Stand on the Binjiang Road side of the Li River at dusk and the shape that gives Guilin its postcard is right in front of you: a limestone hill with a natural arch, its "trunk" dipping into the water. Behind it the city hums with traffic, and beyond it the karst peaks stack up along the river.
Guilin suits travellers who want a compact city base with dramatic scenery on the doorstep, and who are happy to spend their days climbing stone staircases, walking riverbanks and looking at old stone carvings. It is also a practical first stop before heading down the Li River towards Yangshuo.
This guide covers the landmarks, museums and parks in and close to the city centre, plus a one-day plan that strings the best of them together.
Top things to do in Guilin
1. Elephant Trunk Hill
A hill on the banks of the Li River with a large natural arch cut through it, so that the rock appears to be an elephant dipping its trunk into the water. It is the scene most often used as a symbol of the city, and it is within walking distance of the town centre.
Go in the evening if you want the view at its most atmospheric, and combine it with a walk along Binjiang Road. The park is open from 07:00 to 22:00.
2. Jingjiang Princes' City
A small forbidden city in the centre of Guilin, once home to the princes of the area. The palace buildings now house a museum, and the site sits in Xiufeng District at No. 1 Wangcheng.
Allow a good half-day here. Opening hours shift with the season: 07:30-18:00 from 1 March to 4 April and 8 October to 7 December, 07:30-18:30 from 1 May to 7 October, and 08:00-18:00 from 8 December to 28 February.
3. Sun and Moon Pagodas
Two pagodas on a lake near the city centre. There is not much to see inside them, but the view from outside and the surrounding lake give you a break from the traffic and noise of central Guilin.
The view is better at night than during the day, so time your visit after dark. They stand on Wenming Road in Xiangshan District, close to the Official Residence of Li Zongren, which makes the two easy to pair.
4. Diecai Mountain
A park built around several peaks, climbed by stone staircases, with a small aviary and a butterfly museum holding pinned and mounted butterflies and moths. It is one of the hills close to the city centre.
Wear shoes you can climb in and give yourself time at the top. The park is on Longzhu Road and is open from 08:30 to 17:30.
5. Fubo Hill
A sheer-sided rock in the northeast of the city on the banks of the Li River, with historical stone carvings from the Tang Dynasty and Buddhist inscriptions.
Come here for the carvings rather than the climb, and pair it with a riverside walk. It sits on the same stretch of river as Elephant Trunk Hill, so the two fit naturally into one outing.
6. Seven Star Park
A large park on the east side of the city, around a 15 to 20 minute walk from the main pedestrian area in the centre of town. There is a small zoo area on the far east side with giant pandas and red pandas, and staff host a small show with monkeys, bear, tigers and lion at scheduled hours.
Note the separate charges: the park itself, an additional fee for the zoo, and an additional fee to enter Seven Star Cave inside the park. The Museum of Guihai Stele Forest is just beyond the park's southwestern entrance, and its entry is included in the park ticket, so see both in one visit.
7. Museum of Guihai Stele Forest
A collection of 213 stone steles dating from the Tang Dynasty to the early 20th century, on Longyin Road in Qixing District. You reach it by entering Seven Star Park and walking just beyond the southwestern entrance.
Entry is included in the Seven Star Park ticket, so there is no reason to skip it once you are inside. It is open from 09:00 to 17:00.
8. Central Square
A large gathering place in the centre of town on Yiren Road in Xiufeng District, where you can watch a giant atlas on the ground. It is open all day and free to enter.
Come in the evening: an artificial waterfall runs every evening at 20:30. It is an easy stop on the way to or from the Sun and Moon Pagodas.
9. Official Residence of Li Zongren
Built in the 1940s to accommodate Li Zongren, a Guilin-born Kuomintang military leader, the building is open to the public and holds exhibitions about his life. It is on Wenming Road in Xiangshan District, near the Wenming Road bus stop.
Entry is free, and it is closed on Mondays, with no entry after 16:30. Because it sits close to the Sun and Moon Pagodas, it works well as a daytime stop before an evening at the lake.
