2 days highlights tours : Longji rice terraces & Li River cruise

Guilin’s best scenery fits into two days. This private tour links the sweeping Longji rice terraces with a quiet Li River bamboo cruise from Yangdi to Nine Horses Pier. I like the useful mix of mountain views and river scenery, and I like having private car or MPV transport with an English-speaking driver. The main catch is that entrance tickets, meals, and lodging are not included, so the $150 price is not the final cost.

I also like the small-group format. Your own party takes part, which should make the long drives and two-hour PingAn hike easier to manage. The strongest personal praise goes to Sylvia, whose clear English and patience earned a warm recommendation. If your schedule is tight, this is an efficient way to see major Guilin sights, but it is a full two-day outing rather than a slow village stay.

Key points at a glance

• Two famous Guilin areas in one trip: Pair the Longji Dragon’s Backbone terraces with the karst peaks along the Li River.
• Private transport for your group: A private car or MPV van and an English-speaking driver are included.
• A two-hour walk in PingAn: The Longji visit is not only a roadside photo stop. You get time to hike among the terraces.
• Bamboo rafting from Yangdi: The Li River portion uses a bamboo boat from Yangdi Pier to Nine Horses Pier.
• Xianggong Mountain adds a high viewpoint: Its summit reaches about 200 meters and offers a broad view of the river area.
• Budget for extras: Tickets, food, accommodation, and personal spending are separate from the $150 tour price.

Why this two-day pairing works

Guilin is famous for two kinds of scenery. Around Longsheng, hills are shaped into layers of rice fields. Along the Li River, limestone peaks rise above the water in striking forms. Seeing both gives you a better sense of the region than spending two days on only one route.

I like the contrast. Day one is about walking uphill through the Longji rice terraces and visiting Huangluo Yao Village. Day two trades mountain paths for water, with a bamboo cruise and several river viewpoints. The result feels varied, even though both days are built around outdoor scenery.

The tour starts from Guilin city at 8:00 am. Since transport is private, only your group takes part. That matters here because the two days include road travel, scheduled stops, and a hike. You are not tied to the needs of a large coach group, though the supplied details do not promise custom timing at every stop.

At $150 per person, the value depends on how many people share the vehicle and what you would otherwise need to arrange. Private transport and an English-speaking driver are included, as are service charges and taxes. That removes some of the work of connecting Guilin, Longji, Yangdi, Xianggong Mountain, and the Yangshuo area.

Still, treat $150 as the tour fee, not an all-in price. Entrance tickets are excluded at every listed paid attraction. You also pay for meals, accommodation, and personal expenses. The price looks more attractive if you value private transport and want both major areas without planning separate day trips.

Huangluo Yao Village and the first look at Longji

The first stop is Huangluo Yao Village, in the Longji rice terrace area of Longsheng. You have about 30 minutes here, and admission is listed as free. This makes it a short introduction rather than a long cultural visit.

The village is associated with the Yao people, one of the local communities in Guangxi. With only half an hour, I would treat the stop as a chance to get your bearings, take in the setting, and prepare for the larger terrace visit that follows. Do not expect this portion to fill the morning.

The real focus of day one is Longji, also called the Dragon’s Backbone Rice Terraces. Farmers carved the hills into layers of paddies, creating broad curves that follow the slopes. The name makes sense once you see the ridges rising and folding across the hills.

The terraces change character with the farming season, but the tour information does not give a specific travel date or promise a particular color. You might find green fields, reflective water, or more muted earth tones, depending on the time of year. That uncertainty is worth remembering if you are booking mainly for a certain photograph.

The two-hour PingAn walk

You spend about two hours hiking in the PingAn rice terraces. This is the part of the first day that gives the area its real value. A quick roadside viewpoint can show you the pattern of the fields, but walking lets you see how the paths, slopes, and village setting fit together.

I appreciate that the hike is clearly timed rather than left vague. You know to allow roughly two hours for it, though the supplied details do not state the trail distance or level of difficulty. If you are comfortable with a short mountain walk, this should be manageable, but you should not treat it as a flat stroll.

