I finally visited China for the first time last year. AirAsia has direct flight to Guilin and the flight duration is about 4 hours from Kuala Lumpur. I immediately booked the flight when the initial trial visa-free policy for Malaysian citizens to China was announced and confirmed in November 2023, haha.
Since it is a family trip, I decided to engage a local tour operator to arrange for everything. The tour operator that I engaged is桂林市青檬国际旅行社有限公司. We communicated through wechat. The communication was smooth and they cater to my special request such as ordering a birthday cake for my mother in-law.
Above is the 5D4N itinerary in Guilin.
Total Travel Package Cost for 7 person (5 adult + 2 child) excluding meals and air ticket: RMB 17,260
Deposit of RMB 6,000 needed to be paid before the tour. The tour operator provided e-receipt promptly after payment.
Below is the detailed breakdown of the travel cost:
Transportation: 14-seat comfortable tour bus: RMB 4,600/vehicle; Includes: Fuel, parking fees, tolls, driver service fee.
Guide: Professional Chinese-speaking guide for 4 days: RMB 1,600
Attraction Tickets:
Adults: RMB 980*5 people = RMB 4,900
Children: RMB 810*2 people = RMB 1,620
Includes Elephant Trunk Hill, Li River 4-star cruise (upper deck), Shiwai Taoyuan, Ruyi Peak, Impression Liu Sanjie (B2 VIP tickets), Jingjiang Prince’s Palace
Hotels: Total 4 nights is RMB 4,540
I visited Guilin in April. The weather is mildly cool and the start of wet season. So bring rain gear and umbrella. If you enjoy misty, classic Chinese ink painting-like scenery, then this is a good time to visit.
After our tour guide picked us up from the airport, our first stop is a local restaurant which serves Guilin rice noodles, a must-try local dish. Guilin rice noodles is often served with pickled vegetables, roasted peanuts or crispy fried soybeans and chopped scallions. One can also add chili flakes/oil according to personal taste. The noodles was simple yet flavourful.
Next, we checked into our hotel - Guilin Venus Royal Hotel (Sun-Moon Twin Pagodas Branch)桂林维纳斯皇家酒店（日月双塔店）. Elephant Trunk Hill 象鼻山is a short walk from our hotel.
Aptly named as Elephant Trunk Hill, the hill really does resembled a giant elephant dipping its trunk into the river.
One can enter the Sun-Moon Twin Pagodas for an admission fee of about RMB 30. The two pagodas were connected by an underground tunnel under the lake.
The Deluxe Lake View King Room is recommended as the room has a balcony and a large glass window directly overlooking Sun-Moon Twin Pagodas. The room even has a massage chair! I booked this room for my father and mother in-laws. They really liked it.
We had dinner at a famous local resturant,Chunji Roast Goose (椿记烧鹅). We reserved a private room. Their signature dish, roasted goose did not disappoint. Their other dishes were good too.
After dinner, we strolled back to the hotel and enjoyed the view of the twin pagodas at night.
The view from the hotel top floor was even better! What a view!
Enjoying buffet breakfast at the hotel before boarding the Li River Cruise.
Li River Cruise is the highlight of the day.
The seats on the upper deck were spacious and comfortable.
However, the view should be enjoyed on the open deck of the ferry.
The reverse side of the Chinese 20 Yuan RMB banknote features the iconic karst landscape of the Li River. The exact scene is often referred to as the Reflection of Yellow Cloth Shoal (黄布倒影), one of the most famous sights along the river cruise from Guilin to Yangshuo.
Passed by an old town.
Lunch is included in the cruise fare.
The hotel that we stayed was Yangshuo Huazhu Yijing West Street Hotel阳朔花筑忆景西街酒店. The boutique hotel has nice views over the mountains.
We tried hot air balloon and paragliding. It was my first time trying paragliding and it was an unforgettable experience. I also got the experience recorded on insta360 for an additional fee.
We were unable to view the Moon Hill 月亮山at 赏月道due to weather condition that day and we decided to come back on the next day.
We had dinner at a restaurant serving beer fish, a signature local dish in Yanshuo. We chose the fish we wanted and the staff would weigh the fish for us. Yangshuo is also famous for its river snails. My son didn’t know he ate snails until we told him after the trip. He was like “Ew, what’s wrong with you?”, haha.
West Street 西街is popular among tourists due to the many restaurants and shop in this area.
