Where to Stay in Guilin: 4 Areas Compared

My first trip to Guilin, I booked a hotel near the train station. Thought it’d be convenient. It wasn’t. The station area is fine for a transit stop but Guilin’s real appeal isn’t the city — it’s the karst landscape twenty minutes south in Yangshuo. I spent the first two days taking expensive taxis back and forth because I didn’t understand how the areas connected.

I’ve been back three times since, and the biggest lesson is this: Guilin is really four different places that happen to share a name. The city itself, Yangshuo town, the Yulong River countryside, and Xingping. Each one gives you a completely different trip. Here’s how to pick.

Want Guilin, Yangshuo & the Longji terraces sorted without the logistics? Get a custom quote — free, no obligation. Tell me your dates and group size and I’ll have a Guilin-based operator put together a Guilin–Yangshuo–Longji route with a private car and English-speaking guide. Get my custom Guilin tour quote →

Before you book: every hotel we checked in this city accepts foreign guests. We verify the guest-policy line (Policies → Guests Accepted) property by property — see our China foreign-guest hotel guide for the 2024 rules and what to do if a front desk says no.

Quick Overview: Which Area Is For You?

#

1. Guilin City Center (两江四湖/东西巷) — Best for Arrival & Departure Nights

#

Downtown Guilin runs along the Li River between Elephant Trunk Hill (象鼻山) and the Sun & Moon Pagodas (日月双塔). The Two Rivers and Four Lakes area (两江四湖) is a network of waterways lined with walking paths, bridges, and parks. It’s pleasant in the evening when everything lights up.

Why stay here: If you’re arriving by plane or high-speed rail, this is where you land. Guilin’s main attractions — Elephant Trunk Hill, Solitary Beauty Peak (独秀峰), Jingjiang Princes’ City — are all walking distance from the city center. The metro (Line 1) runs from the high-speed rail station through the city center. And the night market along Zhengyang Pedestrian Street (正阳步行街) has better street food than most tourist areas in Guangxi.

The catch: Guilin City itself isn’t where the scenery is. The famous karst landscape photos you’ve seen online are Yangshuo. From the city center, Yangshuo is a 50-minute bus or 30-minute taxi ride. Most people spend one night here, then move south.

What I like about it: The walk along Binjiang Road (滨江路) at sunset, from Elephant Trunk Hill north toward Liberation Bridge, is genuinely beautiful. Local families fly kites, old men fish with nets they’ve probably had for decades, and the karst peaks rise behind the modern buildings in a way that still catches me off guard.

Hotels I’d actually book:

• Shangri-La Guilin — The best hotel in the city. Right on the Li River, huge rooms, incredible breakfast spread with both Chinese and Western options. The river-view rooms are worth the upgrade. About ¥700-1,200/night ($95-165). Check prices on Trip.com

• Guilin Sheraton Hotel — Solid four-star on Binjiang Road, right across from the Li River. Old-school but well-maintained. Good if you want Marriott points. About ¥400-600/night ($55-80). Check prices on Trip.com

• Purple Cloud Hotel (象山璞云酒店) — Modern boutique near Elephant Trunk Hill and Zhengyang Street. The rooftop has views of the pagodas at night. About ¥350-500/night ($48-70). Check prices on Trip.com

• Lijiang Waterfall Hotel (漓江大瀑布饭店) — You’ve seen this hotel in photos — it has a man-made waterfall cascading down the front of the building every evening at 8pm. A Guilin landmark. The rooms are dated but comfortable. About ¥300-450/night ($40-60). Check prices on Trip.com

2. Yangshuo West Street (西街) — Best for Nightlife & First-Timers

#

West Street is Yangshuo’s main drag — a pedestrian-only street packed with bars, restaurants, souvenir shops, and street food stalls. By day it’s tourist-central. By night it turns into a carnival — live music spilling out of bars, vendors grilling skewers on every corner, and a crowd of travelers from every continent shuffling between the action.

Why stay here: It’s convenient. Everything in Yangshuo feeds off West Street — tour operators, bike rentals, bus connections, restaurants. If it’s your first time in Guangxi and you want a base that makes everything easy, this is it. You can walk out your hotel door, flag down an e-bike rental, and be cycling through rice paddies within ten minutes.

The downside: Noise. The bars on West Street go until 1am, sometimes later. The street-facing rooms are loud. If you’re a light sleeper, don’t stay above a bar — book a hotel a few streets back (Diecui Road or Chengbei Road) and walk in when you want the action.

Where I actually ate: A small restaurant called The Grateful Cafe on Diecui Road — run by a Chinese-Australian couple who make the best coffee in Yangshuo and do a mean Sichuan-style mapo tofu. The Yangshuo beer fish (啤酒鱼) at Xie Sanjie’s (谢三姐啤酒鱼) on West Street is the local specialty — catfish cooked in a sweet-savory sauce with local beer and chili. Every restaurant in town serves it, but Xie Sanjie’s is the one locals recommend.

