The Li River (漓江, Lí Jiāng) cruise from Guilin to Yangshuo is one of China’s most iconic tourism experiences — 4–5 hours drifting through 83km of karst landscape that appears on the 20-yuan banknote. The scenery genuinely looks like the banknote: green river water, vertical limestone peaks, bamboo groves, water buffalo on rice paddy banks, fishing cormorants with their owners on narrow bamboo rafts.
Visiting without cruising the river would be like going to the Grand Canyon and not looking in.
Booking the Cruise
Official Tourist Boats
The “official” cruise boats (大型游船) are Chinese government-authorized large river boats that depart Zhujiang Pier (朱江码头) around 9–10am and arrive at Yangshuo around 2–3pm. These are the boats on which most tourists travel.
Prices: ¥210 (deck seats) to ¥500+ (premium cabin with air conditioning and better deck position). The ¥210 fare uses the outdoor deck; adequate on cool or overcast days.
Book through: Trip.com, hotel tours, or local agents in Guilin. The ticket includes the boat journey but not food, transfers to the pier, or Yangshuo to Guilin return.
The boats: Large cruise boats with cafeteria-style catering and multiple decks. The deck upper level has the best view; the enclosed lower cafeteria level has air conditioning.
Local Bamboo Raft Option
Small motorised bamboo rafts (竹筏漂流) cover sections of the river — typically the most scenic 20–30km section between Yangdi (杨堤) and Xingping (兴坪), rather than the full Guilin-Yangshuo route.
Cost: ¥150–250 per person for a 3-hour section.
The experience: Much more intimate than the cruise boats — lower, slower, quieter. The raft captain navigates by feel; cormorant fishermen paddle past; the reflections on the water are visible at a different scale. Better for photography of the water and close-in cliff formations.
How to book: Hotels in Yangdi Village arrange raft trips; local guides coordinate pick-up from Guilin.
What You See Along the Route
The full 83km is beautiful throughout, with scenic intensity increasing in the middle sections.
Elephant Trunk Hill (象鼻山, near Guilin start): The limestone outcrop shaped like an elephant drinking from the river — arguably the most-recognised karst formation in Guilin.
Crown Cave area (冠岩, km 30–35): Multiple narrow karst peaks arranged in tight clusters; the river bends dramatically between them.
Nine Horses Fresco Hill (九马画山, km 50): A cliff face with patterns said to resemble nine horses in different positions. Spotting all nine is considered auspicious; most people can find six or seven.
Xingping (兴坪古镇, km 60): The village visible on the 20-yuan banknote is here — the classic photograph from the hilltop above the village. The boat passes below; visiting the hill requires disembarking at Xingping and rejoining a later boat (possible with advance planning).
Yellow Cloth Shoal (黄布滩, km 70): The clearest water section — reflections of the karst peaks in the river’s shallows create a mirror effect, particularly in morning light.
Yangshuo Arrival
Arriving in Yangshuo by boat from the river is one of China’s genuinely great arrival experiences — the small town appears suddenly at the end of the karst gorge, with the same limestone peaks continuing behind it. The boat docks at Yangshuo Ferry Pier (阳朔码头); the town centre is a 10-minute walk.
Yangshuo is the base for:
- Yulong River cycling (月亮山, Moon Hill, and Yulong River bamboo raft sections — less crowded than Li River itself)
- Karst climbing (one of China’s best sport climbing destinations; multiple crags accessible by foot from town)
- Village market circuit (by bicycle through the rice paddy lanes to countryside markets)
Is the Cruise Worth It?
For first-time visitors: yes, unquestionably. The Li River landscape is unlike anywhere else in China and unlike anything most international visitors have seen. The scenic intensity of the middle section (Yangdi to Xingping) is genuinely extraordinary.
For second visits or visitors who have seen other karst landscapes (Ha Long Bay, Philippines): the bamboo raft section is more memorable than the full cruise.
Also see: Guilin Beyond Li River Guide | Guilin Travel Guide | Guangxi Longji Rice Terraces Guide