Independent travel guide
Li River Scenic Area
桂林漓江风景名胜区Guìlín Líjiāng Fēngjǐng Míngshèngqū
The defining karst-river landscape of Guilin, best understood as a long corridor linking city piers, Yangdi, Nine Horses, Xingping and Yangshuo. Allow Half a day to a full day (2-4 hours for the raft segment; about 4-5 hours for the Mopan Hill–Yangshuo scenic cruise) for the core visit. Save the named entrance in your map; the attraction centre may sit away from the gate.
Paid admission · Checked 2026-08-02
Verified ticket prices
Official pricesOfficial current adult price not confirmed
Adult admission
Official current adult price not confirmed- This record intentionally does not infer a current price from a guide or third-party listing.
Rules vary
How to book
Official public information for Li River Scenic Area does not confirm a stable online reservation route.
No official fixed advance-booking period was confirmed on 2026-08-02.
Booking steps
- 1
Open the cited official reference for Li River Scenic Area.
- 2
Read the current ticket, opening and reservation notice; do not infer a rule from a third-party listing.
- 3
If the notice does not accept a foreign passport, contact the venue's staffed service desk before paying.
The official reference does not confirm the foreign-passport credential; keep the passport and any official confirmation.
If no official online route is available, use the venue's staffed ticket or visitor desk; do not replace it with an OTA.
Half a day to a full day (2-4 hours for the raft segment; about 4-5 hours for the Mopan Hill–Yangshuo scenic cruise)
How to visit
Two main independent-travel entry points: ① Chaobanshan Pier beside Xingping Old Town (official raft dock, serving the 'Xingping–Jiuma Huashan' round trip, close to Yangshuo); ② Yangdi Pier (upstream raft start, flowing down to Xingping/Jiuma Huashan). For an in-depth tour, board a three-star cruise at Mopan Hill/Zhujiang Passenger Port to Yangshuo's Longtoushan Pier (the 61-km highlight stretch).
Leave Li River Scenic Area from the side closest to the next stop; check the transport note: Most full cruises run downstream from Guilin-area piers to Yangshuo. They are not round trips, so arrange onward luggage and return transport before boarding. Keep the final section easy enough for a calm return.
- 1Stop 1Yangdi Pier
Upstream raft start, drifting downstream.
- 2Stop 2Nine-Horses-Hill
A great river-wall cliff with a natural horse-shaped rock formation—the end/turn-around of the official raft round trip.
- 3Stop 3Yellow Cloth Reflection
The river opens wide like a mirror—the best place for mountain reflections.
- 4Stop 4Xingping's fine scenery
The scene on the ¥20 RMB note, in the river section near Xingping.
- 5Stop 5Chaobanshan Pier / Xingping Old Town
Raft end; a town from the year 1700 with Ming-Qing old streets.
- 6Stop 6Mopanshan / Zhujiang passenger port
Cruise start, about 30 km from downtown Guilin.
Best time
Depart early in the morning; reach the raft dock before 9:00 for shorter queues and good river light. Rain makes the water murky and may stop sailings; clear/overcast days are best.
Foreigner notes
For Li River Scenic Area, save 漓江景区 and 磨盘山 in the map app; a broad venue pin may stop short of the visitor gate.
Reservation and foreign-passport handling for Li River Scenic Area remain unconfirmed; use the cited official notice before departure.
For Li River Scenic Area, the usual crowd pattern is only a planning hint; check the day's notice and the queue at the gate.
Opening hours vary. Cruise departures are ticket- and weather-scheduled rather than governed by one scenic-area gate schedule; common daytime boarding is about 08:00–18:00.
Save 漓江景区 and 磨盘山 before leaving; the last walk is easier when the gate is already marked.
Avoid these mistakes
Mistaking the '¥20 RMB note viewing platform' or Xingping Fishing Village tour for the full Li River—those are short with hidden extras. Check the route name before buying (Yangdi–Chaobanshan, Chaobanshan–Jiuma Huashan round trip, etc.) and confirm the start/end docks and duration.
Foreign tourists may fail the passport real-name check in the WeChat service account and can't buy online. Test the passport flow in the account in advance; if it fails, contact the official hotline or the dock visitor-service desk for manual help—don't trust third-party buying.