Hotels:

• Yangshuo Mountain Retreat — On the quieter side of town, a five-minute walk from West Street. Garden setting, pool, family-run vibe. About ¥350-550/night ($48-75). Check prices on Trip.com

• Atour Hotel Yangshuo West Street — Reliable mid-range chain, located on Diecui Road just off the main strip. Blackout curtains, good beds, and a reading lounge. About ¥350-500/night ($48-70). Check prices on Trip.com

• Yangshuo Ancient Garden Boutique Hotel — A converted 200-year-old residence hidden in an alley off West Street. Courtyard, fish pond, traditional architecture. About ¥400-600/night ($55-80). Check prices on Trip.com

• Yangshuo East Courtyard Inn — Budget-friendly hostel-style with private rooms. Rooftop terrace, social vibe, good for meeting other travelers. About ¥150-250/night ($20-35). Check prices on Trip.com

3. Yulong River & Shili Gallery (遇龙河/十里画廊) — Best for Scenery & Peace

#

This is the Yangshuo you came for. Shili Gallery (十里画廊, “Ten Mile Gallery”) is a road that runs south from Yangshuo town along the foot of the karst peaks. The Yulong River (遇龙河, “Meeting Dragon River”) flows parallel to it through rice paddies, past small villages, and under ancient stone bridges. This area has the best hotels in the region.

Why stay here: You wake up to karst peaks out your window. You hear water, birds, and the distant clatter of a moped — not traffic. The hotels here are built around the scenery: infinity pools overlooking rice fields, terrace restaurants with mountain views, and rooms designed to make the landscape the centerpiece.

What I loved: Staying at a hotel where I could rent an e-bike from reception for ¥60/day, ride out along the Yulong River path, stop at a random village noodle shop for lunch, and spend the afternoon watching bamboo rafts drift under the Yulong Bridge (遇龙桥) — a 600-year-old stone bridge that looks exactly like a Chinese landscape painting. No agenda. No crowds. Just the scenery. If you’re here on a honeymoon, this is the area to splurge on one unforgettable night — I’ve got a full China honeymoon routes & costs guide with the Yangshuo-specific plan.

The trade-off: You’re 10-15 minutes from West Street by e-bike or taxi (about ¥15). Not a problem if you plan ahead, but you can’t just walk out your door and be in the middle of the action. Also, most hotels here are boutique or luxury — fewer budget options.

Hotels:

• Banyan Tree Yangshuo — The best resort in the area. Sprawling property along the Yulong River with spa villas, private gardens, and a pool that seems to merge into the karst landscape. This is a splurge-but-worth-it situation. About ¥1,500-2,500/night ($205-345). Check prices on Trip.com

• Yangshuo SugarHouse (阳朔糖舍) — A converted sugar refinery turned into one of China’s most beautiful boutique hotels. Industrial architecture meets karst scenery. The pool is set into the old industrial tanks. About ¥1,000-1,800/night ($140-250). Check prices on Trip.com

• LS Hotel Yangshuo (良宿) — Mid-range boutique right in the Shili Gallery area. Rooftop terrace with mountain views, modern rooms, great value for the area. About ¥400-700/night ($55-95). Check prices on Trip.com

• Bamboo Leaf Yangshuo — Small, family-run hotel near the Yulong Bridge. Simple rooms, incredible location. The owners will point you to the best local spots. About ¥250-400/night ($35-55). Check prices on Trip.com

4. Xingping Ancient Town (兴坪古镇) — Best for Hikers & Budget Travelers

#

Xingping is a small town on the Li River, about 30 minutes northeast of Yangshuo by bus. This is where the famous 20 yuan note photo was taken — the one with the fisherman, the bamboo raft, and the five karst peaks rising from the river mist. The view hasn’t changed much since the note was printed.

Why stay here: Xingping is quieter, cheaper, and more authentic than Yangshuo town. The main street is a pedestrian lane lined with Ming and Qing Dynasty buildings — not restored for tourists but lived in by families who’ve been there for generations. Xi Jie (老街 or “Old Street”) has a handful of small restaurants, a bakery run by a local woman who makes the best egg tarts in Guangxi, and that’s about it.

The hiking situation: Xingping has the best hiking in the region. The trail up Laozhai Mountain (老寨山) is steep — 45 minutes of uneven stone steps — but the view from the top is the single best panorama of the Li River and karst peaks you’ll find anywhere. The Sun and Moon Mountain trail (相公山) is easier and more popular, about 20 minutes to the summit viewpoint.

Who it’s for: Budget travelers who don’t need nightlife, photographers who want sunrise over the Li River without crowds, and anyone who finds Yangshuo too touristy. It’s also the best base for the Li River cruise — the boats from Guilin to Yangshuo stop here.

