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County in Guangxi, China
Photo: Ericbolz, Public domain via Wikimedia Commons
Yangshuo (阳朔; Yáng shuò) is a small town surrounded by karst mountains and beautiful scenery near Guilin. It has been a popular backpacker destination since the 1980s, and the surrounding area has excellent rock climbing opportunities which attract large groups of tourists. As a result, it has seen much development and now gets many tour groups, mostly but by no means all Chinese.
From the travel guide. Select a place for details, a map and what is nearby.
杨堤风光
This stretch along the Li River is probably the most renowned and popular. The traditional bamboo rafts along this stretch have been replaced by rafts made of plastic pipe with two stroke motors. The "raft experience" is now a boom industry and hundreds of these small rafts cruise this route when the big tour boats have passed. The rafts are safe and the better operators provide life jackets. There is also a 24 km (5 to 6 hours) track for easy hiking along the Li river.
遇龙河谷
The pretty valley is said to rival the Yangdi-Xingping stretch in terms of beauty. Besides rafting down the river on bamboo rafts, another popular way of seeing the valley is by cycling along riverside tracks. The journey will bring you through many farming villages and past several stone bridges across the river such as the Yulong Qiao and Fuli Qiao. Be warned though that the track is complicated and it is easy to get lost; using a local guide will ensure you stay on track.
月亮山
Another popular scenic spot south of town. The main attraction is a hill with a huge hole in the shape of a moon. The hills here can be climbed for spectacular vistas from the top. There is a ¥15 entry fee. (There is also another dirt trail to the right of the entrance; follow it left, hop over the barbed wire and follow the stone steps up to reach the main path for free.) It is not an incredibly long trek to the top but the gradient and strange angle of the steps can do something strange to your legs on the way down. The Moon Hill Cafe at the base of the hill sells fairly mediocre food at ridiculously high prices, and you may need something after the trek up and down. Alternatively there are a few other places to choose from in nearby Moon Hill Village, and plenty of hawkers selling cool drinks. If it is a slow day, don't be surprised if a hawker follows you up the mountain to make a sale when you are thirsty. The hawkers are mostly harmless old farm women, but they are aggressive. ¥5 is a fair price for two bottles of cold water. They will try to sell it for triple that price. On the road back to Yangshuo, not far from Moon Hill, is the 'Big Banyan Tree' scenic area. A ¥20 entry fee gets you into this popular park by the Yulong river, featuring a 1,400-year-old banyan tree. Be sure to use the official entrance (ticket offices at the front), as hawkers will attempt to lure you into an alternative entrance that is lined with dozens of souvenir stalls.
聚龙潭
The Karst cave was so named because the grotesque peaks outside the cave look like dragons among the clouds. Inside the Assembling Dragon Cave are beautiful sculptures of nature in the form of varied formations of stalactites and stalagmites. These formations are lit by colorful neon lights, together with sweet music in the background, making one feels like he/she is in the fairyland! The Magical Stone Palace is next to the exit of the Assembling Dragon Cave. The Magical Stone Palace is a big exhibition hall selling many kinds of stones to tourists.
Local tourism companies offer evening boat trips to watch fisherman using a traditional night fishing technique that employs cormorants.
阳朔公园, 人民公园 People's Park
A great place to observe the locals playing cards, a national pastime so it would seem. You’ll also see groups of women sitting around talking whilst doing their knitting, some even walk along the street whilst knitting and chatting.
西街
大榕树
碧莲峰
刘三姐水上公园
Every evening from 8 to 9:10pm a live performance is held where the surrounding karst mountains are part of the show.
书童山
阳朔文化古迹山水园
Claim focus on quality instructions, bilingual guides and safety. Offer other activities such as abseiling, kayaking and ziplining.
Provides a gear shop, hostel and guiding services.
芙蓉路12号
Insight Adventures are the largest operator in Yangshuo and offer climbing and many other activities such as kayaking, caving, biking and abseiling. They are the most expensive outfit in town and offer a large staff of foreign and Chinese guides.
