Guilin’s karst peaks have been something I’ve heard about for years and while you could oversell them here (they don’t need it), they live up to their reputation. We wandered around the city and into the surrounding countryside for a couple of days.
My impression is that Guilin is one of those places where nature does all the work, the limestone mountains stick up directly from flat land in ways that seem almost unreal and they’re just so distinct. Add to that a nice mix of parks, river walks, and enough tourist infrastructure that getting around wasn’t difficult. but instead will take you through the highlights of where we DID go, the main park on the riverfront in town, a night cruise down the river, the famed bamboo raft ride, a theme park that turned out to be more fun than anticipated, a scenic spot just outside of town, and some grub along the route.
Pretty standard tourist trail, but it delivered enough for us to enjoy.
Top Things to Do and See in Guilin
1. Elephant Trunk Hill
Elephant Trunk Hill is most famous landmark in Guilin, and because it’s located right in the middle of town, we began here.
Entering the park was no problem; there were plenty of information boards and ticket booths like you’d find at any big attraction. Even on a weekday morning the park was crowded but I liked how well-signposted everything was and that there was maps too.
We spent a good hour walking around the paths next to the river; the park is directly on the Li River. It was early spring when we were there, so the cherry blossoms were just starting to come out, which was a nice bonus. What I thought was going to be a quick photo stop ended up being pretty nice, the riverside stroll was quite pleasant.
In some spots, you can get real close to the water. There are also viewing platforms with metal railings where you can watch the tour boats pass by.
One of the rock formations has a little pagoda sitting atop it. I believe it’s called Puxian Pagoda. You can see it from far away and use it as a marker to help you find your way around the park.
We never climbed up to it though.
The real draw at Elephant Rock is the rock formation shaped like an elephant sticking its trunk in the water. I wasn’t sure if it would really look like an elephant or not, but it totally does from the correct angle. A couple of boats went under the arch beneath it and that appeared to be the money shot for everyone.
It’s worth noting, however, that you’ll need to position yourself in specific spots to see it all (from other angles, it just looks like a lumpy hill). All in all, we spent maybe an hour and a half there, which felt about right.
2. Two Rivers Four Lakes
We returned in the evening and went to the Two Rivers Four Lakes area.
This is a series of lakes and connected waterways in the center of Guilin that are lit up by a surprisingly large number of LED lights. The focal point is the pair of pagodas…
The Moon and Sun, whose reflections dominate the lake. Instead of doing a boat cruise, we simply wandered along the shore; that way, we could stop whenever something caught our eye.
Sometimes it got to be just a little too much (if I’m honest) but the entire lakeside was lit up. Walkways bathed in changing colours, trees wrapped in lights and sculptures; it was all there. And while it could of easily tipped over to the tacky side (and maybe it did a little), on a warm evening where street vendors were selling snacks and families strolled by, it worked.
There was a relaxed atmosphere.
If you go around the lake following the paths you can get right up to both of these pagodas. When you look up from the bottom they have some pretty complex details. It was also raining on and off the night we went, though it had mostly been drizzling.
The pavements got wet and reflected all the lights, adding to the entire scene.
It gets crowded on the walkways too, even when it rains lightly. Here’s another part with a neat wall of lanterns that looks good over the water. We ended up just walking around for like an hour before returning to our hotel (it’s free to wander the paths; you’d pay for a boat tour if you want to do that).
3. Li River Bamboo Raft Cruise
One of the highlights of visiting Guilin is the bamboo raft ride down the Li River, so I’d reserved a spot in advance (you need to do that as spots fill). Our journey began at the Yangdi pier, around an hour outside the city. Along the dock were waiting areas and photo stands for all those tour groups.
Even before boarding the boat, I spotted the karst mountains jutting up straight out of the banks of the river.
The rafts have a plastic canopy over them (for shelter from the sun or rain) and seat four or five people in each. There’s also a long bamboo pole that our raft driver uses to propel us through the water. We headed out into the current.
The rafts themselves are simple, bamboo poles lashed together with plastic seats bolted onto them. But it is low to the water and you feel close to the river, closer than you would if you were on a large cruise boat.
We spent around two hours floating down the river, passing from one karst peak to another as they jutted up out of the valley. That day it was drizzly and misty, but honestly, this made it all the more atmospheric, the peaks came in and out of view in the mist. They call one peak Nine Horses Mural Hill, because if you squint hard enough, you can supposedly see horse shapes on the rock.
