Trip Overview
When: July 2022 (summer—hot but worth it)
Duration: 5 days
Travelers: Group of friends
Budget: ~6,000 RMB (~$830 USD)
Transportation: Domestic flight + taxi + boat
Essential Foreigner Info
Getting There: Fly into Guilin Liangjiang International Airport (桂林两江国际机场). Most international flights connect through Beijing, Shanghai, or Guangzhou. The airport is about 30 minutes from the city center. Pro tip: Download Didi (China's Uber) before arriving—it's much easier than haggling with taxi drivers.
Health Code: During COVID, you'll need a green health code (健康码) on your phone to enter airports, hotels, and tourist sites. Download the local app or use WeChat's mini program. Staff will check it everywhere—this is China's contact tracing system in action.
Mobile Payment: Forget cash. WeChat Pay and Alipay are essential. Even small street vendors use QR codes. Make sure your phone works with Chinese apps before arrival, or bring a Chinese friend's phone.
Best Time to Visit: April-May for mild weather and green scenery, or October-November for autumn colors. Summer is hot (30°C+) but the rivers are full and vibrant.
Day 1: Arrival at Club Med Guilin
After nine months of pandemic restrictions, my friends and I finally felt safe enough to travel domestically in China. The flight from Shanghai to Guilin takes about 2.5 hours. At Pudong Airport, we showed our green health code to enter—everyone wore masks, and the atmosphere was surprisingly orderly. China's 4G network covers over 60% of the world's基站 (cell towers), making mobile-based防疫 measures possible in ways other countries couldn't replicate.
The airport was quiet—only about ten security gates open, each with just a dozen people waiting. Compared to pre-pandemic crowds, it felt like a ghost town. International gates were even emptier. Honestly? With the pandemic still raging abroad, no amount of money could convince me to travel overseas right now.
We arrived at Club Med Guilin (桂林度假村) in the late afternoon. Another health code check at the resort entrance—this time with a smile from the staff. China's success in controlling COVID isn't just about government mandates; it's about everyone doing their part. Walking into the lobby, I finally felt like we were on vacation.
This resort is something special. Over 800 acres surrounded by Guilin's signature karst mountains—those round, lumpy peaks that make the landscape look like a Chinese painting come to life. The grounds feature manicured lawns, dense pine forests, and tranquil ponds. Modern sculptures in granite—geometric shapes like spheres and cubes—dot the landscape, giving the whole place an artistic vibe.
Looking around the resort, the distant mountains rise and fall—those uniquely Guilin round peaks arranged like a natural frame around the property. The deep green of pine trees contrasts with the bright green of the lawn, offering some relief from the summer heat. The outdoor swimming pool glitters with azure water. The resort itself is a 4A-level tourist attraction—honestly, it's as beautiful as any five-star resort I've seen elsewhere.
The resort packs in facilities: swimming pool, gym, archery range, tennis courts, golf driving range, rock climbing, and even a trapeze course for the adventurous. There's enough here to fill five days without leaving the property.
Day 2: Resort Life
Morning at Club Med is magical. Just after sunrise, soft golden light filters through the pine forest, casting long shadows across the lawn. Birds chirp in the branches; cicadas sing from the treetops. It's exactly that "the more silent for the noise of birds" feeling ancient Chinese poets wrote about. The resort is still asleep—only a few elderly guests doing tai chi on the quiet paths. Pure tranquility.
During the day, we alternated between activities: tennis matches, archery (feeling very Robin Hood), swimming in the pool, walks on mountain trails, and golf at the driving range. These are the kinds of elegant, lesser-known sports that make you feel fancy without actually being good at them.
Reality check: We're not spring chickens anymore. The rock climbing and trapeze were out. But the younger crowd would have a field day with all the adventure activities.
Food at the resort is all-you-can-eat buffet with an impressive spread—Chinese and Western dishes, plus wine, ice cream, and cocktails at the lobby bar. The dining area has strict hygiene protocols: masks required in food areas, staff constantly reminding guests to follow rules. Very pandemic-appropriate.
Every evening, the resort hosts themed entertainment parties with guest participation. These interactive shows are a huge hit with kids—most guests here are families with children. Watching all the families having fun together reminded me of my beach resort experiences in Egypt's Red Sea. Similar concept: all-inclusive, no need to leave the property to have a fantastic time. Europeans love this kind of vacation too.
Day 3: Exploring Guilin City
While Club Med is amazing, I hadn't seen the real Guilin yet. Since my school days, I've known the famous line "Guilin's landscape is the finest under heaven" (桂林山水甲天下) and seen photos of Elephant Trunk Hill. I needed to see it with my own eyes.
The resort is about an hour from Guilin city center. We hired a car for a day tour. First stop: the Li River (漓江) in downtown Guilin. We boarded a tour boat and watched the emerald green river flow gently from north to south—about 100 meters wide, crystal clear. Looking down, I could see every pebble on the riverbed.
