Guilin Travel Guide
Li River Cruise – the most popular thing to do in Yangshuo
Last Update: 4th October 2020
What is the Li River Cruise?
Li River Cruise is acclaimed to be the most popular activity in Yangshuo and Guilin. Endowed with the breathtaking karst scenery, the Li River features its own beauty and charm from Guilin to Yangshuo.
Li River Cruise Fast Facts
- Chinese Name: Lijiang Youchuan (漓江游船)
- Things to do there: Photography, Cruise
- Who visits: Photographers, Nature Lovers
- Time required: 4 x hours (Big Boat) or 1 x hour (Small Private Raft)
Interested in visiting the Li River Cruise during a Yangshuo Tour?
Wendy Wei Tours offers a variety of different packaged tours as well as custom tours in Li River Cruise, among other cities and areas. To find out more, please visit our Tours page or Contact Us directly to find out more.
The Li River Cruise is divided into two types. One is the big boat cruise and the other one is the private Li River motorized raft cruise.
Available for all ages (and heights!), the big boat Li River Cruise lasts for around 4 hours from Guilin to Yangshuo. The period of time just depends on the water level in the Li River. Take the big boat and you’ll enjoy all of the stunning scenic point along the Li River between Guilin and Yangshuo. The river turns 90 degrees at the Cattle Valley with the Green Lotus Rock, Bat Rock and rocks in other shapes. Expecting Husband Rock looks as if a women with a baby on the back is expecting the return of husband. The Crown Cave is also located by the Li River. But the boat doesn’t stop during the cruise.
When the boat arrives at Yangdi, you’ll be amazed at the natural beauty. The section between Yangdi to Xingping has the most amazing highlights to enjoy. Wave Stone Legend, Fairy Pull the Mill, Xialong Scenery, Nine-horse Fresco Hill, the background of 20 RMB note – Reflection of Yellow Cloth all are situated there.
The private Li River motorized raft cruise is appropriate for those who don’t want to spend so much time on the Li River. But the pregnant women, children under 1.2m tall (1.2m tall not included) and the elder above 70 years old (70 years old included) are not permitted to take it due to safety concerns.
The private cruise can just accommodate 4 passengers. It runs along two sections on the river. One is between Yangdi and Nine-horse Fresco Hill and the other one is between Nine-horse Fresco Hill and Xingping. Whether the private cruise is available is subject to the water level in the Li River.
Best time to enjoy the Li River Cruise?
It is safer to enjoy the cruise from October to March and in May, July and August as it rains a little in Yangshuo.
How to get to the Li River Cruise?
There is no direct bus from Guilin city to the pier in Guilin. The only option is to rent a vehicle to the pier (the pier for the 3-star cruise is called Mopanshan Pier and the pier for the 4-star and 4.5-star cruises is Zhujiang Pier). For the private rafting, there are piers in Yangdi and Xingping.
Additional Li River Cruise Advice
- As at 4th October 2020, the return cruise from Yangshuo to Yangdi is available & operating. It typically operates between April to October. The same applies for the Yangshuo to Guilin return cruises.
- There are one or two vegetarian dish options on the 4-star and 4.5-star boats. If you are vegetarian, it is suggested that you have lunch at the very first beginning as some meat may drop into the vegetables when other passengers pick it.
- There is a security check at the pier just like that at the airport. It is recommended that you arrive at the pier 30 minutes at least in advance.
- All types of tickets on the 4-star and 4.5 star boats are capped with the same pricing due to the accounting reason. But the actual pricing is higher than that on the ticket.
- For the Private Li River Cruise Rafts, persons over 65 years of age and under 120 cms tall are not permitted on-board.
Interested in visiting the Li River Cruise on a Tour?
Wendy Wei Tours offers a variety of different packaged tours as well as custom tours in Li River Cruise, among other cities and areas. To find out more, please visit our Tours page or Contact Us directly to find out more.
Reed Flute Cave
Would you like to know why several former US presidents had spoken highly of the Reed Flute Cave after visiting it? It features its own unique charm, which some consider to be distinct from any other attractions in the world!
Elephant Trunk Hill
Have you visited a hill standing in the middle of a river in the center of a city before? How about one shapred like an Elephant? In Guilin, there is such a hill – the 300 million year old Elephant Trunk Hill. It looks just like an elephant drinking water from the Li River!
