Guilin With Kids
The karst mountains that show up in every Chinese painting you have ever seen are real, and they are here. The Li River threads through them for 83 kilometers between Guilin and Yangshuo, past water buffalo on the banks and fishermen on bamboo rafts. Elephant Trunk Hill looks exactly like what it is named for. The rice terraces at Longji have been carved into the mountains for 700 years. And the whole region runs on rice noodles for breakfast, beer fish for dinner, and osmanthus everything in between. Guilin is where I send families who want the China that looks like a scroll painting.
Nicole Damiano, ASTA Verified Travel Advisor with FG Luxury Travel
Is Guilin good for families with kids?
Yes. The Li River cruise keeps kids entertained for hours with mountains appearing around every bend. Yangshuo has bamboo rafting, biking, rock climbing and cooking classes. Elephant Trunk Hill is an easy city walk. And the whole region is outdoors, active and visual in a way that works for every age.
How many days do you need in Guilin?
Three nights minimum, split between Guilin city and Yangshuo. Four or five nights adds the Longji Rice Terraces, rock climbing in Yangshuo, and a slower pace to enjoy the countryside.
When is the best time to visit Guilin with kids?
September to November is the best window, warm and dry with the rice terraces turning gold. March to May is green and misty, great for photos but bring rain gear. Summer is hot and very rainy. Winter is cool with dramatic mist on the river and almost no crowds.
Can young kids do the bamboo rafts in Guilin?
Children must be at least 5 years old and 1.2 meters tall for the bamboo rafts on the Yulong River. The Li River cruise boats have no age restriction and work for all ages. Biking Ten Mile Gallery is flat and easy for any age that can ride.
Do you need a visa for Guilin?
US passport holders can enter China visa free for up to 240 hours if transiting to a third country. For longer stays or trips that start and end in China, you need a visa applied for at the Chinese embassy or consulate before the trip. Apply well in advance.
Where The Mountains Come Out Of The Water
Guilin has been famous in China for over a thousand years. The saying goes “Guilin’s scenery is the best under heaven,” and the karst peaks on the 20 yuan banknote are here, between Guilin and Yangshuo on the Li River. The limestone mountains formed 300 million years ago and weathered into the jagged green pillars that line the river on both sides, rising straight out of flat rice paddies and reflecting in the water below.
The city itself sits on the western bank of the Li River, with Elephant Trunk Hill at the waterfront and Reed Flute Cave a short drive north. But the real draw is the countryside. A four hour Li River cruise from Guilin to Yangshuo passes through some of the most photographed landscape in Asia. Yangshuo is where families base for the second half of the trip, with bamboo rafts on the Yulong River, biking through the rice paddies along Ten Mile Gallery, and rock climbing on the karst cliffs. Two hours north, the Longji Rice Terraces have been carved into the mountains by Zhuang and Yao farmers for seven centuries, and the views from the top are as good as anything in Southeast Asia.
Getting Around
No metro in Guilin. DiDi is the move in the city, 2 to 5 dollars a ride. Buses are 2 yuan flat fare. Between Guilin and Yangshuo, the Li River cruise is the scenic way and a car takes about 90 minutes. Yangshuo itself is walkable and bikeable.
Two Bases, One Trip
Guilin City Center
Start here. One or two nights near the Li River waterfront, walking distance to Elephant Trunk Hill, close to Reed Flute Cave and the night markets. The base for the Li River cruise departure and the Longji Rice Terraces day trip. Most international hotels are here, with the Shangri-La and Sheraton on the riverfront and the Lijiang Waterfall Hotel with the tallest indoor waterfall in the lobby.
Yangshuo
The second half of the trip, 70 km south of Guilin in the heart of the karst mountains. Smaller, more laid back, surrounded by rice paddies and limestone peaks. The base for bamboo rafting on the Yulong River, biking Ten Mile Gallery, rock climbing, cooking classes and the Impression Liu Sanjie show. West Street in the old town has restaurants and shops. Two or three nights here is the move.
