6 Days Guilin and Guangzhou Tour by High Speed Train

As the saying goes, “The scenery in Guilin is the best in heaven.” Guilin has many incredible sights, from the picturesque Li River juxtaposed with the karst mountains, the magnificent rural scenery of Yangshuo, the layers of rice fields on the dragon’s back to the gorgeous bridges and century-old caves. To travel to this darling paradise, some travelers choose to take Guilin to China for long-distance travel, while others prefer to come from places such as Hong Kong or Guangzhou. Of course, Guangzhou is one of the best gateways to Guilin, with convenient transportation by high-speed train within 2.5-3 hours. You will explore the splendid Lingnan culture, explore the 2200-year history of Lam City, and taste traditional Cantonese cuisine. Then, modern high-speed trains will take you into a marvelous world, away from the crowd, and catch your eye with marvelous natural scenery.

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1 Guangzhou Arrival

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Welcome to Guangzhou, the City of Rams! Situated in south China, Guangzhou is a “hot” metropolis for relaxation, food exploration, business communication and seeking of culture, history, arts of Lingnan Area. Upon your arrival, your local guide and driver will meet you at the arrival hall of Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport or railway stations in Guangzhou and then escort you to your hotel in downtown and help you check in. The rest of the day is free on your own to take a nice break or explore this city.

Day 2 Guangzhou

Sightseeing and Activities: Yuexiu Park, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, Chen Clan Ancestral Hall
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Yuexiu Park – Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall – Chen Clan Ancestral Hall – Shamian Island – Huacheng Square
After breakfast, your local guide and driver will pick you up at your hotel. Start to explore the old and new Guangzhou City from Yuexiu Park, the largest city park in Guangzhou. Stroll leisurely in the verdant park to see the Five Rams Statue from which you will savor the interesting legendary story of the five rams and know why Guangzhou is called the “City of Rams”. Then, continue to appreciate a five-storey ancient structure in red – Zhenhai Tower which was changed as Guangzhou Museum. Have a brief learning about Guangzhou’s over 2000 years’ history and if you like, climb up the tower to get a bird’s-eye view of Guangzhou City. After the morning stretching with fresh air, move your steps to the nearby Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall which was built in memory of the great revolutionist Sun Yat-sen. Enjoy the Chinese and Western combining styled octagon-shaped main building in bright red and blue from outside. Enter the hall to know Dr. Sun deeper with excellent exhibitions of his biography and contribution to the country and people, and get a simple learning about the contemporary history of China in the 18th – 19th centuries. Before leaving, admire the 5.5-meter tall bronze statue of Dr. Sun outside in the yard and show your respect to this world famous great Father of the Nation in China.

In this afternoon, visit the must-see Chen Clan Ancestral Hall which is regarded as the largest, most beautifully decorated and best preserved traditional ancestral temple in Guangdong Province. Roam among the tranquil houses and courtyards built during 1888-1894 to discover its architectural origin and find out whether it was an ancestral hall or an academy for the Chen Family in Guangdong initially. Since it is famous as the “Pearl of Lingnan Architectural Art”, you will taste the super exquisite colorful decorations of vivid patterns of various flora and fauna, figures and immortals to feel the highly skillful construction and decoration of Lingnan people and know their typical folk culture and best wishes of harvest and prosperity in ancient China. Later, be transferred for about 10 minutes’ driving to see the quite different Shamian Island where over 150 European styled old buildings from the colonial period from 19th century are well preserved for a nice savory. Take a relaxing walk in the strongly exotic street block in emerald and imagine the past life and changes of Guangzhou told by those historical remains.

After the exploration, be transferred to the urban central axis in Zhujiang New Town to see the modern cityscape of Guangzhou at Huacheng Square. Have a leisure stroll between the glittery skyscrapers and peculiar shaped modern buildings to feel the fast development of this metropolis. Most importantly, appreciate the slim outline of the iconic Canton Tower on the opposite bank of Pearl River.

After the tour, be escorted back to your hotel.

Day 3 Guangzhou to Guilin by High Speed Train & Transfer to Longji

Sightseeing and Activities: Ping’an Village at Longji Rice Terrace,
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Transfer to Guilin and drive about 2.5 hours to Longji Rice Terrace
After breakfast, you are free until be escorted to the railway station for a high speed train to Guilin (about 2.5 hours). Welcome to Guilin, the most scenic city in China. Upon your arrival at the railway station, our local guide and driver will pick up you and then transfer you to Ping’an Village at Longji Rice Terrace. Check in your hotel. The rest of today is free for you to explore beautiful surroundings.

Important to Know: 1) The driving from Guilin to Ping’an is about 2.5 hours. If your train arrives at Guilin after 5pm, we suggest you spend a night at Guilin, then transfer to Ping’an on the next day; 2) Walking: When arriving at Ping’an Village, you can only be dropped at Ping’an Village Tourist Center parking lot that you need to walk about 900 steps to your hotel. Comfortable shoes are highly recommended; 3) Luggage carrying: For the aged or travelers who are lack of physical strength, you’d better hire a local porter to help carry your heavy luggage to the hotel (pay extra expense on your own).

