6-Day Tour: Guilin’s Karst Landscapes & Jinxiu – World Capital of the Yao Ethnic Group
This is a deep experience tour that perfectly blends the scenic beauty of Guilin’s karst landscape with the ethnic charm of Jinxiu Yao Autonomous County. Over the course of this 6-day itinerary, the guide will lead you to admire typical karst peaks in Guilin and experience the rich ethnic customs of Jinxiu Yao Autonomous County. From nature to culture, from visual to spiritual, you will fully appreciate the unique charm of Guangxi.
| Date | tourist attraction |
| D1 Entering Guilin |
Elephant Trunk Hill, view the Twin Towers of Sun and Moon from afar, East-West Alley, and the Xianyao Tower |
| D2 Guilin-Longsheng-Guilin |
Longji Rice Terraces, Ping’an Zhuang Village |
| D3 Guilin-Jinxiu |
Lotus Mountain (Pangu Realm), Holy Hall Lake |
| D4 Jinxiu-Lipu-Yangshuo |
Yinzi Cave, Ruyi Peak, Impression Liu Sanjie, West Street |
| D5 Yangshuo-Guilin |
Lijiang River cruise, check out Yangti Scenic Area, Yangshuo countryside cycling |
| D6 Departing from Guilin |
After the trip ends, we will take you to the airport and send you back to your cozy home. |
unique experience：
Take a cruise on the Li River, enjoying its scenic beauty for miles, known as the ‘gallery of a hundred miles’.
Fully enjoy the stunning landscapes of Guilin, which are renowned as the best under heaven, and find the real-life location depicted on the back of the 20 yuan RMB note.
Visiting ethnic minority families, exploring their centuries-old way of life
Invited into local Yao family homes, they shared lunch with them, learning how to pack rice into bamboo tubes to make bamboo tube rice, and tasted the bamboo tube rice.
Appreciating ‘Impression Liu Sanjie’, a magnificent visual feast
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. Getting up close with nature’s landscapes is truly wonderful.
Dance and sing with Yao ethnic girls, experiencing unique minority customs.
Visit the ancient Yao village, enjoy performances of Yao ethnic dances and songs, and be warmly invited by the hospitable Yao sisters to join in and dance to traditional ethnic music, experiencing the unique charm of the Yao countryside.
key attractions：
The Li River is the essence of Guilin’s 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.
Enjoy the most beautiful scenery of Longji Rice Terraces and experience an exquisite visual feast.
Longji Rice Terraces are famous for their stunning scenery. Standing on such an enormous man-made wonder 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.
Explore the most beautiful cave scenery in Guilin – Silver Cave
Yinzi Rock traverses 12 peaks and is renowned for its stunning underground galleries of stalactites, stalagmites, rock layers, and various colored lights within the caves.
Explore the World Yao Capital Jinxiu – Lianhua Mountain (Dayao Mountain Panwang Boundary)
The geological and geomorphological features of Lianhua Mountain are rare quartz sandstone peak forest landforms. Towering peaks stand majestically, embodying both the grandeur and magnificence of the Five Great Mountains and the sky-piercing ridges and bizarre rocks of Mount Wuyi and Zhangjiajie.
Check-in at business district：
Dongxi Alley, a traditional historical and cultural block in Guilin
The streets and alleys preserve numerous former residences of notable figures and time-honored businesses, along with quintessential northern Guangxi-style dwellings.
Nestled along the Li River and adjacent to the Prince Jingjiang Mansion, this area has remained the historic heart of Guilin for centuries.
Yangshuo West Street: A ‘Global Village’ of East-West Cultural Exchange
The guesthouses, cafes, and bars on Xijie, with their Western romantic artistic ambiance, blend seamlessly with the local architectural features of Guilin’s northern region, such as small green 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.
When you come to Guilin, you must taste the authentic Guilin rice noodles. Remember, the dry-mixed braised meat rice noodles are the essence of Guilin rice noodles.
Taste the oil tea of the ethnic minorities in Guilin.
A traditional long-table banquet of the Yao ethnic group, featuring distinctive cultural elements and communal dining experience.
Best Time to Go:
In spring, summer, and autumn, try to avoid major holidays (Chinese National Day, Spring Festival, Canton Fair, ASEAN Expo) for better travel experiences and cost savings by traveling during off-peak times.
A detailed 6-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. They will tailor a special itinerary based on your interests, schedule, and budget.
