7-day exploration of the China-Vietnam border + Nanning, Guilin, Yangshuo, Longsheng
This 7-day tour of the China-Vietnam border and Guilin’s landscapes allows you to enjoy the beautiful natural scenery along the border, experience the lifestyles of the border residents of both countries, admire the ancient Longji rice terraces, savor the picturesque Li River scenery, cycle through Yangshuo’s countryside to appreciate the charming rural views, and indulge in the delicious local specialties.
A suggested 7-day itinerary：
| Date | tourist attraction |
| D1 Entering Nanning |
The historical and cultural blocks of Nanning consist of three streets and two alleys. |
| D2 Nanning-Detian-Jingxi |
Namous Field Garden, Detian Waterfall |
| D3 Jingxi-Nanning |
Old Town of Jiu Zhou, Goose Spring, Green Mountain, South Lake Park |
| D4 Nanning-LiPu-Yangshuo |
Visit Yinziyang Cave, enjoy bamboo raft rides on the Yulong River to watch cormorants catch fish, and explore West Street in Yangshuo. |
| D5 Yangshuo |
Lijiang River cruise, Xingping Ancient Town, Yangshuo countryside bike ride, Impression Liu Sanjie |
| D6 Yangshuo-Longsheng-Guilin |
Longji Rice Terraces, Ping’an Zhuang Village, East-West Alley, Xiaoyao Tower, Elephant Trunk Hill |
| D7 Departing from Guilin |
After the trip ends, we will take you to the airport to fly back to your cozy home. |
Travel experience：
Take a Li River cruise, enjoy a hundred-mile journey along the Li River, and explore the scenic hundred-mile landscape.
Enjoy the breathtaking scenery of Guilin’s mountains and rivers, which are renowned as the finest under heaven, and find the real-life location depicted on the back of the 20 yuan RMB note.
Visit the ethnic minority families in Longsheng, Guilin, and explore their centuries-old way of life.
We were invited into a local Yao family’s home where we shared lunch together, learned how to pack rice into bamboo tubes to make traditional bamboo-tube rice, and sampled freshly pressed oil tea.
Cycling around picturesque countryside, enjoying the rural scenery
Stay away from the hustle and bustle, relax your mind and body, and cycle through rice fields and tranquil villages. These activities allow you to get up close with nature’s landscapes, truly wonderful.
key attractions：
The Detian Transnational Great Waterfall, filming location for the TV dramas ‘Flower Thousand Bones’ and ‘Wine is the Hometown’s Pure’.
Explore Asia’s largest and the world’s fourth largest transnational waterfall, experience the unique charm of both China and Vietnam with just one step, and take in the scenic beauty of both countries.
The source of Detian Waterfall, one of the three famous springs in southwestern China – Ehuai Spring
Explore the world’s cave wonders – Silver Cave
Yinzi Cave is renowned for its stunning underground galleries of stalactites, stalagmites, rock layers, and various colored lights within the caves, creating a magical and surreal atmosphere.
Enjoy the most beautiful scenery of Longji Rice Terraces and experience an exquisite visual feast.
Longji Rice Terraces are renowned for their stunning scenery. Standing atop such an immense man-made marvel itself is an extraordinary experience.
The Secret of Li River – Intangible Cultural Heritage ‘Cormorant Fishing’
Cormorant fishing on the Li River is a cultural spectacle with a thousand years of history and also an excellent experience project, allowing visitors to immerse themselves in the exciting scene of cormorant fishing on the Li River.
Check-in at business district：
Guilin East-West Alley, a historical and cultural street area representing traditional Guilin architecture and culture.
Preserved within these alleys stand numerous former residences of renowned figures and time-honored establishments, alongside quintessential Northern Guangxi dwellings. Nestled along the Li River and adjacent to the Prince Jingjiang Mansion, this area has formed the historic heart of Guilin for over a millennium – the very cradle of the city’s cultural heritage, where wisdom and beauty converge in perfect harmony
Nanning Historical and Cultural Street District – Three Streets and Two Alleys
Both San Street and Li Alley have preserved many traditional buildings from the late Qing Dynasty and early Republican era. The area is bustling with life from dawn till dusk.