Beginner classes and guided climbs.
Has English-speaking guides.
They also do multi-day camping, biking tours, rafting, caving, etc., for school/family/corporate groups. Stop by after dinner for a slack-lining session.
A family-run organization based in a beautiful village. Afa and his brothers provide friendly instructions with a strong emphasis on safety. Other activities include rock climbing, ziplining, abseiling, camping and BBQ.
Wandering through the countryside on a bike and getting lost is one of the best things about Yangshuo. The villages often have dramatic mountain backdrops, and the people are generally friendly. Another popular trip is to take a boat ride with a bike, then bicycle back to town. Bike hire starts at around ¥15-20 per day, and tandems are a bit more. The bikes tend to be poorly maintained, so be sure to check brakes and gears before you set out. For travelers craving reliability, Bike Asia (22 Guihua Rd, across from Bar 98 and next to Kelly's Cafe) has well-maintained specialized mountain bikes for ¥70 a day, including a map, lock, helmet and advice on routes. Bike Asia also has good bike maps of the area, and can advise on where to cycle and help out with a reliable guide. Find a farmer woman for ¥100 per day to give you a guided tour of the local paths. This may include lunch at her place if you're lucky.
As of Aug 2013, this 18- to 24-km walk can be done both ways and it is a far more peaceful way to enjoy the Li river and mountain scenery than a loud noisy boat down the river. It takes you along the pebbly shores of the river, through many small villages, fields and bamboo forests. You will have to take three bamboo raft across the river at about ¥10-30 each after bargaining. Just tell someone you want to go "walking". In the direction of Xingping the first ferry crossing can be difficult to negotiate as it appears to not be entirely legal. The other ferries however are not an issue. If you get tired during the walk, you can always rent a bamboo raft to float down the river; don't worry about availability - you will be turning down offers of 'Bamboo? Bamboo?' the whole way. There are plenty of people selling food and drinks along the way, ranging from single sellers to sit-down cafes. One can then take a bamboo raft back to the start ¥300-500 one way.
The 3 ferry points across the river might not be in operation all day, so the better way is to start the trail from Daqiaotou village instead of Yangdi to skip 2 ferry points. Or if you start from Xingping and don't want to do the whole trail, you can do the trail from Xingping to Quanjiazhou and walk back. You can get the updated direction for the trail from AllTrails app.
During the summer, the water and temperature is good for swimming. Locals swim from the docks on the Li Jiang (Li River) a short way upstream of the town centre. The water is generally clean and crystal clear but you may want to avoid a main waste drain near to the dock. Keep walking up to the north from the dock for around 20 minutes to find out a popular swimming spot, nicknamed "the secret beach". Pay extra attention on strong currents which can be experienced in many parts of the river, especially if you are not good enough at swimming. Also tour boats that travel the Li Jiang coming from Guilin are a hazard, but usually the time before 12:00 and after 15:00 is tour boat free. The Yulong River is also good for swimming, offering some quality swimming spots, e.g. near dragon bridge, although some parts of the river are crowded with bamboo rafts.
Rafting along the Yulong river is particularly popular in summer, but travellers should take care not to go rafting if the water is brown and turbulent. In 2005 there was a fatality during high floods. The duration for rafting depends on the wharf that is your starting point and the ticket price varies accordingly. For example, from Shui'e di Wharf (水苊底码头) about 35 min on raft, Jima Wharf (骥马码头) about 80 min, Jinlong Bridge Wharf (金龙桥码头) about 90 min.
There are an abundance of caves riddling the limestone hills. Guided tours are available. More serious cavers should talk to the staff at the various climbing shops (listed above) for information about possible cave climbs.
Make sure which water cave you are visiting since there are at least two of them about 15 km south of Yangshuo. The Moon Water Cave is 2 km west of GaoTian town, but the ticket office is 2 km north-east of GaoTian town, on the road to another cave called Water Cave. Both caves state on flyers that they have hot spring baths but the one in Moon Water Cave appears to be artificially heated (ticket price ¥90).