Day 4 Longji Rice Terrace – Guilin

Sightseeing and Activities: Longji Rice Terrace, Seven Stars with Moon, Nine Dragons and Five Tigers
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Today’s highlights: Sunrise, Longji Rice Terrace
When you wake up in the fresh air of peaceful morning, you may forget where you are. Try to watch the magnificent sunrise from a great location on the terraces if you don’t mind getting up very early. After breakfast, your guide will take you to explore the breathtaking views of Longji Rice Terrace leisurely. The rice terrace is layer upon layer, like the changing ladder created by nature leading to the blue sky, forming a majestic painting between heaven and earth. From Ping’an, you can hike on the cobbled paths built among terraces to catch the best landscape. Climb up to the great lookouts at Seven Stars with Moon and Nine Dragons and Five Tigers from which you can get superlative views of terraces and villages.

Hike half day around, then back to Ping’an. Then transfer back to Guilin City. Check in your hotel. The rest time is free on your own to have fun in Guilin – strolling, hunting food…

Day 5 Guilin – Li River Cruise – Yangshuo

Sightseeing and Activities: Yangshuo Town, Yulong River
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Today’s highlight: Li River Cruise, Yangshuo Yulong River, West Street
As the declaration in Chinese textbook “Guilin’s landscape is the best under heaven”, today you will explore this best landscape starting with a relaxing sightseeing cruise along the Li River from Mopanshan Pier to Yangshuo Town. Along the 84-kilometer cruise, dazzling scenery overwhelms your eyes like a vast endless Chinese painting of winding river, green limestone karst mountains, fascinating countryside views, amazing scene of A Painting of Nine Horses, and notable view printed on the back of the 20 RMB note. (Please note: Lunch is served by the cruise with simple local Chinese cuisine. And you can take some snacks when getting on board.)

After about 4 hours’ cruise, disembark in Yangshuo Town, and check in your hotel. After a short break, start your impressive exploration of the best charming sightseeing and ideal countryside ease at Yulong River. Let all the refreshing scenes please your eyes and souls to the utmost. Just enjoy every moment with the Karst hills dotted around, chatting stream, rippling mountain reflection, swaying floras, patches of vivid crops, comfortable breeze….There are diverse kinds of ways for your enjoyment of the fun and beauty, including biking, hiking, sightseeing bus, bamboo rafting and scooter. You can easily choose and combine your ideal way(s) and part of Yulong River. (Please tell your likes to your travel consultants before booking the tour, as the final prices will differ by activities you choose.).

Biking (some physically demanding & sightseeing by the river) – Ride to enjoy the river view and the real fields (route: Yangshuo – Jima – Shuiedi Dock – Gongnong Bridge – West Street; for 1.5-2 hours).

Bamboo Rafting (relaxing and interesting & sightseeing on the river) – have fun with the classic bamboo rafting (Route A: Shuiedi Dock – Gongnong Bridge for 40-50 minutes; Route B: Jima Dock – Gongnong Bridge for 1.5 hours) to see the more serene view like pieces of traditional Chinese landscape ink paintings.

Sightseeing Bus (most leisurable and comfortable & sightseeing on the road) – sit leisurely on the bus from Jima to Gongnong Bridge to appreciate the lovely countryside view (about 0.5 hour). You can get off and on anywhere on the middle way to explore more about your interested place.

This evening is for you to walk leisurely on the ancient West Street to witness how the western culture and Chinese culture perfectly and peacefully coexist here. Whether you want to enjoy a cup of drink in bar, taste some local food, or just experience the relaxing atmosphere, you get it here.

Optional activities:

Experience the splendid evening performance Impression Liu Sanjie (19:45~20:45 or 21:20~22:20) with Li River itself as the stage, directed by famous director – Zhang Yimou.

Day 6 Yangshuo to Guilin & Guilin Departure

Sightseeing and Activities: Elephant Trunk Hill, Reed Flute Cave
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Elephant Trunk Hill – Reed Flute Cave – Guilin Departure
After breakfast, transfer back to Guilin in a comfortable vehicle (1.5~2hrs). Then make a visit to the symbol of Guilin landscape – Elephant Trunk Hill. A giant rock hill vividly shapes like an elephant which is drinking water. Besides, there are many historical sites here for you to explore, such as stone carving, Buddhist temple, relic exhibition, etc. Then, drive about 7 kilometers to next attraction – Reed Flute Cave, a majestic underground palace with sparkling different colors. The magical Mother Nature condenses millions years of natural efforts to form the incredible stalactite, stalagmite, stone shield and stone waterfall of different sizes and shapes.

Lastly, your tour guide will take you to catch your flight / train to your next destination. Tour ends!

Service Included:

• Admission fees for all of the sightseeing spots listed in the itinerary;
• Meals as listed in the itinerary;
• Hotels as listed in the itinerary;
• Private English-speaking tour guide;
• Private vehicle for transfers & sightseeing with skilled driver;
• Service charge & government taxes;
• Luggage transfers between airports and hotels;
• Domestic train tickets of soft sleeper.

Service Excluded:

• Any arrival and departure international airfares or train tickets;
• Chinese visa fees;
• Excess baggage charged by Airlines;
• Single room supplement;
• Tips to guides and drivers;
• Personal expenses and gratuities to service staff;
• Personal travel accident insurance;
• All optional programs.