10-Day In-Depth Guangxi Tour: Guilin, Yangshuo, Beihai, Weizhou Island

I learned before the New Year that my daughter's winter break wouldn't start until after February 14 this year. How could we waste such a long holiday? The idea of an in-depth tour immediately came to mind. After some research, I chose Guangxi Province.

First, I compared flight and hotel prices. After the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, prices began to drop sharply. Then I compared Guilin and Beihai, and it seemed Guilin was falling even faster. So I decided to stay home for the New Year reunion and set off on the sixth day. My initial plan was: Shanghai → Guilin → Yangshuo → Beihai → Weizhou Island → back to Shanghai. Since we had plenty of time, I only booked the flight to Guilin and a hotel in downtown Guilin before the New Year. The daily arrangements would be made spontaneously on the go.

**First Leg: Guilin - Yangshuo**

We arrived at Guilin airport on the evening of the sixth day. The driver arranged in advance was punctual and friendly, taking us directly to a budget hotel near the train station. After a quick freshen-up at the hotel, we rented an electric scooter and headed to East-West Alley Snack Street. Like snack streets in most Chinese cities, it was bustling—no other word to describe it. We tried rice noodles out of hunger, picking a random shop; the taste was average. I discussed with my daughter: two days in Guilin—one day for city attractions, one day for Longji Rice Terraces, and we'd do boat rides and bamboo rafts in Yangshuo later.

The next morning, my daughter had an online class, so I went for a run to Xishan Park. I strolled around and on the way back found a rice noodle shop that looked good and seemed popular with locals. For lunch, we chose a small shop with a full house; the rice noodles were indeed delicious. A plain bowl without toppings was only 5 or 6 yuan, and with various toppings or the signature version it was still just over ten yuan—very satisfying. In the afternoon, we walked along Binjiang Road to Elephant Trunk Hill, Twin Pagodas, and Zhengyang Road Pedestrian Street. The whole walk was scenic. Tip: Elephant Trunk Hill is free but requires a reservation—online bookings must be made two days in advance, or you can register on-site at the park. Online guides all say you should take a night boat tour to see the Two Rivers and Four Lakes, but we weren't very interested; besides, the temperature difference between day and night was large and it was cold at night. We thought it more practical to find good food. So for dinner, we searched the must-eat list on Dianping and found "Laobiao Ji Duck Foot Pot." We hopped on the electric scooter and headed straight there. As beginners, we both had minor mishaps, scraping our legs. We arrived at Laobiao Ji just at 5 p.m., and surprisingly there was no queue. The decor was vintage and retro. The server recommended a classic two-person set meal, but since the stir-fried noodles my daughter wanted were unavailable, we ordered a la carte. A small portion of duck foot pot was enough for two. The taste was superb—the duck feet were tender and melted in the mouth, the tofu skin and gluten were soaked in savory broth, and the base soup was delicious. We left fully satisfied. Not daring to ride the electric scooter back, we tried to hail a taxi but had to queue forever. So I downloaded a Guilin transportation card via Alipay, and we leisurely took the bus back to the hotel—not being in a hurry felt great.

On the third day, we joined a group tour to Longji Rice Terraces. Even though it wasn't the most beautiful autumn season, this unique landscape was a must-see. We booked a day tour for individual travelers at the hotel. The driver called the day before to arrange pickup around 8 a.m. We had a relaxed breakfast and waited. There were only the two of us and another family of three on the minibus. The driver, a young man of the Pan Yao ethnic group, also acted as our guide, chatting about Yao history, current life, local scenery, and food. The one-and-a-half-hour drive flew by. Our first stop was Huangluo Yao Village, a village of the Red Yao ethnic group—known as the world's longest hair village. The Yao stilted houses, built on the mountainside, were all wooden and very distinctive. There was a long hair performance in the village; the other family went to watch, but we weren't particularly interested, and the guide didn't push it. We took photos by the suspension bridge, stream, and corridor. There was a Long Hair Museum in the village, reportedly built at great cost, covering research into the secret of local long hair and product development. My high school daughter, probably stressed from studying, was quite worried about hair loss—not just her, but also her friends wanted to visit. We followed the guide; the exhibition was indeed novel and rich, but of course it ended with selling shampoo, allegedly made from fermented rice water using local traditions. At my daughter's strong request, we bought two bottles to try at home. For lunch, the guide recommended a restaurant where bamboo tube chicken and bamboo rice were must-orders. In the afternoon, we headed straight to Jinkeng Rice Terraces. I originally planned to take the cable car one way and walk back, but the guide suggested round-trip tickets, saying the path was not easy and would take about an hour. Since we had to go to Yangshuo that evening, I gave up the walking idea. Fortunately, the cable car ride was only about 20 minutes one way, crossing countless hilltops. From the Golden Buddha Summit viewing platform, I didn't see a clear trail down. The view of the terraces from the top was spectacular; seeing such a unique landscape for the first time was truly impressive. We had originally planned to go to Yangshuo that evening, but trains and buses were inconvenient, so we decided to hire a car. On the way back, I mentioned it to the driver, and he suggested using Hello to book a rideshare. We posted an order and got matched instantly, saving half the fare.