Mostly I just loved how peaceful it was, with the slow drift punctuated only by the sound of water and the occasional other raft drifting by.
On our ride we saw a couple other traditional fishing boats and, at one point, even some ducks floating by the river bank. There isn’t a huge change in scenery as you progress, which is part of the appeal, it’s simply peak after peak, mixed with farmlands and groves of bamboo. It’s the type of journey that you either relax into the view or become bored.
For me, it was peaceful (but I’m happy I wore drizzly-weather clothes).
4. Guilin Romance Park
On a whim, we added Guilin Romance Park.
In my experience, theme parks devoted to cultural shows are hit or miss, so I didn’t have high hopes for this one. Right away the park’s giant statue of what is supposed to be a local goddess and totem poles at the gate set the tone.
The park itself is designed as a small village with various attractions and zones throughout. We picked up a map and began wandering around.
A lot of attention was paid to decorative details, and everything leans heavily into folk culture themes. There are some beautiful re-creations of old buildings and market streets with covered corridors. Some parts feel slightly like a film set, too, but they’re all put together with enough effort that it’s fun to wander around.
We spent a couple of hours wandering about the grounds but didn’t watch the main show, which apparently takes place on a big stage in the evenings.
It has a little beach area by a lake in the middle, complete with one of those giant LOVE signs for photos. There is a goddess statue across the water. They have also installed various props and a traditional water wheel.
These work well enough for a bit of wandering around and taking snaps. It’s not a place you really need to spend all day at, I suppose, although if you’re travelling with someone who likes this sort of theme park experience or if you’ve got time to kill, it’s pleasant enough.
5. Guihai Qinglan Scenic Area
On the final day, we headed out to Guihai Qinglan (a scenic area and resort located about 30 minutes outside the city). It was far less busy than Guilin’s main attractions and felt more like somewhere local people would go on weekends. Palm-lined paths and festive decorations from some recent holiday were hung throughout the entrance, and there were also cherry trees just starting to blossom.
There’s a large lake here surrounded by karst mountains, plus an 18-hole golf course that looks out onto the lake. There are spots along the waterfront to sit back and look at the lakes reflecting the peaks, and we even went for a stroll.
It was quite cloudy on the day we were there (which toned down the colours) but it also kept most people away. Black swans (I saw these around the dock), which was another highlight for me.
We even saw one with a baby cygnet swimming alongside it too! They were quite unperturbed by our presence (from a few metres) and seemed accustomed to human company. There was also some pampas grass growing in patches farther down the lake.
A few glamping tents sat on the beach. We also passed a field where a couple of hot air balloons was tied up, while one was airborne over the karst peaks. It’s something they offer to do here, but we didn’t take a balloon flight either.
If you like doing those things, though, it seemed like a good way to get an aerial view of the landscape. Overall, it felt much more like a relaxing getaway than most tourist attractions I’d been to, and I wouldn’t be surprised if I returned for a quiet weekend away.
6. Guilin Rice Noodles
Because it’s the local speciality and everywhere, we had to try Guilin Rice Noodles on multiple occasions. They are thin rice noodles served in a bowl with some sort of braised meat (usually pork), peanuts, and pickled vegetables. There are two options: either dry or in a broth.
I preferred the dry option; the toppings provide plenty of flavour so there’s no need for the soup, plus the noodles is nice and chewy. It is simple, cheap, filling, and exactly what you want for lunch between walks around town.
7. Guilin Dinner
On our final meal, we visited what appeared to be a family/tourist-oriented larger restaurant. It was more formal than most places with carved wooden partitions and a decorative tree outside its doors. To begin they served fresh corn juice (I hadn’t expected this but it was sweet and refreshing).
We ordered a spread of dishes. some fried parcels stuffed with something, possibly taro root, braised pork belly in a claypot, and stir-fried beef. Everything came out at once and we just grabbed bits that looked appealing.
The beef was nicely spicy, the flatbread flaky, and the pork belly rich and tender. We’d overordered and left there full but happy. Prices were reasonable for the amount of food provided and service was fast.
In the end, Guilin proved to be a nice balance between the tourist infrastructure and nature. While we didn’t do anything super-adventurous (just hit the main sights and filled our bellies), that was plenty. It’s really cool seeing all the karst mountains (everywhere), from floating down the river to strolling through the city parks.
If I were looking for some quiet time away with some good food and scenery, I’d return here. Have you visited Guilin before or is it on your bucket list? What else would you include in this itinerary?
