China · Guangxi
Yangshuo
The karst landscape on China's 20-yuan note, and the best place to ride, raft and climb through it.
Yangshuo is a small riverside town in northeast Guangxi, about 65 km south of Guilin, set among the jagged limestone karst peaks along the Li River. Its countryside of rice paddies, village lanes and the quieter Yulong River valley makes it the classic base for cycling, bamboo rafting and climbing in some of China's most famous scenery.
Suggested stay
2–4 days
Language
Mandarin Chinese
Currency
CNY
Timezone
UTC+8
Why you'll love Yangshuo
The karst hundreds of sheer limestone peaks rise straight out of the paddies, with misty river views at every bend.
Slow rivers drift the Yulong on a bamboo raft or ride a boat down the Li River past the scene printed on the 20-yuan note.
Two wheels flat village lanes between the peaks make it one of China's easiest places to explore by bike or e-scooter.
Easy base a compact, traveller-friendly town with cafes, a night market strip and countryside stays a short ride away.
Best time to visit
Sep-Jan
15-30° days
24.781° N, 110.490° E
UTC+8 · Asia/Shanghai
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Weather & when to go to Yangshuo
Month by month: typical highs and lows, rainfall and rain days.
✓ Best Sep-Jan
Climbing prime Oct-Feb
Activity seasons none fair good prime
Watch for Apr-Jun monsoon flooding risk
Cards tinted by calculated verdict · big number = typical daily high, small = low · hover for conditions
When to avoid Yangshuo
Apr-Jun is the humid flood season, when heavy rain can suspend Li River cruises and Yulong rafting, and early Oct national holidays bring heavy domestic crowds.
Top things to do in Yangshuo
-
Xingping - raft the Li River past the 20-yuan-note view
scenic nature wildlife 👍 PopularMotorised bamboo-style rafts run from Xingping pier past the karst bend printed on the 20-yuan banknote and Nine Horse Fresco Hill; a Xingping-Jiuma return is about CNY 140 and the full Yangdi-Xingping run up to CNY 255. Tickets are real-name, so book with your passport via Trip.com or the scenic area's WeChat mini-program and carry the passport on the day.
-
Yulong River - drift on a bamboo raft
scenic nature wildlife ⭐ Highly recommendedQuieter than the Li: pole-pushed rafts (no motors) slide over small weirs between rice fields and karst peaks on routes like Jinlong Bridge to Jiuxian; expect around CNY 200 per two-person raft in peak season. Book by the Chinese names of both piers so you finish near your bike or driver, and note rafting can pause in winter low water or summer floods.
-
Yangshuo karst crags - sport climb on 1000+ bolted routes
climbing adventure ⭐ Highly recommendedChina's best-known sport-climbing area, opened up by Todd Skinner in 1990, with well over a thousand bolted limestone routes, Paul Collis's Yangshuo Rock Climbing guidebook sold in town and local outfits such as China Climb offering gear and guided days. Prime season runs mid-October to mid-March.
-
Moon Hill - walk up to the arch
scenic climbingA stepped path climbs about 15-30 minutes from the scenic-area gate (around CNY 25) to the huge half-moon arch, with views over the Yulong valley; climbers work 25-plus bolted lines, 5a to 8b+, on its overhanging underside.
-
Yangshuo countryside - cycle or e-scooter the karst back lanes
scenic adventureRent a bike or electric scooter in town and ride the lanes out along the Yulong valley towards Jiuxian village and the Moon Hill road, threading rice paddies, old stone villages and river crossings at your own pace.
-
Xianggong Hill - catch sunrise over the Li River bend
scenicPhotographers come before dawn for the bird's-eye view of the Li River curling between endless karst hills, often wrapped in morning mist; entry is often bundled with Xingping raft packages and tours.
-
Yangdi to Xingping - walk the Li River path
scenic adventureAn 18 km, 5-6 hour riverside walk with roughly 200 m of climbing and three small ferry crossings (Yangdi ferry about CNY 5); 2026 hikers report all ferries running, but the Quanjiazhou crossing is unreliable, so check locally before you set off.
-
Impression Liu Sanjie - see the river-stage light show
culture arts 👍 PopularZhang Yimou's open-air spectacle uses the Li River and floodlit karst peaks as its stage, with hundreds of local performers; official tickets run CNY 268-828 (child CNY 118), with shows at 7:30 pm and 9:05 pm.
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West Street - eat your way around Yangshuo
food nightlife music 👍 PopularStart with Li River beer fish, the town's signature, at Master Beer Fish by the street entrance, Fisherman Beer Fish or River View Restaurant (beer-braised Lijiang carp), then add stuffed river snails, bamboo-tube chicken, Guilin rice noodles and Lipu taro pork; the street turns into a loud bar strip after dark.