Day 1: Arrival in Guilin
Welcome to Guilin! 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 Elephant Trunk Hill, Rongshanshan Lake, Twin Pagodas, East-West Alley, and Xiaoyao Tower.
Meal arrangements: Chinese lunch & dinner
Transportation: Bus
Hotel options:
Guilin Conference International Hotel (4-star)
Guilin Shangri-La Hotel (5-star)
Day 2: Guilin – Longsheng – Guilin
Start your day’s journey by exploring Longji Rice Terraces, which are built along the mountainsides. The scenery is especially enchanting when sunlight reflects off the water in the rice fields; when the rice is ripe, the fields shine golden.
The Zhuang people have lived here for generations, residing in wooden stilt houses. They have a unique culinary culture, such as bamboo tube rice and oil tea. Gather around the traditional kitchen fire with the host to make bamboo tube rice.
Meal arrangements: breakfast & lunch – Dragon Backbone Bamboo Tube Rice & dinner
Transportation: bus
Hotel options:
Guilin Conference International Hotel (4-star)
Guilin Shangri-La Hotel (5-star)
Day 3: Guilin to Hezhou
After breakfast, take a bus to Hezhou to visit the Lianhua Mountain Scenic Area (Dayao Mountain Panwang Realm). Jinxiu Lianhua Mountain, the sacred mountain of the Yao ethnic group, features peaks resembling lotus flowers, shrouded in mist, creating an ethereal scene that showcases its mysterious beauty and natural wonders.
Head to Shentang Lake in the afternoon. This is a hidden paradise that combines mountain and water scenery with Yao ethnic culture. The lake’s water is as clear as a mirror, surrounded by mountains on all sides, resembling a natural painting. It is not only the sacred lake of the Yao people but also an ideal place to experience the tranquility of nature.
Meal arrangements: breakfast & lunch (Yao ethnic long table banquet) & dinner
Transportation: bus
Hotel options:
Huizhou Vienna International Hotel (4-star)
Huizhou Ramada Plaza Hotel (5-star)
Day 4: Hezhou to LiliPu to Yangshuo
After breakfast, take a car to Lìpǔ to visit the world-renowned karst cave wonder, Silver Cave. Silver Cave is a typical representative of Guilin’s karst caves, maintaining a warm temperature in winter and coolness in summer. Walking through the cave, the stalactite scenery you see seems to transport you back to the ocean floor 300 million years ago.
In the afternoon, your guide will take you to a famous spot known for its popularity on social media, Ruyi Peak. You will reach the summit by cable car, enjoy the sea of clouds and sunset, take in the panoramic view of the mountains, and appreciate the landscape of Guilin from a different perspective.
After dinner, enjoy Zhang Yimou’s world’s largest live performance set against natural landscapes, ‘Impression Liu Sanjie.’ In the evening, take a stroll along the famous Yangshuo West Street, which is known as a ‘global village’ where Eastern and Western cultures blend.
Meal arrangements: breakfast & lunch (LiPu Braised Pork) & dinner (YangShuo Beer Fish)
Transportation: bus
Hotel options:
YangShuo Xijie Grand Hotel (4-star)
YangShuo Bilyan River View Hotel (5-star)
Day 5: Yangshuo to Guilin
After breakfast, take a bus to Yangshuo Xingping Pier, board a cruise to tour the Li River scenery, experience the stunning landscape of the Li River, known as a hundred-mile-long painting gallery, and visit Yangti Scenic Area.
This afternoon, we will go for a countryside cycling tour in Yangshuo, enjoying the fresh air and traversing through beautiful rural landscapes, allowing you to experience the unique charm of Yangshuo while cycling.
Meal arrangements: breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Transportation: bus
Hotel options:
Guilin Conference International Hotel (4-star)
Guilin Shangri-La Hotel (5-star)
Departure from Guilin
When your 6-day Guilin Scenery and World Yao Capital Jinsuo tour ends, we will see you off at the airport and wave goodbye as you return to your cozy home.
Meal arrangement: breakfast
Transportation: bus
hotel selection：
Recommendation for boutique hotels to enrich your travel experience.
Membership fee quotation：
价格取决于你的旅行计划、旅行日期、人数以及你选择的酒店和餐饮偏好。
The price includes：
- travel bus
- Chinese-English bilingual tour guide
- The attractions, hotels, and meals listed on the itinerary.
- Travel insurance
- 24/7 customer service hotline during travel