Continue nearby
Daxu Ancient TownHalf dayZengpiyan National Archaeological Site Park1–2 hoursSeven Star Park2–4 hoursGuilin & Yangshuo seasonal itinerary guideGuilin & Yangshuo itinerary and seasonal travel guide for a 4 days across Guilin, Xingping and Yangshuo first visit.Guilin & Yangshuo food guideIncludes spice, ingredient, allergen and ordering notes for independent travelers.Guilin & Yangshuo Travel Guide & MapGuilin & Yangshuo travel guide and interactive map for independent travelers.
Sources and evidence
Published by China Trip Primer · Read the editorial and verification methodology
Items to reconfirm
- The official site doesn't publish per-route cruise/raft prices—they appear only in the 'Lijiang Ticket Office' account's booking system. A third party says cruise tickets from ¥120 (2026-07) without route breakdown, so it's unclear whether that includes the Jiuma Huashan round-trip section. — Select the specific route and date in the 'Lijiang Ticket Office' account to see the settlement price, or call the official hotline (listed under 'Hotline' on the official site).
- Neither the Chinese nor English official pages say whether foreign passports work for account purchase/real-name verification, or whether a mainland China phone number is needed. — Test passport registration/purchase in the account, or email/call the Li River Scenic Area marketing office (via the official site's visitor-comments section).
- The official site doesn't publish daily cruise/raft schedules; the raft 08:00–17:00 and cruise 09:00–14:00 times come from a 2026-07 third-party guide. — On departure day, confirm sailings and stoppages via the 'Lijiang Ticket Office' account or the hotline.
- Whether online booking is mandatory and whether on-site purchase is supported isn't stated on official pages. — Check ticket availability in the account's purchase flow, or call the hotline to confirm on-site sales.
Official
OfficialLi River Scenic AreaPublisher · Guilin official tourism or venue reference
Used forOfficial public reference for Li River Scenic Area
Verified 2026-08-02Official桂林漓江景区旅游官网-漓江排筏游(游览线路)Publisher · Official or venue publisherUsed forOfficial visitor context or venue information; confirm that the page names this venue before relying on it for booking
Verified 2026-08-02Official桂林漓江景区旅游官网-在线预订Publisher · Official or venue publisherUsed forOfficial visitor context or venue information; confirm that the page names this venue before relying on it for booking
Verified 2026-08-02OfficialGuilin Li River Scenic Area Official Website - Ticket Information(英文官网)Publisher · Official or venue publisherUsed forOfficial visitor context or venue information; confirm that the page names this venue before relying on it for booking
Verified 2026-08-02Official桂林漓江景区旅游官网-走进漓江·景区简介Publisher · Official or venue publisherUsed forOfficial visitor context or venue information; confirm that the page names this venue before relying on it for booking
Verified 2026-08-02OfficialOfficial or venue referencePublisher · Official or venue publisherUsed forOfficial visitor context or venue information; confirm that the page names this venue before relying on it for booking
Verified 2026-08-02OfficialGuilin Li River scenic-area tourism official site — ticketing infoPublisher · Guilin Li River Scenic Area Marketing & Development OfficeUsed forUsed to verify the imported ticketing, booking, opening-hours or visitor-guidance fields.
Verified 2026-08-12OfficialGuilin Li River scenic-area tourism official site — Li River rafts (routes)Publisher · Guilin Li River Scenic Area Marketing & Development OfficeUsed forUsed to verify the imported ticketing, booking, opening-hours or visitor-guidance fields.
Verified 2026-08-12OfficialGuilin Li River scenic-area tourism official site — online bookingPublisher · Guilin Li River Scenic Area Marketing & Development OfficeUsed forUsed to verify the imported ticketing, booking, opening-hours or visitor-guidance fields.
Verified 2026-08-12OfficialGuilin Li River Scenic Area official website — ticket information (English official site)Publisher · Guilin Li River Scenic Area Market Development DepartmentUsed forUsed to verify the imported ticketing, booking, opening-hours or visitor-guidance fields.
Verified 2026-08-12OfficialGuilin Li River scenic-area tourism official site — about the Li River · scenic introPublisher · Guilin Li River Scenic Area Marketing & Development OfficeUsed forUsed to verify the imported ticketing, booking, opening-hours or visitor-guidance fields.
Verified 2026-08-12Professional guide
Venue-specific official pages are used where available. City-level official references provide context and are not booking confirmation; editorial and community sources are used only for route choices, pacing and first-hand experience.
漓江景区磨盘山