Guilin
Li River Cruise Private Day Tour
Four hours downstream through the karst towers to Yangshuo, then the countryside by road on the way back. The classic Guangxi day.
From US$139/per person
View tourGuilin
Longji Rice Terraces Private Day Tour
Terraces cut by hand over 650 years and still farmed, in the mountains two and a half hours north-west of Guilin.
The short version
The Longji terraces were cut into a Guangxi mountainside by hand from the Yuan dynasty onwards, and they are still farmed — a working landscape rather than a view. They sit 2h 30m north-west of Guilin, which makes this a long day of about eleven hours, best in May when the paddies are flooded and in late September when the rice turns gold.
- Terraces cut over 650 years, still planted and harvested by the families who own them.
- Two viewing areas: the Dragon's Backbone and the higher Nine Dragons and Five Tigers.
- Eleven hours door to door — this is the longest day we sell from Guilin.
- May for flooded, mirrored paddies; late September for the harvest gold.
What not to miss
06:30
Hotel pickup
Private vehicle north-west into the mountains. Two and a half hours, and leaving now is what makes the day work.
09:15
Enter the terraces
Ticket gate at the foot of the valley, then the road climbs through bamboo to the Zhuang and Yao villages at 600 m.
10:00
The Dragon's Backbone
The first viewpoint: terraces falling away in ribbons down the ridge, water in them if it is May, gold if it is September.
12:00
Zhuang village lunch
At a family table in the village: smoked pork, bamboo rice, mountain vegetables and the local rice wine.
13:30
Walk up to the high viewpoint
An hour on stone stairs through the terraces to the Nine Dragons and Five Tigers platform at about 1,100 m, looking down the whole valley.
15:30
Drive back
Down the mountain and back to Guilin, arriving around 18:00.
What's included and what isn't
Includes
- Private vehicle and driver for the full day
- Licensed English-speaking guide
- Longji terraces entrance ticket
- Village shuttle transfers inside the scenic area
- Zhuang village lunch
- Tolls, fuel and parking
Not included
- Breakfast and dinner
- Gratuities
- The optional cable car, if you would rather not walk up
- Personal travel insurance
Pickup, timing and getting around
Pickup at 06:30 from hotels in Guilin. The drive is 2h 30m each way, which is why this is an eleven-hour day; if that is too long, the Li River cruise gives you more for less time.
Stay a night in the terraces if you can. The day trip shows you the landscape, but the light at dawn and the villages after the coaches leave are the reason people remember Longji.
Route diagrams are schematic and illustrative, not to scale.
More day tours from Guilin
Guilin
Yangshuo Cycling & Countryside Day Tour
Flat paved lanes between the towers, a bamboo raft on the Yulong River, and cormorant fishing at dusk. Guangxi at ground level.
From US$129/per person
View tourFrequently asked questions
When is the best time for the terraces?
Late April to mid-May, when the paddies are flooded and mirror the sky, and late September to mid-October when the rice is golden before harvest. Winter terraces are bare and structural; summer is green but less dramatic.
How much walking is there?
About an hour of stone stair climbing to the upper viewpoint, plus village lanes. The lower viewpoint needs very little walking, and there is a cable car for those who want the high platform without the stair.
Is it worth eleven hours?
If you want to see how the landscape was made, yes. If you have only one day in Guangxi and want the classic view, take the Li River cruise instead and stay overnight in Yangshuo.
Do people still live there?
Yes. The villages are Zhuang and Yao, the families still farm the terraces, and the guesthouses are run by them. It is not an open-air museum, which is exactly why it is worth the drive.
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