印象·刘三姐, Yinxiang Liusanjie
70 minutes long. The show, set to the music from the movie of the same name and produced by famous Chinese director Zhang Yimou, who was also behind the Beijing Olympic games opening ceremony, is grand and impressive, though perhaps not particularly entertaining. It features a cast of more than 600 wearing traditional Zhuang, Miao and Yao dress, and a highly impressive light show. Liu Sanjie translates as Third sister Liu, the heroine of an old Chinese story. You can see the show cheaply from a boat on the river, or even from across the river, but by far the best view is from the official seating area. Tickets only sell out in the very height of the summer tourist season. Seats are assigned.
There is one Chinese Muslim restaurant directly facing the entrance to Yangshuo bus station. It can easily be identified by the headscarves worn by the women employees there. It serves a variety of halal noodle and rice dishes.
Fairly decent French food and crepe, movie every night at 21:00 and free internet.
Friendly staff and tasty food with decent size portions. The burrito and the chocolate and banana pancake are particularly good. Wireless internet and two computers available for customers. Regular expat hangout.
Great coffee, great cheesecake, packed most nights, wireless internet, and good chocolate milkshake (though small).
Breakfast here is excellent value if you are hungry or want a lot of coffee. Ghastly croissants but the rest is good.
Has English books to read, buy or trade.
Excellent, authentic home made South Indian food in brand new spot. Attentive service and very good prices. Kind of a hole in the wall and the decor is a bit over the top. Menu is limited but has the South Indian basics and a very good crispy dosa.
Great Indian food. Indian owned.
Serves a variety of Western and Chinese dishes, including excellent fries and great coffee. Their apple crumble (¥20) is a must-try. The owner and manager (Lucy) is a terrific resource for things to do and places to go in Yangshuo.
听月餐厅
Italian restaurant designed by Yangshuo Mountain Retreat owner, Chris Barclay, Luna offers gorgeous views of Moon Hill and the surrounding village. They also serve gourmet Chinese dumplings and offer a full bar. There's no elevator so be prepared to walk up.
Great service and food, cheap beer. Foreigners living in Yangshuo often hang out here. Also offers free wireless Internet. The Kelly's Cafe on Guiha street is better than the one on the side street. They both have great milk shakes but their veggie burgers are not the best in town as claimed. Also, a nice view and an ample breakfast.
Good cocktails, happy hour from 18:00-20:00, great music, wireless internet, 2nd floor lounge and open late.
English speaking, Excellent breakfast with bottomless coffee at a good price. Great coffee! The pear and ginger juice and 'adult shake' with Malibu rum are to die for. Best fresh drinks in Yangshuo.
Poor service and terrible Mexican food.
屋顶花园餐厅
Rooftop of Yangshuo Hidden Dragon Villa in Big Banyan Tree scenery Zone nearby Yulong River. Overlooking the peaceful and beautiful mountains, Yulong River and rice paddies, the Roof Garden Restaurant divides into the open rooftop restaurant and enclose rooftop restaurant, each can accommodate 40 persons at the same time, 80 persons in total. The enclosed rooftop restaurant combines the Restaurant, Wine Bar and Tea Bar together.
A great coffee house.
Standard Western fare. Slow service.
French Chef Nicolas with a romantic atmosphere. Original first class fusion cuisine. Great desserts including excellent chocolate cake. A good selection of tapas and cocktails.
This charming restaurant with a great outside deck offers a fine selection of the local cuisine as well as a variety of international dishes in a quiet and relaxing setting with great views. Breakfasts, brunches, lunch and dining with generous portions. Weekly barbecue and Chinese buffet nights. Cozy bar with a nice selection of Belgian Beers and South-African wines. Belgian-Chinese management.
Specializing in handmade noodles, this tiny shop is an out of the way treasure most tourists will never visit. For ¥8 you get a great spicy beef noodle bowl. With a beer to wash it all down, this little 4 table shop had excellent service, while the servers don't know English, the menu has pictures and English names, and whatever you end up with will be amazing.
