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There are many ways to get to Guilin. Good air,train and bus services are available from most part of China and abroad. The most convenient to get around for tourists is to take a tour but taxis are plentiful and the city is flat so bicycle is also an option.
By Air
By Train
By Long-distance Bus
By Water
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By Air
Guilin Liangjiang International Airport (KWL) is about 28 kilometers (about 17.4 miles) from the city center. About 50 airlines connect Guilin with domestic cities as well as foreign countries such as Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, etc. In particular, airlines schedule several flights daily to and from major cities in China.
The airport shuttle bus runs between the airport and the Civil Aviation Mansion located at No.18 Shanghai Road and the bus fare is about CNY20. The airport shuttle bus leaves for the city center following the flight arrivals. In the city center the airport shuttle bus leaves for the airport every 30 minutes from 06:30 to 20:00. Remember to take the bus two hours before your fight. It costs about CNY80 for taking taxi.
By Train
The two stations--Guilin Railway Station (South Station) and Guilin North Railway Station (North Station)--are the two main railroad passenger transport stations in Guilin. Every day many trains arrive and depart, as Guilin City is the railroad hub of Central China and is in the central part of the Hunan-Guangxi Railway Line.
The Guilin Railway Station (South Station) is located at Zhongshan Road (South) to the south of the city center but is more conveniently situated than the North Station. City bus No.3, 4, 16 can take you there. The Guilin North Railway Station (North Station) is situated in the northern suburbs of the city and has less convenient links with the city center. If the train you take can stop at both railway stations in Guilin, it's better to get off at South Station where handy transportation to the surrounding places is available as well as trains connecting to China's major cities.
Tips: It's not easy to buy sleeper tickets at the Guilin sales office, as the city is a mid-route stop rather than a terminus. Therefore, it's best to make reservations five days in advance or even ten days in advance during China's golden weeks. The booking service fee is CNY20 to CNY50 per ticket.
By Long-distance Bus
There are three bus stations: the Chief Bus Station, the Chengnan Bus Station and the Beimen Bus Station. The Chief Bus Station is at No.427 Zhongshan Road (South), just a 10 minutes' walk from the Guilin Railway Station (South Station). You can take city bus No.1, 3, 11, 22 or 51 to reach the Chief Bus Station. Most buses set off from this station for surrounding cities in Guangxi, Guangdong and Hunan provinces. The Chengnan Bus Station is located at Cuizhu Road and can be reached by city bus No.26 and 27. The Beimen Bus Station is at Zhongshan Road (North) and can be reached by city bus No.18.
Because most coach buses which bound for the surrounding cities in Guangxi and other provinces like Guangdong depart from the Chief Bus Station, here the bus schedule of the Chief Bus Station is offered for reference:
Note: the first schedule refers to the coach bus without stops along the journey; the second refers to the coach bus with stops along the journey:
It is worthy mentioning that the long-distance bus transportation is available from Guilin to Yangshuo which is a popular tourist destination located about 65 kilometers (about 40 miles) south of Guilin city center. Tourists who reach Guilin either by air, by train or by long-distance bus can also get to Yangshuo easily.
By Water
In Guilin there are two main docks for passenger transport service. One is Mopanshan Passenger Transport Dock which is near Mopanshan Mountain, 28 kilometers (about 17 miles) from Guilin's downtown area. Covering an area of 233,350 square meters (about 0.09 square miles), this dock is designed to look like a beautiful garden and has well-equipped establishments including five waiting halls. In the city center there is no public bus to the dock, so tourists have to spend approximately CNY60 for a taxi to reach this dock. Another dock is Zhujiang Dock which is 32 kilometers (about 20 miles) southeast of the Guilin city center and two-kilometers (about 1.2 miles) by waterway from Mopanshan Dock. Covering an area of 48,200 square meters (0.0186 square miles), Zhujiang Dock is 400 meters (about 0.25 miles) long and has nine berths, a big waiting building, and a parking lot. This dock is mainly designed for foreign tourists and is the must-use dock for high officials from both China and foreign countries.
Every year more than 300,000 tourists take the cruise ship from Zhujiang Dock to travel along the Li River. Traveling the Li River to Yangshuo is a journey of about 54 kilometers (about 34 miles). The cruise ships from the berths downtown to Yangshuo usually set off at 09:30, 10:00, and 14:00 and will take about 4 hours to complete the journey. A gentle breeze will caress your face and picture postcard riverside scenery will please your eyes as the beauty unfolds around you. However, remember that in winter the water level is rather low, so the cruise is limited to just 10 kilometers (about 6.2miles) instead of the normal 82 kilometers (about 51 miles)
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