Li River Cruise Guilin to Yangshuo: Boats, Piers, Tickets

The Li River cruise from Guilin to Yangshuo is the main reason most people come here. The official Li River tourism site says the route is about 61 km, starting at Mopanshan terminal (also called Zhujiang terminal), less than 30 km from downtown Guilin, and ending at Longtoushan pier (also Shuidongmen) in Yangshuo. The same site says to buy tickets through a WeChat account and does not show prices on its English pages, so we have no official ticket price. We re-read these pages on 17 October 2026.

The overview is in the Guilin and Yangshuo guide. Visa-free entry and payments, including how to set up WeChat, are on the China hub.

What the official site says

The English site does not give departure times or prices. Look at the WeChat account or call the numbers above.

3-star, 4-star and 5-star boats

The official site describes the 3-star ships as having panoramic viewing windows, Wi-Fi throughout, set meals delivered by cold chain from a central kitchen, QR-code audio guides and live interpreters. Some boats have cultural themes such as family, tea, poetry and Yao ethnic customs.

According to the official site, the 4-star ships have larger and more elegant cabins, a two-tier open deck, Chinese and Western buffets or tailor-made food, a mini bar and tea service, and interpreters throughout the voyage. The 5-star ships use electric or ultra-low-emission propulsion, with lounges, a bar, a restaurant, a folk performance zone and butler service. The site does not say from which pier a 5-star ship departs or what it costs.

China Highlights, a tour operator and not the official site, compares 3-star and 4-star boats this way: the 3-star carries about 120 passengers with basic seating and boxed lunches, while the 4-star carries 75 to 80 on leather sofas with a buffet, and it recommends the upgrade for about USD 20. It also says the cruise takes about 4 hours and that the terminal is about 25 km (a 50-minute drive) from downtown. That is the seller's information, not the boat operator's.

Prices and times from other sources, which disagree

One discrepancy: Bendibao says luxury boats board at Zhujiang and land at a different Yangshuo pier, while the official site writes the main route as Mopanshan (Zhujiang) to Longtoushan (Shuidongmen), with the alternative names in brackets. Make sure your ticket names the boarding pier and the landing pier, because tour operators warn that piers differ by boat class.

Getting to the pier

The official site lists public transport inside the scenic area, such as bus 9 from the Swan Pond terminus to Zhujiang pier, a customised pier shuttle that links the north bus station, central square, Sanlidian Plaza, Zhujiang pier and Mopanshan pier, and a return line from Longtoushan pier via the Yangdi junction to Mopanshan and Zhujiang. It says to look up routes and departure times on the WeChat account. It gives no fares or times on the web page.

Bendibao says that if you buy a ticket yourself there is no bus to the pier in the morning from the city and a taxi costs about CNY 70 (not official). Many tour operators sell tickets with hotel pick-up if you would rather not arrange it.

Coming back from Yangshuo

The official site says Yangdi pier has a shuttle to Guilin South railway station and to Yangshuo coach station. For the bus between Guilin and Yangshuo, with fares and times, see the table in the Guilin guide.

Bamboo rafts on the Li River

The official site lists raft routes in the Yangshuo section: Yangdi pier to Chaobanshan pier in Xingping (one-way or return), Yangdi to Mashan (one-way) and Yangdi to Laocuntou (return), plus Chaobanshan to the Nine-Horse Painting Hill (return), and a Yanshan section from Biyange pier via Xiushan to Caoping pier. Its hotline page gives raft enquiry lines: Yangdi pier 19126095606 and Chaobanshan pier 0773-6779990 (Biyange and Caoping piers 0773-7596939). Bendibao puts a raft at about CNY 120, which is not official. China Highlights lists rafting as one of five ways to enjoy the river.

Choosing a boat

If you want to start in Guilin and see peaks the whole way, pick a boat that runs the full route to Yangshuo. If time is short, or in the dry season, Wikivoyage says some boats start part-way and continue by road, so ask the seller which pier the boat leaves from. China Highlights advises booking well ahead during Chinese public holidays because tickets sell out quickly (a seller's advice). For seats and food, the official site separates the classes: the 4-star has a buffet and the 3-star has set meals. We have not checked menus or allergen handling.

How long it takes, and what to combine

Tour operators and local sites say about 4 or 4.5 hours on the river, not counting the journey to the pier and back. We found no duration on the official site, so allow the whole day. After you land in Yangshuo, stroll West Street or stay the night; see where to stay in Guilin and Yangshuo. The next day, try a raft on the Yulong River or the Longji rice terraces. If you have half a day left in Guilin city, see Reed Flute Cave.

Frequently asked questions

How this page compares

We read the official Li River pages, China Highlights' Li River page, Wander in China's 2026 ticket article and Travel China Guide's Guilin page. China Highlights is clear on boat classes and tips but is a seller. Wander in China gives dollar prices but says nothing about the official operator. This page puts official facts first (route, piers, hotlines, boat classes, guide service) and keeps seller prices in a table that explains why they differ. Where we are weaker: we have no official ticket price or timetable, because the English official pages show none, and we have not taken the boat ourselves.

Links on this page and our earnings

The tour buttons on this page open the providers' own search pages as of 17 October 2026. We have no registered affiliate link for Guilin tickets and have earned no commission, and we have not compared prices for you. You can also buy boat tickets directly through the Li River Ticket Office WeChat account. Our disclosure page explains how affiliate links work and what we never do.

Prices, schedules and entry rules change. Figures here are approximate as of 2026; always confirm on the official or operator page before you book. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.