Guilin is a city in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of southern China. It is a hilly and mountainous region with typical karst landform. The limestone in this region forms an unique landscape that thousands of pinnacles stand towering around and a river winds its way about the city. It enjoys the reputation of “the mountains and rivers in Guilin are the best in the world”. It is a famous tourist destination with long and profound history, and it is the international tourism city of china approved by the State Council, the important connection point between “One Belt and One Road” and Guizhou, Guangdong, Hunan and Guangxi provinces and the permanent home of the Tourism trends and prospects international forum of the United Nations world tourism organization/Asia Pacific tourism association.
Geographic Position: in Southern China (109.45°— 104.44°E, 28.18°— 25.41°N)
Climate: Subtropical monsoon climate (high temperature and rain during the same period, high temperature and more rain in summer, mild temperature and less rain in winter)
Nearby Airport: Guilin Liangjiang International Airport (KWL)
Nearby Railway Stations: uilin North Multimodal Passenger Transportation Hub, Guilinbei Railway Station, Guilin Railway Station, GuilinXi Railway Station
Chinese: 桂林 guì lín
Population: 1.12M
Area: 10,737 sq miles
Airport: KWL
Zip Code: 5410000
Time Zone: GMT+8
Li River
Yangshuo
Seven- Star Park
Elephant Trunk Hill
Top Things to Do in Guilin
Here are some top things to do in Guilin for tourists, which may help tourists learn the culture of Guilin, taste the delicious food and have a great travel experience and memory of Guilin.
- Taking a cruise trip on Li river is the most popular choice among tourists. Visitorscan not only admire the clear and strange reflections of the mountains, clear water and breath-taking natural scenery, but also enjoy the singing of shepherd boy and the rural lifestyle of fisherman.
- Visiting the west streetin Yangshuo allows visitors to have a deep understanding about Guilin culture. People can not only see the antique and elegant building built in the typical architectural style of Southern China, but also walk on the prosperous commercial pedestrian and buy some souvenir or taste delicious local snacks, or go to the bar to have a relax.
- It is necessary for tourists to go to theElephant Trunk Hill, Seven-Star Park or Reed Flute Cave to appreciate the uncanny workmanship of nature and take impressed photos of sunrise or sunset here.
What to Eat in Guilin
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Guilin Rice Noodles
Guilin rice noodles(Mifen)
Guilin rice noodles(Mifen), a traditional local snack in Guilin, is famous for its unique flavor, which looks like noodles. The main ingredient is rice which is boiled with pork bone or beef bone soup. People can add different seasoning depending on personal preference.
- Yangshuo Beer Fish
Beer fish, a famous local specialty of Yangshuo, tastes spicy and delicious without fishy. The beer mix with fish can stimulate people appetite. The fish is carp from the Li river. The dish is made by using the unique oil of Guilin to fry the fish, and adding some beer to braise the fish.
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Field Snail
Field Snail
This kind of field snails grows in rice fields, so there are large with tasty meat and delicious. And when make field snails, the special sour pepper made in Guilin is necessary. after adding onions, ginger, wine, the dish tastes sour and spicy and could stimulate appetite.
- Stewed Duck with Gingko
It is a traditional dish in Guilin, which is made of ginkgo nuts, sliced duck, sliced ham and various ingredients, and steam them together. It is a tonic dish that is good to people’s health.
Guilin Travel Guide
1) How to plan your Guilin tour?
A. How many days willyou spend in Guilin?
a. One day tour
If you only have one day in Guilin, it is necessary for you to take a cruise tour on Li river. During the cruise tour, visitors can not only appreciate the charming and beautiful scenery along the river and take photos, but also enjoy the unique lifestyle.
b. Two days tour
If you plan to spend two days in Guilin, you can choose to take a cruise tour from Guilin to Yangshuo in the first day, and go to the Longji Terraced Fields in the second day to appreciate the uncanny workmanship of nature and experience the culture and lifestyle of the minority people.
More Guilin tour planning guide
c. Three days tour
If you will stay in Guilin for three days, you can have an essence tour of Guilin and Yangshuo, which includes the most popular and famous tourist attractions, such as Li river, Elephant Trunk Hill, Seven-Star Park, Reed Flute Cave, etc.
d. Four days and more days tour
If you have enough time in Guilin, we also offer the service of making a personal tour plan in Guilin according to you preferences and interests.
