Overview
For confident hikers comfortable with longer walks.
Guilin, famed for its forest-like karst peaks, and Lijiang, with its rivers and terraces, offer scenery that changes beautifully with the seasons. This six-day journey covers 43 km of light hiking, combining outdoor adventure with cultural immersion. The itinerary comprises trekking through cenotes, natural caves, and limestone formations; an exhilarating via ferrata climb in Yangshuo; and a serene bamboo rafting trip on the Yulong River. It also comprises exploration of the Longji Terraces at Dazhai, a UNWTO-recognised “Best Tourism Village,” and the classic Yangdi–Xingping trail, regarded as one of China’s top ten hiking routes. Along the way, sample authentic local cuisine — from Guilin rice noodles and beer fish to Yao ethnic dishes and seasonal Guangxi fruits. With a balance of challenge, cultural discovery, and natural beauty, this itinerary captures the essence of Guilin.
Highlights
- Hike through the iconic Longji Rice Terraces, climbing step by step across more than 1,100 layers carved into the mountains by the Zhuang and Yao peoples.
- Venture deep into Luotian Cave, once an underground river channel, where smooth cave beads and towering stalactites reveal the passage of millennia.
- Explore the hidden Nanyu Tiankeng, a dramatic landscape of sinkholes, caverns, rock arches, and underground rivers shaped by nature’s power.
- Drift along the Yulong River on a bamboo raft, gliding past rolling karst peaks mirrored in emerald waters, and dip your hands into the flowing current.
- Challenge yourself with a via ferrata climb in Yangshuo, traversing sheer rock walls while overlooking peaks, farmland, and winding rivers below.
