Hill, which is a 1½-hour drive (60 kilometers) drive from Guilin, while it only takes about 50 minutes from Yangshuo County.

Details about Your Transport:
If your hotel is in Yangshuo County, then you will be picked up between 8:30 am and 9 am. Your tour guide will give you the exact time the day before your departure.
Please note that the free hotel pickup and drop-off areas are only confined to urban areas of Guilin and Yangshuo. If you live out of these areas, you can hail a taxi to the appointed hotel. Moreover, remember to provide your hotel information in the booking form.
Our drivers are licensed and highly experienced. In addition, our vehicles are comfortable and ample, with safety belts, air conditioners and free bottled water.


10:00 – 10:50 Overlook from the Xianggong Hill
You will climb up more than a hundred steps, which normally takes 10-15 minutes. After reaching the peak, you will be surprised by the amazing beautiful karst landscape—countless hills along the Lijiang River. If you like taking pictures, then this place will be your paradise. Tens of thousands of award-winning pictures were taken there. If you are lucky enough, you will witness the sea of clouds around the hills and rivers

Details about the Hill Climbing:
This climb is quite easy, even for young kids. However, if you have trouble with climbing, for instance, you have to use a wheelchair; then it might be a little challenging for you.

Important Note:
Because of some government activities, Xianggong Hill could be temporarily closed; and unfortunately, we will not be informed about that in advance. As an alternative, we may visit Cuiping Five Fingers Mountain, located nearby the Putao Town, which is 22km north of Yangshuo. It is ideal to take sunset photos at Cuiping Five Fingers Mountain (Wuzhi Hill). After a 20-minute climb, you can photograph numerous karst mountain peaks, villages with many paddies, which are surrounded by rivers. You shall not miss this wonderful place while in Yangshuo. The tour guide may adjust the itinerary according to the actual situation.

 

11:50 – 12:40 Bicycle or an Electric Scooter Ride in Yangshuo’s Countryside
After about a 1-hour drive, we will reach the rural paths along the Yulong River. Take a bicycle or an electric scooter on the beautiful countryside paths next to the Yulong River, while listening to the running water, the singing birds, and appreciate the blooming flowers. You can also see the local farmers ride on their ox carts as they plow their fields. You will be surrounded by peace and harmony. Everything there seems perfect. Imagine that you are in the paradise, and leave all you troubles behind.

Details about the Bike Ride
You can either choose the bicycle or the electric scooter to experience the beautiful rural scenery.
The electric scooter is recommended, which is also the local people’s favorite transportation. It can help you save energy, so that a relaxing tour can be ensured.
If you don’t know how to use the electric scooter, your guide will happy to show you.
Taking a normal bicycle is also a nice choice if you don’t want the electric scooter.

 
12:40 – 13:30 Have Lunch at the Secret Garden
After the ride in the countryside, you will have lunch at a local family-style restaurant: Secret Garden, where you can taste both local food and Western food.


13:30 –14:30 Drive to Xingping Wharf
After having lunch, you will be transferred to Xingping Wharf, which takes about an hour. Therefore, you can take a nap in the car. Fuli ancient town with a history of over 1,000 years is also located along our way. If you are lucky enough, you will be able to meet the market-day, during which people will come from nearby villages to sell their homegrown fresh fruits and vegetables, while some people buy daily articles. The market-day has been existing for many years. You can also taste some local street food, which is only provided on this special day. If the market interests you, feel free to ask the tour guide to stop by.
 

15:00 –16:30 Take a Raft Ride on the Most Popular Part of the Lijiang River
After arriving at Xingping Wharf, you will enjoy a 1-hour relaxing raft drifting along the most beautiful part of the Lijiang River, from Xingping to Nine-Horse Painted Hill, and then back to Xingping.

Lijiang River is regarded as the most beautiful river in China. In this “Chinese traditional ink painting”, there is breeze touching your face gently, hills passing you by and clear water flowing beneath you. Just fully enjoy the scenery and the timeless moment.
If you have a 20-yuan Chinese note, you can compare the illustration on the back with the scenery in front of you. They will be exactly the same!

Details about the Raft Ride
The private motorized raft trip along the most popular part of the Lijiang River will enrich your experience. Other groups may choose to take the 5-hour cruise; however, it will be quite boring and noisy, because you will sit in the cabin and share a deck with a lot of tourists.
There are only four seats on each raft boat. Therefore, the guide will go to groups less than 4 people, while the groups of 4 will not have a guide. Although your guide may not accompany you on the raft trip, but the beautiful scenery will always be there. All in all, words cannot describe the stunning views. Only by seeing in person can you have an idea of the beauty.

Important Notice:
For safety reasons, these people will not be allowed to take the boat raft: people over 70; children under 7 or under 120cm; pregnant women; the handicapped people.
Latest Update on Sep. 23, 2019: Because of the road construction in Xingping, we have changed the Li River drifting route from (Xingping ←→ Nine-Horse Painted Hill) to (Yangdi Wharf ←→ Nine-Horse Painted Hill). The new route will take about 1.5 hours, which is also very pretty!


16:30 – 18:00 Transfer Back to Your Hotel in Guilin or Yangshuo
Your trip will end after enjoying the beautiful Lijiang River scenery in Yangshuo. Then your driver will transfer you back to the hotel in Guilin or Yangshuo.

If your hotel is in Yangshuo, we can drop you off at the West Street—a shopping street famous for its unique combination of Chinese and Western cultures. Explore this street by yourself freely. Besides, there is a wide range of restaurants on West Street (both Western and local).

If your hotel is in Guilin, you will be transferred back to Guilin (after dinner), which will take about 1½ hours.

A Recommended Evening Show
Staying in Yangshuo during the evening and watching the famous performance—“Impression Liu Sanjie” is highly recommended. The show is directed by the famous Chinese director—Zhang Yimou, who is also the director of the opening ceremony of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.
The 70-minute show starts at about 8 pm. A normal seat is for 228 yuan (the tickets for normal seats are usually not available because they are quite limited), while the prices for VIP seats vary from 268 to 358 yuan.
If you are interested in this show, feel free to ask your guide to book the tickets for you. He/she will accompany you throughout the show and then send you back to the hotel in Yangshuo or Guilin. Your guide can also take you to West Street and find a restaurant for dinner (not included in the price).
Please note that if your hotel is in Guilin, but you want to watch this show, then we will not transfer you back to Guilin by our vehicle. Instead, you will take the public transportation from Yangshuo to Guilin, and you will afford an extra 30-yuan coach fee.