Longsheng for the Rice Terraces
Two and a half hours north of Guilin, near the Longji Rice Terraces. Stay overnight at a guesthouse in Ping’an or Dazhai village to see the terraces at sunrise before the day trippers arrive. The Baike Hotel at Ping’an is the easiest option. One night is enough, then back to Guilin or on to Yangshuo.
Alila Yangshuo
A converted sugar mill on the Li River in Yangshuo with a pool overlooking the karst mountains, family rooms, bikes to borrow and the kind of property where the building and the landscape are part of the trip. This is the hotel I price first for Guilin area families.
Shangri-La Guilin
On the Li River in the city center with mountain views, a pool, good restaurants and the Shangri-La service families count on. Walking distance to Elephant Trunk Hill and a solid base for the first night or two before heading to Yangshuo. Rooms from about $150 a night.
Sugar House Yangshuo
Boutique hotel in the Yangshuo countryside with karst mountain views from the rooms, a pool, quiet and family friendly. Close to the Yulong River and Ten Mile Gallery. A good middle ground between resort and budget at around $120 a night.
The Three I Build Every Guilin Trip Around
Li River Cruise
The four to five hour cruise from Guilin to Yangshuo is the centerpiece of the trip. The boat threads through 83 kilometers of karst mountains, past bamboo groves, water buffalo on the banks, fishermen with cormorants, and the scenery on the 20 yuan banknote. The section between Xingping and Yangshuo is the most dramatic. Tickets run 300 to 650 yuan depending on the boat, with the upper deck seats worth the upgrade. Pack snacks for the kids and keep them on the top deck for the views. The cruise only runs one direction, Guilin to Yangshuo, so it doubles as your transfer between the two.
Elephant Trunk Hill
The symbol of Guilin, a hill that looks exactly like an elephant dipping its trunk into the Li River, with a moon shaped arch where the trunk meets the water. It is an easy one to one and a half hour stop right on the city waterfront, flat walk, no climbing needed, and the kids see it and get it immediately. About 70 yuan to enter, free for kids under 1.2 meters. Best in the morning or at sunset when the light hits the arch. The view from across the river at Liberation Bridge is the postcard angle.
Yangshuo and the Yulong River
Yangshuo is not just a day trip. It is the second base. The Yulong River is smaller and quieter than the Li, and bamboo raft rides here are slower, more peaceful, and the mountains are right on top of you. Kids must be at least 5 years old and 1.2 meters tall for the bamboo rafts. Biking Ten Mile Gallery takes you through rice paddies between karst peaks on flat roads, easy for any age. The cooking classes teach you to make beer fish and Guilin rice noodles. And the Impression Liu Sanjie outdoor show, directed by Zhang Yimou, uses the Li River and the mountains as the stage.
Family Time, Built In: Guilin With Kids
Guilin with kids is standing on the top deck of a river cruise watching mountains appear around every bend, biking through rice paddies with karst peaks in every direction, floating down the Yulong River on a bamboo raft, climbing real limestone cliffs in Yangshuo, and eating rice noodles for breakfast because that is what everyone here does.
Bamboo rafting the Yulong River
Biking Ten Mile Gallery
Rock climbing in Yangshuo
Cooking class
ADVENTURE & DOWNTIME PICKS
Rock climbing in Yangshuo is world class and beginner routes start from age 6 with guides who supply all the gear. Moon Water Cave near Yangshuo has swimming, mud baths and a hot spring inside a cave, and kids love it. Horseback riding through the rice paddies runs about an hour and is available for young riders. The Gudong Waterfall outside Guilin lets you climb up through the cascades in water shoes. And the fan painting workshops at Fuli Ancient Town are the calm afternoon when everyone needs a break from the river.
