Day 1 Various locations → or → Guilin ★ Meet up day
All day
Today is the gathering day for the event; all tourists please go to the Guilin gathering hotel on your own and report "China-Travel Note + Name" to check in.
If you need to check in a few days earlier, please click [Book a hotel]
Recommended itinerary for the day:
Guilin landmarks: Elephant Trunk Hill, Fubo Hill, Guilin Museum, Seven Star Park;
If you want to see the night view: representative ones include Xiaoyao Tower and the night view of Two Rivers and Four Lakes. After that, you can go shopping and eat in the East and West Alley shopping district, and then watch a Guilin opera to learn about Guilin's intangible cultural heritage.
Guilin food recommendations: Guilin rice noodles, one of the three major street snacks in China, are recommended, such as Lao Dongjiang and Guilin Rice Noodle Cultural Center. Guilin oil tea shops include Xin Guo Ji Oil Tea and Yao Fei Oil Tea Restaurant. Local favorites include Chun Ji Roast Goose, Lao Biao Ji, and Xiao Nan Guo.
Day 2 Guilin → Langshan
All day
After checking out in the morning, we headed north from Guilin to Langshan, the "Soul of Chinese Danxia"
Its unique geological structure: mountains, water, forests, and caves are all present, forming a typical Danxia peak forest landform. It is a rare large-scale Danxia landform scenic area in China and even in the world. This scenery is often overlooked by tourists visiting Guilin.
After lunch at a local restaurant, head to the Tianyitian Scenic Area in Langshan
The alley stretches 238.8 meters, with stone walls ranging from 120 to 180 meters high on either side. It's 0.8 meters wide at its widest point and 0.33 meters narrow at its narrowest, representing a typical Danxia landform. Whenever the sun shines through, the alley walls sparkle with a wondrous brilliance. Walk through this breathtaking natural stone alley and capture the moment light and shadow filter through the narrow lane.
Then we went to the Chili Peak Scenic Area in Langshan (climbing Camel Peak and viewing Chili Peak)
Hike to Longkou, the Jiujiu Ladder, the Shuangzhu Peak Skywalk, and Yixiantian. Opposite it, Chili Pepper Peak, located on Foding Mountain, rises 180 meters and is crimson red. From a distance, it resembles a gigantic red pepper, earning it the nickname "Immortal Pepper Drilling the Earth." Then, arrive at the filming location for the movie "Luojing Mountain." If you're lucky, you might even be able to witness the spectacular sunset over Langshan.
Afterwards, we will check in at the hotel and have dinner at an appropriate time. You can also form a team to enjoy the local long table banquet.
In the quiet countryside at night, we chatted freely under the stars and spent a wonderful day.
Day 3 Tianlang Mountain → Guilin Dragon Back
All day
In the morning we set out for Langshan-Bajiaozhai
Bajiaozhai, located at the border of Hunan and Guangxi, is divided into two scenic areas: Langshan Bajiaozhai in Hunan and Ziyuan Bajiaozhai in Guangxi. However, the views differ: the peak viewpoint is in Langshan, while the beautiful scenery is in Ziyuan. Our itinerary visits both villages, allowing you to experience both provinces.
The main peak of Bajiaozhai, 814 meters above sea level, gets its name from its eight pointed corners and is hailed by experts as the "Soul of Danxia." (You can take a cable car up the mountain for 90 yuan per person.) In Bajiaozhai, you can admire the sunrise over a sea of clouds and whales playing in the ocean. You can also see Yuntai Temple, immortals playing chess, the ancient city walls, and the incredibly dangerous Longtouxiang. From the Tiangong Temple viewing platform, you can overlook the rare red gravel Danxia landform.
After reaching the top, go down the mountain to Bajiaozhai in Guangxi.
The highest peak is at Bajiaozhai in Langshan, and in terms of scale and spectacular scenery, you must come to Bajiaozhai in Ziyuan to appreciate it.