B. What are you interested in or what is your tour type ?
a. Family Trip
If you want to have a family trip, we highly recommended that you can go to some attractions equipped with convenient public transportation and advanced tourist facilities, which are available for all ages tourists to visit, such as the Li river, Elephant Trunk Hill, Seven-Star Park and so on. In addition, it is better to slow your travel pace and choose to live in five-star hotel that may provide you the most comfortable accommodation environment and professional service.
b. Gourmet Food Trip
For tourists who are crazy about food, cannot miss visiting the west street of Yangshuo, where you can not only enjoy the ancient culture and typical buildings of Guilin, but also eat delicious local snacks, such as the most famous dish Beer Fish in Yangshuo.
c. Historical Trip
The west street in Yangshuo is an ancient street showing profound culture of Guilin. Visitors can see the old buildings built in the Ming and Qing dynasties and know the history and development of Yangshuo.
d. Adventure Trip
Nowadays, apart from taking a cruise or bamboo raft tour on Li river, another way to travel in Yangshuo is cycling. Cycling across the streets and lanes of Yangshuo is a good way to get close to and experience the authentic rural life along the Li river and enjoy the breath-taking scenery. Generally speaking, there are three cycling routes for visitors to choose, and the longest route is about 60 kilometers to travel through the Yangshuo. In addition, climbing the Longji Terraced Fields and paying a visit to the village of minority people are popular but energy-consuming. Visitors can not enjoy the fantastic view of the terraced fields, but also see the traditional performance, wear the special costume or experience the lifestyle of the minority people to make your trip more memorable.
e. Photographer Trip
The Elephant Trunk Hill and Longji Terraced Fields cannot be missed by tourists who are crazy about photography, because both of them are perfect place to enjoy the sunrise or sunset and take the brilliant pictures of them. And when you take a cruise tour on Li river, you can also take photos about the uncanny workmanship of nature along the river.
C. What is your travel budget?
a. If your trip is low- budget, we highly recommend that you can take part in any group tour and live Youth Hostel, which not only can help you save money, but will also help you make some new friends who have the same interest.
b. If you want to have a better travel experience, you can choose to rent a car and driver, make a personal travel plan and live in a luxury hotel during the days you stay in Guilin, which is more comfortable and free than taking part in a group tour.
2) Visa Policy
Since July 28, 2014, Guilin has implemented a 72-hour visa-free transit policy, which allows visitors to stay in Guilin in 72 hours (three days). Visas are not required for people who come from the 53 countries, holding valid international travel documents and international flights tickets with confirmed dates to a third country (region).
More Chengdu tour visa policy
The 53 countries are available for this policy, including: the Republic of Austria, the Kingdom of Belgium, the Czech Republic, the Kingdom of Denmark, Republic of Estonia,the Republic of Finland, French Republic, The Federal Republic of Germany, The Hellenic Republic, Hungary, the Republic of Iceland, the Republic of Italy, the Republic of Latvia, the Republic of Lithuania, Luxembourg, Republic of Malta, the Kingdom of Netherlands, the Republic of Poland, the Portuguese Republic, the Slovakia Republic, the Republic of Slovenia, the Kingdom of Spain, the Kingdom of Sweden, Swiss Confederation, Russia, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland , Republic of Ireland, the Republic of Cyprus, the Republic of Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, the Republic of Serbia, the Republic of Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Republic of North Macedonia, the Republic of Albania, the Principality of Monaco, Republic of Belarus, United States of America, Canada, The Federative Republic of Brazil,the United Mexican States, the Republic of Argentina, Republic of Chile, the Commonwealth of Australia, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Japan, Republic of Singapore, Negara Brunei Darussalam, United Arab Emirates and the State of Qatar.
Notes: Qualified people can stay in the administrative areas of Guilin without Visa for 72 hours. The most important thing is that the arrival fight and connected fight need to be international flight. It is crucial for foreigners who can stay in Guilin within 72 hours to obey the Chinese law, and if someone exceeds the permitted stay area or time limit, punishment will be given by the Exit and Entry Administration law of the People’s Republic of China.
3) Guilin Transportation
Flight
Guilin Liangjiang International Airport
Guilin Liangjiang International Airport, put into use on October 1st, 1996, is located near Liangjiang town of Lingui county and 26km southwest of Guilin city. The airport covers an area of 4.06 square kilometer and the landing field covers 174.5 square kilometer, which can park 22 airplanes at the same time and is equipped with 8 boarding bridges. The airport terminals is divided into nine waiting halls for domestic and international flights. By January 2018, it has 112 flight routes to 76 cities.
- Direct international flights:
- Guilin Liangjiang International Airport-some Asian Countries:Republic of Korea, Republic of Singapore, Malaysia,
- Guilin Liangjiang International Airport-some Asian Regions: Hongkong, Taiwan
- Popular travel airlines: Guilin-Beijing, Guilin-Xi’an, Guilin-Chengdu, Guilin-Shanghai, Guilin-Zhangjiajie
4) Guilin Weather& What to wear& The Best Time to visit Guilin
Guilin is subtropical monsoon climate with the features of high temperature and rain inthe same period, high temperature and more rain in summer, mild temperature and less rain in winter. The weather of Guilin is generally mild and moist with four distinctive seasons – a warm spring, a hot and rainy summer, a cool autumn, and a cold winter.
