Guilin to Yangshuo Biking Adventure

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• Day 1: Arrive in Guilin

  Dinner

  Your transfer from Guilin airport or train station will be waiting for your arrival to take you to our hotel in the centre of Guilin - keep an eye out for a Bike Asia sign with your name on it. The drive takes approximately 50 minutes. We'll meet you at the hotel to go over all the details of the upcoming tour and answer any questions you may have. In the evening we'll head out for a feast of local specialities to kick off our adventure!

  Guilin is also one of the oldest tourist regions in China, stretching back into ancient times when it attracted poets and painters that immortalised the incredible scenery in famous poems, paintings, textiles and porcelain.  More recently, it was one of the first parts of China to open to foreign tourists in the late 80s. If you are arriving early, there's a some nice walks to be had around the many lakes and canals that intersect Guilin or along the picturesque Li River.  There are also two pedestrian areas close by; Zhengyang walking street (which dates back to 1000 years, although looks modern now) and the newly established "East West Street" which surround the old walls of the Jinjiang Princes Palace.  One of the main tourist sites in Guilin, the Jinjiang Princes Palace was built for Zhu Shouqian, a great-nephew of the first Ming emporer, Zhu Yuanjiang, as the seat of a principality in 1372 (making it older than the Forbidden City).  At night the city comes alive with bright lights and a bustle of people seeking street food, restaurants and shopping. 

• Day 2: Cycle to Daxu - 52KM

  Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner 52 km

  After breakfast we'll take a short drive out of the busy city to the outskirts.  After setting up the bikes and a safety brief, we'll head off to cross the Li River and along wetlands that are used for fish farming.  We'll leave the Li River valley behind and climb up toward Changchongkou, following an ancient trading route that linked remote farming communities to the Li River (which was the major transport route in the past).  We'll stop in a tiny village for lunch, after which, there's a great walk to a nearby waterfall (and a refreshing dip if it's hot enough).  The afternoon is a speedy (mostly) downhill to Xiong Cun village, one of Gunangxi's (and China's) more untouched ancient towns, where we'll stop for a stroll through the old streets.  Then it's a riverside ride on small paths through rural landscapes in to Daxu Old Town, one of the regions more famous ancient villages.  We'll head to our hotel nearby the Old Town overlooking the Li River.  Dinner is riverside with views over the river and mountains beyond. 

  Xiong Cun is a relatively unheard of village that was once a prosperous trading town linking smaller remote villages and farming communities to the major ports on the Li River, such as Daxu in the south and Xingan in the north. Although it has a history of over a thousand years, the village, as it stands today, was built during the Ming and Qing dynastic periods.  Many residents still live in the old houses and amble the narrow cobble lanes.  Surrounded by mountains, rice and vegetable fields and interwoven with small streams and waterways, it's unrestored state and lack of the modern developers neon touch makes this one of the more authentic rural towns in China.  Daxu Old Town has an even longer history with the earliest Zhuang inhabitants occupying the area as early as 200BC.  It's heyday, like Xiong Cun, was during the Ming and Qing dynasties, when it was one of the richest ports along the North/ South trade artery that linked southern China with the North.  Old flagstone streets, temples, courtyard houses and bridges are fine examples of what an ancient merchant port town would have looked like.

• Day 3: Cycle to Xingping/ Canyoning - 58KM

  Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner 58 km

  After breakfast, we'll jump on the bikes and head through Daxu Old Town.  We'll pass the old streets and see the (mostly) old folk who still live in the old Qing brick and wooden buildings. Blue flagstone and river-rock cobble pave the streets and, as Daxu is quite well known, souvenir sellers vie for attention along with snack stalls, antique shops, art dealers, traditional medicine purveyors and juice bars.  Our route takes us through town to follow a bike path along the famous Li River to quite near where the Li River cruses begin.  On the bikes we'll have the serenity of watching the peaceful river life from the banks, away from the crowds, wending our way through bamboo groves and plantations of citrus, grapes and a myriad of vegetable fields.  Our first big climb of the day takes us up high over the river and into the Southern China limestone karst mountain area designated by UNESCO for it's sublime beauty.  At the top we'll stop for a coffee break: each day of cycling is punctuated by a coffee break featuring fruit and snacks, tea, and Chinese coffee to keep the legs pumping.  A stunning series of long downhills and shorter climbs brings us to lunch in a rural farmers restaurant in the lowlands.

  After lunch, we head for the hills again with a steep, but short climb taking us into mountain country once again.  We'll be making our way to a mountain stream where we'll leave the bikes behind and hike upstream to a narrow gorge and waterfall for a refreshing swim.  The last section of riding takes us downhill all the way into Xingping. After freshening up, we'll head into the old town for a banquet of local specialities.
  