Hotels:

• Li River Resort (漓江山水度假酒店) — Simple but comfortable rooms right on the river. Wake up to the view you see on the 20 yuan note. About ¥250-400/night ($35-55). Check prices on Trip.com

• Mercure Guilin Yangshuo Xingping — The most reliable option in Xingping. French chain, clean rooms, English-speaking staff. About ¥300-450/night ($40-60). Check prices on Trip.com

• Yangshuo Mountain River Ballad Hotel — Small guesthouse on the river with a pleasant garden. Run by a friendly local family. About ¥200-350/night ($28-48). Check prices on Trip.com

Quick Budget Breakdown

#

Practical Tips for Guilin & Yangshuo

#

Split your stay. The best Guilin itinerary is 1 night in Guilin city + 2-3 nights in Yangshuo (either West Street or Yulong River area). Don’t try to base yourself in Guilin city and day-trip to Yangshuo — you’ll spend half your time on the road and miss the sunset magic of the countryside.

Getting from Guilin to Yangshuo. The bus from Guilin Bus Station to Yangshuo takes about 50 minutes and costs ¥25. Taxi is about ¥120-150. There’s also a Li River cruise from Guilin to Yangshuo that takes 4-5 hours — scenic but slow. Save it for a separate day and just bus it for the move.

E-bikes are everything in Yangshuo. Rent an e-bike (electric scooter) from your hotel or a shop on Pantao Road for ¥50-80/day. It’s the only way to explore the countryside properly — you can cover the whole Yulong River area, Shili Gallery, and surrounding villages in a day. Most hotels will hold your luggage while you ride.

The rain is real. Guilin and Yangshuo are subtropical and get rain year-round, but May through August is the wettest season. The scenery looks best with some mist, but bring a waterproof jacket and shoe covers. The e-bike rental places have plastic ponchos for ¥5.

Book through a platform that takes foreign cards. Chinese booking sites like Ctrip (Trip.com) frequently reject international credit cards. Trip.com works — I use it for all my China bookings and they have English customer service. Search all Guilin and Yangshuo hotels here.

Don’t skip the Yangshuo beer fish (啤酒鱼). It’s not a tourist gimmick — it’s genuinely one of the best things I’ve eaten in China. The locals use a specific local river fish (usually catfish or carp) cooked in a clay pot with beer, tomatoes, chilies, and ginger. The best version I had was at a no-name restaurant on Diecui Road where the owner didn’t speak English and the menu was hand-written on a whiteboard.

My Final Recommendation

#

• First trip to Guilin? Split your stay — 1 night in Guilin City Center (arrival), then 2+ nights at Yulong River / Shili Gallery (scenery + relaxation), with one afternoon/evening in West Street for the food and chaos.
• On a budget? Xingping — cheaper, quieter, and the hiking is unmatched. Stay at the Mercure or the River Ballad guesthouse.
• Nightlife is your priority? West Street — stay on Diecui Road (one block back) for access without the noise. Atour Hotel is the safe bet.
• Want peace and scenery above everything? Yulong River / Shili Gallery — Banyan Tree if you can swing the cost, LS Hotel or Bamboo Leaf if you can’t. You won’t regret it.
• Solo traveler? West Street — the hostel scene is active, tours are easy to book, and you’ll meet people at the bars and restaurants.

My personal pick for most first-timers: Stay at LS Hotel in the Shili Gallery area for 2-3 nights, spend your mornings cycling along the Yulong River, your afternoons hiking or bamboo rafting, and your evenings eating beer fish in West Street. One night in Guilin city at the Shangri-La or Sheraton on either end of the trip to handle arrival and departure. That’s the Guilin trip done right.

Need help planning your full China itinerary? The China 2 Week Itinerary has a Guangxi section that fits Guilin between Xi’an and Hong Kong — it’s a well-tested route I’ve done twice.

If you’d rather have a car, guide, and tickets sorted for you instead of piecing it together yourself, I’ve written up what a Guilin private tour actually costs in 2026, with the routes that work and how to get a custom quote.

Getting to Guilin is easy: 2.5 hours by high-speed rail from Guangzhou, 4 hours from Changsha, or direct flights from Beijing, Shanghai, and Xi’an. And if you need internet while you’re here — Google Maps for finding those no-name restaurants — check my Internet in China guide and the best VPNs for China.

Coming in from Singapore or Southeast Asia? I put the arrival logistics in a separate guide: how to get to Guilin from Singapore — the connecting-flight reality, the Guangzhou high-speed rail route, and what the whole trip costs in SGD.

Malaysian travellers get a genuine non-stop — AirAsia flies Kuala Lumpur to Guilin four mornings a week — which changes the arrival maths completely: how to get to Guilin from Malaysia covers the flight, the ringgit costs and where to eat halal.

From the Philippines there is no non-stop, but the Guangzhou high-speed rail door and the six-day ASEAN visa-free scheme through Guilin both change the planning: how to get to Guilin from the Philippines has the routings and the peso costs.

Browse all Guilin & Yangshuo hotels with current prices →

Last updated: June 2026