Best Guilin River Cruises — Our Top 15

1.1 Day Li River Cruise from Guilin to Yangshuo with Private Guide & Driver

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 148 reviews · from $209Our pick

You’ll leave your Guilin hotel around 8:30 a.m. with a private English-speaking guide and driver, then cruise the Li River for about four hours to Yangshuo. Lunch is served aboard the boat. Afterward, you’ll see the countryside and walk West Street before a private transfer back to Guilin. Guide assignments vary, with Tony praised for his patient help.

“1-Day Guilin Tour to Reed Flute Cave, Xianggong Hill, Bamboo Boat & Night Show This tour was truly amazing, made even more special by our excellent English-speaking guide, Mr. Jeff. He is caring, attentive, and took very good care of us Read more”

Check availability →Read our full review

2.4 Star Luxury Li River Cruise with Buffet Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 80 reviews · 4 hours · from $92

You’ll be collected from a downtown Guilin hotel around 8:00 AM, driven to Zhujiang Pier, and spend about four hours cruising to Yangshuo. The boat offers indoor seating, an observation deck, and a Chinese or Western buffet lunch. There is no English-speaking guide, but a QR code provides commentary in several languages.

“Hello, thank you for your booking. I'm very happy to hear that you enjoyed your Li river tour .Wish you a great trip in China.Thanks!”

Check availability →Read our full review

3.Li River Cruise and Yangshuo Private Day Tour from Guilin

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 53 reviews · from $132

Meet your English-speaking driver and guide in Guilin for a four-hour Li River cruise to Yangshuo. Expect dramatic karst peaks, onboard Chinese lunch, and free time on West Street. Return to Guilin by car at a set time, or stay in Yangshuo. Guide quality and pickup communication can vary, so confirm the details before departure.

“This is a must do. The guide, Fifi, called me at the hotel the night before to make sure we knew where to meet. She spoke great English and made sure we made it. The river cruise is amazing.”

Check availability →Read our full review

4.Private day tour :Guilin-LiRiver bamboo boat-Yangshuo Highlights

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 38 reviews · from $135 per boat (seats 4)

Spend about 10 hours exploring Guilin and Yangshuo with a private English-speaking guide and air-conditioned vehicle. Visit Reed Flute Cave, Daxu Ancient Town, and the Li River by electric bamboo boat, then climb Xianggong Hill before Impression Sanjie Liu. Guides Jerry and Jeff are available when assigned.

“Unforgettable day. Jerry and his team did an amazing job!!! He gave us recommendations based on our preferences to make most of our time in Guilin. Jerry always available for any questions. He also helped us to book the transportation froRead more”

Check availability →Read our full review

5.1 Day Private Tour: Li River Cruise from Guilin & Yangshuo Biking

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 35 reviews · from $172

You’ll cruise four hours from Guilin to Yangshuo, passing karst peaks, bamboo groves, buffalo, and village life. After lunch and free time on West Street, your guide leads a two-hour countryside bike ride. Guides such as Frank, Lily, Jerry, Sarah, and Tony have earned praise for clear English and flexible help.

“Great guide (Sarah), very welcome a friendly. Great boat trip. The lunch on the boat wasn't great. The bycicle/scotter route after is definitely a must-do while in Guillin, one of our best trips in China and a great insight into the rural china.”

Check availability →Read our full review

6.3-Day Private Guilin Tour with Li River Cruise and Yangshuo

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 35 reviews · from $619

Spend three days exploring Guilin and Yangshuo with a private English-speaking guide and driver. See Reed Flute Cave’s colored chambers, Elephant Trunk Hill, Seven Star Park, Fubo Hill, and Xianggong Mountain. A four-hour Li River cruise connects Guilin with Yangshuo, while two hotel nights, breakfasts, lunch, bottled water, and airport or rail-station transfers are included.

“It is a beautiful place to visit. We did both the city tour and the River cruse and both these were beyond our expectation. The lighting system inside the cave adds to the beauty. It is a must if you are in Guilin. The next day was river cruse and tRead more”

Check availability →Read our full review

7.Li River cruise & Yangshuo countryside private day tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 34 reviews · from $110

You’ll leave your Guilin hotel by private vehicle, board a 3-star boat, and cruise 83 kilometers to Yangshuo beneath famous karst peaks. An English-speaking guide such as Jacky or Jenny points out the named formations, while lunch is served onboard. You can return to Guilin or remain in Yangshuo.