Yangshuo West Street – A ‘global village’ where Eastern and Western cultures intersect
The guesthouses, cafes, and bars on Xi Street, with their Western romantic artistic ambiance, blend seamlessly with the local architectural features of Guilin’s northern region, such as small blue tiles, sloping roofs, horse-head walls, wooden windows, and hanging balconies, creating a ‘global village’ where Eastern and Western cultures intersect.
tasting gourmet food:
Guilin rice noodles are the breakfast of Guilin residents and also their nostalgia.
Upon arriving in Guilin, our tour guide will definitely take you to taste authentic Guilin rice noodles. Remember, it’s the dry-mixed braised meat noodles that truly capture the essence of Guilin rice noodles.
Taste the oil tea of the ethnic minorities in Guilin.
Best Time to Go:
In spring, summer, and autumn, try to avoid major holidays such as China’s National Day, Chinese New Year, the Canton Fair, and the ASEAN Expo. Traveling during off-peak times offers a better experience and most importantly, saves money!
A detailed 7-day itinerary：
The following itinerary is for your reference. If you have other needs, we would be honored to arrange professional travel planners for you, who will tailor a personalized itinerary based on your interests, schedule, and budget.
Day 1: Arrival in Nanning
Welcome to Nanning! To ensure a worry-free journey, your personal guide will meet you at the airport arrival hall, then take a bus to the hotel for check-in, and visit the famous historical and cultural district of Sanjie Liangxiang in Nanning.
The San Street Liang Alley Historical and Cultural Block features City God Temple, Urban Construction Museum, Chinese Film Theatre, Deng Yingchao Memorial Hall, and various specialty shops with local characteristics. Here, you can experience the locals’ leisurely and nostalgic atmosphere.
Dinner arrangements: Dinner
Transportation: Bus
Hotel options:
Nanning Hotel VIP Tower (4-star)
Nanning Liyuan Vision International Hotel (5-star)
After breakfast, we were led by our tour guide and driver to the Detian Scenic Area in Chongzuo City. We visited the Detian Transnational Waterfall, which is the largest waterfall in Asia and the fourth largest in the world. The waterfall cascades down from towering cliffs with magnificent power, resembling a fairyland on earth. It has been used as a filming location for famous TV dramas such as ‘Flower Bones,’ ‘Tea is Strongest at Home,’ and ‘Wine is Purest at Home.’
Then we took a bamboo raft to tour the Ming Shi Countryside.
In the afternoon, we arrived at Jingxi, a small border city between China and Vietnam known for its scenery surpassing Guilin and climate better than Kunming. Jingxi is a city that combines mountains, water, and climate in an unparalleled way, serving as a utopian retreat for modern people seeking rejuvenation, a resting station for urbanites, and a place of spiritual cleansing.
Meal arrangements: breakfast & lunch & dinner
Transportation: bus & high-speed train
Hotel selection:
Jingxi Changfeng International Hotel (4-star)
Day 3: Jingxi to Nanning
We slept in this morning and woke up naturally. Today in Jingxi, we’ll be visiting two highlights: Egret Spring and the ancient town of Jiuzhou.
Egret Spring, one of the three most renowned springs in Southwest China, serves as the headwater for Asia’s largest transnational waterfall—Detian Falls. Celebrated for its crystal-clear waters and breathtaking natural scenery, this hidden gem embodies a real-life ‘Peach Blossom Spring’ (Taohuayuan), radiating serene beauty and untouched tranquility.”
Old Town Ancient Village is renowned for its beautiful mountains, clear waters, and pastoral scenery, earning it the title of a miniature representation of Jingxi’s landscapes. The area enjoys spring-like weather year-round and is praised for its ‘Little Guilin’ beauty of mountains and waters.
