1 Day Private Tour: Li River Cruise from Guilin & Yangshuo Biking

Highlights

Inclusions

Itinerary

1. At about 8am, we'll pick you up at your hotel lobby and drive for about 50 minutes to Guilin Zhujiang Pier or Mopanshan Pier. From there, you'll board a Li River cruise to Yangshuo, one of the most scenic experiences in Guilin. The cruise takes about 4 hours, passing through the stunning karst mountains, peaceful villages, bamboo-lined riverbanks, and picturesque countryside along the Li River. Sit back and enjoy the changing scenery as the river winds its way from Guilin to Yangshuo.

   50 min

2. The Li River cruise takes about 4 hours, arriving in Yangshuo at around 1:20pm. As you cruise downstream, enjoy the soft breeze and changing scenery along the river. You’ll pass the famous Nine-Horse Fresco, the Yellow Cloth Shoal, featured on the back of the 20 RMB note, as well as peaceful grasslands, farmland, and idyllic countryside. Along the riverbanks, countless limestone peaks and rock formations appear in fascinating shapes, resembling a Chinese brush, crown, figure, goat’s hoof, and more. The scenery gradually changes from the cityscape of Guilin to the peaceful rural landscapes around Yangshuo, offering a relaxing view of the Li River’s famous karst scenery. Note: If you choose the Driver-Guide Service, your driver will also act as your guide. You will take the Li River cruise independently, as the driver-guide will not accompany you on the boat. Your driver-guide will meet you at Yangshuo Dock upon arrival and continue the tour with you.

   4 h

3. Visiting West Street, travelers will be surrounded by an array of traditional folk and amazing international elements. Various shops, craftworks shops, painting and calligraphy stores, backpack shops, cafes, and Chinese Kung Fu academies jostle for attention; travelers will be amazed by a multitude of items, from embroidered silk cloth, wax-painted weaving, to embroidered shoes for women.

   30 min

4. In Yangshuo, we've carefully selected two of the area's most popular experiences for you to choose from: a scenic countryside cycling experience or a visit to Xianggong Hill for breathtaking panoramic views of the Li River. Both are highly popular, so simply let your guide know which one you'd like to experience. If you choose the cycling, Your guide will prepare bike for you and take you to experiece the most classical biking route with ancient village visiting. It'll give you a close experience of the local life both in Yangshuo County and in the ancient villages along the Yulong River. You can also have a chance to admire the bucolic scenery, buffaloes, and marvelous karst hills and rivers.

   1 h

5. If you choose the Xiangong monutain, hike up the mountain with your guide and enjoy breathtaking panoramic views of the Li River and surrounding karst landscape. Xiangong Hill is a famous photography and sunset spot in Yangshuo, offering a perfect vantage point to watch the sun set over the dramatic peaks and winding river.

   1 h

6. If you prefer to stay in Yangshuo, simply let you guide know in advance and you will be provided with directions to your accommodation. After a wonderful day in Yangshuo, you will be transferred back to your hotel in Guilin. It takes about 1.5 hours for transportation. Just take a nap and relax in your comfortable private vehicle.

   1.5 h

Cancellation

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.

Reviews

Ratings come from 38 reviews collected by our booking partner. They are travellers' own words, in the order they were written — never reordered to flatter the experience.

Showing reviews written in English.

• 5Perfect way to experience the Li River and Yangshou County!

  What a great day! Advance communication was informative and helpful. Transportation was roomy, comfortable and air conditioned. Our guide William offered lots of insights into the area, culture, history and was extremely accommodating. The cruise was beautiful. The boat did not offer many translations so it was helpful that William was able to provide guidance, teach us about the geography and translate anything that needed to be conveyed. We elected to ride bikes rather than use scooters and we’re not disappointed at all! The bikes were pretty comfortable and in good condition. We biked approximately 8 miles, William leading us around a path following the river until turning back into the countryside and venturing back through a few villages. We had some hot and rainy weather but even with that, we truly enjoyed the day! Highly recommend!

  Noelle_MJuly 2026via Viator

• 5Ffff

  Lilly was excellent. We really enjoyed having her as our guide. She was extremely attentive. We recommend her highly.

  Nasrollah_SMay 2026via Viator

• 5It is nice tour.We really...

  It is nice tour.We really enjoyed ourselves. Cycling was a particularly great experience. We also saw a couple of villages.

  Terez_TOctober 2025via Viator

• 5Amazing trip

  We had an amazing trip! It started very smoothly, Louis was with us from the very start! The trip started with a boat ride with amazing scenery something that you only see in movies!! Then we rode bicycles at a very remote place "Hidden gem" it was an amazing experiences! Louis was extremely friendly, knowledgable and he let us ride the bicycles longer than what was planned! I highly recommend this.

  ziad aOctober 2025via Tripadvisor

• 5A must book !!!!

  It’s a must book!! Started on a deluxe boat after driver and our fabulous guide Jerry picked us up from hotel. Cruise was so good. Lunch was also great on the boat. Arrived in Yangshuo, had time to shop then had electric Scooters to tour the area and riverside. Jerry the guide made the day unforgettable. Appreciate your company for its accurate description. Note to other travellers maybe stop the night in Yangshuo it’s looks amazing for the evening

  PAUL_TSeptember 2025via Viator

• 5A cruise day at Guilin with bicycle tour

  I will include this day as one of the most beautiful day of my life and this place on earth as the most beautiful! Frank my tour guide contributed a lot to make the most of the experience!

  PANAGIOTA_AApril 2025via Viator

Know before you go

How it compares in Guilin

• Its from-price is 51% below the median of the 414 experiences we list in Guilin.
• Its length is typical for the group.
• By number of reviews it ranks 11 of 414.
• The operator lists free cancellation on it.

About Guilin

Guilin, in Guangxi, is a river town among steep limestone peaks, best known for the Li River and the karst hills of classical Chinese painting.

Guilin lies in the north-east of the Guangxi region, where limestone peaks rise as steep green towers from flat fields and the Li River. The name means forest of sweet osmanthus, and the trees line its streets. In the city, Elephant Trunk Hill stands at the river's edge shaped like an elephant drinking, Reed Flute Cave glows with coloured light on its stalactites, and the Sun and Moon pagodas rise from a lake.

Top-ranked sights in Guilin: Li River (Li Jiang), Reed Flute Cave (Ludi Yan), Elephant Trunk Hill (Xiangbishan).

See all 414 experiences in Guilin