On both banks, karst hills of varying sizes rise up—Guilin's main attraction. All roughly the same height with rounded tops covered in low scrub. From a distance, everything looks lush and green. Key peaks include Diecai Mountain (叠彩山), Old Man Mountain (老人山), and the famous Elephant Trunk Hill (象山)—Guilin's icon. The hill looks exactly like a giant elephant drinking from the river with its long trunk touching the water. Nature's craftsmanship at its finest.
Foreigner tip: The Li River cruise shows you the famous mountains, but honestly, the buildings along the river banks feel a bit chaotic. It's not the harmonious integration of nature and architecture you might hope for. Still, the mountains are stunning enough to overlook the urban clutter.
We also visited the Jiangjing Palace (靖江王府), the former residence of a Ming Dynasty prince. Honestly? There's not much left—just a platform and a few steps. It's more of a local historical footnote than a major attraction. Before becoming a tourist site, it housed Guilin Normal University, and students still study there. The ticket price is steep—100 RMB ($14) for adults, with discounts only for those over 70 (50 RMB). That's unusual—most Chinese sites offer free entry for seniors over 60. The main attractions here are the underground "Bai Sui Yue" (worship the Year God) and the historic exam hall.
Reality check: The famous saying "Guilin's landscape is the finest under heaven" might be a bit of hometown pride. Guilin is beautiful, but is it the best in China? I think Yunnan and Guizhou provinces to the southwest have equally stunning—and less crowded—scenery. The follow-up phrase "Yangshuo's landscape is the finest in Guilin" is probably more accurate.
Day 4: Yangshuo & the Li River
They say the best of Guilin's landscape is in Yangshuo (阳朔). So we spent a day driving there to see for ourselves.
Guilin's beauty always unfolds along the Li River. To truly appreciate it, you need to be on the water. On our way to Xingping (兴坪), we boarded a bamboo raft—well, technically a plastic raft shaped like bamboo—complete with railings and a roof. Comfortable and safe, powered by a small motor instead of human pole.
It's summer peak season—normally, this place would be packed with tourists and raft lines. But thanks to COVID, the bamboo raft business is struggling. Most rafts sit idle waiting for customers.
Yangshuo really does outshine Guilin. Sitting on the raft and looking around, I see misty mountains and flowing green waters. The raft drifts through what feels like a living Chinese landscape painting. The hills along the river are covered in dense forest—mostly shrubs and low trees that hug the hills without changing their shapes. The mountains keep their forms: some like galloping horses, others like flying dragons; some resemble fairies, others look like mischievous children. You can imagine whatever you want.
Today's weather is perfect—a vast blue sky with drifting white clouds. Under this dynamic sky, dark mountains stand beside slowly flowing water. For millions of years, mountains and water have become inseparable—the mountains make the water more beautiful, the water makes the mountains greener. The mountains' reflections in the green river create that poetic feeling: "Peaks reflect in the water, water carries the peaks, no mountain or water lacks spirit." It perfectly captures Yangshuo's charming, exquisite beauty.
On the raft, wind blows against our faces, carrying away the heat and refreshing our spirits. Our bamboo raft floats lightly on the Li River like a leaf, with distant green mountains seeming to approach. Small boats pass by occasionally. At this moment, I feel like I'm in a Shangri-La (世外桃源)—that legendary hidden paradise. No wonder they say "Guilin's landscape is the finest under heaven, Yangshuo's landscape is the finest in Guilin." The most brilliant, beautiful scenery is in Yangshuo, on the Li River. The first phrase might be exaggerated, but the second is absolutely true.
Near Xingping Ancient Town (兴坪古镇), we got off the raft and visited the famous Yellow Cloth Reflection (黄布倒影) scenic spot. The river here is wide, the current gentle, the water emerald green and crystal clear like a mirror. Standing on the viewing platform, I see several mountain peaks rising from the water on the opposite bank, standing gracefully like elegant women. The wide river gives the mountain reflections plenty of space to spread out—completely clear and incredibly beautiful. The beauty of Guilin's mountains lies in their reflections; the beauty of those reflections is most intoxicating at Yellow Cloth Beach. The back of China's 20-yuan RMB note features exactly this scene—Yangshuo's Li River landscape.
Day 5: Silver Cave & Ten-Mile Gallery
In Yangshuo, we also visited Silver Cave (银子岩), a stunning karst cave system, and the Ten-Mile Gallery (十里画廊), a scenic road surrounded by peaks—truly a rewarding experience.
Final Thoughts
Five days in Guilin and Yangshuo—the combination of luxury resort relaxation and authentic river mountain scenery made this trip unforgettable. The pandemic made international travel impossible, but domestic tourism in China has truly stepped up. If you're planning a China trip, don't miss Guilin. Just remember: Yangshuo beats Guilin, so save time for both.