In the afternoon, I returned to Nanning under the guidance of a tour guide, visiting Qingxiu Mountain Park and Nanhu Park.
Qingxiu Mountain Park, known for its high concentration of negative oxygen ions, serves as a unique natural leisure oxygen bar and is renowned as the ‘urban lung’, ‘jade of the green city’, and ‘phoenix of the Zhuang ethnic group’.
Meal arrangements: breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Transportation: bus
Hotel options:
Nanning Hotel VIP Tower (4-star)
Nanning Liyuan Vienna International Hotel (5-star)
Day 4: Nanning to LiliPu to Yangshuo
Today, we’ll embark on a 4-hour scenic drive to Lipu to visit the Silver Cave, hailed as a ‘Geological Wonder of the World’. As the quintessential karst cave of Guilin, this natural marvel maintains pleasant temperatures year-round – cool in summer and warm in winter. Wandering through its chambers adorned with stalactites feels like stepping back 300 million years into an ancient seabed.
After Chinese dinner, we arrived at the Yulong River pier, took a bamboo raft ride to tour the scenery of the Yulong River, and fishermen would be on the Yulong River.
After dinner, take a stroll along Yangshuo’s most popular social media hotspot, West Street in Yangshuo.
Meal arrangements: breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Transportation: bus
Hotel options:
Yangshuo Xijie Grand Hotel (4-star)
Yangshuo Bilian River View International Hotel (5-star)
Day 5 Yangshuo
After breakfast, take a bus to Yangshuo Xingping Pier, then board a cruise to tour the Li River scenery, experiencing the stunning landscape that has been called a hundred-mile-long painting. Stroll through the ancient town of Xingping, a mysterious old town by the Li River that once attracted two presidents to visit.
In the afternoon, you will go cycling in Yangshuo’s countryside, breathe in the fresh air, and travel through beautiful pastoral scenery, allowing you to experience the unique charm of Yangshuo while cycling.
After dinner, enjoy Zhang Yimou’s directorial masterpiece, the world’s largest live performance set against natural landscapes – Impressions of Liu Sanjie.
Meal arrangements: breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Transportation: bus
Hotel options:
Yangshuo Xijie Grand Hotel (4-star)
Yangshuo Bilyan River View International Hotel (5-star)
Day 6: Yangshuo to Longsheng to Guilin
Begin your day exploring the Longji Rice Terraces, carved into mountain slopes that shimmer when sunlight dances on their flooded paddies. Come harvest season, these fields transform into golden oceans of ripening grain.
This is home to the Zhuang people, who’ve lived for generations in stilted wooden homes, cultivating unique traditions like bamboo-tube rice and oil tea. Gather around a crackling fire in their rustic kitchen to prepare bamboo rice alongside your hosts—an unforgettable taste of Zhuang hospitality.
Return to Guilin in the afternoon and visit the city emblem of Guilin – Elephant Trunk Hill.
Strolling through the popular spots of Guilin at night, such as the historical and cultural district of East-West Alley and the Xiaoyao Tower. East-West Alley is a treasure trove of history and culture, witnessing the passage of time and embodying rich humanistic heritage.
Meal arrangements: breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Transportation method: bus. Hotel options: Guilin Conference Hotel (4-star) and Guilin Lijiang Waterfall Hotel (5-star).
Departure from Guilin
At the end of your 7-day exploration tour along the China-Vietnam border plus Nanning, Guilin, Yangshuo, and Longsheng, we will take you to the airport based on your flight time, and you will board your flight back to your cozy home.
Meal arrangement: breakfast
Transportation based on: bus
hotel selection：
Recommendation for boutique hotels to enrich your travel experience.
Membership fee quotation：
The price depends on your travel plans, travel dates, number of people, and the hotel and meal preferences you choose.
The price includes：
- travel bus
- Chinese-English bilingual tour guide
- The attractions, hotels, and meals listed in the itinerary.
- Travel insurance
- 24/7 customer service hotline during travel
