Yangshuo countryside: tickets, hours and how to visit
Yulong River bamboo rafts and cycling between villages; the best half-day here.
Yangshuo countryside at a glance
Yulong River bamboo rafts and cycling between villages; the best half-day here. Plan on half a day by bike and raft here, plus half an hour either side for entry, security and parking.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tickets | Yulong River bamboo raft CNY 200–240 per raft (2 people). Bike hire CNY 30–50 a day. Moon Hill CNY 25. |
| Opening hours | Rafts 08:00–17:00. Best light 07:00–09:00 and 16:30–18:30. |
| Time needed | Half a day by bike and raft; a full day if you add Moon Hill and Xingping. |
| City | Guilin, China |
What to see
Three things carry this sight. If you are short on time, do them in this order.
- Yulong Riverquieter than the Li, bamboo rafts over low weirs
- Moon Hill800 steps to a natural arch, the best view in Yangshuo
- Xingpingthe old town on the 20-yuan note, 40 minutes north by car
Tickets and booking
How the ticket works, and what foreigners usually get wrong.
Before you buy
- Price. Yulong River bamboo raft CNY 200–240 per raft (2 people). Bike hire CNY 30–50 a day. Moon Hill CNY 25.
- Booking. The Yulong River rafts are a one-way run of about 90 minutes and you end up 8 km from where you started — with your bike still at the other end. Either book a return shuttle (CNY 30) or cycle the loop and skip the raft.
- 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
Yangshuo is 1.5 hours from Guilin by car or 2 hours by bus. Bikes and e-bikes are the standard way around; a car is useful only for Xingping and the further villages.
Rafts 08:00–17:00. Best light 07:00–09:00 and 16:30–18:30.. 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 Yangshuo countryside, 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 Yulong River rafts are a one-way run of about 90 minutes and you end up 8 km from where you started — with your bike still at the other end. Either book a return shuttle (CNY 30) or cycle the loop and skip the raft.
Pairing Yangshuo countryside with
These are usually on the same day or the same trip.
Yangshuo countryside: questions travellers ask
Yulong River or Li River?
Can I cycle it?
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 Yangshuo countryside.
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.
