Guangxi · 5-6 Days

Guilin, Longji & Xingping: The Photographer\'s Guangxi

Longji\'s dragon-scale terraces at sunrise, the Li River at dawn from Xingping, and Yangshuo\'s karst countryside — Guangxi at its most photogenic.

Route Overview

Duration
5-6 days
Route
Guilin → Longji → Yangshuo → Xingping → Yangshuo
Budget
\$450-700/person

This extended Guilin route is built around light. Longji Rice Terraces at sunrise, when mist fills the valley. Xingping at dawn, when the 20 RMB note view is at its best and the tour groups haven\'t arrived. Yangshuo\'s countryside in golden afternoon light. It is the same destinations as the 3-4 day route but at a slower pace that rewards photographers and travellers who want more than a checklist.

Day-by-Day Itinerary

Day 1: Guilin → Longji

Arrive Guilin (KWL). Drive 2.5 hours directly to Longji Rice Terraces. Check into a guesthouse in Ping'an Village (the most accessible terrace area). Afternoon: walk the paths between Ping'an and the 'Seven Stars Accompanying the Moon' viewpoint — the classic Longji photo. The terraces are flooded April-June and golden September-October. Evening: Zhuang minority dinner at your guesthouse — bamboo rice (竹筒饭) cooked inside a bamboo tube over a fire, and smoked pork with wild vegetables.

Local tip: Stay inside the terrace area, not at the entrance gate. Ping'an Village has guesthouses with terrace-view rooms (¥200-400/night). You will need to walk 20-30 minutes uphill from the parking lot — pack light or hire a Yao porter (¥50).

Day 2: Longji → Guilin → Yangshuo

Sunrise at Longji — the 'Nine Dragons and Five Tigers' viewpoint has the best morning light. After breakfast, walk to the Jinkeng Terraces (cable car ¥100 or 2-hour hike). Jinkeng is larger and more dramatic than Ping'an, with Yao minority villages scattered through the terraces. Descend by cable car, then drive back to Guilin (2.5 hrs). Take the afternoon bus to Yangshuo (1.5 hrs, ¥25). Evening: settle into Yangshuo and walk West Street.

Local tip: The Longji entrance is ¥80. Your ticket is checked at each village entrance — keep it accessible. The Yao women at Jinkeng wear traditional red clothing and floor-length hair wrapped in elaborate headdresses. They charge ¥20 for a photo — it is how they make a living in this remote area.

Day 3: Xingping & Li River

Take the 40-minute bus from Yangshuo to Xingping (¥10). Xingping is a small riverside town that was the original county seat before Yangshuo. Walk the ancient street (1 km of Ming-Qing shopfronts), then climb Laozhai Mountain (40 min, steep) for the aerial view of the Li River bending through the karst — this is the 20 RMB note view from above. Afternoon: bamboo raft from Xingping to Nine Horses Fresco Hill and back (¥120, 1.5 hrs). Evening: stay overnight in Xingping — the town is quiet after the day-trippers leave at 5pm.

Local tip: Laozhai Mountain is free and the best view in Guilin. But the climb is genuinely steep — sections require using both hands on chains. Start 1 hour before sunset. Bring a headlamp for the descent. The trailhead is behind the Xingping Wharf.

Day 4: Xingping Sunrise → Yangshuo

Sunrise at Xianggong Mountain (相公山, ¥60, 30-min drive from Xingping). The viewing platform overlooks the Li River in a perfect S-curve through a forest of karst peaks — this is THE Guilin sunrise photo. After sunrise, return to Yangshuo via the back roads through Baisha and Fuli villages. Afternoon: Yulong River bamboo raft and countryside cycling.

Local tip: Xianggong Mountain opens at 5am for sunrise. The platform has two levels — the upper level fills with tripods by 5:30am. Go early. The drive up is on a narrow paved road — a Didi from Yangshuo costs ¥80 each way.

Day 5: Yangshuo → Fly Out

Morning: final Yangshuo cycling or a tai chi class by the river. Visit the Yangshuo Cooking School for a half-day class — learn to make Guilin rice noodles and beer fish (啤酒鱼, the local speciality). Afternoon: bus to Guilin (1.5 hrs) for your flight out.

Local tip: Beer fish (啤酒鱼) is Yangshuo's signature dish — whole river fish braised in beer with tomatoes, peppers, and garlic. Every restaurant on West Street claims to be the original. Eat at a place locals recommend, not the ones with English menus and touts outside.
Practical Info

Planning This Route

Photography Tips

Best lenses: wide-angle (16-35mm) for the karst panoramas, telephoto (70-200mm) for compressing peaks and picking out details. Tripod essential for sunrise. A polarising filter cuts haze and reflection off the Li River. Best light: dawn (5:30-7am) for mist and golden hour (5-6:30pm) for warm karst colours.

Where to Stay

Longji: Ping'an Village guesthouses with terrace views (¥200-400). Xingping: riverside guesthouses (¥150-300). Yangshuo: Yulong River area for quiet, West Street for convenience ($30-80).

Getting Around

Yangshuo to Xingping: bus from Yangshuo Bus Station (40 min, ¥10). Yangshuo to Guilin: bus (1.5 hrs, ¥25) or private car (¥150). Guilin to Longji: private car (2.5 hrs, ¥400-500 round trip) or bus from Guilin Qintan Bus Station to Longji entrance (2.5 hrs, ¥50) then shuttle into the terraces.

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Richard Du
Chinese native, based in the UK. 50+ trips back to China. I build tools to make sure your first 48 hours are magical, not a logistical nightmare.