Yangshuo: Xianggong Mountain & Yulong Bamboo Boat Private Tour
The Yulong River Bamboo Boat Ride That Feels Like Stepping Back in Time
A private vehicle takes you to Yulong River for a bamboo boat ride past ancient villages and the Ming Dynasty Yulong Bridge, then you climb Xianggong Mountain for views of the Li River winding through limestone peaks. Your private guide and vehicle handle all logistics and timing, so you only need to show up ready to go.
Step-by-step itinerary
- Yulong River Entry included 2h
- Yulong Bridge passing by
Yangshuo highlights and Yulong River
- Meet guide and driver at hotel
- Drive to Yulong River
- Explore Yulong River scenery
- See Yulong Bridge
- Climb Xianggong Mountain viewpoint
What’s included
Your day includes private hotel pickup and drop-off from Guilin or Yangshuo, a private air-conditioned vehicle with an English-speaking guide, entry to Xianggong Mountain, and a bamboo boat ride for two people on Yulong River (with the historic Yulong Bridge and views of ancient villages along the way).
Times
- Every day 09:00 09:30 11:00 12:00 12:30
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Prices and times updated 3 days ago
Operated by happychinatours
The experience
The driver arrives, and the only people climbing into the car are you and whoever you're traveling with. That's the first thing you notice about a private Yangshuo day tour: there's no bus full of people checking their watches. It's just you, your guide, and the air-conditioned vehicle heading toward Yulong River. The river itself is called the little Li River by locals, and once you see it, you understand why: the landscape rivals the famous Li River, but quieter, with ancient villages and stone bridges that haven't changed much in centuries.
The bamboo boat ride is the centerpiece, and it's genuinely different from the tourist versions you might have heard about. You're on a flat-bottomed bamboo raft with a boatman who poles you downriver past limestone peaks and riverside villages, and the whole thing moves at the pace of the current. The boat holds two people comfortably, with a maximum of 160kg per raft. Along the way you pass the Yulong Bridge (a Ming Dynasty stone structure from the 1400s, 36 meters long, simple but striking), and the daily life happening on the banks. It's not performed for tourists. It's just what happens there.
Xianggong Mountain comes next, and this is where photographers camp out at sunrise. The ticket is included, and the climb pays off with a view from above of the Li River snaking between the peaks. The light and shadow shift constantly, especially in the early morning, which is why a bronze-medal-winning photographer from Guilin made his name shooting here. You don't need to be a photographer to feel it. The view is the kind that makes you stop talking and just look.
The day wraps with a stop at West Street in Yangshuo if there's time, though the real memory is the river and the quiet. Your guide handles the timing, the navigation, and the explanations. All you handle is being ready to get in the car. The vehicle is air-conditioned, which matters on a warm day.
Is this one for you?This works well if you want to see Yangshuo's main sights without arranging transport, entry fees, or timing yourself: the private vehicle and guide handle the logistics.
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Top questions
What languages is the tour guided in?
Live guide in English and Chinese.
Can children come?
Yes. Ticket types: Child (5 to 8 years); Infant (under 5): free.
What's included in the price?
Hotel pickup and drop-off, private air-conditioned vehicle, English-speaking guide, Xianggong Mountain entry ticket, and one bamboo boat ticket for two people. Each raft carries two people, up to 160kg combined.
Is this tour physically demanding?
The bamboo boat ride is gentle and seated. Xianggong Mountain involves a climb to the viewpoint, so a basic level of fitness helps. It isn't advised if you have a spinal injury, poor cardiovascular health, or are pregnant.
Is there a weight limit on the bamboo boat?
Each bamboo boat is rated for 160kg maximum. That limit is for the combined weight of the two people on the raft.
Yangshuo: Xianggong Mountain & Yulong Bamboo Boat Private Tour
7h · EN +1 · at your hotel
from US$ 125.66 per person