Getting Around Guilin
Guilin is one of China's most popular tourist destinations, and its compact city centre and well-developed transport links make it easy to reach the main sights without a car. The city's public transport is built around buses and taxis, with high-speed rail stations connecting Guilin to the rest of China and an international airport handling arrivals from major mainland cities and parts of East and Southeast Asia. This guide covers the practical options for moving around the city and getting in from the airport.
Arriving by Air: Guilin Liangjiang International Airport
Guilin Liangjiang International Airport (IATA: KWL) is the city's main gateway. It has daily flights from major mainland Chinese cities and from some other international cities in East Asia and Southeast Asia; Air Asia, for example, flies to Guilin from Kuala Lumpur every alternate day. Airlines serving the airport include China Eastern, China Southern, Air China, Hainan Airlines, Shanghai Airlines, Shandong Airlines, Xiamen Airlines, Tianjin Airlines, EVA Air, Air Asia, Beijing Capital Airlines, Hebei Airlines and Asiana Airlines.
Once you land, you have two main ways into town: the airport bus or a taxi.
- Airport bus: The bus into town costs ¥20 and drops off just south of the city centre, after which a taxi to most hotels should be around ¥10. Note that the bus only leaves when it is mostly full, so there may be a wait as it fills up. There are several airport bus lines, including one to the City Terminal (Civil Aviation Building) with a one-way stop at the Swan Hotel, one to Guilin North Station, and one to Lingui. Fares vary by destination: ¥20 for the city routes, ¥50 to Yangshuo Bus Station or Liuzhou South Bus Station, ¥60 to Lipu Bus Station, ¥100 for the Guilin–Hezhou route (¥70 in the reverse direction), and ¥120 to Yizhou Bus Station.
- Taxi: A taxi direct from the airport to a city centre hotel is about ¥100. For the return trip, a hotel may arrange the journey for around ¥80.
If you are arriving on an international flight, expect the standard arrival process: health quarantine, border inspection, collecting checked baggage, and customs declaration and inspection before you enter the arrival reception hall.
Rail: Reaching Guilin and Its Stations
Guilin has three main train stations, and it is worth knowing which one you are using because they are not equally convenient for the city centre.
- Guilin Station (Guilin Zhan) is in the centre of town on Zhongshan Nanlu — the most convenient for downtown hotels and sights.
- Guilin North Station (Guilin Bei Zhan) is far away from the downtown area.
- Guilin West Station (Guilin Xi Zhan) is even further from the city centre.
Most trains that terminate in Guilin go to Guilin North Station, while trains passing through Guilin from elsewhere usually only stop at Guilin Station and not Guilin North. Guilin Station and Guilin North Station sit on the main railways connecting Guangxi with central and southern China, including the Hunan–Guangxi railway, the Hengyang–Liuzhou intercity railway and the Guiyang–Guangzhou high-speed railway. High-speed services link Guilin with Changsha and Beijing, and with Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Guiyang and Shanghai. Trains travelling between Kunming South and West Kowloon, for example, stop at Guilin West railway station.
There are direct trains from the north (Beijing, Changsha, Wuhan, Shanghai, Xi'an), the west (Kunming), the south (Liuzhou, Nanning, Zhanjiang) and the east (Guangzhou, Shenzhen). Journey times vary considerably: Guangzhou to Guilin takes only about two or three hours by high speed rail, Shanghai about nine hours, and Beijing about thirteen hours. High-speed trains from West Kowloon in Hong Kong take around three and a half hours. From Shenzhen there is a bullet train taking about three hours, though there are only a few daily and they sell out quickly on public holidays. From Nanning, high-speed trains take under three hours and conventional trains four to six hours. From Kunming, there are D trains as well as a conventional overnight train. From Chengdu, D trains were launched in 2018 with several departures a day, taking around seven hours.