10. Eighth Route Army Guilin Office Museum
A museum on Zhongshan North Road in Diecai District with exhibitions about the Eighth Route Army's political and military activities in Guilin during the Second World War. The office was located at this site from 1938 to 1941.
Entry is free, it is closed on Mondays, and there is no entry after 16:50. You can walk here from the Jingjiang Princes' Palace, as the museum is less than 1 km north of it.
11. West Hill Park
A park with a lake, temples and hundreds of Buddhist statues, about 2 km west of the city centre. Within the park is the Hidden Hill, which has a number of caves.
It is a quieter counterpart to the central sights, and worth combining with the Guilin Museum, which is also here.
12. Guilin Museum
A museum in Lingui New District, 16 km from Guilin Railway Station, with a collection of over 30,000 pieces of cultural relics. The Guilin Library and the Guilin Grand Theatre are in the same building complex.
It is closed on Mondays, with no entry after 16:30, and admission is free. Foreign visitors may need to show a passport to get a free admission ticket, so carry it with you.
13. Zengpiyan National Archaeological Park
A park centred on the Zengpiyan Cave neolithic site, where thousands of stone tools, pottery pieces and other artefacts have been unearthed since the site was discovered in 1965. The cave can be visited, and a museum displays some of the artefacts.
It is on Zengpiyan Road in Xiangshan District, open 09:00 to 17:00 and closed on Mondays. Take bus no. 82 or 86 to the Wanfu Road bus stop.
14. Guilin Art Museum
An art museum on Longchuanping Road in Xiangshan District, reached by taking bus 33 to the last stop. Admission is free.
It is open 09:30 to 17:00, with no entry after 16:30, and closed on Mondays. It pairs well with the other Xiangshan District sights on Wenming Road.
15. Guilin Flying Tigers Heritage Park
A memorial park in Lingui District dedicated to the Flying Tigers, the nickname given to the First American Volunteer Group, a group of American pilots who joined the Republic of China Air Force in 1941 and carried out missions against the Japanese during the Second World War. It stands at the site of the former Yangtang Airport, one of the airports where the Flying Tigers were based.
There is a museum in the middle of the park, and you can also visit a cave where the Flying Tigers command post was located. It is free, open 09:00 to 17:00, and closed on Mondays; take bus nos. 85 or 501.
If you only have one day
Morning: Start at Jingjiang Princes' City, the small forbidden city in the centre of town, and give the palace museum a proper look. From there walk north to the Eighth Route Army Guilin Office Museum, which is less than 1 km away.
Afternoon: Head to Seven Star Park on the east side of the city and walk to the Museum of Guihai Stele Forest just beyond the southwestern entrance, since entry is included in the park ticket. If you have energy left, add the zoo area or Seven Star Cave for the additional fees.
Evening: Walk along Binjiang Road to Elephant Trunk Hill while there is still light, then move to Wenming Road for the Official Residence of Li Zongren if it is not a Monday and you are there before 16:30. Finish at the Sun and Moon Pagodas, which are best seen at night, and time your stop at Central Square for the artificial waterfall at 20:30.
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time of year to visit Guilin?
Autumn is sunny and dry, while spring is generally overcast and often rainy. Summer is the sunniest time of year but also rainy, and roughly half the annual rainfall arrives from April to June, when the plum rains often create a risk of flooding.
Which sights are free to enter?
Central Square, the Official Residence of Li Zongren, the Eighth Route Army Guilin Office Museum, the Guilin Art Museum, the Guilin Museum, the Guilin Flying Tigers Heritage Park and Black Hill Botanic Garden are all free. Several paid sights, including Seven Star Park, charge separately for the zoo and for Seven Star Cave.
What should I know about closing days?
The Official Residence of Li Zongren, the Eighth Route Army Guilin Office Museum, the Guilin Art Museum, the Guilin Museum, the Zengpiyan National Archaeological Park and the Guilin Flying Tigers Heritage Park are all closed on Mondays. Plan those for other days of the week.
Do I need to carry my passport?
For foreigners, passports may be required to get free admission tickets at the Guilin Museum, so carry yours if you plan to visit.
Pick the sights that match your pace, check the seasonal opening hours before you go, and start building your Guilin itinerary around the river.