1 Day Li River Cruise and Yangshuo Countryside Cycling Tour

Post on Jul,15,2013

Going on a cycling tour has always been fun for me since I love to ride a bike. It is also a change of pace from traditional sightseeing and types of tours. Sure a bus or boat or even walking tour can be great; but there is something special about going on a bike tour to really explore a city.

I decided to go ahead and take a Yangshuo countryside cycling tour while on vacation. I was a bit nervous because this was unfamiliar territory for me and I did not want to get lost. I also was not sure where I should even begin when it comes to finding a great tour that suited my needs. I needed a cycling tour that was a decent length but not too physical with hills and steep turns. I have put together a list of the top 4 Yangshuo cycling tours that people should check out. All of these tours start from West Street; I found out the hard way that this is the absolute best spot to go to rent a bike for a cycling tour.

Yulong River Cycling Tour

This is the tour I took because it was fairly easy for me. It is a half day tour that covers roughly 10 miles. The best part about this cycling tour for me was that there were no detours or unnecessary stops. I would say it is a classic route with hills and a short loop with scenic spots. First you start on West Street and your guide will tell you when to turn. After a short while you will reach the countryside where you get to see how people in small villages live day to day life. A few miles into the tour there will be another fork and you will run into a restaurant that serves Western food. A couple miles later you will come to another fork where you can take one of two ways. One way will lead you on quieter route along the Yulong River. The other one continues on the circuit for about 3 miles. At the end you will come back to West Street. Pretty amazing tour and I saw some great sites along the way.

Yong Village Countryside Route

This is another half day tour but it takes you past local tourist attractions to Moon Hill. The long route is about 16 miles and the short route is about 11 miles using a short cut. You start out on West Street and head out of Yangshuo. After 2 miles you come to what is called Butterfly Spring. It is a beautiful big model butterfly right on the entrance to a cave. It is a huge butterfly! After enjoying that site you will go another 1 mile or so and hit Moon Hill Park. You can go up a 10-15 minute climb on stone steps if you desire. If you do take the climb you are in store of an amazing view. At this point ask your guide which way you should go depending on whether or not you want to take the shortcut. Either way you will end up back on West Street.

Baisha and Yulong River Route

This cycling tour combines both cycling and rafting. It will last at least half a day or longer. There is 10 miles of cycling followed by 3 hours of rafting; or you can decide to raft less and cycle longer. As with the other tours you will start out on West Street and cycle into the town of Baisha where the main street takes you to the Yulong River. One mile in you will come to the Yulong Bridge. This will take a few miles to get to though. Once you are there you can take a bamboo raft along the 3 hour journey. The raft hold two people, two bikes, and the seats recline. This can be wonderful on a beautiful sunny day to take in all the sun and nature. The Yulong River route is about 3 hours but you can also take the Chaoyang Wharf route that is only 2 hours if you want to do more cycling. Once you complete your river tour you will get back to cycling the rest of the miles through town and end up back on West Street.

Fuli and Xingping Route

I suggest this cycling tour route for those who are cycling enthusiasts since it is an all day tour of 34 miles. If you start very early on in the day and are fast you can make it a half day tour. The majority of the tour you will be riding through small villages and towns. There are some steep hills and curves so be careful. You will also get a great view of the Li River. Once you get into Xingping you can take a small and probably much needed cruise of the Li River. Afterwards get back on route and end on West Street.

There you have it! When taking a cycling tour please keep in mind that it is proper to tip your guide. They are out there to make sure you are safe and have a great time!

1 Day Li River Cruise

Many companies offer a variety of 1 day cruises along the gorgeous Li River. The nice thing is that the majority of these companies will send transportation to your hotel to pick you up and drop you back off once the cruise is over. The transportation takes you to the Zhujiang Dock. On the cruise you will go through different villages and see locals on their rafts fishing. The landscape is absolutely amazing all around you from the bamboo trees to the limestone pinnacles. Travelers will also stop at Yangshuo since it is a popular tourist destination. If there is time you may even get to go to a local souvenir shop. I was picked up around 8:30am right after breakfast and still arrived back to my hotel early enough in the day to enjoy other things.

There are a few ways you can get to the dock if you need to get their on your own. One way is by hiring a travel guide to pick you up and drive you there. This is more expensive than hiring a taxi; however it is a more personalized experience. They can give you a detailed history of the area and of the things you may see while on your cruise. Travel guides are there to make sure you have a great experience and answer any questions you may have. Your other option is to hire a taxi to take you there. If you are not interested in hearing history and just want to arrive at the dock to take your wonderful 1 day Li River cruise then this is probably your better option. Just remember you will have to call a service to take you back to the hotel. Please make sure to tip your taxi driver, tour guide, or the driver that comes to the hotel to pick you up.
The 1 day Li River tour and the Yangshuo cycling tour were definitely the highlights of my trip!