PRE-MTP MINI-TRIP 3: Guilin & Yangshuo

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PRE-MTP MINI-TRIP 3: Guilin & Yangshuo

This 4-day pre-conference trip takes us from Chengdu into one of the most spectacular and beautiful regions in China.

I absolutely love this part of China. Guilin and Yangshuo are home to some of the most beautiful landscapes in the country, with huge karst mountains, winding rivers and that classic southern China scenery you’ve probably seen in photos a hundred times.

If you don’t have the time or the budget for the longer trip I’m guiding overland from Pakistan into China, this is a brilliant shorter, cheaper option before MTP Chengdu 2027.

We’ll take the high-speed train from Chengdu to Guilin, cruise the Li River through the limestone peaks, stay in Yangshuo and get out into the countryside by bamboo raft and bike. It’s only four days, but it packs in some of my favourite scenery in China.

TRIP HIGHLIGHTS:

High-speed train from Chengdu to Guilin
Guilin’s karst mountain scenery
Li River cruise to Yangshuo
Liu Sanjie Impression show
Yangshuo’s West Street
Xianggong Mountain viewpoint
Yulong River bamboo rafting
Cycling through the Yangshuo countryside

Itinerary:

Day 1 – 16 October: Chengdu → Guilin

We’ll be picked up from our hotel in Chengdu and transferred to the railway station for China’s famous high-speed train to Guilin, departing at 10:41 and arriving at 15:39.

After arriving in Guilin, we’ll head out to see Elephant Trunk Hill, one of the city’s best-known landmarks, before checking into our hotel for the night.

Local food and drinks await.

Day 2 – 17 October: Guilin → Yangshuo

After breakfast, we’ll board a four-hour Li River cruise from Guilin to Yangshuo, travelling through the dramatic limestone scenery this part of China is famous for.

Once we arrive in Yangshuo, we’ll check out the Liu Sanjie Impression Show before spending some time around lively West Street.

Day 3 – 18 October: Yangshuo

Today is all about the scenery around Yangshuo. After breakfast, we’ll visit Xianggong Mountain for panoramic views, take a bamboo raft on the Yulong River, and then explore more of the surrounding countryside by bicycle.

Day 4 – 19 October: Yangshuo → Guilin → Chengdu

After breakfast and check-out, we’ll travel by coach back to Guilin Railway Station. From there, we’ll take the G918 high-speed train at 13:22, arriving back in Chengdu at 18:21, where we’ll be transferred to our hotel and finish the trip.

Tour Dates and Price

$1,499*

Based on per person sharing. Single supplement available for $299.

Inclusions + Exclusions

Included: 3 nights in 4-star hotels, 3 breakfasts, guide and driver tips, listed entrance tickets and second-class return high-speed train tickets between Chengdu and Guilin.

Excluded: Flights, visa and anything not specifically listed as included.

HOW THIS TRIP CONNECTS WITH MTP CHENGDU 2027

This Guilin and Yangshuo trip is one of my pre-conference adventures before the MTP Chengdu Summit from 21–24 October 2027.

We’ll leave Chengdu together on 16 October, spend four days exploring Guilin and Yangshuo, and return to Chengdu on the evening of 19 October. That gives us 20 October completely free to relax, catch up on work, recover or just enjoy Chengdu before the conference begins the following day.

I’m also guiding a much bigger pre-trip overland from Pakistan into China, which is going to be an absolute monster of an adventure. But I know not everyone has the time or budget for something that long. If you still want to join me for an adventure before MTP, this is the perfect shorter and cheaper option.

And it’s not some consolation prize either. I genuinely love this part of China. Guilin and Yangshuo have some of the most spectacular scenery in the country, and in just four days we’ll get the Li River, the karst mountains, bamboo rafting, cycling through the countryside and a completely different side of China before heading back to Chengdu for the main event.

OTHER MTP CHENGDU 2027 TRIPS WITH ME

PRE-MTP TRIP 1: Pakistan to China Overland (via Karakoram Highway and Khunjerab Pass)
PRE-MTP TRIP 2: Kazakhstan + Kyrgyzstan Overland
PRE-MTP TRIP 3: Mini-trip: Guilin + Yangshou
MTP SUMMIT, CHENGDU 2027
POST-MTP TRIP 1: China to Tibet to Nepal overland (via Everest Base Camp)
POST-MTP TRIP 2: Bangladesh and the Sundarbans
POST-MTP TRIP 3: Staying with the Mongolian Reindeer Tribes
POST-MTP TRIP 4: Mini-trip: Chengdu + Chongqing
POST-MTP TRIP 5: Mini-trip: Shangri-La + Tiger Leaping Gorge

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