How to Get to Guilin
Visitors from other countries get to Guilin can be choose different transportations tools, flight is taking as priority to consider, Guilin China provides a guided information to ease the way of travel.
By Plane
There are many daily domestic and international flights to and from Guilin Liangjiang International Airport. All major Chinese airlines and some foreign airline offer flights to Guilin, especially from the popular tourist destinations. There are flights to over 30 domestic cities and Hong Kong, Macau and Fukuoka, Japan, Seoul, Bangkok, and Kuala Lumpur.
We suggest booking air tickets as early as possible as the price increases as it approaches the date of travel. During the low season (except the national holiday, festivals and student’s summer and winter holiday), air ticket may cheaper than train tickets so it is worth checking all possibilities.
Guilin Liangjiang International Airport is 30 km away from the city and airport shuttle bus offers transfers between city and the airport for CNY20 for per person. There are three stops on the way to the city: Tian’e Hotel, Guilin train station and terminal stop at Aviation Plaza 民航大厦. The trip from the airport to the city terminal takes about 40 minutes. The terminal is close to down town of Guilin so it is easy to then take a taxi to most hotels. The bus is scheduled to leave for the airport every 30 minutes from Aviation Plaza Hotel; however the bus from airport only leaves when full, so there may be a wait for the bus to fill up. The last bus will wait till the last flight arrives.
A taxi from the city center to the airport costs about CNY100 yuan. Most Guilin hotel can arrange a taxi for their customer.
International Flights to Guilin
Jorgen Air and Hong Kong Air each provide one flight to Guilin from Hong Kong every day which takes 1 hour. Check out our China tours including flights from Hong Kong.
Air Asia provides flights to Guilin from Kuala Lumpur for 4 flights a week, and plan to increase 7 flights a week based on the passengers’ demand.
Asiana Airline provides flights to Guilin from Seoul at every Monday and Friday.
Jetstar flies twice-weekly from Singapore to Guilin.
Domestic flights to Guilin
China Airline, China Southern Airline provides flight from the most popular tourist destinations of Beijing, Xian, Shanghai, Guangzhou Hangzhou, Kunming and Chongqing however flights too many cities are available.
Recommanded Guilin Tours Flight from Other City
Rail
There are two train stations in Guilin: Guilin Railway Station (commonly known as Guilin Station or South Station), which is now the main train station and situated on South Zhongshan Road. It is a transportation hub in the city, bus only takes 10 minutes to the down town area by taxi. The other one is Guilin North Railway Station, departing trains are infrequent. The sleeper train tickets for the northern cities are difficult to buy, but it is quite easy to buy the tickets within Guangxi province to Nanning (provincial capital city) and Liuzhou.
There are trains to Guilin from of Beijing, Changsha, Wuhan, Shanghai, Xian and Harbin and Qingdao, the western cities of Kunming and Guizhou and the south cities of Liuzhou, Nanning, Beihai and Zhanjiang, and from of Guangzhou and Shenzhen in the east.
- From Beijing — total of 2145km, many overseas tourist choose Beijing as their first stop in China; there are three train on either direction.
Train No.K21 departs from Beijing West Railway Station at 8:21am, and arrives Guilin South Railway Station at 12:38pm, and takes 28 hours. The return train K22 departs from Guilin South Railway Station at 7:26pm and arrives Beijing West Station at 11:05pm, and takes 27 hours.
The fastest train No.T5 departs from Beijing West Railway Station at 3:44pm and arrives at Guilin South Railway Station at 2:21pm, and takes 22 hours. The Return train T6 departs from Guilin South Railway Station at 3:06pm and arrives Beijing West Station at 1:38pm, and takes 22 hours.
Train No.K157 departs from Beijing West Railway Station at 7:16pm, and arrives Guilin South Railway Station at 10:36pm, and takes 27 hours. The return train K158 departs from Guilin South Railway Station at 1:00am in the morning and arrives Beijing West Station at 6:12am, and takes 27 hours.
- From Hong Kong via Shenzhen — Take MTR to Lo Hu Customs Port via the East Rail line. South from Hong Kong East Tsim Sha Tsui Station and North to Lo Hu Station in Shenzhen. This normally takes 1 hour. After going through immigration and customs, keep to the left when exiting. Lo Ho Train Station is situated just 5 minutes’ walk. Trains from Shenzhen to Guilin depart from this station.
- From Shenzhen via Guilin—there are two Train stations in Shenzhen: West station and Luo Hu Station however the Trains from Shenzhen to Guilin depart only from Lo Ho Station. Train No. T38 departs at 5:46pm and arrives in Guilin at 7am, the total length of the trip is 1030km, and will takes 14 hours.
Price are various for the different classes are:- CNY137 for hard seat, CNY249 for hard sleeper and CNY 379 for the soft sleeper. Tickets can be purchased at the ticket office in the train station. We suggest the soft sleeper for comfort and less crowned. The train goes through Guangzhou train station on the way to Guilin. The return train T40 from Guilin depart at 9:28am, arriving Shenzhen at 10:35am.