Hike to the foot of the mountain, have lunch there, and then head to Longji Rice Terraces Scenic Area
Arrive at the scenic area (large luggage should be stored at the entrance of the scenic area by yourself), take the scenic shuttle bus to the Guzhuang Village parking lot, and hike 2 kilometers lightly to the Guzhuang Village Inn to check in. The entire village is located between terraced fields and mountains, and the scenery is quite spectacular. Because it has not been developed much, few Chinese tourists come here.
This is where we will be staying tonight. After a day of hiking, our bodies need a good rest. We can rest early or take a good look at the starry sky over the terraced fields, which is exceptionally beautiful.
Day 4: Ancient Zhuang Village → Ping'an Village → Dazhai Village → Yangshuo
All day
After breakfast, we started our light hike through the Longji Rice Terraces.
Recommended route: Guzhuang Village - Ping'an Village - Zhonglu Village - Dazhai Village, with an in-depth tour of the Longji Rice Terraces (irrigation period from February to May, rice planting period from May to September, and rice viewing period from late September to mid-October)
The entire hike follows a relatively gentle mountain path, primarily paved with bluestone, in excellent condition. Weaving through forests and fields, we pass by wind and rain bridges, offering stunning vistas both near and far, perfect for photos and resting. We're halfway through the hike after passing Zhongliu Village, a village of over 100 households nestled between two popular tourist destinations, offering a tranquil and pristine atmosphere.
We'll enjoy a lunch break here and chat with the local villagers. We'll then continue our journey, unnoticed, gazing down upon the panoramic view of Dazhai. The village, steeped in natural beauty and ancient charm, is a prime viewing spot for experiencing the ethnic customs of the Red Yao Terraces. Here, you'll see layers of terraced fields rising like stairways to the sky, winding and flowing like a dragon guarding the area through the ages. Of course, this is the end of the hike!
Then we took the scenic shuttle bus back to the entrance of the scenic area, changed to a bus to go to Yangshuo County to check in, and have a good rest to relieve the fatigue of the day.
Day 5 Yangshuo → Xianggong Mountain → SUP Experience → Yangshuo
·morning
After breakfast, depart for Xianggong Mountain Scenic Area
It's only a 15-20 minute hike to the summit, but the Xianggong Mountain vantage point, a popular and lesser-known spot, offers a truly unmissable panoramic view of the Li River. The Li River makes a sharp bend here, somewhat reminiscent of Horseshoe Bend on the Colorado River. The scenery is breathtakingly beautiful. Combined with the shimmering waters and mountains, the shimmering clouds, and the cascading sunrises and rain, the scene is like a dream, a spectacular sight not only glimpsed from a Li River cruise.
·afternoon
In the afternoon, go to the branch of Yulong River to experience water paddleboarding
Saying goodbye to the queues and crowds of tourists on the Yulong River bamboo raft, we enjoyed our cool summer time on this river.
Paddling through the village, passing small bridges along the way, the scenery on both sides of the river is quiet and peaceful, just like paddling in a landscape painting.
During the entire activity, a certified national paddle board coach will provide professional teaching and lead the team. Under the guidance of the professional coach, you will fully understand the safety precautions of water sports and establish sufficient safety awareness. You will learn paddle boarding from getting on the board, to kneeling paddling, to standing paddling. After getting started, we will start paddling along the river and explore the pastoral scenery on both sides.
Day 6 Yangshuo → Xingping Ancient Town → Guilin ★ Dismissal Day
All day
After breakfast, check out and head to Xingping Ancient Town
Hike along the riverside path to enjoy the scenery of the Li River and check in at the Huangbu Reflection Viewing Platform (20 RMB as background)
When visiting the ancient town and fishing village, and checking in at this thousand-year-old town, you must of course try the intangible cultural heritage specialty Songhua Candy - Yangshuo version of Shaqima.
Gather at the right time for the return trip, first transfer to Guilin Airport around 14:00, then transfer to the city railway station and disband around 15:00
It is recommended to book flights after 15:30 in the afternoon and trains from Guilin Station after 15:30.