The admission ticket for the Longji stop is not included. Ask your driver how and where the ticket is handled before you arrive, and keep extra money available for all listed attractions. The tour includes the vehicle and driver service, not the entry fees.

PingAn is also where the day can feel more physical. You will have already spent time on the road from Guilin, then you will walk for about two hours among the terraces. Wear practical shoes and plan for changing conditions, but do not assume that the operator supplies hiking equipment or meals. Those items are not listed.

The private format helps here. If your group includes different walking speeds, you can discuss the pace with the driver. The tour does not promise a dedicated hiking guide, so you should think of the driver as your transport and English-speaking service contact, not automatically as a mountain guide.

Yangdi Pier to Nine Horses Pier by bamboo boat

Day two begins with a drive to Yangdi Pier. The description places the cruise at the heart of the morning, with a bamboo boat journey toward Nine Horses Pier. The listed time for the Xingping Town portion is about 50 minutes, though the cruise description itself is tied to Yangdi Pier and Nine Horses Pier.

The Li River is known for tall limestone peaks rising around the water. From a low boat, you get a different view than from the road. The river bends reveal new shapes gradually, and the pace is slow enough for you to pay attention to the relationship between the water, cliffs, and rural banks.

This is a bamboo rafting trip, not a full-length cruise covering every famous Li River section. That distinction matters. You get a focused stretch between Yangdi and Nine Horses Pier, followed by land-based viewpoints and river stops. It is a good choice if you want the water experience without assigning an entire day to a long boat journey.

Admission for this portion is not included. The information also does not specify whether the boat is shared with other passengers, so you should confirm the operating details if the style of the ride matters to you. The overall land transport remains private for your group, but that does not necessarily mean the bamboo boat itself is private.

The 50-minute stop gives you enough time to enjoy the river setting without rushing through several unrelated sights. I would keep your camera ready, but also pay attention to the changing shapes of the peaks. The scenery is the reason to take this route, not a scripted performance or a long list of indoor attractions.

Xianggong Mountain’s broad river view

After the river section, the tour visits Xianggong Mountain for about an hour. The hill is located in the middle of one of the most scenic parts of the Li River area. Its elevation is given as about 200 meters, with a straight height of 50 meters, and the summit provides a wide view over the surrounding peaks and river.

This stop is useful because it changes your viewpoint again. On the bamboo boat, the limestone formations rise around you. From Xianggong Mountain, you look across the river area from above and see how the bends and peaks connect.

The one-hour timing is enough for the viewpoint visit as described, but the tour does not specify the trail length, ascent details, or ticket price. Admission is not included. I would ask about the exact walking requirements before the day begins, especially after the previous day’s terrace hike.

Xianggong Mountain may be the best photo stop for understanding the full shape of the Li River scenery. It is also one reason this tour offers more than a simple Yangdi boat ride. You get the close view from the water and the wide view from the hill.

Yulong River and the Yangshuo countryside

The final listed stop is the Yulong River, also called the Meeting Dragon River. It is a tributary of the Li River near Yangshuo, known for quiet water, karst scenery, villages, and a rural setting. You have about 50 minutes here.

This stop gives the second day a calmer finish. The Li River cruise supplies the main river drama, Xianggong Mountain supplies height, and Yulong River offers a gentler view of the area around Yangshuo. The shorter visit means you should expect a scenic pause, not a full river activity.

The description does not say that you take a second raft or boat on the Yulong River. Do not assume that a bamboo ride is included here. The confirmed boat portion is the journey from Yangdi Pier to Nine Horses Pier.

The area is valuable because it shows a quieter side of the Guilin region. Instead of only chasing famous viewpoints, you get time near a smaller river and rural villages. The tour does not provide a detailed village program, so the experience is mainly about the setting and the time available to look around.

