Last updated: April 2026. Verify before booking.
This route connects three cities that almost never appear in the same trip plan — and that's exactly the problem. Guangzhou is a working city that happens to have the best Cantonese food in the country. Guilin is the landscape everyone recognizes from photos but few people actually do properly. Xiamen is a relaxed coastal city with an island full of colonial-era architecture that takes about half a day to figure out and the rest of your time to enjoy. Put them together in 11 days and you get a trip with genuine range: food, landscape, and a slow coastal finish.
The three cities sit in a rough arc across the south. High-speed rail connects Guangzhou and Guilin in about two and a half hours. Guilin to Xiamen is too far to do comfortably by train, so you fly — the flight is around 90 minutes and costs less than most intercity train tickets in Europe.
Is This Itinerary Right For You?
This works well if you want to combine landscape and city time without spending most of the trip on transport. It doesn't work if you're hoping to see Beijing, Shanghai, or Sichuan on the same trip — South China is its own region and this is a dedicated southern circuit.
You'll be doing more walking than some itineraries and more early starts than others. The Li River section involves a full day on the water, and Gulangyu Island in Xiamen requires a ferry queue and a lot of on-foot exploring. If mobility is a concern, both of those days can be adapted, but they're the core experience of their respective stops.
First-time visitors to China will find this circuit more manageable than a Beijing–Xi'an–Shanghai route because the weather is consistent (southern subtropical), the cities are well-connected, and English signage is present at major sites even if English-speaking staff are not always on hand.
Route Overview
| Segment | Days | Transport | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arrive Guangzhou | Day 1 | — | — |
| Guangzhou | Days 1–3 | Local metro | — |
| Guangzhou → Guilin | Day 4 | High-speed rail (G-train) | ~2.5 hrs |
| Guilin + Yangshuo | Days 4–7 | Day trips by car/bus | — |
| Guilin → Xiamen | Day 8 | Flight | ~90 min |
| Xiamen | Days 8–10 | Local bus/ferry | — |
| Depart Xiamen | Day 11 | — | — |
Day 1: Arrive Guangzhou
Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (CAN) is one of the busiest airports in China, which means arrivals can be slow. Give yourself two hours through immigration if arriving on an international flight. The Airport Express metro line runs to the city center in about 40 minutes for ¥20 — no need for a taxi unless you have significant luggage.
Check in and decompress. If you arrive early enough, walk over to Shamian Island (沙面岛) — a small island in the Pearl River that was once a foreign concession area. The layout is flat, the colonial-era buildings line a quiet boulevard, and there are cafés if you need a coffee or a sit-down after the flight.
Evening: dim sum or roast goose near your hotel. Guangzhou shuts down earlier than Shanghai — most restaurants stop seating around 9:30 PM.
Day 2: Guangzhou — Food, History, City Views
Start the day early at a traditional yum cha restaurant (饮茶). Arrive before 9 AM if you want to avoid queues at popular spots. In most old-style dim sum houses, you'll receive a paper order form — mark the boxes next to the items you want, and a server will bring them. Staples worth ordering: har gow (虾饺, shrimp dumplings), siu mai (烧卖, pork dumplings), cheung fun (肠粉, rice noodle rolls), and lo mai gai (糯米鸡, glutinous rice in lotus leaf). If you can't read the form, point at a neighboring table's dishes or use a photo on your phone — servers are practiced at this.
After dim sum, take the metro to Chen Clan Ancestral Hall (陈家祠). Built in the 1890s as a combined ancestral temple and clan school, it's now a museum of Cantonese folk art. The tile ridges, wood carvings, and ironwork across the courtyards are the reason to be here. Admission is ¥10; some signs have English translations.
Afternoon: take the metro to Canton Tower (广州塔) and go up for a city view (¥200 for the main observation deck, ¥268 for the sky walk). The tower stays open until 10:30 PM, so you can visit in the late afternoon and catch the Pearl River at dusk. Optional: book a Pearl River night cruise from the pier near the tower — boats depart around 7:30–8:00 PM, tickets run ¥80–100, bookable on Trip.com or at the pier.
Day 3: Guangzhou — Neighborhoods and Departure Prep
Guangzhou's inner neighborhoods reward slow walking. Shangxiajiu (上下九) is a pedestrian food street with roast meats, rice noodle soup, and snacks — the narrow alleys off the main strip are calmer than the central boulevard. The lanes around Beijing Road (北京路) are similar and a bit more concentrated for retail.
Afternoon: prep for the next day's rail departure. Check which station your train leaves from — Guangzhou has four train stations. G-trains to Guilin typically use Guangzhou South Station (广州南站), not Guangzhou Railway Station. Metro Line 2 and Line 7 both serve Guangzhou South.
