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12 days · 4 cities · With Guilin and the Li River
Illustration of a traveller looking at the Guilin hills from a bullet train window

China itinerary 12 days, with Guilin and the Li River

Beijing 3 · Xi'an 2 · Guilin 3 · Shanghai 4. The route Chinalia travellers ask for most.

By Armando Pacheco, who lives in Shanghai ·

Prefer Zhangjiajie to the Li River? See the variant →

51 s · No sound · Shows the same as the text

The route, day by day

YellowSeaEast ChinaSea4 h 302 h2 h 301Beijing3 days2Xi'an2 days3Guilin3 days4Shanghai4 daysTrainFlight

Once you use it, you can add or remove days and cities, and we will remind you of every booking.

1

Beijing

3 days
What to see in Beijing
Where we stayRegent BeijingDongcheng, by Wangfujing
  1. Illustration of a bicycle against the grey wall of a hutong by a red door with lanterns, Beijing
    Day 1Arrival and a walk on WangfujingYou land in China
  2. Illustration of the main gate of the Forbidden City in Beijing
    Day 2Forbidden City and Jingshan hillBook 7 days ahead, 8 pm Beijing time
    Getting there

    Metro line 1, Tiananmen East · 3-4 h

  3. Illustration of the Great Wall at Mutianyu over green and autumn hills, with its watchtowers
    Day 3Great Wall at MutianyuQuieter and greener than Badaling
    Getting there

    Mubus from Dongzhimen, or DiDi in 80-100 min · 4-5 h

Guide to Beijing→
Bullet train to Xi'an4 h 30 · tickets open 15 days ahead
Flight to Guilin2 h
3

Guilin

3 days
What to see in Guilin
Where we stayMountain RetreatYangshuo, near West Street
  1. Illustration of a boatman on a bamboo raft on the Li River among karst hills, Guilin
    Day 6Arrival in Yangshuo and West StreetFlight from Xi'an
  2. Illustration of a boatman on a bamboo raft on the Li River among karst hills, Guilin
    Day 7Li River cruiseThe view on the 20 yuan note
    Getting there

    Taxi to Mopanshan pier, 28 km · 4-5 h

  3. Illustration of two bicycles by the Yulong River among karst hills, Yangshuo
    Day 8Cycling the Yulong riverRent a bike at your hotel
    Getting there

    E-bike from Yangshuo · medio día

Guide to Guilin→
Flight to Shanghai2 h 30
4

Shanghai

4 days
What to see in Shanghai
Where we stayHyatt on the BundThe Bund and East Nanjing Road
  1. Illustration of the old Bund buildings at dusk, with a street lamp and a boat on the Huangpu River
    Day 9The Bund at nightFlight from Guilin
  2. Illustration of Yuyuan Garden's zigzag bridge and teahouse with koi fish, Shanghai
    Day 10Yuyuan Garden and old townEarly, before the groups
    Getting there

    Metro lines 10 and 14, Yuyuan Garden · 1,5 h

  3. Illustration of an ancient bronze ding vessel in a Shanghai Museum case
    Day 11Shanghai Museum EastFree, no booking. Closed on Tuesdays
    Getting there

    Metro line 2, Pudong · 3-5 h

  4. Day 12Flight homeTravel day
Guide to Shanghai→

Who it is for

Honeymoon

Three nights in Yangshuo, in a hotel by the water like the old sugar mill Sugar House or the Banyan Tree villas on the Li River. One day cruising the river and another cycling along the Yulong, with no early starts. You finish with four nights in Shanghai and dinners facing the Bund.

Honeymoon in China
With kids

An easy pace in Yangshuo, with bikes along the Yulong and hotels with a pool like Yuyuan Resort. It is nature without long hikes. Note it has two domestic flights, Xi'an-Guilin and Guilin-Shanghai.

China with kids
First trip

The three classic cities plus the Li River scenery, the one on the 20-yuan note. Beijing and Xi'an by train, then a flight of about 2 hours from Xi'an to Guilin. Best from September to November or in April.

First trip to China, tips and what to know

Estimated budget

Per person, in a double room and without your flight to China.

Budget€650 to €1,000Simple, clean, well-located hotels
Comfortable€1,050 to €1,950Four stars or boutique, in the best area
Special€2,600 to €4,100Hotels to treat yourself

It covers hotels, trains in second class (first class for Special), domestic flights, main entry tickets, food and getting around town. Train Beijing-Xi'an and two flights, Xi'an-Guilin and Guilin-Shanghai.

KOI hotels checked on Trip.com for a night in November 2026, with trains, flights and food from 2026 sources. How it is worked out, in China trip cost

Guilin and the Li River

It is the route Chinalia travellers ask for most, because of the Li River. Guilin has the airport, but to sleep by the river the best base is Yangshuo, about 90 minutes by direct coach from the airport. The cruise ends there and the bikes set off along the Yulong River.

