Yangshuo and Xingping Holiday
Overview
Secluded fishing village, Qing Dynasty ancient towns, beautiful rivers and local flavours – this 5-day Yangshuo vacation including Xingping Town offers a hearty dose of China’s laidback countryside life. Bamboo raft down the silky waterways of Li River to watch dramatic karst peaks along the shores, be mesmerised by the bucolic scenery and spectacular sunset on the top of Laozhai Mountain and explore the thousand-year-old Fuli Old Town.
Pack a camera and a heart for adventure as Yangshuo will reward you with endless photography opportunities and happy memories.
Customize Your Tour:
☑ Travel Dates ☑ Your Interests ☑ Your Travel Style
Itinerary Expand All
This morning, pick up from your hotel in Guilin, and take a leisurely 4-star Li River Cruise down the picturesque Li River for spectacular karst sceneries. (This is the finest reliable boat type on Li River Cruise, offering better facilities and buffet lunch). After 3 hours cruise journey, disembark in Xingping Town and check in at your hotel. Take a short break and then throw yourself into the stunning countryside views and relaxed atmosphere.
After that, walk briskly through the old town of Xingping and climb up to Laozhai Mountain. 1149 stone steps lead to the top of the mountain, it is not high but some roads are very steep with uneven steps, making the hike a little dangerous and challenging. The scenery on top of the mountain is just amazing. You can have a bird’s eye view of Li River and if the weather permits, the place would be a perfect place to see sunset.
Meal: L
After breakfast, we will do a nearly two hours hiking to a fishing village which was visited by Bill Clinton in 1998. Walk along the small path that near the Laozhai Mountain to the river bank, then continue hike about 1 hour and you will arrive at the fishing village. Lying on the east bank of Li River, the fishing village has a history of more than 500 years. The well-preserved traditional residences make the visit a remarkable one. After the visit, return to Xingping Town by a short ferry ride. Have lunch at local restaurant and then we drive to Yangshuo. Check in at your hotel and the rest of time is for your own exploration at the charming town.
Meal: B, L
Wake up with fresh air of Yangshuo, our first stop today is Fuli Ancient Town which is 8 kilometers away from Yangshuo and has a history of over 1000 years. The houses at Fuli Ancient Town were constructed during the late Qing Dynasty, some of them are well preserved and three old pavilions remain intact in Fuli Ancient Town. Fuli Ancient town is also known as Chinese Painted Fan Town. When you walk along the ancient street, you will find a great variety of painted fans for sale. After that, let move on to visit local famer’s market. You cannot get more local than this. Here you can find local traditional snacks, a lot of spices, clothes, vegetables, traditional Chinese medicine, etc.
In the afternoon we will go ahead to experience the bamboo rafting on the tranquil Yulong river. Yulong River is a tributary of Li River and it is a great place to enjoy the stunning scenery of Yangshuo. Instead of noisy motors, the bamboo rafts on Yulong River are punted slowly by a man with a pole. That makes the journey very relaxing and enjoyable. (Please note the raft company doesn’t allow people over 70 or less than 7 years old to take a bamboo raft.)
Meal: B, L
Today is a free day for you to explore Yangshuo on your town pace.
Suggestions for Your Leisure Time
- Cooking class: The cooking class starts by visiting local wet market, you can see various types of vegetables, meats and other ingredients. After that, go back to the cooking school and began to learn some popular Yangshuo dishes in an easy and interesting way.
- Tai Chi lesson: The stunning landscape makes Yangshuo an ideal place to practice Tai Chi. You can take one hour class to unveil mysterious Chinese martial art and learn Taichi as a beginner. It is a kind of gentle Kungfu that everyone can do it and reap its benefits in China.
- Yangshuo Countryside tour by cycling: The countryside landscape and terrain make Yangshuo a perfect place to bike. You will pass through local villages, paddy fields and the unique hills. Besides, family visits can be arranged on the way, and you can learn more about China’s vast rural world from local villagers.
Meal: B
Pick up from your hotel and transfer to airport or train station. Proceed to your next destination. End of your 5 days Yangshuo vacation.
Meal: B
One day Extension Trip to Huangyao Ancient Town:
Today we will have one day trip to Huangyao ancient town, the most well-preserved Ming and Qing Dynasty architectural complex in Guangxi Province. It is located in the lower reaches of Li River and about 130 kilometers from Yangshuo town (around 1.5-2hours drive will be required). Huangyao ancient town has a history for nearly 1000 years, many local people still live in the ancient town, you can feel a thick breath of life when you strolling around there. The town has eight main streets, stretching out in eight different directions and forming a giant “Eight Trigrams” from a bird’s eye view.
There are some major sites that you should not miss when you traveling there. Family Guo’s Courtyard is a typical courtyard-style building that has arches of south China architecture features, it is a big family in ancient times. Dailong Bridge is the biggest bridge of 15 bridges in ancient town, it was still well preserved after a thousand years. The Hollywood movie “Painted Veil” was shot here. The Ancient Opera stage was built in Ming Dynasty (the year of 1524), local folk artist will perform on the stage during festivals, and this custom continued to the present day. The Watch Tower was built for guarding the town, people often come to burn incense and pray for peace on Jan 1st and 15th in Chinese lunar calendar. Follow your tour guide, you will see more sites at this tranquil town. After the tour, we will drive back to Yangshuo.
