Immerse yourself in the idyllic landscape like an artist swimming in inspiration. Discover quintessential rural China by experiencing the daily life of a local villager. Knock on the doors of an ancient town and hear the residents' old stories. Our spotlight experiences in Guilin will show you another side of China and enrich your understanding of this beautiful country.
Discover the Best-Kept Secrets of the Li River
Duration: 5 Hours
Skip the 4-hour Li River cruise on a boat shared with about 100 tourists. Instead, you will enjoy a private drive in the mountains east of the Li River and see the idyllic scenery along the way. Discover the most beautiful village, which is neglected by the tourists on the cruise boat, and the unique karst formations in the central region of the World Heritage Site.
Starting from your Guilin hotel, you will reach a quiet village on the bank of the Li River after a 45-minute drive. Stop at a pretty pavilion and take some nice photos of the peaks on the opposite side of the river.
Continue to drive up the mountain. Stop at a high viewpoint to get a breathtaking view of the limestone peaks and the river. Then reach a village that has a lake surrounded by limestone peaks. Afterward, get off the main road to drive around the hills covered with orange trees.
Drive among a cluster of limestone peaks. Find the most beautiful village on the bank of the Li River, which could be the last best-kept secret in the area. Have a leisurely walk alongside the river and say hello to the villagers. Touch the old walls of their houses. It is as though you are in a traditional Chinese painting and not just a passerby like the tourists on the boat.
Discover a hidden view on the less-traveld road
Find the most beautiful village on the bank of the Li River
Continue to drive to the famous Xingping 'Ancient Town' to see the most famous views of the Li River, which you can also see on a 20 yuan note.
Be a Chinese Villager
Duration: 2.5 Hours+
Meet the working farmers in the picturesque countryside
Shop as a local villager in the market
Try some dessert loved by locals
Some say that if you want to see the real China, you should go to the countryside. To experience the daily life of the local farmers will let you see what you cannot see in the big cities.
Drive toward the south of Yangshuo to explore the peaceful villages. You might meet someone on his way to the fields with a water buffalo or someone working in the paddy. Enjoy the breathtaking countryside scenery with the rice paddies and the limestone peaks.
Visit an old couple who still live in a traditional house. Learn about their lifestyle and philosophy of living.
After saying goodbye to the villagers, you will continue to drive pass an old ferry along the Li River. The old buildings in the ancient style are the memory of the busy water transportation on the Li River in the past. Then you will take a ferry to Fuli, which is located on the east bank of the Li River. Like the local villagers, you will take a local motorbike taxi to the market.
Your guide will show you around to explain the different types of food and show you the local people's daily necessities. There is a fair there every 3 days. Local people from nearby villages trade there.
Your guide will show you around to explain the different types of food and show you the local people's daily necessities. In this comprehensive market, you will see the real lifestyles of the people living in this rural area of China.
Discover the Folk Culture of South China in Daxu
Duration: 2.5 Hours+
Knock the door of an old man's home in the ancient town
Experience a traditional Chinese Medical treatment
Located 18 kilometers southeast from Guilin, Daxu is an old town along the Li River with some original buildings dating back to the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368–1912). An important trading port back in its heyday, Daxu Ancient Town is now almost forgotten by the outside world.
Yet something interesting can still be found here: as you walk around this small town, you can find some small traditional Chinese clinics, old residential houses with elegant wooden carvings, and elderly craftsmen still busy with their traditional work.
Let's knock on their doors to discover their lasting stories of Daxu. You can have a chance to experience traditional Chinese medicine, such as cupping therapy, and visit an elderly gentleman's house to see his fun collection of daily-use items that have been used by others over the last two centuries.
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Amazing Guilin
Our trip to Guilin with China Highlights was awesome. We did a boat trip on the Li River from Guilin to Yangshuo as well as staying in Yangshuo and Xingping. The scenery was absolutely fantastic! There were limestone pillars everywhere and the people were so friendly. Our guide, William took us to all the best spots and gave us excellent historical and cultural information. He was always attentive and engaging with us. We sampled lots of delicious food as well as being introduced to local people - we even got some cooking lessons. Our hotels - Moondance (Yangshuo) and XingPing Island resort were friendly and welcoming family-style boutique hotels. Everything was so well organised we never had to worry about anything. (Thanks also to our CHL consultant, Chandler, who converted our original wish-list into an amazing itinerary). more
Mar 2025, Richard
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Guilin was amazing!
We had a wonderful time with our guide William in Guilin. He was very knowledgeable, funny, and took great care of our large family group - including my 90 year old grandfather! We made so many great memories and were so sad to say goodbye to William when we left. I loved walking through old town and the river cruise to Yangshao. The sugar factory hotel was spectacular- if you come in the warm weather, don’t forget a bathing suit. Thank you China Highlights! more
Mar 2025, Aly
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Una experiencia inolvidable en Guilin con nuestro guía Alonso
Tuvimos la suerte de visitar Guilin y contar con Alonso como nuestro guía, y no podríamos haber pedido una mejor experiencia. Desde el primer día, nos llevó a los lugares más impresionantes de la región y nos recomendó qué probar para disfrutar verdaderamente de la comida local. Pero lo que realmente marcó la diferencia fue su atención y calidez. Cuando se dio cuenta de que mi cumplea?os estaba cerca, me preguntó cómo quería celebrarlo y luego sugirió algo especial: ir temprano a un mirador que no estaba originalmente en el tour. Además, él mismo se encargó de comprar un pastel y vino para la ocasión, asegurándose de que fuera un momento especial. Fue un detalle que realmente apreciamos y que hizo que la experiencia fuera aún más memorable. Otra parte inolvidable del viaje fue el tour en moto por Yangshuo. Recorrer esos paisajes impresionantes de una manera tan auténtica y libre hizo que fuera una experiencia única. Agradecemos muchísimo a Alonso por hacer de este viaje algo tan especial. Su dedicación y pasión por lo que hace realmente se notan, y sin duda recomendaríamos esta experiencia a cualquiera que visite la región. ?Totalmente recomendado! more
Mar 2025, Kenneth P
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