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Guilin Transportation -- Getting There



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 like Beijing, Chongqing, Guangzhou, Guiyang, Haikou, Hangzhou, Hong Kong, Kunming, Macau, Nanjing, Nanning, Qingdao, Sanya, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Taiyuan, Wuhan, Xian, Zhengzhou, Dalian, Shantou, Chengdu, Lanzhou, Tianjin, Jinan, Wenzhou, Changsha, Fuzhou, and Zhuhai.

 Guilin Flights (brief introduction & flight search)

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.
Ticket Office: Airport Terminal of Guilin Liangjiang International Airport
Ticket Booking Telephone (Enquiry): 0773-2152222

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.

 Guilin Train Schedule

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:

Destination Departure Time

Guangxi

Longsheng departing every 30 minutes between 06:50-19:00
Yangshuo departing every 30 minutes between 07:10-20:00
Nanning departing every 20 minutes between 06:30-22:00, 23:50
Beihai 08:30 09:20 22:00 23:00
Liuzhou departing every 20 minutes between 07:00-21:30
Rongshui 14:50
Baise 21:10
Yulin 08:20 09:20 14:10 16:00 18:00 23:00

Guangdong

Guangzhou 09:00 20:30 21:30 22:30
Dongguan 19:10 21:20
Shenzhen 19:00 21:20
Zhuhai 19:00

Destination

Departure Time

Guangxi

Sanjiang 06:00 06:30 07:10 07:40 13:30
Wuzhou 09:00 19:50 21:30
Liuzhou 09:50
Rongshui 06:50 07:10 08:40 09:00 10:00 12:00
13:00 14:30
Yulin 19:20 19:30

Guangdong

Guangzhou departing every 15 minutes between 17:30-19:50
Dongguan departing every 20 minutes between 16:50-18:30
Shenzhen 15:30 17:40 18:40 19:10 19:20
Jiangmen 11:30
Zhuhai 11:30 16:30 17:20

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.

  1. From Guilin Liangjiang International Airport, tourists can take the airport bus to reach the Chief Bus Station, and then go to Yangshuo by coach bus.
  2. From Guilin Railway Station (South Station), there are medium-sized buses that make local stops leaving for Yangshuo every 15-20 minutes between 06:00 and 22:00. The whole journey takes about 70 minutes and the bus fare is around CNY12 per person. Tourists can buy the tickets after getting on the medium bus.
  3. From Chief Bus Station, there are the coach buses that travel express leaving for Yangshuo every 15-20 minutes between 07:00-18:00. The whole journey takes more about 70 minutes and the bus fare is about CNY14 per person. Tourists should buy their tickets before getting on the coach bus.

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)

Q & A Search:

Q & A on Getting to Guilin

1.

Jan. 30,2010 15:40 Reply

Mr.Dusty(Canada) said:

Is there a bus or train from Zhaoqing to Guilin on March 4 or 5 or 6?
Can I book it online or see the schedule on the internet?

Jan. 31,2010 22:35
Mr.Andrew replied:

No direct train from Zhaoqing to Guilin. It is 800km from each other. If you want to travel by train, you can get to Guangzhou from Zhaoqing first. There are two trains every day from Guangzhou to GUilin, all tourist special lines. Or you can take bus at ZHapqing Bus Terminal at 17 Duanzhou 4th Road. Two buses a day, one in the morning and one in afternoon. For the departure time, you should make sure to the bus station. You can book the bus bus ticket in advance. It takes about 12.5 hours by bus. I think train is a comfortable way.

2.

Jan. 10,2010 22:50 Reply

Mr.Jun Vale(Philippines) said:

How can we go to Guilin from Shanghai? (preferably by land travel)...thank you

Jan. 11,2010 02:22
Mr.Sandy replied:

If you do not want travel by air, then the only way is by train. There are three trains in total and the fastest train take 21.5 hours from Shanghai to Guilin. All trains start from Shanghai South Railway Station.

3.

Jan. 9,2010 15:19 Reply

Mrs.Ana (Uruguay) said:

Thanks for your information. From Hong Kong to Guilin whats the best way to go???
From hong Kong the only way to go to Hanoi its by air??

thanks again

Jan. 11,2010 02:20
Mr.sandy replied:

Yes, the only way is flight from Hong KOng to Hanoi. Or you can get to the place from Guilin by train and bus. I think you shoulde get to Shenzhen first and then take train or bus to Guilin.

4.

Jan. 9,2010 15:03 Reply

Mrs.K Hahn(Sweden) said:

We are planning a trip to the south of China the coming autumn. I have two questions: 1. What is the most convenient way to travel between Guangzhou and Guilin? If possible we prefer train or bus before flying. Approx travel time?
2. In the end of October - what are the chances of travelling all the way from Guilin to Yangshuo on the river?
Thanks with greetings from Sweden!

Jan. 11,2010 02:17
Mr.Manny replied:

It takes 8-10 hours by bus from Guangzhou to Guilin. The bus may first reach Yangshuo and then to Guilin. You can get off at Yangshuo and then to Guilin after visiting Yangshuo. It is possible to travel all the way on the river in October. It is a bit confortable to travel by train. T38 runs nearly 11 hours from Guangzhou Railway Station to Guilin.

5.

Jan. 8,2010 16:23 Reply

Mrs.Ana (Uruguay) said:

Hi, can I take a train from Guilin to Hanoi??? how much ti costs?? If Im in Hong kong whats the best way to go to Hanoi?? and de cheaper??

Thanks

Jan. 8,2010 20:36
Mr.Hank replied:

Currently, there is no direct transportation between Guilin and Hanoi. You should take a train or a bus from Guilin to arrive in Nanning firstly. And then, you could take the train T5 to Hanoi. The fare is about CNY350. This is much cheaper than you depart from HOng Kong.

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