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For a first trip, book the three-star Li River cruise from Mopan Mountain to Yangshuo through an official channel, using the passport you'll travel on, and plan to sleep in Yangshuo that night rather than rushing back to Guilin. The four-star boat leaves from a different pier, Zhujiang, costs more and includes a buffet lunch, but it sails the same stretch of river. The single most common mistake on Rednote is turning up at the wrong pier, so check the pier name on your ticket the night before.
Three-star or four-star: what's the difference?
Both boats run downstream from the piers south of Guilin to the Yangshuo pier. The official ticket office publishes these prices:
- The three-star cruise from Mopan Mountain to Yangshuo costs 215 yuan: a 54-yuan scenic-area ticket plus a 161-yuan boat ticket.
- The four-star cruise from Zhujiang to Yangshuo costs 360 yuan: a 54-yuan scenic-area ticket plus a 306-yuan boat ticket.
| Three-star | Four-star | |
|---|---|---|
| Pier | Mopan Mountain (磨盘山码头) | Zhujiang (竹江码头) |
| Lunch | Not included; simple meals sold on board | Buffet included |
| Ends at | Yangshuo pier | Yangshuo pier |
The highlight cruise covers about 60 kilometres and takes about 4 hours, one way, ending at the Yangshuo pier. The boat doesn't come back, so you'll need your own way home from Yangshuo, or better, a hotel there.
Chinese travellers who have done both are blunt about it: the scenery is the same, and most of the trip is spent outside on the open deck anyway. The four-star lunch is described again and again as filling rather than good, and plenty of people on the three-star boat just bring snacks and fruit. Four-star makes more sense if you're travelling with older relatives or children and want comfortable indoor seats and a meal sorted.
Mopan Mountain and Zhujiang are separate piers some distance apart, and taxi drivers will take you to whichever one you ask for. Put the Chinese name of your pier into your map app before you leave.
Watch out for "four-star" short cruises
Some tour sellers advertise a cheap "four-star Li River cruise" that is actually a short sailing on a small middle section of the river, from other piers such as Caoping (草坪). These don't go to Yangshuo, and Rednote posters warn that they skip the stretch shown on the 20-yuan banknote. If a listing doesn't say Zhujiang or Mopan Mountain to Yangshuo, ask before you pay.
How do you book with a foreign passport?
Tickets are real-name. The name and document you book with have to match the passport you show at the pier.
- The official WeChat channels. Search for the "漓江售票处" official account or the "桂林漓江商城" mini program in WeChat. You pick a date, a boat and a sailing, then pay. The form is in Chinese and defaults to a Chinese ID card, so switch the document type to passport before you fill it in.
- An international booking site. Klook and similar sites sell the same cruise, often bundled with a pick-up in Guilin. You pay more than the bare ticket, but the English booking and the transfer to a pier far out of town solve the two hardest parts.
- Your hotel. Hotels in Guilin and Yangshuo book the cruise all the time and can arrange the transfer too.
Book everyone in your group on the same order, so you end up on the same boat. Seats are assigned, not chosen, but you can move up to the deck. In holiday periods tickets sell out, so book as early as you can; outside holidays, Rednote users report buying a few days ahead, and sometimes picking up a returned ticket on the day.
At the pier
Plan to arrive well before your sailing. You'll need to collect a paper ticket from the self-service machines with your booking details or ID, go through a security check, and wait for boarding to open. Staff check ticket, person and ID together at the gate.
The piers are out in the countryside south of Guilin, so you need a taxi or DiDi, a pier shuttle booked with your ticket, or a tour pick-up. Leave Guilin early to allow for traffic.
On the boat
The on-board commentary announces the well-known sights as you approach them, including Nine Horses Fresco Hill and the Yellow Cloth Shoal reflection. Rednote posters give one tip more than any other: when the commentary announces Yellow Cloth Shoal, head for the open deck at the back of the boat, because the view on the 20-yuan note comes after it and looks right from the stern. Bring a 20-yuan note if you want the classic photo.
It's windy on the river even on warm days, so bring a light jacket, and a waterproof pouch for your phone if rain is forecast. Mist and low cloud are normal on the Li River; they often make the peaks look better than a clear blue sky does.
Getting back from Yangshuo, or staying
You get off at the Yangshuo pier, and it's a long walkway out to the street. The pier is close to West Street, and taxis can be hard to find right outside, which is one reason Rednote users suggest booking a hotel near West Street and simply walking there with your bag.
- Stay the night. This is what most people who have done it recommend. Yangshuo is the point of the trip, not just the place the boat stops.
- Go back to Guilin the same day by bus from town, or by high-speed train from Yangshuo Railway Station, which is outside town and needs a taxi.
The Guilin or Yangshuo where-to-stay guide compares sleeping in town, in the countryside along the Yulong River, or back in Guilin.
Raft, cruise or both?
A Li River cruise and a bamboo raft are different trips:
- The cruise covers the long stretch of the main river in one go. It's comfortable and busy, and the views are on a big scale.
- A raft is shorter and quieter, either on the Li River between Yangdi and Xingping or on the smaller Yulong River near Yangshuo, with rice fields and small weirs.
If you have two days, do the cruise to get to Yangshuo and a raft the next morning. If you only have one, take the cruise.
Mistakes to avoid
- Going to the wrong pier. Three-star boats leave from Mopan Mountain, four-star from Zhujiang.
- Booking under the wrong name. The ticket has to match your passport exactly.
- Planning to cruise back. The cruise is one way; return by road or train.
- Assuming lunch is included on the three-star boat. It isn't.
- Buying a short cruise by mistake. Check that the route ends in Yangshuo.
Before you go
Set up mobile payments and data first: the WeChat Pay guide and the China eSIM comparison cover both. For the train to Guilin, see the foreign passport train booking guide. The Guilin city guide has the rest of the trip.