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Yangshuo Cooking School - cook Guangxi dishes in Chaolong village
food culture artsHalf-day classes of about four hours start with a market walk, then you cook dishes such as beer fish and stuffed vegetables in a farmhouse setting about 5 km out of town; listings start from about CNY 300.
-
Tiger Mountain Waterfall - find the quiet falls towards Xingping
nature wildlife off beaten pathA local-tip waterfall midway between Yangshuo and Xingping, reached on a lane too narrow for cars, so it is best by bike or scooter and far calmer than the river piers.
Best areas to stay in Yangshuo
$ Budget $$ Mid-range $$$ Premium
Yulong River and Ten-Mile Gallery countryside
Scenery and cyclists $$Quiet karst farmland, rafting and cycling lanes
Explore hotels in Yulong River and Ten-Mile Gallery countryside →
Yangshuo town (West Street)
First-timers and nightlife $Busy pedestrian old town, bars and tour desks
Explore hotels in Yangshuo town (West Street) →
Xingping Ancient Town
Photographers and hikers $Old riverside town beside Li River viewpoints
Explore hotels in Xingping Ancient Town →
Live nightly prices from Booking.com, Agoda and others, centred on Yangshuo
Getting to & around Yangshuo
Getting there
Fly into Guilin (KWL), then about 90 min by airport coach to Yangshuo, or ride the high-speed train to Yangshuo Station near Xingping
Flight
Guilin Liangjiang International Airport (KWL)
About 75 km by road; the official coach from Terminal 2 runs to Yangshuo for CNY 50-60 in roughly 90 min, while a taxi or DiDi costs CNY 300-450 and takes 70-90 min.
Train
Yangshuo Railway Station (near Xingping, about 30 km from town)
High-speed trains from Guangzhou South (about 2-2.5 hr, second class around CNY 150-160), Shenzhen North and Guilin (20-30 min); some Hong Kong West Kowloon services call here, others run only to Guilin West. A CNY 20 shuttle bus (about 50 min) or a DiDi (CNY 70-100) covers the last leg. Foreigners book on 12306 English or Trip.com with their passport; tickets are real-name and non-transferable.
Coach
Yangshuo Bus Station
Buses from Guilin South Bus Station every 15-30 min from about 06:30-19:00, roughly 1.5 hr, CNY 30-45.
Cruise
Yangshuo Longtoushan pier
The Li River cruise from Guilin doubles as the most scenic arrival: about 4-5 hr through the karst, CNY 215-450 depending on boat class, plus a taxi to the pier outside Guilin.
Getting around
Bicycle
Basic town bikes to sturdier mountain bikes for the Yulong River lanes; rent from your guesthouse.
CNY 20-80/day
E-bike / scooter
The easiest way to reach the countryside villages; expect a CNY 200-500 deposit.
CNY 50-100/day
Local bus
Town bus CNY 2; buses to Xingping about CNY 10-15, roughly hourly in the daytime.
CNY 2-15
DiDi / taxi
Needs Alipay or WeChat Pay; handy for early starts before buses run.
CNY 55-80 to Xingping
Walk
West Street and the town centre are compact and walkable.
Free
Day trips from Yangshuo
Xingping
Half dayRiver village
Old riverside village on the Li River with the scene printed on the CNY 20 note, bamboo rafts and the Laozhai Hill sunset climb.
Getting there
bus
45 min by local bus, or cycle part of the way
Longji Rice Terraces
Full dayRice terraces
The Dragon's Backbone terraces at Longsheng, with Ping'an and Dazhai viewpoints and Yao and Zhuang minority villages; it works better as an overnight than a rushed day trip.
Getting there
car | tour
About 3 hr by car or tour
Huangyao Ancient Town
Full dayAncient town
A well-preserved Ming and Qing era town of stone lanes, ancestral halls and old bridges; a dedicated bus leaves Yangshuo around 09:00 and returns around 15:30.
Getting there
bus | car
About 2 hr by direct bus or car
Guilin city
Full dayKarst city
Elephant Trunk Hill, Reed Flute Cave, the Two Rivers and Four Lakes and Guilin's rice noodles, an easy hop up the valley.
Getting there
bus | train
About 1.5 hr by bus, or 20-30 min by high-speed train
A little history of Yangshuo
Yangshuo is one of the oldest county towns in Guangxi. Local histories trace a county here to 265 under the Jin dynasty, seated downriver at Xingping, and in 590 the Sui emperor Wen moved the seat to the present town and gave it the Yangshuo name it has kept ever since. For most of the next 1,400 years it was a quiet Li River market town ringed by karst peaks and rice paddies.
