Private Li River Cruise & Yangshuo Countryside Day Tour

Li River cruise from Mopanshan Pier

Your day begins at Mopanshan Pier, also known as Millstone Pier, in Lingchuan County south-east of Guilin. Here you board a 3-star sightseeing boat for the cruise downstream to Yangshuo, the most famous river journey in southern China. The boat has a covered cabin with standard seats and an open-air observation deck, and a simple lunch is served on board. Boarding requires the passport used for the booking.

For about four hours the boat follows the river past towering limestone peaks, bamboo groves, rice paddies and fishing villages, with local farmers working in the fields along the banks. Look out for Nine Horses Fresco Hill, the stretch around Yangdi and the view of Yellow Cloth Shoal near Xingping, the scene printed on a Chinese banknote. A private Li River cruise and countryside day like this one lets you enjoy the boat without worrying about the return to Guilin.

Yangshuo town and West Street

The boat docks in Yangshuo at about 13:30, and our driver meets you there with the car. Yangshuo is a small riverside town set right among the karst peaks, long popular with travellers for its relaxed atmosphere and countryside. West Street, the oldest street in town with a history of more than a thousand years, is lined with stone-paved lanes, old houses with carved eaves, craft shops, cafés and snack stalls.

Take some free time to explore at your own pace: browse for silk scarves, painted fans and local tea, or try a bowl of Guilin rice noodles. Yangshuo also has halal (qingzhen) noodle shops run by Hui Muslim families. The street is busiest in the evening, so the early afternoon is a pleasant time for a calmer visit.

The Yulong River

From the town our driver takes you into the countryside to the Yulong River, a gentle tributary of the Li River that flows through farmland and between karst hills. Its water is shallow and very clear, and the banks are shaded by bamboo and willow. You stroll along the riverside path, watch bamboo rafts drift down the small weirs and, on warm days, dip your hands in the cool water.

The Yulong River valley is the heart of the Yangshuo countryside, with villages of old mud-brick houses, rice paddies, orange orchards and lotus ponds. It is quieter than the Li River and feels far from the busy town. Many visitors call it the most peaceful part of their stay, and the private format means you decide how long to linger.

Fuli Bridge

The last stop is Fuli Bridge, an old single-arch stone bridge on the upper reaches of the Yulong River, about 12 km from Yangshuo. The arch is about 30 m long, 5 m wide and 10 m high, and it still carries local farmers and their animals between the villages and fields. From its top you look out over the river, the patchwork of fields and the green peaks that surround the village.

Fuli Bridge is often called the best place to see the Yangshuo countryside: water below, fields all around and hills on every horizon. Walk down to the riverbank for the classic photo of the arch reflected in the water, especially in the soft afternoon light. Then our driver takes you back to your hotel in Guilin, about an hour and a half by road.

Best time for a Li River and Yangshuo day trip

A Yangshuo day trip from Guilin is beautiful all year, but the scenery is at its greenest from April to October, when the rivers are full and the rice is growing. September to November brings clearer skies and comfortable temperatures. The heaviest rain falls between April and August, and the Li River cruise can be suspended for a few days when the water is very high; in winter, low water can shorten the cruise route.

Because this is a private day, our driver can adapt the afternoon to the weather, spending more time at the Yulong River on a fine day or less outdoors in rain. Bring an umbrella or raincoat in the wet season, and binoculars if you have them for the peaks along the river.