一品居
Small restaurant offering authentic Northern Chinese food, run by a couple from Liaoning. Very popular with Western tourists, they have the usual Chinese-English bilingual menu with pictures, so ordering is not a problem. Try their dumplings (¥12-15 for a serving of twelve).
Opens in the afternoon and closes late, often 03:00-04:00. Monkey Jane's Rooftop Bar & Hostel is a nice and chill rooftop bar in a small alley of West Street. During the day it's great for chilling and enjoying the scenery with a nice view of the hills around Yangshuo. At night there's often parties with cheap beer and cocktails and things go crazy every now and then. There's a beer pong table and if you're lucky enough to beat Jane, you get a free T-shirt! Has beer pong tournaments every now and then. Happy Hour is from 6-9 with 2 cocktails for 30 kuai and shots for 20 kuai. They serve ice-cold Tsingtao, BeerLao, Heineken and Paulaner. Try their local Snake Baijiu.
Set back from the street with a courtyard in front, is a brew pub with its own beer. They have two brews, a wheat beer and a dark beer, both are rare finds in China. They also have French and Chinese food; quality is good and prices relatively high. Their courtyard is a great place for people-watching, but unfortunately it is also convenient for touts to find you.
A reggae bar, although with a larger range of music, moved from Guihua road to a new space on Xianqian St (with an open fire which is awesome in winter). Often has good live music (permanent open mic) and very laid back atmosphere. 10 kuai local beers, 15 kuai standard mixers as well as a wide range of cocktails and other drinks. Shisha 35 kuai. Nice chill-out area on the second floor. open later than most other bars, and often doesn't begin to fill up until after 10. Quiz nights on Tuesday nights often attract a good crowd.
Bar is on the fourth floor, with a small rooftop drinking area, great for getting away from the heat and crowds at street level. Fantastic views of the mountains that are lit up at night time. Ground floor is being renovated as an art gallery to display the owner's paintings. Free internet cafe for customers, 10 computers available. Bar has a fussball table, and roof-top area has a pool table. The owner and staff are very friendly, and speak good English.
formerly The Alley - Yangshuo Beer Bar & Restaurant
Located right in the centre of Yangshuo's nightlife area in a pedestrian zone and is a great place for a few drinks and good western food (pizza and steaks are excellent), very nice music selection. This bar offers a great variety of imported beers (Duvel, Leffe, Stella and Erdinger), and plenty of cocktails as well as harder stuff (absinthe, single malts etc.) They have a foosball table and every Wednesday foosball competition. Great coffee, European football live, nice outside sitting area, good service, very good English.
The London Tavern is an authentic English pub right in the middle of Yangshuo. They sell London Pride and other beers on draught and carry a reasonably wide selection of bottled English ales. The manager is English and they sell the best British food in Yangshuo. A hangout for local expats who drop in for a taste of home and even a game of darts!
As the sun sets, Bike Asia turns into the Rusty Bolt, a hangout for climbers and cyclists. An interesting mix of folks who have been in town for hours, months and years. Wednesday the bar hosts a card game night. Thursday is a dice game night (Farkle) starting at 20:30. Other bars on West Street often have very overpriced drinks and too-loud techno music; this place has neither offering more of a chilled lounge atmosphere.
English-speaking, climbing owners. Has moved away from the West St area to this quieter alley near the local market. Cheap and simple.
Offers private rooms with hot showers for reasonable prices in off season. Decent, clean rooms with TV and double bed, helpful staff. There are also several other good budget options surrounding this hotel.
Probably the busiest hostel in the off season. Internet, free wifi, bike rental and laundry service.
The original hostel in town, and one with a lot of character, though these days looks a little dilapidated.
Reliable service and friendly English-speaking staff. Best place to meet other backpackers. By day the Rooftop Bar becomes the hostel common area, by night it is a party with the cheapest beer in town during happy hour. Huge flatscreen TV with 500 DVDs, free WI-FI.