There are probably hundreds of guesthouses in Yangshuo. After some frustrating searching, I chose one near West Street with high ratings. The stay was average, but its location was great—in an alley behind West Street, just two or three minutes' walk to the street, convenient and quiet. The guesthouse manager was very welcoming, adding me on WeChat the day before and recommending an itinerary based on my needs. We booked Yulong River bamboo rafting and the Impression Liu Sanjie show in advance, deciding to figure out the rest locally. That night, as our car passed West Street, I was a bit shocked—countless billboards for beer fish and rice noodle shops, and crowds of people surging on the streets. After a quick freshen-up at the guesthouse, it was nearly 8 p.m. We wanted to grab a bite. Tired of rice noodles, we craved rice rolls. I searched and found "Bingquan Soymilk House." I highly recommend their iced soymilk—smooth, fragrant, and not greasy. Even I, who usually doesn't like soymilk, couldn't stop praising it. When we arrived, they were about to close and had no rice rolls left, so we ordered spring rolls instead—not enough, so we came back for lunch the next day.

On the fourth day in Yangshuo, we went for Yulong River bamboo rafting early in the morning. The guide picked us up early, and we arrived at Yulong River around 8 a.m., first batch on the rafts. As the sun rose, warmth came, and the green mountains and clear waters complemented each other—words fail me. It was perfect except for the cold! We tipped the rafter, and he stopped at several beautiful spots so we could take photos on the bow of the raft. I have to say, the photos he took of us together are still my favorites! Without the tip, you're not allowed to take off the life jacket and go to the bow; I think it was worth it. After the rafting, we went back to the guesthouse to rest and had lunch (at the aforementioned Bingquan Soymilk House, haha). In the afternoon, I asked my daughter whether to visit Ten Mile Gallery or Ruyi Peak. She chose Ten Mile Gallery. After some research, the only option seemed to be renting an electric scooter. The guesthouse had rental right downstairs, and the friendly owner couple taught us the ropes. I can only say it looked easy for others but was tiring for me. We rode along, skimming the surface, and didn't enter any of the scenic spots that required tickets. The round trip took less than two hours, but my butt hurt. Back early, we searched for a popular coffee shop on West Street and found "Mingyuan Coffee" just a few minutes away. With its vintage European decor, a round table, two cups of coffee—my daughter did homework while I browsed travel tips. Speaking of which, I must mention: Yangshuo's public transport is not convenient. The high-speed rail station has few trains, so going from Yangshuo to Beihai requires a transfer. Moreover, we planned to go straight to Weizhou Island from Beihai, and there are only three or four ferries a day. So working backwards from the ferry time to the arrival time at Beihai station, and then back to the departure time from Yangshuo, we ended up having to stay an extra night in Yangshuo. We quickly booked the train and ferry tickets. In the evening, we walked twenty minutes to the Impression Liu Sanjie theater. I have to say, Zhang Yimou's work is bold and creative. With the moon, stars, and sky as the backdrop, and the real Guilin landscape setting, the lighting and stage effects on a grand scale were incredibly stunning!

On the fifth day, our schedule was very relaxed. We booked a half-day afternoon tour to Xingping Ancient Town and a Li River cruise to see the 20-yuan note background. The guesthouse was close to Binjiang Road. I got up early and went for a run along the Li River. The sunrise cast a glow on the Li River landscape, with the streets empty—for me, this was the most beautiful moment in Yangshuo! For lunch, the front desk recommended Duihe Rice Noodle Shop. Satisfied! So many toppings and side dishes! At 1:30 p.m., we joined a bus tour to the ancient town. The half day was a casual sightseeing trip. We returned to Yangshuo a little after six. Following a local recommendation, we chose a beer fish restaurant—after all, it's a signature dish worth trying. My verdict: okay, neither surprising nor disappointing. Back at the guesthouse, we booked a car for the next morning to Yangshuo Station.

Overall impression of Guilin and Yangshuo: As long-established tourist cities in China, they are heavily commercialized. The scenery and food are worth visiting, but they don't make you want to linger or return for a second visit!

