Guilin: The Enchanting Wonderland That Haunts My Dreams! #GuilinTravelGuide #ThreeDaysInGuilin

Guilin's landscape is unmatched under heaven, with emerald waters and silken peaks!

This travelogue serves as a beautiful memory of my first visit to Guilin, and I hope it can also provide a little reference for those who plan to visit or are new to Guilin. If anything is unclear, please forgive me, hahaha!

The scenery that had appeared in my dreams so many times finally became real when I embarked on a spontaneous trip and experienced it in person...

Since the trip was quite rushed, with only three days to play, I didn't do much planning. For me, going to an unfamiliar place means everything is fresh and fun. I had already decided to arrive at the hotel first, then consult the hotel owner or front desk for detailed advice—locals usually know best. How clever am I!

First, the route: If you're taking the high-speed train, I recommend choosing Guilin Station as the final stop, as it is in the city center. The scenic spots in Guilin city are all downtown, and hotel prices are not high. Since my visit was still during the pandemic, it's best for everyone to get a nucleic acid test in advance to be safe. If you're flying, after arriving at the airport, you can take the airport bus to the city (to the Civil Aviation Building or Guilin Station). The airport bus to the city costs 25 yuan per person. Then choose a hotel in the city center to check in.

Night 1: City center

When traveling, eating well, staying comfortably, and having fun are the most important things. I think I was lucky. The hotel I chose, @Lijiang Letu Boutique Hotel (Guilin Elephant Trunk Hill Scenic Area, Two Rivers and Four Lakes Branch), gave my journey a wonderful start. Booking a hotel on Ctrip is quite reliable. Everyone, step aside—I'm going to share some photos, haha!

I'm usually a lazy person and rarely review hotels, but this hotel gave me a warm feeling even in the deep winter. The hotel is located in a side street off Zhongshan Road. The address and photos are provided. The key is that it's in the city center. The main scenic spots in the city—Two Rivers and Four Lakes, Sun and Moon Pagoda, Elephant Trunk Hill Park, Jingjiang Princes' Palace, Xiaoyao Tower, Dongxi Alley—are all within walking distance. Very convenient. Besides the location, I mainly want to praise the owner's thoughtfulness and their service. The room isn't large, but for me, who doesn't care much about size as long as it's clean and tidy, it was enough. In addition to good service, the room even had a Bluetooth speaker—awesome! The TV supports screen mirroring and streaming, with access to Tencent Video and iQiyi—great, haha. The hotel lobby had hot tea for free and various small items. When I checked out, the front desk even gave me two hand warmers. Although as a man I didn't think I needed them, at least the service was truly considerate. Later, I also stayed one night in Yangshuo, and I honestly felt that the county hotels couldn't compare to the city hotels. Since I had to stay another night in Guilin before returning, I decisively chose to return to this hotel.

The night scenery of the city is definitely worth visiting. I arrived around 2 PM, had a bowl of Guilin rice noodles (there's a shop called Tianyuan Rice Noodles right next to the hotel, with authentic flavor, recommended by the front desk lady). In the afternoon, I visited Dongxi Alley and Xiaoyao Tower. In the evening, the Two Rivers and Four Lakes scenic area was very beautiful. You can walk or take a boat tour. The boat ticket is 185-215 yuan per person. I chose to walk, since the first day was tiring and I didn't want to explore too long. I suggest taking a stroll along the Lijiang River. There's a viewing platform at Sun and Moon Pagoda, a great spot for photos. The glass bridge by the lake is also worth seeing.

Day 2: Boat tour on the Lijiang River

The night before, I bought a three-star boat ticket from Guilin Mopan Mountain Dock to Yangshuo at the hotel lobby. Actually, many tour routes go to Yangshuo. If you're short on time, you can choose a group tour. I bought the boat ticket at a travel agency in the hotel lobby, and there was a bus to take us to the dock—very convenient. I checked the official price online, and it was cheaper than the official price. The whole trip is about 80 kilometers, offering an unobstructed view of the world-famous Lijiang River scenery, including Mopan Mountain scenery, Yangdi scenery, Nine Horse Mural Hill, and of course the most important 20 yuan note background scene, as well as the Fishing Village scenery, and more!

The boat arrived in Yangshuo at 1:30 PM. I chose to go see the Eternal Love show. I think it's worth a visit. Eternal Love is a large scenic area. Besides the show, there's a Wonder Street and a haunted house to explore. The water park was closed because it's winter. I bought a ticket for 238 yuan, which includes the haunted house and water park without extra charge—a good deal.

In the evening, I chose to stay at a hotel near West Street in Yangshuo. I don't want to say much about this hotel; it was really much worse than the hotel I stayed at in Guilin. I suggest that when you come to Yangshuo, choose a hotel that opened within the last year or a chain hotel. In the evening, you can stroll along West Street, the bar street, and eat snacks.

Day 3: Yulong River + Return trip

Yulong River is a tributary of the Lijiang River, known as the "Little Lijiang." The bamboo rafting here is done on manual bamboo rafts. The scenery on both banks is different from that of the Lijiang River. The Lijiang River has large mountains and wide channels, while the Yulong River has green trees and grass, with greener and calmer water. Even if you've already toured the Lijiang River, I strongly recommend another trip on the Yulong River. Floating on a bamboo raft on the Yulong River, with picturesque mountains and waters on both sides, is very enjoyable. Sitting on the slow bamboo raft, you can see the rolling peaks and pastoral scenery on both sides. Along the way, you'll pass small towns and many ancient bridges, with the clear river beneath you—quiet and relaxing. Compared to the grand openness of the Lijiang River, I prefer the tranquility of the Yulong River!

Actually, there were many places I didn't get to visit. I had longed to see the Longji Rice Terraces, but the timing wasn't right, so I skipped them. There's also the largest karst cave in Asia: Silver Cave; the best sunrise spot over the Lijiang River: Laozhai Mountain; and a must-see spot in Guilin city: Elephant Trunk Hill Park! Due to the rushed itinerary, I only chose the places from my initial plan that I thought were worth visiting. But I already feel it was a fulfilling trip! Perhaps many places have gradually lost their original appearance due to excessive commercial development. However, my first trip to Guilin has already left me very satisfied. I'll make up for the regrets next time. Guilin, wait for me to return!