Great value with good local and Western food, friendly and helpful staff, and a pleasant location with great views of the local karst scenery. Close to the Moon Hill, Big Banyan tree, the Yulong river, and several caves.
The tallest building in Yangshuo with a nice view over the whole city from the rooftop terrace. Slightly hard to find at first, but in a very peaceful area between the police station and the town government office, with only two or three minutes walk to the busiest streets. English-speaking boss who lets you use the kitchen and can reserve cheaper tickets for you to all tourist destinations. Clean and renovated rooms with air conditioning, bike rental is also possible without deposit.
Just like the one in Guilin with new furniture. Super friendly and helpful staff. They have three new mountain bikes for rent ¥40/day.
莲西宾馆
The very friendly English-speaking owners Steven and Lily offer a wide range of tours and bus/train/boat/airplane tickets as well as cheap bike rentals (from ¥5-10/day)
Mr. Li will meet you at the bus stop and grab you to take you to XiJie. The place is not very nice, but a very cool design and cheap. These guys are really pushy trying to get you to do their tours. If you can speak a little Chinese, just stay here and book the tours on your own.
阳朔老班长国际青年旅舍
Excellent hostel with spacious lobby, Wi-fi plus free internet on in-house computers, consistently clean rooms and bathrooms. The staff speaks good English, knows the town well, and will help you get the same prices that the locals pay for all the sightseeing spots. If you get up early enough they'll often bring you free coffee. Very social atmosphere, guests often stay up late into the night playing cards and talking. Discounts on Tuesdays if you come wearing orange.
Shower, TV, and Western toilets.
Decent rooms, helpful staff.
Clean and just far away from West St to be quiet. Staff are friendly. Rooms with western toilet and hot water shower.
Eco-friendly homestay country villa in a small and quiet village just outside of Yangshuo. Staff is very friendly, rooms are spotless. Building is a Smoke Free environment. Aircon, Wi-fi, Traditional Chinese homecooked dinners, rooftop lounge with DVD player and Playstation, bicycle rent.
In a quiet street a 4-min walk from West St, restaurants, bars and the heart of Yangshuo. Great mountain views.
This is a wonderful family owned hotel with a great location. Much nicer than other mid range hotels. The Ming/Xing architecture is very attractive and the rooms are very clean. Reception girls speak good English and they are friendly and knowledgeable.
Restored farmhouse in a small village 4 km from town in a beautiful, quiet setting. Very friendly staff with great advice in multiple languages (Chinese, English, Dutch, German and little French). Relaxed atmosphere. Restaurant, air-conditioning an option, bicycle hire, free wifi, computer, private DVD players, pool table, etc. If you want to take photos of the rural landscape and people at work, you can book a very gentle trek at the inn.
Charming wooden decoration and great comfort in a calm environment. The 3-bed room on the first floor is particularly comfortable. Avoid balcony rooms to ensure no mosquitos.
Yangshuo's only countryside hostel in a picturesque village near the Li River, just around the corner of Yangshuo's lively center. Delicious food and a great cozy balcony bar (with heating in winter). Offers weekly barbecue and Chinese buffet nights. Owned and perfectly managed by a Belgian/Chinese family with a very cute little son. Fridge full of Belgian beers (Duvel, Chimay, Orval, Leffe...). All their private rooms have wooden flooring, wifi-access, air-con and heating facilities.
They provide cooked dinner at 18:00 (with the other guests, so no chance to practice Chinese in case that is what you were hoping for). Rooms are warm in winter. During the winter, the owner, Mr. Wei, he is very helpful and friendly with any needs or questions you might have.
Yangshuo's first boutique hotel. Close to caves, rivers and Liu San Jie lightshow. Thirteen beautifully appointed rooms (5 of them in a beautifully restored mud brick farmhouse) with solar hot water in summer, American Standard fixtures, handmade bamboo beds and amazing views of Moon Hill and surrounding limestone karst towers. Also great Italian restaurant, bikes to rent and helpful staff.