That night, we celebrated my mother-in-law's birthday in the hotel room. The tour guide helped us reserved a birthday cake for the occasion.
We headed to Ruyi Peak 如意峰. It is a scenic area that provides panoramic, high-altitude views of the iconic karst peaks and forests of Yangshuo. We took the Ruyi Cableway to reach the top of the mountain. It was such a coincidence that Guangxi was celebrating "San Yue San" Festival during our visit.
Crossing the Ruyi Rope Bridge between the peaks.
Visitors need to climb up to the observation deck.
Bought a fan as souvenir as we came down from the observation deck.
Walking on glass bridge.
There's also a Glass Skywalk to enjoy unobstructed view of the mountains.
We could finally see the Moon Hill clearly, yay! One can hike up to Moon Hill but it is best viewed from afar.
We tried bamboo chicken for lunch.
The restaurant is besides a scenic river, a perfect backdrop for hanfu photo shooting.
Ten-Mile Gallery 十里画廊has many attractions along the way. It is best visited on scooters or bicycles. Tourists can also try riding the bamboo raft on the Yulong River (遇龙河).
Impression Liu Sanjie 印象刘三姐is the world's first large-scale outdoor landscape performance. Directed by the famous Chinese film director Zhang Yimou, the performance takes place entirely on the water, with the mist-shrouded mountains and the river forming the natural backdrop. The show is based on the legend of Liu Sanjie, the "Song Fairy" of the Zhuang ethnic group. It is a blend of classic folk songs, ethnic customs, and the daily life of local fishermen.Overall, the performance of Impression Liu Sanjie is grand and unique. I definitely enjoyed it.
We had dinner nearby Impression Liu Sanjie and tried the bamboo sticky rice.
We stayed another night in Yanshuo. This time, the hotel is Yangshuo Xitang Riverside Hotel阳朔喜糖江景酒店, overlooking the Li River. The misty view of Li River in the morning is straight out from a Chinese ink painting. Breakfast was good.
Day 4:
On the way back to Guilin town, we visited Shiwai Taoyuan 世外桃源, a local attraction. The name translates to "The Land of Peach Blossoms" or "The Utopia," inspired by a famous ancient Chinese poem by Tao Yuanming. Visitors need to take a boat ride through a water cave and along a clear lake to reach the main attraction of Shiwai Taoyuan. Traditional art and craft were displayed. Visitors could also join in the local dance and experience pushing the grind.
Once we reached Guilin, we tried the Guilin rice noodles with beef as topping. The broth was really rich. Nothing beats a bowl of hot noodles when it was a rainy day.
Jingjiang Prince’s Palace 靖江王府is a well-preserved former royal compound from the Ming Dynasty. It was the residence of 14 princes of the Ming Dynasty over 257 years.
We tried traditional imprinting technique in the palace which could be brought home as souvenirs.
The famous saying that Guilin is known for—"East or West, Guilin's scenery is the best"—is derived from a stone inscription found at the foot of Solitary Beauty Peak. The compound also housed the provincial examination hall during the Qing Dynasty and is now the campus of Guangxi Normal University.
East-West Alley 东西巷is located right in front of the Jingjiang Prince's Palace. Similar to West Street in Yangshuo, it is a vibrant mix of modern shops, boutiques, and eateries.
Xiaoyao Tower was historically the East Gate Tower of the city wall. It has been beautifully rebuilt and offers excellent views of the city and the Li River area.
Afterwards, we checked into Find Rice Fields Homestay (Ludi Cave Scenic Area Branch)找稻田民宿芦笛岩景区店）for a change of scenery. It is recommended to have dinner in the town area before checking in or reserve dinner with the homestay owner beforehand. Alternatively, you can look for a restaurant in the vicinity but many didn’t cater to big orders for seven people. Luckily with the help pf locals, we managed to find a local restaurant which can cater to our order at last.
The view was amazing. My only complain of the homestay is that the rooms weren’t smoke-free. I could smell it on the pillows and bed-sheets. If you’re sensitive to smoking smell, suggest you skip this homestay.
All payment in China can be done through e-wallet like AliPay or WeChat Pay, which is why having data connection is important. We just brought a bit of cash just in case. In the end, we only use the cash to tip our tour guide.
And this summarise my trip to Guilin. It was a nice introduction to China. I’m sure I would visit China again in the future as there are many more places to explore.
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