Guilin

Li River

Karst peaks by boat, from Guilin to Yangshuo

By EvanFacts reviewed 4 October 2026

Book it with usUSD 7 per person per sight, plus the ticket at face value.

Why it's worth the trip

Leave the farmland behind and the hills begin. Green limestone peaks rise straight out of both banks, one behind another. Bamboo leans over the river, the water is clear enough to show the pebbles on the bottom, and after rain a thin waterfall may run down a cliff. On a damp spring morning the far peaks are only grey outlines, fading layer after layer. Stand at the rail and the scene keeps sliding past for hours. Some 1,200 years ago the Tang poet Han Yu called this river a green silk belt and its hills jade hairpins. Chinese people still say that Guilin's scenery is the finest under heaven.

Watch the hills change shape as you go. Through the middle of the trip they crowd together in clumps, joined at the foot, and the river threads between them. Nearer Yangshuo they stand apart, each one alone on flat fields. Over millions of years, rain and the river wore away the limestone around them until only the peaks were left. Almost every peak has a name, and the commentary on board points many of them out. Look for a carp clinging to a cliff and a camel wading across the river. On another hill, the story goes, a wife climbed after her husband with their baby on her back and turned to stone halfway up.

The boat runs one way, about 60 kilometres downstream, and lands you in Yangshuo some four hours later, so the cruise is also the day's journey. The stretch most people come for runs from Yangdi past Nine Horses Fresco Hill to Xingping. For a closer look, electric rafts make short trips from Yangdi, sitting so low that the river is within arm's reach. And if you want a quieter river the next day, Yangshuo's little Yulong River winds through farmland and villages.

Don't miss

Go out on deck as the peaks close in
The first stretch passes mostly farmland and old villages. After Caoping the peaks close in on both sides and the water quickens over the shallows. If mist is down around Yangdi, you are looking at the scene called Yangdi in Misty Rain.
Count the horses at Nine Horses Fresco Hill
A sheer cliff rises from the water's edge, streaked ochre, yellow, green and white, and people see nine horses in the streaks. A local song says that if you spot eight you come second in the imperial exams, and if you spot all nine you come top. Even Xu Beihong, the painter famous for his horses, is said to have found only eight.
Yellow Cloth Shoal and the 20-yuan view
Just downstream the river widens and lies still over a pale slab on the riverbed that looks like a bolt of yellow cloth. On a clear, still day the seven peaks around it, called the Seven Fairies, hang upside down in the water, sharpest just as the boat swings into the bend. As you near Xingping, hold up a 20-yuan note: the hills on the back come from this stretch.

Fitting it in

Time to give it: About four hours on the water, plus a drive of roughly 30 km from Guilin to the pier. With boarding it fills most of a day, so sleep in Yangshuo that night rather than heading back to Guilin.
When to go: Autumn, roughly September to November, is the surest bet. The weather is mostly sunny and dry, and on still days the peaks stand mirrored in the water. Spring is often grey and misty, but April to June is also the wettest time of year, and high water can stop the boats at short notice. In an unusually dry winter or early spring, the river has sometimes dropped so low that the full route was cut back to a short loop from Yangdi. Tickets run short around the National Day holiday in early October, so avoid it if you can.
Pair it with: The boat lands at Yangshuo. In the evening, walk West Street, or watch Impression Liu Sanjie, the show co-directed by Zhang Yimou and staged on the river itself with twelve peaks lit up behind it. The next day, drive about 25 km to Xingping for its stone-paved old street. You may see cormorant fishermen on bamboo rafts there. If you still have the legs, climb Laozhai Hill beside the town and look down on the great bend the river makes there.
Who can skip it: If you get restless sitting still, four hours is a long time on a boat, however good the view. Take an electric raft on the Yangdi stretch instead, or go straight to Xingping, where a short boat ride takes in the 20-yuan view. If you have one day in Guilin and must sleep there again, the one-way cruise fits badly; Xingping by road is the easier choice.

Questions travellers ask

Is the Li River cruise worth it?

Yes, if you can give it a day. For about four hours you sail between green peaks on water clear enough to see the riverbed. The stretch from Yangdi to Xingping holds the view on the back of the 20-yuan note. If four hours on a boat sounds too long, a raft from Yangdi or a short boat at Xingping shows part of that stretch in much less time.

How long is the Li River cruise from Guilin to Yangshuo?

About four hours on the water, covering roughly 60 kilometres one way. The boats leave from piers about 30 kilometres from Guilin, so with the drive and boarding the trip fills most of a day. It ends in Yangshuo, so plan your hotel and luggage there rather than returning to Guilin that evening.

What is the best time of year for a Li River cruise?

September to November, when the weather is mostly sunny and dry and calm days give the clearest reflections. Spring is often grey and misty, but April to June is the wettest time of year, and high water can stop sailings at short notice. In an unusually dry winter or early spring the full route has sometimes been cut back to a short loop. Avoid the National Day holiday in early October, when tickets run short.

Do I need to book the Li River cruise in advance?

Yes. Tickets are sold by name for a dated boat, and holiday dates can sell out. The 3-star and 4-star boats leave from different piers near Guilin, so choose the boat before you arrange the drive. The official channel does not spell out the steps for foreign passports, and we can check them for your date and book for you.

Where is the 20-yuan note view on the Li River?

Near Xingping, an old river town about 25 kilometres north-east of Yangshuo. The full cruise sails past it, so have the note ready on deck after Nine Horses Fresco Hill and Yellow Cloth Shoal. To see it from Xingping instead, go by road; the short boats from Xingping to the nearby fishing village pass the spot.

Sources: Guilin Li River Scenic Area: 景区简介 (introduction)Guilin Li River Scenic Area: 九马画山 (Nine Horses Fresco Hill)Guilin Li River Scenic Area: 黄布倒影 (Yellow Cloth Shoal)UNESCO World Heritage Centre: South China KarstPeople's Bank of China: the design of the fifth-series 20-yuan note

Booking at a glance

From our attraction-booking rules.

Full guide

Li River cruise (Guilin to Yangshuo)
When tickets open
No general release rule confirmed; the 2026 National Day notice opened full-route boats 15 days ahead
Real name
Yes
Face value
CNY 215 · adult, 3-star boat (4-star boat CNY 360), August 2026 list
Confirmed when you enquire: passport use
Booked on the scenic area's official WeChat service account. 3-star boats board at Mopanshan and 4-star boats at Zhujiang, so tell us the boat class you want. The official material does not explain the foreign-passport steps, so we confirm your passport and ticket collection before the written confirmation. High water can suspend sailings at short notice.
Checked 26 Sept 2026
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