Guilin in 6 Days on a Budget (Daily Costs)

Heads up: some links here are affiliate links. Book or buy through them and we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only point you to things we would actually use.

A 6-Day Guilin Itinerary on a Budget

Six days takes the 5-day itinerary’s rushed Xingping day trip and turns it into a proper overnight, which is what actually lets you catch Yellow Cloth Shoal at sunrise instead of mid-morning. Running total roughly RMB 1,700-2,500 per person. Shorter on time? The 4-day drops Xingping and Dazhai’s second viewpoint; need more? The 7-day adds a free-and-cheap day trip around Guilin city itself.

Book these before you go:

Day 1: Guilin to Dazhai/Jinkeng

Morning. Land at Guilin Liangjiang Airport (KWL), confirm the shuttle timetable on the official airport site , and head for Dazhai/Jinkeng (about 2.5 hours). The combined RMB 80 ticket covers Dazhai/Jinkeng, Ping’an, and Huangluo Yao Village.

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

Evening. Guesthouse dinner, cooked to order.

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 2 hours) for sunrise, or Thousand-Layer Terraces (about an hour) for a shorter version past the stilt houses.

Midday. Transfer back to Guilin (2.5 hours).

Afternoon. Elephant Trunk Hill (RMB 55) and Reed Flute Cave (RMB 90 adult/RMB 45 child, a constant 20°C inside).

Evening. Mifen dinner (RMB 3-10).

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, one-way downstream, 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. One “i游漓江” order for the whole group. Yangdi to Xingping is the essential stretch: Nine Horse Fresco Hill, Crown Cave, Yellow Cloth Shoal.

Afternoon. Check into Yangshuo, walk West Street after dark.

Evening. Impression Sanjie Liu (RMB 200-680 by tier) if you’re doing the splurge night; 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), Ten-Mile Gallery toward Moon Hill.

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

Afternoon. Whichever you skipped, or a slow wander through the countryside guesthouse lanes.

Evening. Beer fish (RMB 80-230 per catty, confirm the price before it’s cooked) for dinner.

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

Day 5: Xingping, Overnight

Morning. Bus from Yangshuo to Xingping (RMB 15, about 30 minutes). Check into an old-town guesthouse rather than day-tripping through.

Afternoon. Walk the riverbank in either direction; Xingping’s old town dates to 1506, a Ming-era fishing village, quieter and older than Yangshuo. Climb Laozhai Hill (free, a steep 30-minute climb) for the classic bend-in-the-river shot, or the quieter Damian Hill (RMB 3) as an alternative.

Evening. Position for sunset at Yellow Cloth Shoal, then a relaxed dinner in the old town.

Day 5 running cost (RMB, per person): bus 15 + guesthouse 40 + meals 50 = ~105

Day 6: Sunrise at Yellow Cloth Shoal, Departure

Morning. Yellow Cloth Shoal at sunrise (free from the roadside, RMB 5-10 for the elevated platform), the actual view on the back of the RMB 20 note, best May to October.

Midday. Bus back to Guilin from Xingping (about 1.5 hours, RMB 40), or the train if the timing works better.

Afternoon. Depart from Guilin Liangjiang Airport.

Day 6 running cost (RMB, per person): platform 8 + bus to Guilin 40 + lunch 20 = ~68

Six-day total: roughly RMB 1,500-1,600 per person on the budget version above, more with the 4-star cruise and Impression Sanjie Liu’s top tier.

The extra night in Xingping is the cheapest day of the whole trip and the one most itineraries skip to save time, which is backwards: it’s the sunrise that makes the RMB 20-note view worth seeing at all. Our Guilin place guide has the full sight-by-sight cost breakdown if you want to trim this itinerary down.