Yangshuo, China is all about being outdoors.
The landscape, with the winding Li River cutting through the jagged, karst mountains as far as the eye can see, is why people come here. You can cycle, hike, head out on a Li River cruise, or do a little rock climbing if you are feeling adventurous.
There may be a load of options, but not a lot of thorough resources (as we recently discovered researching a weekend there). Fear not: here’s everything you need to know about visiting Yangshuo, which tours to take, how to spend that precious outdoors time and where to stay. Nearby Guilin may get more tourists and more recognition, but if you prefer to be a little off the well-worn tourist trail, Yangshou should be your choice.
“Guilin has the best scenery under the heaven, but Yangshuo is even more beautiful.” — local Yangshuo saying (gotta love that local pride)
The Basics
Yangshuo is in the heart of the Guangxi Province. It is a 90-minute drive from Guilin, which is where many visitors begin their journey in the area. Guilin is the closest airport, with connections to many mainland Chinese cities as well as Hong Kong, Seoul, Kuala Lumpur, and Singapore. From the airport, you can reach Yangshuo by shuttle bus or high speed train.
The easiest way to reach Yangshuo for those in Southern China is by high speed train to the newly built Yangshuo Station, with direct service to Shenzhen North and Guangzhou South rail stations. It is only 2 hours to Guangzhou, and 2.5 hours to Shenzhen, and the trains are comfortable, quiet, and reliable (unlike domestic air travel in China!).
In terms of the weather, spring and autumn are the best times to visit. Spring is warm (15C-25C), though rain is common, while autumn is milder and the driest time of the year. Summer brings the heat and humidity, with temperatures reaching 35C and there can be intense periods of rain from May to August. Winter is cold, but temperatures stay above freezing.
To get out of Yangshuo and visit some of the neighboring villages, you can hop on the public shuttle bus, which ferries people to various destinations in the area, including the Yangshuo Rail Station. It is obviously very inexpensive, but difficult for visitors with no local language skills. Didi, the Chinese version of Uber, operates in Yangshuo, and the rides are incredibly cheap, but connecting international credit cards can be a pain.
A safe bet for foreign visitors is using local taxis, which unlike in most larger Chinese cities, do not operate with a meter. You have to negotiate the price, and if you are a Westerner, expect to pay more than locals. Your hotel can help arrange rides if necessary, and having your accommodation’s address in Chinese is strongly advised.
Where to Stay in Yangshuo
Options abound for accommodation, from inexpensive guest houses in the middle of Yangshuo center, to luxurious resorts around the outskirts of the town. Here are our few picks:
Alila Yangshuo: We stayed here on our last visit, and absolutely loved it. It’s one of the pricier options, but this converted sugar mill from the 1960s is private and secluded. Treat yo’ self. Or, YOLO.
Yangshuo Mountain Retreat: This place has been recommended to us by a few friends in Shenzhen. It is a small eco-lodge that sits right along the banks of the Li River, owned and operated by expats.
Mountain Escape Yangshuo: Owned by the same people who run the fantastic Great Wall Hiking Tours in Beijing, this small inn is a completely renovated house and courtyard, with only four rooms.
Exploring Yangshuo Town Center
The main attraction in the heart of Yangshuo is Xi Jie (West Street), a reconstructed “old” street that contains restaurants, souvenir shops, and retail stores. Basically, it looks old, but with the exception of a few structures, everything is brand new. It caters to visitors and Western guests, so menus are in multiple languages and you will find pizza restaurants and English-style pubs. Clearly not an authentic experience, but fun to see and the perfect place to pick up some gifts to bring home.
A 30 minute walk south from West Street along the Li River, is the site of Impression Liu Sanjie, a nightly show that takes place right on the Li River, combining music, lighting effects, and local dancers. The whole program was choreographed by the same person responsible for the opening ceremonies of the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. It takes about an hour and occurs 1-2 times per night.
For those interested in local food culture, head to the Yangshuo Market, open seven days a week. This is a market for residents, not tourists, with vendors and local farmers selling vegetables, meats, and fish. The variety of produce is impressive, including homemade chile sauces and pickled vegetables.
Warning: For those who are sensitive, there are live animals in this market, like chickens, ducks, geese, and rabbits, sold for butchering. This market also sells dog and cat meat, a speciality of this area of Guangxi. The meat area is completely separate from the vegetable section if you want to avoid seeing any animals.
