Guilin
A city on the Li River among limestone towers, the landscape UNESCO calls the best-known example of tower karst on any continent.
- Arrival
- Guilin Liangjiang International · KWL
- To the city
- About 28 km south-west of the centre
- Private jets
- Land at Liangjiang; permits through your operator
- Best time
- September to November
The city
Towers of stone along the Li.
Guilin sits in a low basin where the rain running off the surrounding hills has worn the limestone into two forms side by side: solitary towers rising from the plain, and clusters of cones joined at the base. Geologists named a model of karst after the city, and since 2014 the Guilin Karst, in two sections along the Li River and at Putao, has been part of UNESCO's South China Karst.
The river runs through the middle of town, past Elephant Trunk Hill and Fubo Mountain, then south towards Yangshuo, about 60 km away. September to November is warm and fairly dry, the best of the year after a spring and early summer that bring 240 to 325 mm of rain a month from April to June.
- Elephant Trunk Hill The limestone hill on the riverbank whose arch, to most eyes, is an elephant drinking from the Li.
- Reed Flute Cave A limestone cave within the city, among the sights the riverside hotels send their guests to.
- The Li River The river that carries the towers south through the countryside to Yangshuo.
Arriving
Liangjiang, south-west of town.
Guilin Liangjiang International, opened in 1996, lies about 28 km south-west of the centre, with a single runway of 3,200 m. Hotels by the river are reached by road; the Shangri-La quotes about forty minutes.
- Hong Kong 1 h 00
- Taipei 1 h 45
- Almaty 5 h 00
- Abu Dhabi 7 h 30 long-range jet
- Athens 10 h 40 long-range jet
When to go
September to November.
Subtropical and wet in the first half of the year: April to June each bring between 240 and 325 mm of rain, and July and August reach 33 °C. September to November is drier, with afternoons from 31 °C falling to 20 °C. December and January rarely pass 15 °C by day.
- 12° J 55
- 13° F 83
- 17° M 124
- 23° A 243
- 27° M 325
- 30° J 304
- 33° J 205
- 33° A 164
- 31° S 70
- 26° O 91
- 20° N 78
- 15° D 46
Where to stay
On the Li River, in the centre of town.
Shown for information. We have no arrangement with any of these hotels.
- Lijiang Waterfall Hotel In the centre of the city, with a man-made waterfall down the façade that Guinness World Records recognised in 2002 as the largest in the world.
- Sheraton Guilin Hotel Four hundred and eight rooms on the riverbank, many facing the Li, within walking distance of Elephant Trunk Hill and Zhengyang Walking Street.
Elsewhere in China
More reasons to come.
- Beijing The Forbidden City, and the hutong lanes around it.
- Xi'an The Terracotta Army, and the old city walls.
- Shanghai The Bund, facing the towers of Pudong across the river.
- Hangzhou West Lake, and the tea villages in the hills around it.
- Chengdu Giant pandas, tea houses and Sichuan cooking.
- Sanya The beaches of Hainan island, in the far south.
Flying to Guilin?
Choose how you arrive.
A Business or First Class seat on a scheduled airline, or an aircraft of your own. Tell us the date and how many are travelling, and we reply with one final price, our margin included.