  Xingping, another river town located on the banks of the Li, has an old town that is archecturally Ming and Qing dynasty in style.  The surroundings are some of the more beautiful in the whole region; the bamboo-lined emerald-green Li River curls around impossibly shaped and immensely imposing karst formations whilst the sun seems to find itself setting perfectly in the landscape for the photographers that make their pilgrimage there.  Xingping sees quite a lot of tourists these days, many to take pictures with the view on the 20 yuan note behind them, but the area is easy to get lost in and avoid the crowds, even in the centre of town, where you can hike up Loazhai Mountain for some of the best views you'll see anywhere with few people around you.

• Day 4: Cycle to Jiuxian Ancient Village in the Yulong Valley - 55KM

  Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner 55 km

  Our final day of cycling is definitely a highlight. We follow the Li River upstream for around 2km past the view made famous for being on the Chinese 20 yuan note.  From here we load up the bikes onto a local ferry to cross the river, then back on the bikes we send our way through small villages all surrounded by immense karst mountains.  A small back road route brings us up our first climb of the day, heading up into the hills for some of the finest views of the tour.  We'll stop for a break at Xianggongshan Mt which has a lookout where you can aappreciate the enormity of the landscape: a forest of karst mountains disappearing in the distance over views of the Li River far below.  We continue to ride along the ridgeline passing through citrus orchard countryside before heading away from the Li River and down to Baisha and onto the Yulong River Valley. We'll stop for lunch in a local farmer’s restaurant by the river, with views of the 600 year old Yulong Bridge, before a back road ride along the river to our guesthouse in Jiuxian Ancient Town.  Our guesthouse for our last night, and celebration of the end of our adventure, is in the middle of the old town in wonderfully renovated traditional buildings: a fitting way to end our tour!
  

  Jiuxian Old Town is one of the more famous villages in the region. Situated in the serene and sublimely picturesque Yulong Valley, it boasts some of the nicest converted traditional style accommodation anywhere in China, making for a rewarding way to appreciate the old archectecture and village life in an authentic setting. 

• Day 5: Departure Day

  Breakfast

  Today is departure day and you are free to leave at anytime. We’ll organise a transfer to connect with your onward travel. If you wish to stay longer to soak up Yangshuo’s unique atmosphere and activities chat to us about the possibilities on offer.

• Can we change the itinerary or customise the tour?

  Not for publicly listed dates, but if you have your own group or date in mind, Yes.  If you want to make a private booking we can help design a tour that suits you.  You may have ideas based on any of our tours or something in mind that you can't find on our website.  Just get in contact with us and let us know what you have in mind and we'll try our best to make it happen!

• Do you cater for vegetarians?

  Yes we do!  If you have any dietery requirements just let us know when you book in the space provided (Additional Requests).  For any severe alergies or other conditions it is best that you let us know in advance so that we can prepare and/ or advise you on what we can provide or what you might need to bring so that are well catered for.

• What about Covid 19?

  Covid restrictions have passed for most countries and it is now possible to obtain tourist visas for China. For China you may need to provide a personal Covid test within taken 24 hours before your departure, these are only checked randomly, and can also be taken on arrival.

  During all our tours we take care to avoid any transferring of any viruses, such as Covid, through providing hand sanitisers and minimising exposure.  As with any illness, all care will be made for the participants well being during the tour and we will help with any arrangements that need to be made if the participant needs to leave the tour (this will be at the cost of the participant).  Costs for unused segments of tours cannot be refunded, for any reason, as all tour costs are paid in advance.

• How to I make a booking and payment?

  Simply go to the "Dates" section of the tour page and click on the "book now" button, or click on "book" on the website header and select your preferred tour and departure date.  If you are booking onto an on demand tour and have your own dates in mind there will be an facility for you book here too.

  Before you book, we recommend that you read through the tour details and our booking terms and conditions. You can contact us about the trip if you have any questions at info@bikeasia.com or set up a time to chat about the tour.  

  Upon completion of your booking form we’ll send you an acknowledgement email and invoice for a deposit. All long trips (7 days or more) require a deposit of 300USD to guarantee your place. Trips departing within 60 days at booking will require full payment. Once your deposit is received, we’ll also send you a pre-trip information pack that will give you added information about the tour, the region you’ll be travelling through, a checklist of things to prepare, suggestions for packing, training tips and more.  For shorter trips and day tours we require full payment 30 days prior to the commencement of the tour or as soon as convenient if booking within 30 days of departure.

  Payments can be made on credit card via Paypal or through a direct bank transfer in most currencies. Information on payments will be present on your initial deposit invoice. Paypal payments will incur a 4% fee.