**Second Leg: Beihai - Weizhou Island - Beihai**

Day six was a travel day. Early morning, we took the high-speed train from Yangshuo to Nanning East, then transferred within the station to Beihai. We had booked the 3:20 p.m. ferry to Weizhou Island. The train arrived at Beihai at 2 p.m., and from Beihai Station to Beihai International Passenger Terminal was only a ten-minute taxi ride—plenty of time. Ferry tickets and island admission were booked through the official website (Laiyouba). Standard ferry ticket was 150 yuan, and the island admission was half price in winter at 49 yuan. Only Crocodile Mountain Park requires ticket verification on the island; the rest don't. There are countless guesthouses on the island, and most will contact you in advance to pick you up at the dock. We arrived at the guesthouse around 5:30 p.m., starving, so we found a nearby restaurant for dinner. We ordered seafood—the ingredients were fairly fresh, but the taste wasn't impressive.

Day seven (second day on Weizhou Island): We slept in, had breakfast, rented an electric scooter, and started our day's trip. Although it was over twenty degrees Celsius, there was no sun, but the sea breeze was already warm. We visited Crocodile Mountain Park, Dishui Danping, Nanwan Market... Not very interested in the popular photo spots, we went with the flow. At noon, we bought seafood at Nanwan Market—mantis shrimp, oysters, small abalone—and asked the vendor to recommend a restaurant across the street, Chongqing Restaurant, for processing. Including the processing fee and seafood fried noodles, the total was less than 200 yuan! Since the sun hadn't come out, we missed the sunset, which was a pity. In the evening, we continued with food, choosing a barbecue place called "458 BBQ." Unlike ordinary barbecue, they offered pig trotters and pork belly, somewhat like Korean BBQ—a unique twist.

Weizhou Island was so enjoyable that we decided to add another night. The original guesthouse was near Dishui Danping, but we decided to switch to one near五彩滩 (Wucai Tan). There are many guesthouses on the island, and most look good in photos, but the reality often falls short. The only guesthouse I'd recommend on this trip is the "Muyanxi" near五彩滩. Both the photos and the actual place met expectations—stylish rooms and common areas, a welcome fruit platter, and a hearty breakfast. It was a few minutes' walk to the beach, perfect for an early morning stroll. Though we missed the sunrise due to light rain, walking on the sand and listening to the waves was a joyful experience.

Days eight and nine (third and fourth days on Weizhou Island): It started drizzling. We braved the rain to visit the St. Michael's Catholic Church and then had another seafood feast at Nanwan Market. The rest of the time we basically stayed at the guesthouse, going out for meals. Finally, we tried the island specialty: banana-roasted chicken. Personally, besides the roast chicken, you must order the island-grown vegetables. We had garlic lettuce two days in a row—sweet and tender, always devoured. Comparing seafood, the ones from Nanwan Market were indeed fresher. On the fourth day, we took the afternoon ferry back to Beihai.

The last two days in Beihai were even more laid-back. The city isn't big, with few cars and pedestrians—maybe because we stayed near Silver Beach. We strolled through Beihai Old Street, Qiaogang Style Street, and Silver Beach, eating and wandering. Taking a taxi or shared e-bike was convenient. After seeing the sea on Weizhou Island, the city left more of an impression for its food. There were indeed many local snacks, and Qiaogang Style Street was worth multiple visits—one trip wasn't enough to try them all.

Overall, Beihai feels like a relaxing and comfortable coastal city. Although Weizhou Island's prices aren't low, the locals remain simple and honest. I had been worried after reading reports of overcharging and scams, but we didn't encounter any such issues during our trip; our experience was consistently good.

Our 10-day in-depth tour of Guangxi's two most famous cities came to an end, and it was time to head home. There were some hiccups on the return trip: direct flights from Beihai to Shanghai were few and expensive. Two alternatives: one was a connecting flight; the other was taking a train to Nanning Airport and then flying to Shanghai. I booked a flight to Shanghai via Changsha. Two days before departure, the flights from Changsha to Shanghai were successively canceled, leaving only the latest one. I was a bit upset initially, but a friend told me that Changsha Airport has Chayanyuese (a popular milk tea brand). I immediately cheered up. That was my daughter's biggest reason for visiting Changsha, so the transit arrangement perfectly fulfilled her wish. Moreover, the long layover meant we didn't have to worry about queuing. At Changsha Huanghua Airport Terminal 2, after security, there were at least two shops—one across from the security checkpoint with a 20-minute queue, and another near the boarding gate with an even shorter queue and more merchandise.

This was my first such long trip. There were many small surprises along the way; we just accepted them calmly. No matter how unhappy we were at the time, new gains came later. Even if it just becomes a memorable experience, it was worth it!