Madler
The short answer
Pick Zhangjiajie if you want big hiking days, cliffs, glass bridges and the forest of stone pillars that look like the floating mountains in Avatar. Pick Guilin, and Yangshuo next door, if you want rivers, bamboo rafts, bike rides past rice paddies and a slower pace.
If you've got the time, do both. They're about 3 to 4 hours apart by fast train with a connection, and that's how I did it.
Zhangjiajie
Zhangjiajie National Forest Park has more than 3,000 sandstone pillars rising out of the forest, often with cloud sitting between them. The two areas you can't miss are Yuanjiajie and Tianzi Mountain.
Get to the park gate by 7am, because by 9am the queues are brutal. Then stay late. Most day visitors are gone by 3pm, and the pillars look their best in the late afternoon light.
How I'd spend three days:
- Day 1: The Forest Park from 7am, Yuanjiajie, the Bailong Elevator and the Tianzi Mountain viewpoints
- Day 2: The Golden Whip Stream hike in the morning, 7.5km along a stream with pillars on both sides and monkeys overhead, then the Grand Canyon Glass Bridge in the afternoon
- Day 3: Tianmen Mountain, with the cable car up, the glass walkway on the cliff, the Tianmen Cave arch and its 999 steps
Get the four-day park pass (¥248). The glass bridge caps visitor numbers each day, so book that ahead.
The best months are April to June and September to November. October gets autumn colour and clear skies. Spring gets mist through the pillars at dawn, which is the classic Zhangjiajie look.
Guilin and Yangshuo
Guilin is the city and the transport hub, and a day or two is plenty. The highlight is the Two Rivers and Four Lakes night cruise: 90 minutes on the canals past lit-up pagodas and bridges, for about ¥150 to 180. It sells out, so book it on Trip.com. Elephant Trunk Hill and Reed Flute Cave fill the rest of a day, and the Longji Rice Terraces are a full day trip, about two hours away.
For the karst peaks and the rivers, go to Yangshuo, 25 minutes away on the fast train. That's where I'd spend most of my time:
- Bamboo rafting on the Yulong River, ideally between 7 and 10am, when there's mist and good light
- Hiring a bike for about ¥30 a day and riding the 20km Yulong River loop past rice paddies, water buffalo and karst peaks
- Riding out to Xingping, about 40 minutes by e-bike or Didi, for the scene on the 20 yuan note (it's on the riverbank), then climbing Laozhai Hill for the view over the river bend
- Moon Hill at sunset
Set an alarm for 6am one morning and ride the Yulong River at sunrise. The mist comes up between the peaks and there's almost nobody else around.
The best months are April to October for green rivers, and April and May for mist. Stay away during China's National Day week, 1 to 7 October, when the Li River is overrun.
Side by side
| Zhangjiajie | Guilin and Yangshuo | |
|---|---|---|
| Days | 3 | 1 to 2, plus 3 in Yangshuo |
| Scenery | Sandstone pillars and cliffs | Karst peaks, rivers and rice paddies |
| Pace | Big days on foot, early starts | Slower, by bike and on the water |
| Best months | Apr to Jun, Sep to Nov | Apr to Oct |
| Daily budget, travelling cheap | ¥200 to 350 | ¥150 to 280 |
So which one?
If you only have time for one and you love a big hike, go to Zhangjiajie. If you'd rather slow down, ride a bike and spend time on the water, base yourself in Yangshuo and give Guilin a night for the cruise. Both sit on the way from Guangzhou to Chongqing, which is the order my China guide does them in.
Getting there: use Guilin North station for fast trains to Guilin, and Zhangjiajie West for Zhangjiajie. Zhangjiajie's airport is small and doesn't have many connections.
