Li River cruise: tickets, hours and how to visit
Four hours from Zhujiang pier to Yangshuo, past the 20-yuan note viewpoint. Book a 4-star boat.
Li River cruise at a glance
Four hours from Zhujiang pier to Yangshuo, past the 20-yuan note viewpoint. Book a 4-star boat. Plan on 4 hours on the water, 5.5 hours door to door from guilin. here, plus half an hour either side for entry, security and parking.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tickets | CNY 215–270 for the 4-hour cruise (Zhujiang pier to Yangshuo), depending on boat class. Includes lunch; excludes the pier transfer bus. |
| Opening hours | Boats leave Zhujiang pier 09:00–10:30 only. Arrive 40 minutes early for boarding. |
| Time needed | 4 hours on the water, 5.5 hours door to door from Guilin. |
| City | Guilin, China |
What to see
Three things carry this sight. If you are short on time, do them in this order.
- The 20-yuan note viewpointaround the 90-minute mark, have the note ready
- Nine Horse Fresco Hillthe cliff the legends are about, mid-river
- Yangshuo arrivalyou dock in town, not back in Guilin, so plan onward travel
Tickets and booking
How the ticket works, and what foreigners usually get wrong.
Before you buy
- Price. CNY 215–270 for the 4-hour cruise (Zhujiang pier to Yangshuo), depending on boat class. Includes lunch; excludes the pier transfer bus.
- Booking. The cruise is one-way — you end in Yangshuo, 65 km from Guilin, and getting back takes 1.5 hours by bus or car. Most people do not realise this and book a return train from Guilin the same evening. Either stay a night in Yangshuo or arrange the return car in advance.
- Payment. Most Chinese sights take WeChat Pay or Alipay only. Cash works at staffed windows but not at self-service machines; a licensed guide can pay on your behalf and settle with you at the end of the day.
Getting there and when to go
Zhujiang pier is 40 minutes south of Guilin city by car; the ticket usually includes a shuttle from the city hotels, but it leaves at 07:30. Driving yourself means a 06:30 start and parking at the pier.
Boats leave Zhujiang pier 09:00–10:30 only. Arrive 40 minutes early for boarding.. The first hour after opening is the quietest — tour groups arrive around 09:30. Late afternoon gives better light but the main viewpoints start clearing people out, so shoot early if that is your priority.
Public transport reaches Li River cruise, but connections and waiting times add up. With luggage, older travellers, or two sights in one day, a car and driver removes the guesswork.
The one thing that goes wrong
Guilin local note
- The cruise is one-way — you end in Yangshuo, 65 km from Guilin, and getting back takes 1.5 hours by bus or car. Most people do not realise this and book a return train from Guilin the same evening. Either stay a night in Yangshuo or arrange the return car in advance.
Pairing Li River cruise with
These are usually on the same day or the same trip.
Li River cruise: questions travellers ask
Is the cruise worth CNY 250?
Which side of the boat?
Upper or lower deck?
How booking works — three steps, itinerary before price
No deposit to get a plan, and nothing is locked in before you agree.
Send the brief
Dates, party size, how you arrive and what you want to see around Li River cruise.
Get a route and a price
We order the stops by location and traffic, then quote per car per day with fuel, tolls and the driver included.
Confirm and travel
Only after you accept the route and the price do we assign the car and guide.