More Guilin weather information
| Month | Average Temperature | What to Wear |
|---|---|---|
| January | 7℃~13℃ | thick coat, cotton-padded clothes, sweater, thick pullover hoodie and zip up hoodie ,thick pant |
| February | 8℃~14℃ | thick coat, cotton-padded clothes, sweater, thick pullover hoodie and zip up hoodie ,thick pant |
| March | 12℃~19℃ | Leather jacket, Dust coat, thick coat, thin sweater |
| April | 18℃~25℃ | Dust coat, knitwear, hoodie, T-shirt with long sleeves, jeans |
| May | 22℃~29℃ | T-shirt with long sleeves, knitwear, skirts, thin jeans, cloth in cotton or linen fabrics that are comfortable and breathable |
| June | 25℃~32℃ | T-shirt with short sleeves, skirts, thin jeans, short trousers, polo shirt, cloth in cotton or linen fabrics that are comfortable and breathable, hat, sunglasses |
| July | 27℃~34℃ | T-shirt with short sleeves, skirts, short trousers, cloth in cotton or linen fabrics that are comfortable and breathable, hat, sunglasses |
| August | 26℃~34℃ | T-shirt with short sleeves, skirts, short trousers, cloth in cotton or linen fabrics that are comfortable and breathable, hat, sunglasses |
| September | 24℃~32℃ | T-shirt with short sleeves, skirts, thin jeans, short trousers, polo shirt, cloth in cotton or linen fabrics that are comfortable and breathable, hat, sunglasses |
| October | 19℃~28℃ | T-shirt with long sleeves, knitwear, topcoat,jeans |
| November | 14℃~20℃ | Leather jacket, Dust coat, thin sweater |
| December | 8℃~15℃ | thick coat, cotton-padded clothes, sweater, thick pullover hoodie and zip up hoodie ,thick pant |
Notes: The Summer (June, July and August) in Guilin is hot and rainy, so it is necessary for tourists to travel with an umbrella and sunshade, and wear a cap and sunglasses or use some sun scream to protect skin against ultraviolet ray.
- When is the best time to visit?
The best times to visit Guilin are April, May, June, September, October and November. During these months, the weather is pleasant and the scenery is charming. If you travel in these months, the scenery will definitely make a deeper impression on you.
Tips: Visitors had better avoid the official holiday in China, because many Chinese citizens choose to travel on official holidays to ease the pressure of their work. As a result, many Chinese tourist attractions are overcrowded and traffic jams are common. Therefore, visiting China at this time will bring tourists a less pleasant travel experience.
Official Holidays in China
| Chinese New Year | Around January or February |
| Winter vacation | January-February |
| Labor Day | May1st -3rd |
| Summer vacation(for students) | July-August31st |
| Mid-Autumn Festival | Around mid-September |
| National Day | October 1st-7th |
5) Where to Stay in Guilin
Five–star hotel
- Shangri-La Hotel, Guilin
Shangri-La Hotel, located on the Huancheng North 2nd Road of the bank of li river, covers 68,000 square meter and is close to the Piled Silk Hill and Zhengyang Walking Street. The hotel is designed with the theme of classic Chinese style, and the guests can see beautiful views of Li river in the spacious room.
More Guilin hotels
Four – star hotel
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Guilin Exhibition International Hotel
Guilin Exhibition International Hotel
Guilin Exhibition International Hotel, located in Li River Road of Seven-star district, is close to Guilin National Exhibition Shopping Park. It has a famous infinity-edge pool on the 16th floor, which creates a unique view of the Pool and the Guilin landscape.
- Guilin Park Hotel
Guilin Park Hotel is located at the Luosi Hill Road of Diecai district with the convenient transportation, and it is adjacent to the Elephant Trunk Hill and close to the Seven-star Park. It is about 20 minutes’ drive from downtown, high-tech industrial park and international exhibition center, and 50-minute drive to get to Guilin Liangjiang International Airport.
Three-star hotel
- Days Hotel (Yangshuo West Street)
Days Hotel, located at Guanlian Road of Yangshuo, is about 8 minutes walk distance to the famous tourist attraction–west street and theater of Impression of Sanjie Liu, and is also about 5 minutes drive to the famous landscape corridor “Shi Li Huai Lang” as well as the most beautiful idyllic scenery –“Yulong River Scenic Spot”. In addition, there are many kinds of restaurants and snacks around the hotel, which can meet the need of different consumer groups. As the charming Li river is in front of the hotel, guests can enjoy the beautiful scenery of Li river at the river-view room or the viewing platform on the top floor.
Hostel
- Memory Inn (Guilin City Center Xiangshan Park)
The hotel is close to the Xiangshan Park. It is 28km away from the hotel to Guilin Liangjiang International Airport and 2km to Guilin Railway Station.
