Guilin 3-Day Self-Driving Tour Blood and Tears Record! I've figured out these traps for you

Decided last minute to rush a 3-day, 2-night self-driving trip to Guilin. The scenery is truly beautiful, but there are quite a few tricks! I've compiled a super detailed guide to avoid pitfalls and highly enjoyable activities. Follow this to avoid detours, friends～
🌿 Three-Day Self-Driving Route Overview

Day 1: Arrive in Guilin in the afternoon → Check in at Elephant Trunk Hill → Night tour of the Two Rivers and Four Lakes night view
Day 2: Rent a car and drive: Guilin → Xianggong Mountain (passing by the Qianli Jiangshan Tu Viewing Platform + popular sunrise café) → Yangshuo Yulong River bamboo rafting (Shuiedi to Comprehensive Wharf section)
Day 3: Cycling the Ten-Mile Gallery in Yangshuo → Xingping Ancient Town 20 RMB photo spot → Lijiang bamboo rafting → Guihai Qinglan → Return car and head back

🚩 Pitfall Avoidance Guide! Don’t fall for these tricks

⚠️ Elephant Trunk Hill area tricycle chain traps

1. The "enthusiastic trap" of the 5 RMB electric tricycle
The tricycle at the scenic spot entrance says 5 RMB to take you around, and the driver enthusiastically recommends a "local restaurant." I showed him the group-buy beer fish voucher and asked if we could go there, but he insisted "that’s for banquets and tastes bad," then took us to a restaurant with 138 RMB per jin Qingjiang fish on the menu (market price is 10 RMB per jin), and the smallest fish weighs 3 jin! I suggest just follow the group-buy navigation directly. We later had a three-person meal for just over 100 RMB, and the fish was incredibly fresh!

2. The 40 RMB night tour of Two Rivers wording trick
Caught in heavy rain, attracted by the "40 RMB night tour," but the hotel driver said "40 RMB per person." I immediately argued and only paid 40 RMB for the whole car. Remember: always clarify if the price is per person or per vehicle!

⚠️ Xingping Ancient Town photo trap

Right at the town entrance, an electric tricycle driver "enthusiastically" took us to a 20 RMB photo background, but it turned out to be a paid photo spot (staff were very rude). Actually, you can walk along the riverbank and take the same photos for free. Don’t be fooled by the touts!

🌟 The best ways to fully enjoy the experience

✅ Yangshuo self-driving is truly worth it

• Choose the right section for Yulong River bamboo rafting: Shuiedi → Comprehensive Wharf section costs 200 RMB per raft, with 4 exciting rapids that are thrilling but not tiring. The boatman was super nice, didn’t ask for tips, and chatted all the way.

• Accommodation recommendation: Yangshuo All Season Hotel is the largest branch I’ve stayed at, clean and not damp, just a 5-minute walk to West Street.

• Food guide: Found a highly rated beer fish restaurant on a group-buy platform, 50 RMB per person and you’ll be full. Guilin rice noodles on Shijiayuan Road are 5 RMB per bowl, and the pot roast is amazing!

✅ Who understands the joy of self-driving?

Driving all the way from Guizhou was exhausting, but Guilin self-driving was super easy! Two days are enough to explore thoroughly, you can stop anytime to take mountain views, 100 times better than group tours～ The "Qianli Jiangshan Tu" viewing platform on the way to Xianggong Mountain is wallpaper-level photo material anytime you snap!

📝 Final key points

Guilin’s scenery is worth rushing for, but be sure to plan ahead! Choose a reputable car rental platform for self-driving, pick high-rated group-buy restaurants for meals, and never trust roadside touts～ Keep this guide safe to enjoy a top-tier experience at a low cost!