Top 10 Things to Do in Guilin & Yangshuo: Landscape Under Heaven (2026)

This is the postcard China experience. You board a big boat in Guilin, China in the morning, and it slowly winds its way down to Yangshuo. You pass the "Nine Horses Fresco Hill" and the scene printed on the 20 RMB banknote.

Unlike the motorized Li River rafts, the Yulong River rafts are pushed by a boatman with a pole. It is silent, slow, and incredibly relaxing. You drift past farmers, water buffalo, and old stone bridges. This is the "rural dream."

Rent a bike or an electric scooter ($5/day) in Yangshuo and just get lost. The "Ten Mile Gallery" is famous but crowded. Head towards the Yulong River trails instead. The paths are flat and paved.

A 2-hour drive from Guilin. These ancient terraces climb all the way up the mountain. They change color with seasons: glittering water in Spring, lush green in Summer, and golden yellow in Autumn. You can stay overnight in a wooden stilt house in Ping'an or Dazhai village.

The oldest street in Yangshuo, famous for mixing Chinese tradition with Western backpacker culture. It's noisy, crowded, and fun. You can find German beer next to Snake Wine. It comes alive after 8 PM.

Directed by Zhang Yimou (who did the 2008 Beijing Olympics ceremony). The stage is the Li River itself, with 12 floodlit karst mountains as the backdrop. 600 actors (mostly local fishermen) perform on the water. It is a visual masterpiece.

Yangshuo is a mecca for rock climbers worldwide. There are thousands of bolted routes on the unique limestone pinnacles. Beginners can take a half-day intro course (completely safe). Pros head to Moon Hill for the famous arch climb.

Known as the "Palace of Natural Arts." It's a massive limestone cave filled with stalactites, stalagmites, and stone pillars. The colored lighting makes it look a bit kitschy but undeniably magical and otherworldly.

You cannot leave Guilin without eating Guilin Mifen. It's rice noodles served dry (gravy on bottom) with slices of meat, fried peanuts, and pickled long beans. You mix it, eat the noodles, and then drink the bone broth on the side.

It looks like an elephant drinking from the Li River. It is the official symbol of Guilin. It's a quick visit, but obligatory for the "I was in Guilin" photo.