Yangshuo 阳朔
This destination was part of the broader Guilin/Longji Rice Terraces trip.
Travel
My friends and I took the Li River Cruise from Guilin to Yangshuo, and I genuinely loved the experience. You could stand on the upper deck for most of the ride or sit downstairs if you preferred. It did start to feel a little long toward the end, but not in a bad way. I’d still recommend it as a great way to see a different side of the region.
Once we arrived in Yangshuo, we met up with our private driver who took us to our hotel.
Accommodations
We stayed at Yangshuo Wukong International Hotel (formerly Wooden Kids Holiday Hotel) 阳朔五棵松国际大酒店（原木童假日酒店）.
Overall Rating - 3/5
The first room we were given reeked of cigarette smoke, so we asked to switch. The staff let us check out three other rooms, though some of those also had lingering smoke. We eventually settled on one that was okay. The layout of the room was kind of odd, and I wouldn’t describe the location as super central or super remote, it was just okay.
Breakfast was forgettable, and while I appreciated small conveniences like a fridge of drinks in the lobby and a Meituan power bank station, I don’t think I’d recommend this hotel to others.
Attractions
Below is an overview of the attractions I went to and how I’d rate them.
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Chinese name: 遇龙河
Address: Yangshuo County, Guilin, Guangxi
Cost: ¥150–¥300 (bamboo raft, depends on section)
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5/5) -
Chinese name: 漓江游船
Address: Xingping / Yangshuo Pier, Guilin, Guangxi
Cost: ¥200–¥450
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️☆ (4/5) -
Chinese name: 西街
Address: West Street, Yangshuo County
Cost: Free
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️☆☆ (3/5) -
Chinese name: 月亮山
Address: Gaotian Town, Yangshuo
Cost: ¥0 (free view from down the road)
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️☆☆ (3/5) -
Name: Wulongquan Riluo Qianli Jiangshan Tu
Address (English): A89 County Road West Side
Notes: They had the best drink ever!
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5/5)
Budget Breakdown (DIY Edit)
These numbers are approximate. I don’t track every expense in real time, and sometimes I pay in USD instead of yuan.
Accommodation (1 night) - ¥210 (Estimated. This was part of a larger package and split between me and a friend.)
Food - ¥280+ (My share (split among four friends) for about four meals and some snacks.)
Activities - ¥515-750
Souvenirs - ¥139 (mainly just photos or videos)
Final Thoughts
I would absolutely go back to Yangshuo. If I had the chance to go again, I’d try to stay somewhere higher up in the mountains. To catch the sunrise, you need to leave about an hour early with a private driver, and we didn’t end up getting the view we were hoping for.
If you’re debating where to spend more time, I’d prioritize Yangshuo over both Guilin and the Longji Rice Terraces. This area was unbelievably beautiful and easily one of the highlights of the trip.
If you found this article helpful or interesting, you might want to check out these others that I did for the other cities.
