Bamboo Rafting and Biking in Yangshuo: Private Half-Day Tour

Ride into karst valleys, then drift downriver on bamboo

A private half-day tour in Yangshuo combines biking through rural footpaths and rice fields with a bamboo raft float on the Yulong River. You pedal into the countryside with an English-speaking guide who shares local culture, then transition to the water for a quiet drift past flat fields and dramatic limestone peaks. Hotel pickup and bike rental are included. The whole outing takes around three hours.

Step-by-step itinerary

Bike and bamboo raft tour

• Meet guide at hotel
• Bike ride along Yulong riverside
• Bamboo rafting on Yulong River

The experience

Yangshuo's most striking scenery sits beyond the main roads, and the bike gets you there. You start at your hotel with pickup, then head to the Yulong riverside where your guide hands you a bike and points you onto footpaths that cut through the countryside. The route stays flat and manageable, suitable for all fitness levels, and the guide narrates as you ride, pointing out how the rice fields work and what daily life looks like in the villages you pass. The karst mountains rise on both sides, and you're moving slowly enough to actually see them instead of rushing past.

Once you've covered the ground on two wheels, the guide arranges your transition to the bamboo raft. The Yulong River is quiet and narrow. You'll float past the same rice fields and limestone formations you just pedaled through, but from water level. A bottle of mineral water comes with you. The whole experience (bike, guide, raft, transport back to your hotel) wraps in about three hours, which is long enough to feel like a real outing but short enough to fit into a morning or afternoon without eating the whole day.

What’s included

• Bike rental.
• one bottle of mineral water.
• English-speaking guide.
• hotel pickup and drop-off.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 09:00

Book up to4h before

AgesAdult (10 to 65 years) · Under 10: can't be booked

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 9 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortInfant seats availablePublic transport nearbyNot recommended during pregnancy

Operated by Michelles Private Tours

Is this one for you?Book this private tour if you want to explore Yangshuo's countryside at your own pace without sharing the guide or the raft with other travelers. The combination of biking and floating means you cover more ground and see the landscape from two different angles in a single half-day.

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Top questions

What's the Yulong River like on a bamboo raft?

The Yulong River is peaceful and slow-moving, with flat rice fields on both banks and karst mountains rising in the distance. You drift rather than paddle, so it's a calm float after the bike ride.

Do I need to be fit to bike the footpaths in Yangshuo?

The route is suitable for all physical fitness levels and stays on flat terrain, so biking experience matters more than fitness. Children must be at least 12 years old and accompanied by an adult.

What's included in the half-day tour?

Bike rental, one bottle of mineral water, an English-speaking guide, and hotel pickup and drop-off are all included. Bring sunscreen, bug spray, a hat and water-resistant shoes.

How long does the whole tour take?

The tour runs about three hours from hotel pickup to drop-off, covering both the bike ride through the countryside and the bamboo raft float on the Yulong River.