“Beautiful boat ride among beautiful landscapes. On the way back to guilin our guide allowed us to discover other places to visit. It was a very nice day.Auto-translated”

Check availability →Read our full review

8.Private Full-Day Li River Cruise and Liusanjie Show

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 27 reviews · 12 hours · from $263

You’ll cruise from Guilin to Yangshuo beneath karst peaks, eat lunch on board, stroll West Street, and watch the 70-minute Liu Sanjie show. A private English-speaking guide such as Jeff, Leo, Alonso, or Josef handles the long day, transport, and timing. Check the show-ticket payment terms before booking.

“Jeff was an outstanding Guide who took great care of us!”

Check availability →Read our full review

9.3 star Li River Cruise & Sightseeing Tour

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 20 reviews · 1 day · from $82

Start with pickup from a downtown Guilin hotel around 8am, then ride to Mopan Pier for a 3.5 to 4-hour 3-star Li River cruise. Enjoy karst peaks, farms, villages, and water buffalo, with lunch served onboard. After arriving in Yangshuo, you get about two hours to explore independently. English and Chinese support is available, but no private guide or return transfer is included.

Check availability →Read our full review

10.Li River Cruise, Yangshuo Biking & Flexible Pricing

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 20 reviews · 1 - 2 days · from $152 per boat (seats 2)

This private Guilin to Yangshuo day trip combines a four-hour Li River cruise with West Street, countryside cycling, and the Yulong River. Your English-speaking driver and guide, possibly Blues Lee, Bruce Lee, or Mok, handles transport and bicycles. Boat tickets cost extra, so compare the standard and deluxe options before booking.

“Bruce lee is a great guide! Very kind, nice and polite!! I suggest him to everyone”

Check availability →Read our full review

11.2 Day Guilin Highlights Li River Cruise and Longji Terraces Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 15 reviews · from $299

You get a private vehicle and English-speaking driver-guide for two full days around Guilin. Visit Longji Ping’an Rice Terraces, then take a four-hour Li River cruise to Yangshuo and stroll West Street. Guides Leo and Liao are especially praised, and you can return to Guilin or finish in Yangshuo.

“Leo, our guide and driver, was super. He not only gave us information about the places we were visiting, he was thoughtful and always brought us fresh fruit on both days of our tour. Anyone looking to book this tour must request for Leo as the guide and driver.”

Check availability →Read our full review

12.Li River Cruise with bamboo Rafting & Xianggong Hill Private Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 14 reviews · from $110

Travel from Guilin to Yangdi Pier in a private vehicle, then ride a four-person bamboo boat toward Nine Horse Pier. Your English-speaking driver, possibly Peter or Jacky, handles transport and tickets while you see Xianggong Hill, Fuli Bridge, and nearby villages. The tour lasts about four to six hours and suits travelers who want Li River scenery without a full-length cruise.

“I took this tour with my mom while we were visiting Guilin because we didn't want to do a big river cruise and this was a great alternative! We really enjoyed the itinerary of things they had planned, and we also asked to add a stop in YangshuRead more”

Check availability →Read our full review

13.Li River Cruise with Yangshuo Countryside Tours

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 13 reviews · 6 hours · from $128

Start with hotel pickup in Guilin, a four-hour Li River cruise with simple lunch, and dramatic karst peaks, fields, and villages. In Yangshuo, visit West Street, walk beside the Yulong River, and see Fuli Ancient Bridge before returning by private car. Drivers such as Jacky Li, Mike, and Silvia have been praised for friendly English service.

“A full day experience with a fun driver and a lot of Chinglish humor. We want to thank Mike for taking us everywhere we wanted to go and all the beautiful scenic spots.”

Check availability →Read our full review

14.Li River Cruise with Buffalo and Tour of Yangshuo

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 12 reviews · 8 - 14 hours · from $222

Start with hotel pickup in Guilin, a four-hour Li River cruise on a 4-star boat with buffet lunch, then choose a Yangshuo activity such as cycling or a scooter tour. Guides including Andy, Bruce, Kim, Colin, and Cristóbal have led this route in several languages. Return to Guilin by private car or stay in Yangshuo.

“All important to see from the boat trip to the Xianggong terrace. Expensive but very exclusive and usefull.”

Check availability →Read our full review

15.2-Day Private Tour: Classic Li River Cruise and Longji Terrace Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 9 reviews · from $417

Spend two days seeing Guilin’s signature sights with a private English-speaking guide. Walk around Longji’s Dragon’s Backbone terraces, visit Ping An Zhuang Village, then cruise the Li River to Yangshuo. Lunch, entrance fees, private transport, and downtown hotel pickup are included. Your overnight stay is not.

Check availability →Read our full review