Guilin Half-Day Tour: Reed Flute Cave & Elephant Trunk Hill

Two of Guilin's most striking landmarks in one half-day, with a guide and a driver who know them both.

A half-day private tour of Guilin visiting Reed Flute Cave and Elephant Trunk Hill, led by an English-speaking local guide with hotel pickup and drop-off included. You choose a morning or afternoon departure, explore the cave's stalactite formations first, then move to Elephant Trunk Hill where the Li River and Peach Blossom River meet. The guide handles all entrance fees and transport between sites.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. Reed Flute Cave2h · entry included
2. Elephant Trunk Hill2h · entry included

Visit Reed Flute Cave and Elephant Trunk Hill

• Pick up from hotel at 9:00 am or 1:00 pm
• Visit Reed Flute Cave and explore formations
• Explore Elephant Trunk Hill and Water Moon Cave
• Return to hotel

The experience

The tour starts with pickup from your hotel around 9:00 am or 1:00 pm, depending on which half-day you choose. Your guide and driver take you first to Reed Flute Cave, known locally as the Palace of Natural Arts. The cave is one of the most beautiful karst formations in China, and walking through the stalactites gives you the sense of moving through a crystal palace. The rock formations are the whole point here, not a backdrop. You spend time inside exploring at your own pace with the guide explaining what you're looking at.

From there, you head to Elephant Trunk Hill, a Guilin landmark that sits where the Li River and Peach Blossom River meet. The hill's shape really does resemble a giant elephant drinking from the river, and there's a semicircular cave between its legs and trunk called the Water Moon Cave. After you've seen both sites, your guide brings you back to your hotel, completing the half-day.

The guide speaks English and is a local, so they know both attractions well. Bottled water is provided during the tour. All entrance fees to the cave and the hill are included in the price, so there are no surprises at the gate.

What’s included

• Private transportation between your hotel and both attractions.
• hotel pickup and drop-off.
• English-speaking local guide.
• entrance fees for Reed Flute Cave and Elephant Trunk Hill.
• bottled water during the tour.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 09:00 and 13:00

AgesUp to age 90

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 7 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effort

Operated by China Theme Tour

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you want to see Guilin's two most famous landmarks without arranging your own transport or navigating between sites: the private guide and driver handle both, and the half-day format fits easily into a longer trip to the city.

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Top questions

What is Reed Flute Cave actually like to walk through?

Reed Flute Cave is filled with stalactite and stalagmite formations that create the effect of walking inside a crystal palace. The cave is one of China's most beautiful karst caves, and the guide will explain the formations as you move through it.

Can I choose between a morning or afternoon departure?

Yes. You can start either around 9:00 am or 1:00 pm, whichever fits your schedule better.

Does the tour include hotel pickup?

Yes, your guide and driver pick you up from your hotel at the start and drop you back there at the end.

What does Elephant Trunk Hill actually look like from the ground?

Elephant Trunk Hill sits at the confluence of the Li River and Peach Blossom River and is shaped like a giant elephant drinking from the water. A semicircular cave between its legs and trunk, called the Water Moon Cave, is part of the formation.

Are entrance fees included in the price?

Yes, all entrance ticket fees for both Reed Flute Cave and Elephant Trunk Hill are included.