Not only is Guilin a favorite destination for its beauty, energy, and hospitable people but people also love being able to get in and out of the city easily.  Unfortunately, some foreign countries offer so much but air and railway travel is complicated but when visiting China, especially Guilin, you will discover that transportation has been designed to make the experience of visiting even better.

 Air Travel

The easiest way to get into and out of Guilin is by air.  Most major domestic cities have numerous flight options.  In addition, direct flights are available from a number of countries to include Thailand, Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, and Macau.  The Liangjiang International Airport is about 30 minutes from Guilin, which processes more than five million people annually with 48 different routes into China.

After landing, you would have several options for ground transportation to reach your hotel such as the following:

 

  • · Taxi – Taxis offer a flat rate fare for the first 1.5 miles and from there a surcharge of 1.6 to 2 CNY is charged.  However, once 23.00 CNY is reached the flat rate fare goes up to 7.8 CNY.

 

  • · Airport Bus – You could also take the bus from the airport, which is available right outside the door.  Buses run every 30 minutes, starting at 6:30 am until 8:00 pm, going into the downtown area.  The cost per person is 20 CNY and tickets can be purchased at the Airport Terminal inside the airport.

Rail Travel

Another transportation option is through the Guilin Railway Station, with the south station located just to the south of downtown and the north station being found in the suburbs.  Every day, approximately 30 trains come into and go out of both stations.

Routes connect Anhui, Beijing, Chongqing, Fujian, Guangdong, Guizhou, Hebei, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Shaanxi, Shanghai, Sichuan, and Zhejiang.  Keep in mind, getting sleeper tickets via the sales office in Guilin is difficult so for this, we suggest you book at least one week ahead through the main station office.

No matter your first stop is Guilin Liangjiang International Airport, or Guilin Train Station, you will need to make a quick decision whether you will go to Yangshuo directly, or stay in Guilin for at least one night. For those who are interested in Li River Cruise, please note that the cruise only go from Guilin to Yangshuo, and cruises do not take passengers on the way back.