Endless Fun in the Countryside
If you would like to have a family vacation in China, Guilin should definitely be on your destination list. What's more, a vanilla itinerary copied and pasted for the average tourist will never create great family memories.
What about some moderate hiking, comfortable camping, and safe caving together? Really get in touch with the celebrated limestone formations in China's top rock climbing destination — Yangshuo, and splash in the clear water of its scenic rivers when having fun with a SUP. Experience Guilin's countryside life and relax in its exceptional landscapes. All of these could be the ways that you make exceptional memories on a family holiday in Guilin.
Tour 'Wow' Points
Enjoy a Relaxing Family Hike along the Li River
Skip the tourist boat and slow down your pace to enjoy the picturesque Li River. Skim stones across the water, pick lovely wild flowers, listen to the singing of birds, and say hello to the ladies washing clothes on the banks.
Witness Amazing Terraced Rice Fields
Explore Guilin's mountain-minority villages. Enjoy the incredible views created by local people's wisdom and hard work. Enjoy the encircling peaks from a levied seat on a tiered paddy's edge.
Take a Family Adventure to the Underground World
Explore a cave that has never been touched by ordinary tourists. Discover the amazing stalactites and stalagmites. Play a shadow game and take a fast rope down the "abyss"!
Have Fun with Outdoor Activities in China's Most Beautiful Landscape
Biking, rock climbing, and stand-up paddleboarding — how great these activities are to interact with the mountains and water.
Playing with Animals on a Mini Farm
Enjoy a cup of coffee or juice in the lovely coffee shop on the lawn and play with dogs and some other animals such as ducks,gooses and goats.
Learn to Make Your Own Paper Fan
Visit a local artist living on the banks of the Li River. Learn to draw a Chinese painting with his instruction and then make it into a paper fan to take away as a souvenir.
Discover real reviews of Highlights Travel Family's best-rated service across trusted platforms.
|
|
Highly recommend Lele from Guilin China highlights
Guilin is absolutely breathtaking! The incredible views along the li river make those fantastical Chinese landscape paintings come to life. Walked around the rice terraces and rode a bike along the dragon river were unforgettable highlights. Our trip was made even better thanks to our guide, Lele from China highlights , who ensured everything went smoothly. Lele was helpful, professional, and provided just the right amount of insight about the area’s history and culture. more
Mar 2025, Teo O
|
Guilin with great Lili from China Highlights
Guilin is a very beautiful city. And our guide Lili from China Highlights made our visit much more enjoyable. She is a very smart and kind lady, who is always looking out for us. She even teached us painting!! She helped us with everything, and gave us very useful advices and suggestions. Lili is also a very good photographer!! Without asking her to do so, she was always taking beautiful pictures of us, and sent them to us. We really apreciatte her attitude toward us. And love the pictures she sent to us. We traveled with her to Yangzhou, and I am sure Yangzhou would not had been so beautiful without her. Thank you Lili!! more
Mar 2025, Cecilia Ly
|
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
|
Itinerary Quick Look
Here is a suggested itinerary. We are happy to customize a tour according to your interests.
Your personal guide will meet you at the airport in the morning.
Drive to the Longji Terraced Fields (about 1.5 hours). Explore the minority villages on the mountainsides. Enjoy magnificent views of the rice terraces and understand how local people make their living on the mountains.
Enjoy local dishes for lunch in a local villager's restaurant. Learn to cook their most popular food, bamboo tube rice, and enjoy it at lunch.
Explore a wild cave in the suburbs of Guilin. A professional caving coach will prepare all the equipment you need for safe caving and escort you from start to finish. Your personal guide and caving coach will show you the beautiful rocks and explain how they came into being. You can play a shadow game and turn off your flashlight to experience the pure darkness. Try the exciting 'fast rope' under the supervision and protection of your coach and take great family pictures, which you might have never have had the chance to take before.
Enjoy an Afternoon Tea and Play with Animals on a Mini Farm. Stay in a tent near the Li overnight (depending on the weather).
Be woken up by a rooster in the village. Cross the village to the ferry, and take a boat to Xingping Town on the other side of the river. Start your hike along the Li, which is about 8 km (5 miles) in total, but can be shortened flexibly. Enjoy the beautiful scenery along the way, including the most famous Li River scene on the 20 yuan banknote.
Take a ferry to cross the Li again when you get to Nine Horses Hill. Climb to the top of Xianggong Hill to enjoy the incredible view of the river and the countless limestone peaks.
Drive to Yangshuo after lunch and visit a local artist living on the banks of the Li River. Learn to draw a Chinese painting with his instruction and then make it into a paper fan to take away as a souvenir.
Bike around the countryside in the morning. Enjoy a relaxing bamboo rafting on the Yulong River.
And then challenge yourselves to rock climbing under the supervisor of your private coaches. It is so exciting to climb an interesting natural cliff instead of the plastic/plywood of a climbing gym. Or have fun with a SUP
Another option: If you don't want so many outdoor activities, or if it is too cold to try SUPs, making a landscape painting fan with a local artist is recommended.
Say goodbye to the most beautiful landscape in China as we take you to the airport for your departure.
Hotel Selection
—the Icing on the Cake
Boutique hotels are recommended to enrich your travel experience.
Price Includes:
- Private car with big windows and ample space
- English speaking local guide, and professional outdoor coach for day 2 and day 4
- Activities, hotels, and meals listed in the itinerary
- 24/7 helpline for while you are traveling
Tour code: gl-6