Guilin in 5 Days on a Budget (Daily Costs)

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A 5-Day Guilin Itinerary on a Budget

Five days keeps the 4-day itinerary’s Longji overnight but upgrades the destination to Dazhai/Jinkeng, the wilder, more dramatic terrace area with a cable car and three viewpoints, and adds a Xingping day trip at the end. Running total roughly RMB 1,600-2,300 per person. If five days feels like a lot for the terraces alone, the 3-day skips them entirely; if it’s not enough, the 6-day and 7-day versions turn Xingping into its own overnight.

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Day 1: Guilin to Dazhai/Jinkeng

Morning. Land at Guilin Liangjiang Airport (KWL), check the official airport site for the current shuttle schedule, and head for Dazhai/Jinkeng (about 2.5 hours), the Red Yao side of the Longji terraces. The combined RMB 80 ticket covers Dazhai/Jinkeng, Ping’an, and Huangluo Yao Village. A private transfer or the Qintan Coach Station shuttle (RMB 50-60, 2.5-3 hours) get you there; taxis won’t run the full round trip.

Afternoon. Ride the cable car (RMB 60 one-way/RMB 110 return) up toward the Golden Buddha Peak viewpoint for sunset light on the terraces.

Evening. Guesthouse dinner, cooked to order, usually the best meal of the trip precisely because it isn’t adjusted for outside tastes.

Day 1 running cost (RMB, per person): transfer up 55 + combined entrance 80 + cable car 60 + guesthouse 40 + meals 40 = ~275

Day 2: Terrace Sunrise, Back to Guilin

Morning. West Hill Music platform (about 1,180m, roughly a 2-hour hike) is the sunrise viewpoint; Thousand-Layer Terraces is the shorter option (about an hour, past the stilt houses) if you’re not up for the full climb.

Midday. Transfer back to Guilin (2.5 hours).

Afternoon. City sights: Elephant Trunk Hill (RMB 55) and Reed Flute Cave (RMB 90 adult/RMB 45 child, kept at a constant 20°C, a relief after a hot morning hike).

Evening. Mifen dinner (RMB 3-10) and an early night.

Day 2 running cost (RMB, per person): transfer down 55 + Elephant Trunk Hill 55 + Reed Flute Cave 90 + meals 50 + hotel 100 = ~350

Day 3: Li River Cruise to Yangshuo

Morning. The cruise runs one-way downstream, Guilin to Yangshuo, 83km over 3.5-5 hours. The 3-star boat (RMB 215) departs Mopanshan Pier; the 4-star boat with lunch (RMB 360-480) departs Zhujiang Pier. Book the whole group on one “i游漓江” order. Yangdi to Xingping is the stretch that matters: Nine Horse Fresco Hill, Crown Cave, and Yellow Cloth Shoal, the RMB 20-note view.

Afternoon. Check into Yangshuo, then walk West Street once the light drops and the day-trip crowds thin.

Evening. Impression Sanjie Liu (RMB 200-680 by tier, staged on the river with real karst peaks as the backdrop) if you’re doing the one splurge night of the trip; confirm the current showtime since the schedule isn’t fully reconfirmed.

Day 3 running cost (RMB, per person): cruise 215 + meals 60 + guesthouse 80 = ~355

Day 4: Yangshuo Countryside

Morning. Bike rental (a few RMB a day, e-bike RMB 30-50 for two) and the Ten-Mile Gallery ride toward Moon Hill.

Midday. Moon Hill’s arch climb (price unconfirmed this round, check on arrival) or the Yulong River bamboo raft (RMB 200-320 per raft) as the alternative.

Afternoon. Whichever you skipped in the morning, do in the afternoon, or just wander the quieter countryside guesthouse lanes.

Evening. Dinner in Yangshuo; beer fish (RMB 80-230 per catty, confirm the price before it’s cooked) if you haven’t had it yet.

Day 4 running cost (RMB, per person): bike 30 + Moon Hill (est.) 20 + raft 150 (split) + meals 70 + guesthouse 80 = ~350

Day 5: Xingping Day Trip and Departure

Morning. Bus from Yangshuo to Xingping (RMB 15, about 30 minutes, every 15 minutes). Walk to Yellow Cloth Shoal, the actual RMB 20-note view, free from the roadside (RMB 5-10 for the elevated platform). Climb Laozhai Hill (free, a steep 30-minute climb) for the bend-in-the-river shot.

Midday. Wander Xingping’s old town, founded 1506 as a Ming fishing village, quieter and older than Yangshuo.

Afternoon. Bus back to Guilin from Xingping or via Yangshuo (roughly 1.5 hours total, RMB 40), or the train (via Trip.com ) if it lines up better, in time for your flight.

Day 5 running cost (RMB, per person): bus to Xingping 15 + platform 8 + lunch 20 + bus to Guilin 40 = ~85

Five-day total: roughly RMB 1,400-1,500 per person on the budget version above, more with the 4-star cruise and Impression Sanjie Liu at its top tier.

Five days is enough to do Dazhai properly instead of rushing Ping’an, and the Xingping half-day at the end costs almost nothing next to everything before it, which is exactly why it’s worth tacking on rather than skipping. Photo-focused travellers should also check our photo spots guide before picking which viewpoint to prioritise.