Guilin Transportation

There are many ways to get to Guilin. Good air,train and bus services are available from most part of China and abroad. The most convenient to get around for tourists is to take a tour . Taxis are plentiful and cheap. The city is flat so biking is also a good option.

The taxi fare in Guilin depends on the vehicle type, and is charged by distance and includes a per-journey oil price surcharge of RMB 1. The distance fare is RMB 7 - 8 (depending on vehicle type) for the first 2 kilometers, and RMB 1.4 - 1.6 per kilometer for the next 2 km, rising to RMB 2 per kilometer beyond that. Rates are slightly higher between 11.00pm and 6.30am.

Flying is the most convenient way to travel to Guilin . There are many domestic airlines serving Guilin from many parts of China like Beijing, Chongqing, Guangzhou, Guiyang, Haikou, Hangzhou, Hong Kong, Kunming, Macau, Nanjing, Nanning, Qingdao, Sanya, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Taiyuan, Wuhan, Xian, Zhengzhou, Dalian, Shantou, Chengdu, Lanzhou, Tianjin, Jinan, Wenzhou, Changsha, Fuzhou, and Zhuhai. Direct flights to and from Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Macau and Thailand are also available.

Guilin’s small airport, Guilin Liangjiang International Airport, is 30 kilometers west of the city (about a 40 minute, 80 to 100 yuan taxi ride). Most large hotels have a shuttle bus service available (with prior notice). Other airport shuttles cost 20 yuan and operate without a fixed schedule. A shuttle bus (20 yuan) leaves for the airport every 30 minutes from the CAAC (Civil Aviation Administration of China) building on Shanghai Road.

Ticket Office: Airport Terminal of Guilin Liangjiang International Airport
Ticket Booking Telephone (Enquiry): 0773-2152222

The fare on most public buses is RMB 1.2, with a 90 per cent discount for IC cards. The fare on number 98 and 99 buses is RMB 2, as they are air-conditioned. There are also eight free bus lines (numbers 51 to 58) which serve major tourist destinations.

The buses are colored red for easy recognition, and operate from 7:00am to 7:00pm every day. This is a popular service, so the buses can get very crowded between 9 am and 5 pm.

The two stations -- Guilin Railway Station (South Station) and Guilin North Railway Station (North Station) -- are the two main railroad passenger transport stations in Guilin. Every day many trains arrive and depart, as Guilin City is the railroad hub of Central China and is in the central part of the Hunan-Guangxi Railway Line.

The Guilin Railway Station (South Station) is located at Zhongshan Road (South) to the south of the city center but is more conveniently situated than the North Station. City bus No.3, 4, 16 can take you there.

Trains are available between Guilin and Beijing, Wuhan, Changsha, Shanghai, Wuxi, Guangzhou, Naning, etc. Among which, it takes only 22 hours to travel from Beijing to Guilin, and hard seat costs CNY237, while hard sleeper costs CNY440. There is another train K21 from Beijing to Guilin which takes 26 hours. Trains from Shanghai like K181, K149 to Guilin take around 23 - 24 hours.
 

Guilin' s compact layout makes bicycle touring a pleasant option. Bicycles can be rented by the hour or the day at most hotels and at other locations around the city, especially Zhongshan South Road. The daily rate is approximately RMB 15, with a deposit of RMB 100 - 300.

In Guilin there are two main docks for passenger transport service. One is Mopanshan Passenger Transport Dock which is near Mopanshan Mountain, 28 kilometers (about 17 miles) from Guilin's downtown area. Covering an area of 233,350 square meters (about 0.09 square miles), this dock is designed to look like a beautiful garden and has well-equipped establishments including five waiting halls. In the city center there is no public bus to the dock, so tourists have to spend approximately CNY60 for a taxi to reach this dock.

Another dock is Zhujiang Dock which is 32 kilometers (about 20 miles) southeast of the Guilin city center and two-kilometers (about 1.2 miles) by waterway from Mopanshan Dock. Covering an area of 48,200 square meters (0.0186 square miles), Zhujiang Dock is 400 meters (about 0.25 miles) long and has nine berths, a big waiting building, and a parking lot. This dock is mainly designed for foreign tourists and is the must-use dock for high officials from both China and foreign countries.

Every year more than 300,000 tourists take the cruise ship from Zhujiang Dock to travel along the Li River. Traveling the Li River to Yangshuo is a journey of about 54 kilometers (about 34 miles). The cruise ships from the berths downtown to Yangshuo usually set off at 09:30, 10:00, and 14:00 and will take about 4 hours to complete the journey. A gentle breeze will caress your face and picture postcard riverside scenery will please your eyes as the beauty unfolds around you. However, remember that in winter the water level is rather low, so the cruise is limited to just 10 kilometers (about 6.2miles) instead of the normal 82 kilometers (about 51 miles)