If it is your honeymoon

For a honeymoon this route has the right pace, with slow days in Yangshuo and a long finale by the Bund. You do not need a luxury hotel in every city. Pick one or two as a treat, for example in Yangshuo and Shanghai. Special hotels cost €140 to €275 a night in Yangshuo and €371 to €474 in Shanghai, per double room, checked on Trip.com for a night in November 2026.

  • Beijing. The PuXuan, with Forbidden City views
  • Xi'an. Sofitel Legend, in a 1953 landmark building
  • Yangshuo. Sugar House, a former sugar mill on the Li River
  • Yangshuo. Banyan Tree, riverside villas with a spa
  • Shanghai. Fairmont Peace Hotel, the 1929 classic on the Bund
Sources

Checked on 14 October 2026.

Variant · 12 days · Zhangjiajie's Avatar peaks

Prefer Zhangjiajie? The Avatar mountains variant

The same 12 days, with three days in Zhangjiajie instead of Guilin. You swap the Li River for the Avatar stone pillars.

  1. BeijingDays 1 to 4Arrival and a walk on Wangfujing · Forbidden City and Jingshan hill · Great Wall at Mutianyu · Temple of Heaven and hutongsThings to do in Beijing
  2. Bullet train · 4 h 30Xi'anDays 5 to 6City wall by bike and the Muslim Quarter · Terracotta ArmyThings to do in Xi'an
  3. Flight · 1 h 30 · direct flights April to October onlyZhangjiajieDays 7 to 9Arrival in Wulingyuan · Yuanjiajie and Tianzi Mountain · Golden Whip StreamThings to do in Zhangjiajie
  4. Flight · 2 h 30ShanghaiDays 10 to 12The Bund at night · Yuyuan Garden and old town · Flight homeThings to do in Shanghai

Best months. April, September and October.

Estimated budget. Per person, in a double room and without your flight to China. Budget €700 to €1,050, Comfortable €1,050 to €1,950, Special €2,600 to €3,950. Train Beijing-Xi'an and two flights, Xi'an-Zhangjiajie and Zhangjiajie-Shanghai.

The flight from Xi'an to Zhangjiajie. The direct flight only runs from April to October. The rest of the year you go by bullet train with a change in Changsha, 8.5 to 10 hours in all, and that day goes on the journey. If you travel from November to March, look at the 15-day route that reaches Zhangjiajie by train.

When to do this route

JanAvoid
FebAvoid
MarGood
AprIdeal
MayAvoid
JunGood
JulGood
AugGood
SepIdeal
OctIdeal
NovIdeal
DecAvoid
  • September, October and November. Autumn, the best season in Guilin.
  • April. A good time in Guilin and in the north.
  • June. It is often the best summer month in Guilin.
  • July and August. Heat and short showers in Guilin, start early.
  • March. It works, though Guilin is better from April to November.
  • May. Better pick another route, Guilin gets a lot of rain. For those months, try With kids and pandas, 12 days.
  • December, January and February. Better pick another route, the Li River runs low and it is Guilin's worst season. For those months, try Zhangjiajie's Avatar peaks, 12 days.

Avoid Golden Week, 1 to 7 October, and Chinese New Year, 6 February 2027. Which route to do each month

Sources

Checked on 14 October 2026.

Questions about this route

Why is it good for a honeymoon?

It pairs the must-sees with three slow days in Yangshuo, among the peaks and on a bike, and ends with four days in Shanghai by the Bund. It is the route with the most time together and the least rushing.

Train or plane between cities?

Beijing to Xi'an by bullet train, about 4 h 30. Xi'an to Guilin by plane, about 2 hours, and Guilin to Shanghai by plane too, about 2 h 30. From Guilin airport a direct coach reaches Yangshuo in about 90 minutes.

When is the best time to go?

For Guilin, April to November, and best from September to November, with mild, sunny days. Avoid May, when the rain picks up sharply, and December to February, the dry season, when the Li River runs low and sometimes shows its bed. And the first week of October, a national holiday.

Can I add or remove a day?

If you add one, give it to Beijing, which only gets 3 days here, or to Yangshuo for the Longji rice terraces. If you cut one, take it from Shanghai. With 15 days, look at the Mountains and river route, which adds Zhangjiajie.

How much does it cost per person?

Per person, in a double room and without your flight to China, €650 to €1,000 with simple hotels, €1,050 to €1,950 with comfortable hotels and €2,600 to €4,100 with special hotels. That covers hotels, trains, domestic flights, tickets, food and getting around town.

Li River or Zhangjiajie?

Both are stunning. The Li River is calmer, with bikes, boats and hotels by the water. Zhangjiajie is the Avatar pillars, with more hiking and steps. If you want both, look at the 15-day Mountains and river route.

Other itineraries

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