Longji Rice Terraces from Guilin: Cable car to Golden Buddha Peak

Rise above the rice terraces without the uphill walk

A private day tour from Guilin to the Longji Rice Terraces, about 100km northeast, with a cable car that lifts you to the Golden Buddha Peak viewpoint in under 20 minutes instead of hours of climbing. The tour includes your guide and driver, entry tickets, and stops at Ping'an Village and Dazhai village to walk among the terraces and meet the Zhuang minority families who farm them. Hotel pickup and drop-off are included. You choose departure from Guilin or Yangshuo.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. Longji Rice Terraces2h
2. Ping’an Villagepassing by

Longji Rice Terraces and Cable Car Tour

• Meet guide at hotel lobby at 9am
• Drive 1.5 hours to Longji ticket office
• Purchase tickets at Longji ticket office
• Drive 40 minutes to Dazhai village
• Take cable car to No.3 viewpoint
• Enjoy overlooks of rice terraces from Golden Buddha Peak
• Pass local villages including Jinzhu and Huangluo Long Hair Village
• Experience minority Zhuang people's traditional life
• Visit Ping'an and Jinzhu Zhuang Villages
• Guide escorts you back to hotel

The experience

You're picked up at your hotel at 9am and driven 1.5 hours to the Longji ticket office, then another 40 minutes to Dazhai village at the base of the cable car. The Longji Rice Terraces have been carved into the hillsides for more than 650 years, the locals call them Dragon Backbones, and they rise in narrow, connected tiers across the slopes. The cable car takes you straight up to the No. 3 viewpoint at Golden Buddha Peak in less than 20 minutes, where you stand above the entire terrace field and can see how the rice paddies connect and wind down the mountain.

After the viewpoint, you walk down through Ping'an Village, where more than 50 Zhuang and Yao families live in stilted houses among the terraces. The tour includes time to try on the bright-colored ethnic costumes, help in the fields if you want to, and see how the minority communities live and work the land. Jinzhu Zhuang Village, a UNESCO-recognized settlement, is also on the route. Your guide handles the timing to avoid the cable car rush that builds after lunch around 12:30pm, so you're up and down before the crowds arrive.

The full day runs about 7 hours from hotel to hotel. Your guide speaks English, French or Chinese depending on your choice at booking. At the end, your driver takes you back to your hotel in Guilin or Yangshuo: whichever one you started from.

What’s included

• Air-conditioned private vehicle and driver.
• private guide in English, French or Chinese.
• Longji Terraces entry ticket.
• Dazhai cable car ticket to Golden Buddha Peak.
• hotel pickup and drop-off in Guilin or Yangshuo.

Options for this experience

2 options

Starts from Guilin HotelGuide in English, French or Chinese · 09:00This tour can collect you from your Guilin hotel and then return you to your Guilin hotel, or to Guilin airport or the train stations. Pickup is included.

Starts from Yangshuo HotelGuide in English, French or Chinese · 08:30This tour can collect you from your Yangshuo hotel and return you to your Yangshuo hotel, or to a Guilin hotel, Guilin airport, or the train stations. Pickup is included.

You pick the guide language when booking.

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 08:30 and 09:00

Book up to3h before

AgesAdult (10 and older) · Child (5 to 9 years) · Infant (1 to 4 years): free

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, French 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 yesterday

Good to know

Low physical effortInfant seats availableNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problems

Operated by happychinatours

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you want to see the full scale of the rice terraces from above without spending hours on a steep climb. The cable car gets you to the best viewpoint in under 20 minutes, leaving time to walk through the villages and meet the families who farm the land.

Traveler reviews

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, French and Chinese.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (5 to 9 years); Infant (1 to 4 years): free.

How do I get to the top of the Longji Rice Terraces on this tour?

The cable car carries you from Dazhai village to the No. 3 viewpoint at Golden Buddha Peak in less than 20 minutes, so you see the full terrace landscape from above without climbing for hours.

What is Ping'an Village and what do we do there?

Ping'an Village is a settlement of over 50 Zhuang and Yao families living in stilted houses among the rice terraces. You walk through the village, can try on traditional ethnic costumes, and have the chance to help in the fields and learn how the minority communities farm the terraces.

How long is the drive from Guilin to the Longji Terraces?

The Longji Terraces are about 100km northeast of Guilin, roughly 2 hours' drive from downtown. After you reach the ticket office, it's another 40 minutes to Dazhai village where the cable car starts.

What's included in the tour price?

The tour includes the air-conditioned vehicle and private driver, your private guide, entry tickets to the Longji Terraces, the cable car ticket, and hotel pickup and drop-off. Food and drinks are separate.

Can I choose where to be picked up?

Yes, you can depart from your Guilin hotel or your Yangshuo hotel, and the driver will return you to the same location at the end of the day.