A hotel on West Street, sister hotel to Rosewood Inn but a more luxurious one. Beautiful and comfortable boutique style rooms with the most upscale designer bathrooms. Lots of toiletries and details with friendly staff.
A hotel on the bank of the Yulong River surrounded by limestone peaks and bamboo forests.
A guesthouse created from farmhouses surrounding a courtyard in Aishanmen, a village 5 km from Yangshuo. Friendly owners (Dutch) and free internet. Restaurant is really good. Good atmosphere and great staff.
稻花香农家乐
The guesthouse is in a picturesque Aishanmen village by the Yulong River. All rooms offer amazing views of surrounding limestone karst mountain as well as rice terraces. It is possible to watch both gorgerous sunrise and sunset. The guesthouse has its own vegetable garden and serves organic Chinese food. Owned by a friendly local family. WiFi-access, air-con and heating facilities. The owner can offter you great tips for photo shooting spots.
Great views. Free Wifi in all rooms. Just far enough out of town to miss all the late night noise. Large rooms with very good air conditioning.
阳朔白玉兰酒店
Air-conditioned, centrally located, and clean. Friendly and helpful staff.
True Comfort in the countryside. Experience the tranquility of a sleepy Farmer Village with all modern comforts at arms length. 12 Grand suites with relaxing bathroom and large balcony.
Countryside location. Beautiful views, English staff and Western-style accommodation, an inground swimming pool with poolside bar and grill. Family suites and twin/double rooms.
Great views, clean, friendly, Wi-Fi.
Beautiful hotel, set between the karst hills on the banks of the Yulong River with an extensive garden, 7 km from West St. 29 rooms most with balcony and river view, indoor and outdoor dining. A long time China expat favorite in the Yangshuo area.
Newer hotel not to be confused with the similarly-named one above. A set of country houses that combines Chinese and Western styles, with accommodation, restaurant, ecological agriculture, and travel services, 5 km outside Yangshuo.
A largeWestern-style hotel set on the river with most if not all rooms having a river view. Hotel is upmarket but a little lacking in personality.
There is a used bookstore and reading room (with a large selection in English and some books in several other European languages) at Cafe Too. Prices are higher than at used bookstores in Western countries, but cheaper than new books. You can buy coffee, or a meal, and read them free. WiFi here is free and Philip, the owner, is a great source of local news and information. It is great for people living in China and missing Western books.
By plane
The nearest airport is Guilin Liangjiang International Airport (KWL) in Guilin, served by many Asian carriers with several daily flights from Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen.
By train
Yangshuo Railway Station is in Xingping town, about 36 km northeast of Yangshuo. Shuttle buses operate between downtown Yangshuo and the station.
By bus
From Guilin, there are frequent minibuses and express buses to Yangshuo. There are two services, private and government run.
By boat
There are also boats that travel down the Li River from Guilin, slower and more expensive (¥400+) than buses, but a very scenic journey.
By motorbike
There are a number of motorbike rental options available throughout Yanghsuo. Generally they can be found at the same locations as bike rentals, particularly at the top of West Street.
By taxi
Taxis in Yangshuo are very few compared to other bigger cities, because they are limited by the government.
By motorbike taxi
On many street corners there are men waiting on their motorbike. They will take you anywhere in town for a fee of ¥8-15 within town.
By foot
Yangshuo is a small place, the town can easily be covered on foot. There is an electric minibus network consisting five routes covering most parts of town. ¥1 per ride.
By boat
There are boat tours up or down the river.
By bus
Local buses serve some locations. From Yangshuo's bus terminal, minibuses (xiao mian bao, litt.
By car
It is possible to hire private cars for others.
Tour guides
Most hostels or hotels can arrange transportation and a guide if you want one. A guide may be very helpful for things like cycling tours.
Choose an airport to see hotels, stations, taxi ranks and car rental desks around it.
Guilin (Lingui) · International · KWL
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