That changed in the mid 1980s, when foreign backpackers and climbers arriving by boat from Guilin found cheap guesthouses and the limestone towers. West Street grew from a modest lane into a strip of cafes and hostels, and by the late 1990s Yangshuo was the best-known backpacker stop in China. Since the 2000s domestic mass tourism, big river shows and new hotels have reshaped the town, while the countryside along the Yulong and Li rivers still looks much like the landscape printed on the 20-yuan note.
Under Emperor Wen of the Sui dynasty the county seat moves from Xingping to the present town, which takes the name Yangshuo.
One of the first West Street cafes catering to foreign travellers opens, marking the start of the backpacker and climbing era.
China's fifth-series renminbi begins circulating; its 20-yuan note shows a Li River scene near Xingping, putting Yangshuo's scenery in every wallet.
The large outdoor show Impression Liu Sanjie premieres on the Li River, signalling the shift to mass domestic tourism.
The Guilin karst, including the Li River landscape, is added to the South China Karst UNESCO World Heritage listing.
What Yangshuo costs
Per person, per day · converted from CNY
Shoestring
$22–37 USD /day
≈$150–250 CNY
Hostel dorm bunk around CNY 45-60, street-food and noodle-shop meals around CNY 20-30, a basic street bike for CNY 20-30 a day and mostly free countryside cycling.
Midrange
$59–103 USD /day
≈$400–700 CNY
Private room in a guesthouse or small hotel, cafe meals around CNY 60, an e-bike at about CNY 50 a day and one paid outing such as a Yulong River bamboo raft (around CNY 200-350 per two-person raft).
Comfort
$147–295 USD /day
≈$1,000–2,000 CNY
Boutique karst-view retreat in the countryside outside town, sit-down restaurant dinners, private driver or guided Li River and Xingping excursions.
Prices are planning estimates.
Know before you go
Payment
Cash preferred
English
Limited
Wifi
Workable
~50 Mbps
Power
Type A / I
230 V, 50 Hz
Dialing
+86
Monsoon flooding risk in this window; check current conditions before you go.
The months our climate read flags to avoid: the wettest, lowest-rated weather of the year.
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FAQs about Yangshuo
▸ When is the best time to visit Yangshuo?
The best months are Jan-Mar and Jul-Dec. Autumn (Sep-Nov) is the sweet spot, with clear skies, comfortable temperatures and golden rice terraces; winter is cool, misty and quiet. Jul-Aug is hot and humid with domestic summer-holiday crowds, but the river runs full and green. Avoid Apr-Jun, the main rainy season, when heavy downpours can flood the Li and Yulong rivers and suspend rafting and cruises. Also skip the early October Golden Week holiday if you dislike crowds.
▸ How many days do you need in Yangshuo?
Plan 3-4 days. That covers a Li River cruise or Xingping raft, a day cycling or rafting along the Yulong River, a climb up a karst peak for sunset, and an evening in town. Add a day or two if you want to rock climb, take a cooking class or simply slow down in the countryside.
▸ Is Yangshuo safe for tourists?
Yes. Violent crime is rare and the town is well used to foreign visitors. The real risks are practical: scooter and e-bike accidents on rural roads, occasional pickpocketing in West Street crowds, touts and overpriced bar or tour deals, and slippery trails and high water in the Apr-Jun rains. Use licensed boat and raft operators, wear a helmet and agree prices up front.
▸ Do I need a visa to visit Yangshuo, China?
It depends on your passport. China's unilateral visa-free scheme lets ordinary-passport holders from a growing list of countries stay up to 30 days for tourism; it has been extended to 31 Dec 2026 and includes, for example, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Sweden (from Nov 2025) and the UK and Canada (from Feb 2026). Since Dec 2024, citizens of 50-plus eligible countries (including the US) can also use the 240-hour visa-free transit if they arrive through a designated port and fly on to a third country; Guilin Liangjiang airport is a designated port and the Guilin area sits inside the permitted zone. The lists change often, so confirm with the National Immigration Administration (nia.gov.cn) or your nearest Chinese embassy before booking.
▸ Li River cruise or bamboo raft - which is better?
The cruise suits travellers starting in Guilin: a 4-5 hour, roughly 83 km run downstream that doubles as your transfer to Yangshuo, though boats can be large and busy. The raft suits travellers already based in Yangshuo: a 1-1.5 hour ride on the most scenic stretch around Xingping and the 20-yuan note view, best early in the morning. Li River rafts are motorised; for a quiet, hand-poled bamboo raft, do the Yulong River instead.
▸ Should I stay in Yangshuo or Guilin?
Stay in Yangshuo if the karst scenery is the point: the Yulong River, Xingping, cycling routes and climbing crags are all on the doorstep, and countryside guesthouses outside town are the highlight. Guilin is the bigger transport hub with the airport and more hotels, so it works for a night on arrival or departure, but basing there means long daily transfers to the best scenery.
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