Guilin Travel Guide
The gateway city to the karst region: what to see, where to stay, and how to use Guilin as your launch point.
What Is Guilin?
Guilin is the city you fly or train into. It's a pleasant mid-size Chinese city with scenic lakes, well-kept parks, and some of the best rice noodles in the country. Most visitors spend one night here — enough time to see a couple of sights, eat a great bowl of noodles, and head to Yangshuo the next morning. Guilin is not the main event, but it's a perfectly good opening act.
Top Things to Do in Guilin
Elephant Trunk Hill (Xiangbi Shan)
The city's icon — a natural limestone arch that looks exactly like an elephant drinking from the Li River. It's right in the city center, a 15-minute walk from most hotels. Entry is 55 RMB. Best visited in late afternoon when the light hits the "elephant" from behind. You can see it from the riverside path without paying entry, but the park gives you a closer view and access to the top.
Sun and Moon Pagodas
Two pagodas on Shanhu Lake, one gold and one silver, connected by an underwater tunnel. They're beautiful at night when lit up and reflected in the lake. The best viewpoint is from the bridge on the west side of the lake. Free to view from outside; 40 RMB to enter. Walk the lake circuit in the evening — it's well-lit, safe, and popular with locals.
Reed Flute Cave (Ludi Yan)
A massive limestone cave with spectacular stalactites and stalagmites, illuminated with colored lights. It's touristy but genuinely impressive — the main chamber is the size of a cathedral. Entry is 90 RMB. Located about 5 km from the city center. Taxi costs about 20 RMB each way. Allow 1-1.5 hours inside.
Seven Star Park (Qixing Gongyuan)
Guilin's largest park, with seven karst peaks arranged like the Big Dipper. Contains a small zoo (with pandas), the Camel Hill rock formation, and walking paths through bamboo groves. Entry is 75 RMB. A good option if you have a full day in Guilin before heading to Yangshuo.
Where to Eat in Guilin
The thing to eat in Guilin is rice noodles (mifen). The definitive bowl: white rice noodles in a light broth with sliced beef, pickled long beans, fried peanuts, scallions, and chili oil that you add yourself from pots on the table. A proper bowl costs 8-15 RMB. The most famous shop is Chongshan Rice Noodles (Chongshan Mifen), open since the 1980s near the city center. Locals start lining up at 7 AM. Also excellent: Shihua Rice Noodles and Axiu Mifen — both on Ziyou Road.
Where to Stay
Stay near Shanhu and Ronghu Lakes in the city center — you'll be walking distance from Elephant Trunk Hill, the pagodas, and the pedestrian street. Hotels here range from the Guilin Lijiang Waterfall Hotel (a landmark, from 400 RMB) to budget chains from 150 RMB. Don't stay near the train stations unless you're arriving late and leaving at dawn. If you want a peaceful spot, the Shangri-La Hotel on the Li River north of the city center has beautiful gardens and mountain views.