Book your Guilin train if you haven't already. Tickets are available on Trip.com in English without a Chinese ID — you'll enter your passport number. Second-class fares for the Guangzhou South–Guilin North G-train run ¥145–200.
Day 4: Train to Guilin + First Afternoon
Morning G-train to Guilin North (桂林北). The journey is about 2.5 hours and the landscape shifts noticeably as you head north — karst formations start appearing through the window before you pull in. Check in and head to Reed Flute Cave (芦笛岩) in the afternoon, about 5 km from the city center by taxi or Didi. Admission is ¥120; guided tours run every 20–30 minutes and are required. An English-language tour does exist, though you may need to wait for a group to assemble. The cave takes 45–60 minutes.
Evening: walk the area around Two Rivers and Four Lakes (两江四湖) scenic zone. This is Guilin's inner waterway linking the Li River to several city lakes. The lakeside paths are free to walk; the evening light show on the water is worth a look. A boat circuit costs ¥170 if you want the full experience.
Day 5: Li River Bamboo Raft — Full Day
The Li River (漓江) section from Yangdi (杨堤) to Yangshuo is the karst landscape route that draws most people to Guilin. Large cruise ships run from Guilin City; bamboo rafts depart from Yangdi or Xingping (兴坪) and put you closer to the water level with fewer passengers per vessel.
The bamboo raft trip from Yangdi to Yangshuo takes 4–5 hours on the water. Arrange this through your hotel or a local tour agency the day before — prices run ¥200–350 per person depending on season and operator. Transport from Guilin to Yangdi is usually included or bookable separately (~¥50–80 by shuttle). Rafts hold 2–4 passengers. Bring sunscreen, a waterproof bag for your phone, and a layer if traveling in winter or early spring.
Arrive in Yangshuo by mid-afternoon. West Street (西街) is the commercial center — lively, useful for food and supplies. Stay overnight in Yangshuo or return to Guilin depending on your accommodation.
Day 6: Yangshuo Countryside Cycling
Rent a bicycle or e-bike from West Street (¥30–60 per day) and ride the Yulong River (遇龙河) valley. The loop runs 15–25 km depending on how far you go — flat to gently rolling through rice paddies, bamboo groves, and stone bridges. The Yulong River is narrower and quieter than the Li River; small local rafts move through it at intervals, and water buffalo are a regular sight in the fields.
Moon Hill (月亮山) is about 8 km from West Street — a hill with a natural stone arch near the top, visible from the road. The climb takes 20–30 minutes on a maintained path. Admission is ¥15.
Return to Guilin in the evening if you have a train or charter car arranged for the next morning.
Day 7: Longji Rice Terraces — Day Trip
Charter a car from Guilin to Longji Rice Terraces (龙脊梯田) in Longsheng County. The drive takes about 2.5 hours each way; charter cars run approximately ¥300–400 for a full-day return. Your hotel can arrange this or you can negotiate directly with drivers at Guilin North Station.
The terraces are carved into steep hillsides above 800m elevation. The two main viewing areas are Ping'an (平安寨) and Dazhai (大寨), also called Jinkeng (金坑). Most visitors head to Dazhai. The walk from the parking area to the main viewpoints takes 45–90 minutes of uphill hiking. A cable car (¥80 round trip) provides an alternative for those who prefer not to hike.
Admission to the scenic area is ¥100. Vendors at the mountaintop viewing platforms often have unreliable mobile payment connections — bring cash in small bills (¥200–300 total) specifically for this day. The lower area shops accept Alipay normally.
Return to Guilin in the late afternoon. Pack for the flight to Xiamen.
Day 8: Fly to Xiamen + Arrival Afternoon
Morning flight from Guilin Liangjiang International Airport (KWL) to Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport (XMN). Flight time is approximately 90 minutes. Prices range from ¥300–600 when booked a week or more in advance. Xiamen Air, China Southern, and others operate this route.
From Xiamen airport, Airport Bus Line 1 runs to the Zhongshan Road (中山路) city center area in about 40 minutes for ¥15. Taxi to the city center costs approximately ¥50–60.
Check in — hotels near Zhongshan Road put you within walking distance of the Gulangyu ferry and the main food streets. The surrounding blocks have a mix of Fujianese and colonial-era shophouse architecture worth exploring on foot. Afternoon snacks to look for: peanut soup (花生汤), oyster omelette (蚵仔煎), and fish balls on sticks from street stalls.
Day 9: Gulangyu Island — Full Day
Booking options for foreign visitors:
- Trip.com (English interface): search "Gulangyu ferry" — select the tourist ferry, which includes the island admission fee (~¥80–120 depending on season). You'll need your passport number.
- Klook or GetYourGuide: occasionally list Gulangyu day packages
- Official WeChat mini-program: Chinese-language only, requires a Chinese phone number — not practical for most foreign visitors
Tourists must use the designated Lunduoxia Ferry Terminal (轮渡码头), not the separate local resident ferry. Bring your passport to show at the gate.