Tickets availability depends on how early you book, do not expect to get tickets on the day of travel.
Guilin Tours from Shenzhen by Train
- From Guangzhou via Guilin—Guangzhou Station is located in the near the city center and is the biggest transportation hub for the southern China railway system connecting Guangzhou-Shenzhen Railway and Beijing-Guangzhou railway.
Guangzhou to Guilin has two trains a day. K36/K37, departs Guangzhou at 5:46pm, arrives Guilin at 6:51am next day. The return train K35/K38 from Liuzhou to Guangzhou, Guilin departure time is 6:44pm, arriving Guangzhou at next day at 6:22am. The trip takes 11 hours and 38 minutes, ticket price: CNY116 for hard seat and CNY207 for hard sleeper.
The express train T38/T39 departs from Guangzhou at 7:50pm, arrive Guilin 6:42pm on next day, the return train T37/T40 Guilin departure time is 9:48pm, stops at Guangzhou Station at next day at 8:38, latter goes all the way to Shenzhen. The trip takes 10 hours and 50 minutes, CNY116 for hard seat and CNY207 for hard sleeper.
The express train T38/T39 departs from Guangzhou at 7:50pm, arrive Guilin 6:42pm on next day, the return train T37/T40 Guilin departure time is 9:48pm, stops at Guangzhou Station at next day at 8:38, latter goes all the way to Shenzhen. The trip takes 10 hours and 50 minutes, CNY116 for hard seat and CNY207 for hard sleeper.
Tickets availability depends on how early you book, do not expect to get tickets on the day of travel.
- From Shanghai to Guilin- Shanghai is a major transportation hub for international flights, many overseas tourist may choose Shanghai as their exit city from China, there are four trains on either direction。
The fastest train T77 departs from Shanghai South Railway Station at 4:18pm, arrives Guilin Station at 12:15pm, and takes about 20hours, CNY194 for hard seat, CNY353 for hard sleeper.
Train No.T181 departs from Shanghai South Railway Station at 1:06pm, arrive Guilin Station at 10:14pm, and takes about 21 hours. Ticket price CNY194 for hard seat, CNY353 for hard sleeper.
Train No.K537 departs from Shanghai South Railway Station at 4:49pm, arrive Guilin Station at 2:44pm, and takes about 22 hours. Ticket price CNY194 for hard seat, CNY353 for hard sleeper.
Train No.K181 departs from Shanghai South Railway Station at 3:57pm, arrive Guilin Station at 3:12pm, and takes about 23 hours. Ticket price CNY194 for hard seat, CNY353 for hard sleeper.
- From Kunming to Guilin - The fastest trains from Kunming are those which go via Guilin and the Nankun railway. K182 departs Kunming and Guilin North Stations. Departure time is 6:33pm and arrives at 12:05pm. The trip takes18 hours, Hard seat CNY158, hard sleeper CNY290, soft sleeper CNY442.
K394 from Kunming Station - Guilin station, Departure at 08.05, arrive at 07.41 am the next day. The trip takes about 23 hours. Hard seat 175 yuan, hard sleeper CNY319, soft sleeper CNY486.
By Bus
Guilin highway network accesses to many parts of China. The provincial express bus to Liuzhou, Nanning, the capital city takes 4 1/2 hours and operates at every 30 minutes. Sleeper buses travel from Beihai, Qinzhou, Yulin and Wuzhou to Guilin.
Most cities in Guangdong Province provide nonstop luxury bus services and sleeper buses to Guilin. The neighboring province-Hunan has luxury bus to Guilin. There are also many direct limousine buses from Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan, Chongqing, Hunan, Fujian, Zhejiang and Jiangxi.
There are three bus stations in Guilin: Guilin Bus Station (located on Zhongshan South Road, the main passengers’ station), mainly providing buses to other cities in China. The South Bus Station (located in front of the Guilin Train Station), mainly provides services to Yangshuo and Yanshan County. The last is North Gate Station (located on Zhongshan North Road, mainly going to the northern county of Xing’an and Lingchuan). Guilin bus station is the largest bus terminal in Guilin. Tickets can purchase at ticket office of Guilin Bus station, and tickets can also be bought from the conductor on the bus.
Walk along northwards from the Guilin Railway Station (turn left out of the station) to Guilin Bus Station. It takes about 10 minutes.
By Boat
Li River in Guilin connects through Xiang River in Hunan province and Zhujiang River in Guangdong Province. You can get to Guilin by cargo boat from Guangzhou via Wuzhou, but there are no passenger boats operate to Guilin.
A boat cruise from Guilin to Yangshuo by Li River is a “must-do” activity in your time in Guilin.
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Got questions? Ask us here!
Sally Guo
Travel Advisor