A word of caution on arrival: once you get out of the train station, you will be approached by cab drivers and other drivers. While their cab meters are trustworthy, they may use tricks to cheat you out of some yuan — for example, aggressively pushing tours or adding false charges to the tab. If you want to avoid the taxis, keep walking past the touts to the public bus stop. From Guilin North, bus 100 goes through the city centre to the central/south train station and beyond; from Guilin West you can take bus 22. The fare is ¥2.
Buses and Public Transport in the City
Buses are an ideal way to get around Guilin on a budget, and many city parks and river spots can be accessed easily by bus. Guilin is also notable as the leading city in Mainland China operating double-decker buses regularly.
- Fares: Bus fares are capped at ¥2 per trip.
- Free buses: All buses whose route number starts with 5 are free.
- Useful routes: Bus 58 runs from the train station (and bus station) to many of the attractions — a handy option for sightseeing on a budget. From Guilin North Station, bus 100 goes through the city centre; from Guilin West Station, take bus 22.
- Maps: Getting a local map from a tourist guide or shop for ¥5 is a good idea. It will show the location of most of the sights as well as details of bus routes.
For longer journeys out of the city, Guilin's bus terminal on Zhongshan Nanlu — several hundred metres north of the railway station, on the same side of the road — links Guilin with a multitude of destinations including Nanning, Kunming, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai and further afield. To Yangshuo, express buses depart from this terminal roughly every 20 minutes from 07:00, with tickets bought from the ticket office in the bus terminal. Minibuses to Yangshuo also depart when full from the square in front of the Guilin railway station; conductors yell out "Yangshuo" even though the signs are in Chinese. Because these minibuses pick up and let down passengers along the way, the journey can take anywhere from one to one-and-a-half hours.
Taxis and Ride-Hailing
Taxis are inexpensive and easily hailed within the city, making them a convenient option for short hops or when you are carrying luggage. The main practical caveat is timing: taxis are usually hard to catch during peak hours, roughly 17:30 to 19:00.
For a day trip to scenic spots in the Guilin area, another inexpensive option is to hire a driver for a whole or half day. Most hotels or hostels can arrange this service, and can also tell the driver where you want to go if you do not speak Chinese. As a rough guide from the off-season, a whole day is about ¥100 and a half day about ¥50.
Walkability
Guilin's central districts are compact enough that many visitors combine walking with short bus or taxi rides. The city centre around Guilin Station on Zhongshan Nanlu is a practical base, with the bus terminal and connections to the main sights nearby. Bear in mind the climate when planning to walk: Guilin has a monsoon-influenced humid subtropical climate with short, mild winters and long, hot, humid summers. Spring is generally overcast and often rainy, and the heaviest rainfall comes from April to June, when the plum rains can create a risk of flooding. Autumn, by contrast, is sunny and dry — the most comfortable season for exploring on foot.
By Boat
There are no longer any passenger boats to Guilin itself, except the boats to and from Yangshuo. The Li River, which runs from Guilin to Yangshuo, is one of the city's most celebrated natural features, known for its emerald water and limestone peaks. If you are determined to arrive by water, it is possible to take a cargo boat from Wuzhou to Yangshuo at almost no cost, but this is not a regular passenger service.
By Car
There are some expressways locally and within the province, but for any long-distance journey by road, expect a two-lane road. For most visitors, the rail network is the more practical choice for reaching Guilin from other parts of China.
Practical Tips
- Pick up a ¥5 local map early — it shows the main sights and bus routes, which makes navigating the bus network much easier.
- Remember that buses numbered 5# are free, and that no bus fare should exceed ¥2.
- If you arrive by train, walk past the touts at the station exit to the public bus stop rather than accepting an unsolicited taxi or tour offer.
- Allow extra time for the airport bus, since it only departs once it is mostly full.
- Plan taxi journeys outside the 17:30–19:00 peak, when they are hard to catch.
- Visitors from ASEAN countries may visit Guilin for up to 144 hours (6 days) without a visa, provided they join an approved group tour, enter and depart China through Guilin Liangjiang International Airport, and do not travel beyond Guilin, Yangshuo and Longsheng.