Gulangyu is a UNESCO World Heritage Site — a small island of about 1.91 km² with no motorized vehicles. The architecture reflects decades of foreign consulate presence: British, American, German, and Japanese buildings all remain in varying states of preservation. The Piano Museum (钢琴博物馆, ¥30) documents the island's history as an unexpected center for piano culture in China. Sunlight Rock (日光岩, ¥70) gives a view over the rooftops and harbor.
Arrive on the first tourist ferry of the day (around 7–8 AM) to have the lanes to yourself before the crowd builds. By 10 AM the island fills significantly. Allow 5–6 hours total. Return on the last ferry before your target dinner time.
Day 10: Temples, Campus, Coastal Fortress
Nanputuo Temple (南普陀寺) is a functioning Buddhist temple on the south side of Xiamen Island. Entry is free. The main halls run up a hillside, and vegetarian food is available at the attached temple restaurant. Go before 10 AM to avoid the main crowd.
Directly adjacent to Nanputuo is Xiamen University (厦门大学) — one of the most architecturally interesting campuses in China, with buildings in a hybrid Southern Fujianese and early 20th-century institutional style. The campus is open to visitors; bring your passport for the gate register. Walk the lake area (芙蓉湖) and the older south-side buildings.
Afternoon: Hulishan Fortress (胡里山炮台), about 3 km east of Xiamen University. Built in the 1890s and housing a large Krupp cannon — one of the largest coastal artillery pieces of its era still intact. Admission is ¥25. The surrounding sea wall gives clear views toward Kinmen Island (金门), the Taiwanese-administered island visible from shore.
Optional stop: Zengcuoan Village (曾厝垒), a former fishing village converted into art studios, cafés, and hostels. It sits between Xiamen University and the fortress and works well as a late-afternoon wander or coffee stop.
Evening: final dinner in Xiamen. Seafood is the practical choice — oysters, clams, and squid are inexpensive at the night market stalls near Zhongshan Road.
Day 11: Depart Xiamen
Xiamen Gaoqi Airport handles direct international routes to Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, and other destinations. If you've been buying flights within China, verify your departure airport in your booking details. Domestic connections to Shanghai Pudong or Beijing Capital are frequent throughout the day.
Allow extra time if departing on an international flight. Immigration queues on busy departure days can be significant.
Getting There and Getting Around
Practical Information
- Guangzhou and Xiamen: subtropical; May–September is hot and humid; spring and autumn are comfortable
- Guilin: similar subtropical, slightly cooler; terraces are most photogenic from late May (flooded, mirror reflection) through October (golden/red harvest coloring)
- Best overall travel window: October–November or March–April
Book These in Advance
| Item | Lead Time | Where to Book |
|---|---|---|
| Guangzhou–Guilin HSR ticket | 1–2 weeks | Trip.com (English), 12306 |
| Guilin–Xiamen flight | 2–4 weeks | Trip.com, Skyscanner, airline direct |
| Li River bamboo raft (Yangdi–Yangshuo) | 1–3 days | Hotel, local tour operator in Guilin |
| Longji day-trip charter car | Day before | Hotel front desk |
| Gulangyu ferry ticket | 1–7 days; longer for weekends and holidays | Trip.com, Klook |
| Xiamen hotel near Zhongshan Road | 2+ weeks in peak season | Booking.com, Trip.com |
Tips and Tricks
What to Cut If You're Short on Time
- Reduce Guangzhou to 2 days: cut the Pearl River cruise; prioritize the dim sum morning, Chen Clan, and Canton Tower
- Cut Day 6 Yangshuo cycling — do the Li River bamboo raft and return to Guilin the same day
Before You Go Checklist
- Check current visa requirements for your nationality — see China Visa Guide
- Book Guangzhou–Guilin HSR tickets (passport number required)
- Book Guilin–Xiamen flight
- Book Gulangyu ferry ticket — especially critical for weekends and public holidays
- Set up Alipay international or WeChat Pay with a linked international card before departure
- Get a China SIM card or roaming plan — see Internet Access in China
- Download offline maps (Maps.me or Google Maps offline) for areas with poor signal
- Withdraw RMB cash (small bills) before the Longji day trip
- Save hotel addresses in Chinese characters on your phone for use with taxis
FAQ
The south of China takes some deliberate effort to get to from most international entry points — and that relative distance is part of why it stays less crowded than the obvious circuit. Guangzhou rewards the food focus people give it. Guilin delivers on the landscape without requiring any particular expertise. Xiamen finishes things off at a pace that makes the trip feel like it ended well. Eleven days is enough to do each place properly without treating any of them as a day trip.