Five Things To Eat In Guilin
Guilin rice noodles, the breakfast staple
Beer fish, the Yangshuo specialty
Oil tea, the local pick me up
Osmanthus cake, sweet and floral
Bamboo tube sticky riceNicole’s Perspective
The scenery that does not need a filter
I have planned hundreds of trips to Asia, and families who do Guilin come back talking about the Li River first. The mountains appear around every bend of the cruise, and the kids stop looking at their screens because there is something new every five minutes. That does not happen on every scenic cruise.
I route families through Guilin for four or five nights. One night in the city for Elephant Trunk Hill and the night market. The Li River cruise the next morning, which drops you in Yangshuo. Two or three nights in Yangshuo for the bamboo rafts, the biking and a cooking class. The Alila Yangshuo is the hotel I price first because the property itself is part of the experience, a converted sugar mill on the river with the mountains right there. Families who want the rice terraces add a night in Longsheng on the way in or out. This is the trip where the photos look like paintings and the kids are outside all day. I love building this one.
The Day Trip: Longji Rice Terraces
About two and a half hours north of Guilin, the Longji Rice Terraces have been carved into the mountains by Zhuang and Yao farmers for over 700 years. The terraces follow the contours of the hillside from the valley floor to the summit, and in September and October they turn gold before harvest. Ping’an village is the most accessible, with a cable car and paved paths to the viewpoints. Dazhai has longer hikes and fewer crowds. The hike to the viewpoints takes one to two hours depending on the route, and the cable car at Jinkeng cuts the climb. Stay overnight at a village guesthouse to see the terraces at sunrise without the day trip crowds. On the way back, the villages along the road sell handmade textiles and the Zhuang women’s traditional long hair is a sight in itself.
Things I Would Tell A Friend Before They Booked
How Many Days
Three nights covers Guilin city and Yangshuo. Four adds the rice terraces or a slower pace in Yangshuo with rock climbing and cooking classes.
One night in Guilin for Elephant Trunk Hill and the night market. The Li River cruise to Yangshuo the next morning. Two nights in Yangshuo for the Yulong River bamboo rafts and biking Ten Mile Gallery.
Add a night in Longsheng for the rice terraces at sunrise, or a third night in Yangshuo for rock climbing, a cooking class, Moon Water Cave and the Impression Liu Sanjie show at night.
Four nights in the Guilin area for the river and the mountains, then fly to Chengdu for the pandas and the hot pot, or to Xi’an for the Terracotta Warriors and the city wall. China’s greatest hits in 8 to 10 days.
Guilin With Kids, Answered
Is Guilin good for families with kids?
Yes. The Li River cruise keeps kids entertained for hours with mountains appearing around every bend. Yangshuo has bamboo rafting, biking, rock climbing and cooking classes. Elephant Trunk Hill is an easy city walk. And the whole region is outdoors, active and visual in a way that works for every age.
How many days do you need in Guilin?
Three nights minimum, split between Guilin city and Yangshuo. Four or five nights adds the Longji Rice Terraces, rock climbing in Yangshuo, and a slower pace to enjoy the countryside.
When is the best time to visit Guilin with kids?
September to November is the best window, warm and dry with the rice terraces turning gold. March to May is green and misty, great for photos but bring rain gear. Summer is hot and very rainy. Winter is cool with dramatic mist on the river and almost no crowds.
Can young kids do the bamboo rafts in Guilin?
Children must be at least 5 years old and 1.2 meters tall for the bamboo rafts on the Yulong River. The Li River cruise boats have no age restriction and work for all ages. Biking Ten Mile Gallery is flat and easy for any age that can ride.
Do you need a visa for Guilin?
US passport holders can enter China visa free for up to 240 hours if transiting to a third country. For longer stays or trips that start and end in China, you need a visa applied for at the Chinese embassy or consulate before the trip. Apply well in advance.
Ready To Put Guilin On The Calendar
Send me your dates and your kids’ ages and I will plan Guilin, the Li River cruise, the Yangshuo base, the bamboo rafts, the biking, the rice terraces if you want them, and the hotels between the mountains.
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