Transport, guide service, and group size

The tour includes private car or MPV van transport. That is a major practical benefit because the route covers Guilin city, Longsheng, PingAn, Yangdi, Xianggong Mountain, and the Yulong River area. Public transport connections could take more planning, while a private vehicle keeps the two-day route together.

An English-speaking driver is included. Sylvia is specifically praised for speaking English very well and being patient while taking a group between the different places. That is the most useful personal detail available about the service. You can reasonably place a high value on clear communication when entrance tickets, piers, hills, and changing stops are involved.

The tour is private, meaning only your group participates. Group discounts are offered, though no discount amounts are provided. If you are traveling with several people, ask for the current group rate and compare it with hiring separate transport and arranging each attraction yourself.

Pickup is offered, and the start time is 8:00 am from Guilin city. The exact pickup arrangement is not stated, so confirm the meeting point when you book. Confirmation is provided at booking, and service animals are allowed. Most people can participate, but the two-hour PingAn hike means you should consider your own walking ability.

What the $150 price really covers

The $150 fee includes three useful pieces: the private vehicle, the English-speaking driver, and service charges and taxes. It does not include entrance tickets, accommodation, meals, air or train tickets, or other personal expenses.

That structure is common for a private sightseeing trip, but it requires a little planning. You will need to budget for the Longji admission, the Li River bamboo boat, Xianggong Mountain, and any other required ticket in the route. Since prices are not provided, I would ask for the current total before departure.

I see the strongest value for people who want convenience and a private vehicle more than the lowest possible price. You are paying to connect several scenic areas over two days, with an English-speaking driver handling the road portion. If you already have a car, a driver, or a strong plan for public transport, the value may be less convincing.

Accommodation is not included, so you need to arrange where you sleep between the two days. Meals are also your responsibility. The route may be simple to follow with a private driver, but your budget should include these separate costs from the start.

Who should book this Guilin tour?

I would recommend it to first-time visitors who want to see Longji and the Li River in a compact schedule. It suits couples, families, and small private groups who prefer their own vehicle and want English-language assistance along the way.

It also suits people who like a mix of walking and sightseeing. Day one has a roughly two-hour hike in PingAn. Day two combines a bamboo boat, a mountain viewpoint, and a river stop, so you are not sitting in a vehicle for the entire trip.

I would be more cautious if you want long stays in each village, detailed cultural interpretation, or a fully inclusive package. The village stop is only 30 minutes, and several ticket costs are separate. The route is designed for highlights, not a slow, deeply customized stay.

Before booking, confirm four things: the exact pickup point in Guilin, the current entrance fees, the accommodation plan, and how the bamboo boat operation works from Yangdi to Nine Horses Pier. Those answers will make the final price and daily rhythm much clearer.

Free cancellation is available if you cancel at least 24 hours before the start time. Changes or cancellations made within 24 hours are not accepted for a refund, and the cut-off follows local time.

Should you book it?

Book this tour if you want Guilin’s two signature settings, Longji terraces and Li River karst scenery, without arranging several separate transfers. The private car, English-speaking driver, and small-group format give the $150 fee a practical reason, especially for a group sharing the vehicle.

Skip it if you want a fully priced package with meals, hotels, and tickets included, or if a two-hour terrace hike does not suit your plans. For the right visitor, this is a well-focused two-day route: walk the Dragon’s Backbone, float from Yangdi, climb to Xianggong Mountain, and finish near the Yulong River.

FAQ

Where does the tour start?

The tour starts from Guilin city at 8:00 am. Pickup is offered, but the exact meeting point should be confirmed when booking.

How long does the tour last?

The tour lasts approximately two days.

Is transportation included?

Yes. Private car or MPV van transportation is included, along with an English-speaking driver and service charges and taxes.

Are entrance tickets included?

No. Entrance tickets for the attractions on the route are not included in the tour price.

Is accommodation included?

No. You must arrange and pay for accommodation separately.

Does the tour include meals?

No. Meals are not included. Personal expenses and other items not specifically listed are also separate.

Is this a private tour?

Yes. Only your group will participate. Group discounts are offered, though the discount amount is not specified.