Li River Cruise Yangshuo to Yangdi: Private Car & Driver

Cruise the Li River from Yangshuo to Yangdi and watch rural life unfold along the water

A full-day Li River tour from Yangshuo includes private car pickup at your hotel, a five-hour cruise downstream to Yangdi with lunch onboard, and return transfer by English-speaking driver. The boat winds through limestone peaks and past water buffalo, rice paddies and bamboo rafts, ending with a drive back to Yangshuo or Guilin.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. West Street30m
2. Li River5h · entry included

Li River cruise from Yangshuo to Yangdi

• Pickup at Yangshuo hotel at 12:30pm
• Transfer to West Street and river pier
• Board boat at Yangshuo Shuidongmen river pier
• Enjoy Li River cruise with lunch onboard
• Arrive at Yangdi pier at 6:00pm
• Transfer back to Yangshuo or Guilin

The experience

Your driver meets you at your Yangshuo hotel at 12:30pm and takes you to West Street, where the boat company collects passengers for the 1:30pm departure from Yangshuo Shuidongmen river pier. The Li River cruise is the centerpiece: five hours downstream to Yangdi with lunch served onboard. Karst peaks rise at every bend of the river, and the water stays clear enough to see the bottom in places. Water buffalo graze in the shallows, farmers work rice paddies along the banks, and fishermen pole bamboo rafts past the boat. The kind of scene that has drawn travelers here for centuries.

The boat reaches Yangdi around 6pm, and your driver is waiting to take you back to Yangshuo or on to Guilin (airport or train station) the same evening. The whole day runs eight hours door-to-door, with the river crossing as the main event and the car rides as the connectors. Lunch is included on the boat. The private vehicle means no waiting for other passengers or switching between transport types.

What’s included

• Private air-conditioned car with English-speaking driver for hotel pickup and return transfer.
• boat ticket for the Li River cruise from Yangshuo to Yangdi.
• lunch onboard the boat.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 12:30

Book up to10h before

AgesAdult (10 and older) · Child (5 to 9 years) · Infant (under 5): free

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish and Chinese

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 16 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortWheelchair accessibleStroller-friendlyNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problems

Operated by happychinatours

Is this one for you?An English-speaking driver means you get commentary and help throughout the day without needing to arrange a separate guide or speak Chinese. The private car also lets you set your own pace for the morning before the boat departs and the evening after you return.

Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Chinese.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (5 to 9 years); Infant (under 5): free.

What is the Li River cruise actually like between Yangshuo and Yangdi?

The Li River cruise covers about five hours of water between the two piers, passing through a landscape of steep limestone peaks and rural villages. You'll see water buffalo in the shallows, rice paddies being worked by hand, and fishermen on bamboo rafts. The river itself is clear and calm, and the boat moves slowly enough that the scenery changes noticeably at each bend.

Can I arrange pickup from Guilin airport or the train station instead of my Yangshuo hotel?

Yes. Your driver can pick you up from a Guilin hotel, airport or train station in the morning and bring you to West Street for the boat departure at 1:30pm. The return trip after Yangdi also goes to Guilin if that's where you need to be.

Is lunch included, and what time do we eat on the boat?

Lunch is included onboard the boat during the cruise. The meal is served while you're on the water between Yangshuo and Yangdi, so you eat without leaving the river.

What time does the boat leave Yangshuo and when do we arrive at Yangdi?

The boat departs Yangshuo at 1:30pm and reaches Yangdi around 6pm. Your driver picks you up at your hotel at 12:30pm to get you to the pier in time, and meets you again at Yangdi for the return drive.