Li River Cruise, Cooking Schools, and More
Many Yangshuo visitors work with local tour companies to explore Yangshuo and the surrounding countryside. Most of the tours are half or full day, with plenty of private tour operators as well as group options. The most popular excursion is the Li River cruise, with a variety of routes to choose from.
For anyone coming from Guilin, you can take a 4-5 hour cruise from Zhujiang Pier (about 40 minutes south of Guilin by car) all the way to Yangshuo. It is the best way to see the scenery along the Li River, though the boats can be crowded and tickets cost at least US$60/person, depending on who you book the cruise through.
For something shorter, you can take a bamboo rafting trip from Xingping to Yangdi Village and Nine Horses Fresco, which takes about an hour. These boats are constructed of plastic and bamboo, complete with sun canopy and rather loud motors. The openness of the rafts is great, but ideal for a warm day.
These boats hold four passengers, and are a leisurely way to see one of the most beautiful stretches of the Li River without being crowded. For our Li River cruise, we paid an additional ¥50 (US$7.50) to our boat driver (in addition to the US$22 for our tickets) to buy out the other two seats, making it a private tour. Money well spent.
There are also tours available that include hiking along the Li River, if the weather isn’t too hot or rainy. The most common path follows the bank of the river from Nine Horses Fresco back to Xingping, which takes about 1-2 hours.
If the idea of shopping at the local market sounds interesting, you can enroll in a cooking class at Yangshuo Cooking School. We took a class and had a blast, and picked up a few pointers from our friendly guide Sophie. We walked through the market and Sophie talked about the range of products available and how the market works. From there, we went to the school, located in a small village about 10 minutes from Yangshuo center. We cooked five different dishes, practicing our wok skills on portable burners.
If the weather takes a turn for the worse, this is the perfect indoor activity for a morning or afternoon.
In spring and autumn, when the weather is cooler and a bit drier, you can do organized hiking tours of the Yangshuo countryside, where you get the opportunity to explore rural life in China. The most popular routes are on the Yulong River, home to thirteen small villages and seven historical stone bridges. You have the opportunity to walk through rice paddies, and perhaps see some water buffalo working in the fields.
Hikes range from half to full day, with a varying degree of difficulty. For something shorter, you can climb the stairs from Xingping to the top of Xianggang Hill, which takes about 15 minutes, and provides panoramic views of Li River and the karst mountains.
Cycling tours are popular as well, as much of the Yangshuo countryside along the Li and Yulong Rivers is relatively flat, making for an easier ride. The bike tours also have access to areas unaccessible by car, making for unique stops and vistas along the routes.
All of the gorgeous scenery around Yangshuo has meant that more and more photography tours have started up in recent years. For serious photographers, this is a must-do activity. The tours are intense and take all day (with multiple day options available), but include sunrise photos from Xianggang Hill, exploration of the small rural villages and the ancient stone bridges, sunset photos along the Yulong River, and your own expert professional photographer guide.
For something different, you can take a day trip to the 7 Star Tea Planation, to learn about harvesting, processing, and properly preparing tea, only about a 30 minute drive from Yangshuo center. For the more adventurous, you can take rock climbing lessons. The jagged, vertical karst mountains of Yangshuo have made this area internationally known by skilled climbers, so there are various climbing options.
Yangshuo Tour Companies
Here are a handful of tour operators that specialize in tours around the Yangshuo area. All are highly rated on TripAdvisor.
Jack’s Private Tours: Jack only conducts private tours and offers hiking, cycling, photography, and Li River cruise tours. Prices range from US$80-$150/person.
Yangshuo Insiders: This company offers small groups tours, including the Li River cruise and cooking school combo tour we did. Prices range from US$12/person for half day excursions to US$59 for a full day trip.
Bike Asia: For the biking enthusiasts, Bike Asia features various cycling tours, including mountain biking in the hill around Yangshuo, and more leisurely countryside rides. Tours start at around US$50/person.
China Odyssey: If you want something more involved, China Odyssey offers multi-day, private tours that begin in Guilin and include the Li River cruise and West Street in Yangshuo.
Black Rock Climbing: Need an adrenaline rush? Black Rock Climbing offers 4 hour climbing lessons, starting at ¥350/person (US$52). They also have zip lining, abseiling, and other activities for the more adventurous visitors.
