Short answer. Guangxi is the karst-mountain province of south China, home to Guilin, Yangshuo and the Li River. Visit between April and October. Seven days covers Guilin, the Longji rice terraces, Yangshuo and the Detian Waterfall border area; add three or four days for the coast. There is no altitude concern, which makes it the easiest region for a first trip.
How long do you need?
Four days covers Guilin, Longji and Yangshuo. Seven days adds the border country around Mingshi and Detian Waterfall, which most visitors never see. Ten to fourteen days adds Sanjiang's Dong villages, Jingxi's canyons and the coast at Beihai and Weizhou Island.
How the route fits together
Fly into Guilin. Longji is two hours north; Yangshuo is about 90 minutes south. From Yangshuo, the border country lies 5 to 6 hours west by road. Fly out of Nanning, about three hours from Detian, rather than driving back to Guilin.
The Li River question
The classic cruise from Guilin to Yangshuo takes about four hours and is busy. A motor raft on the Xingping stretch shows the scenery on the 20-yuan note up close, and the smaller Yulong River near Yangshuo, by bamboo raft, is the quiet one. The Li River is busy on every craft: the maritime authority counts about 2,000 boat and raft passages a day.
Where to stay
Guilin and Yangshuo have the best hotels. Stay in the countryside outside Yangshuo town, and overnight inside the Longji terraces for sunrise. Around Mingshi and Detian, hotels are simpler; location matters more than brand.
Getting around
High-speed trains link Guilin, Yangshuo and Nanning. For Longji, the Yulong River and the border country, a private driver saves hours.
Month by month
- Spring (April–June)
- Green, wet and lush. Terraces are flooded and reflective.
- Summer (July–August)
- Hot and humid; Detian Waterfall at full flow.
- Autumn (September–October)
- Golden terraces before harvest and the most comfortable weather.
- Winter (November–March)
- Cool, grey and quiet. The waterfall is thinner.
