Visiting Yangshuo with kids is a great way to enjoy China as a family, either as a holiday or weekend or as part of a longer adventure through China. Yangshuo is a beautiful ancient town perched under conical karst mountains and alongside the softly flowing Yulong River, and families visiting Yangshuo will find so much to do together here. It’s one of our spirit towns – a place we arrive and immediately feel a vibe, a sense of belonging and a connection to the people and landscape. We can’t wait to get back.
I actually cried in the taxi as we left Yangshuo, the only time in our 17 months on the road. I felt like I needed to stay longer and we really should have – this place got right into my heart. We stayed at the Yangshuo Mountain Retreat on the Yulong River and it was just incredible. In town we stayed at the Yangshuo Village Inn which had incredible views over the town and up to Moon Hill. I absolutely recommend them both, and you can find other Yangshuo hotels here.
This blog will talk about both accommodation and our top things to do in Yangshuo, as well as where Yangshuo is and how to get there. If you’re thinking of spending more time exploring China then have a read of our favourite places to travel to in China with kids.
Gorgeous views from the top of Moon Hill
Where is Yangshuo? And how to get there…
Yangshuo is in southern China, about 2000 kilometres south of Beijing and an hour from Guilin, the more well known town in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.
To get there you can take a train to Guilin – it has two huge train stations and frequent trains – the biggest town to connect in is Shenzen, and you can fly into Shenzen or fly directly into Guilin. From Guilin you can take a boat, bus or taxi about an hour to Yangshuo – or you can organise to ride bikes there too.
Guilin airport is around an hour from Yangshuo and while small, has flights from Malaysia, Hong Kong, Vietnam and other major international cities. You can find detailed information about getting to Yangshuo at the Yangshuo Insider.
Before you go
You MUST have a VPN when you visit China. We use Express VPN all all the time wherever we are, as it protects our data and lets us access the sites we want. As China does not allow access to many popular sites like Google, Instagram and Facebook, you need a VPN to connect via a server outside China. You can read more about why you need a VPN in China and you can get three months free here with Express VPN.
You will need to have your China Visa before you go to China. You can get it 30 days before you arrive in China and you must apply at the Chinese Consulate.We’ve written this post about getting your China visa in Kuala Lumpur which will be helpful as the process is very standard wherever you are – we’ve also gotten our visa in Phnom Penh and friends got theirs out-of-country in Saigon. It’s fairly straight forward as long as you follow the instructions and provide all the info you need. Check out our post for a guide to getting your China visa.
Travel insurance is also essential before you travel. We use Covermore – you can read why here.
And don’t worry if you can’t speak the language, you’ll have no trouble communicating in Yangshuo, especially at the Yangshuo Mountain Retreat and Yangshuo Valley Inn. If you’re traveling elsewhere in China this post will help – it’s all about how we communicate in China when we don’t speak the language.
Things to do in Yangshuo
Climb Moon Hill
Moon Hill is a famous mountain with a natural arch through the middle. It’s so beautiful to look up at from Yangshuo and you can climb up too. We walked there from the hotel, past little strawberry stalls and photo spots where tourists wearing fresh flower garlands were getting photos taken in front of crescent.
It’s not a difficult climb although it can be a little slippery on the pathway during the colder months due to moisture and moss, so be careful – and wear proper shoes! There’s a lovely view over the valley and from the top and then you can walk through the hole and around the back for another view through it and to take some pics.
Beautiful Moon Hill
Bamboo rafting down the Yulong River
The bamboo rafts on Yulong River are in my opinion much more fun and authentic than those in Guilin where they are motorised and rush up and down. Here in Yungshuo you take a raft with two little seats and place your shoes on the chairs with you as the rafts are actually make of bamboo poles tied together, so the water can come up and through the gaps in the bamboo.
Then with your young captain you sail down river over rapids and under mountains The view is spectacular and it’s just SO MUCH FUN. At the first big rapid enterprising locals have set up a photo printing machine so say Cheese! Your driver will stop for you to buy your photo if you wish.
We also went up to Guilin for a boat ride on the Li River and in my opinion it was a waste of half a day that we could have spent in Yangshuo! The bamboo ride here is so, so beautiful – you just can’t compare being on a busy boat slowly going up and down the river with a ride on the bamboo raft.
Sound and light show
Another stand out for us was the Impressions evening sounds and light show that takes place in a natural karst mountain amphitheatre. Oh my gosh I have never been so overwhelmed with beautiful voices, story and song. It was amazing. Emmie loved it too and please don’t miss this when you are there.
My photos don’t do it justice but there are literally thousands of performers and it’s just the most beautiful show. Your hotel can organise tickets for you or you can book discounted tix including pick up and transfer here.
There are many other activities to do here in Yangshuo as well as lots of relaxing and lazing by the river – we needed more time and so will be returning as soon as we can- in warmer months so we can swim in the river – to spend a week or so in this idyllic place.
Beautiful Yangshuo – the bamboo rides are the best fun
Clear Water Caves
The next morning we set off to the Clear Water Caves where we toured the brightly lit tunnels and caverns, swam and slid in a mud bath and lay in a thermal pool.
We loved it
It’s super fun in a few touristy way – and a must-do – so you have to put your concerns about keeping caves natural to one side as you walk through the colours and light shows. It’s so much fun for kids, especially the mud bath and slide at the end. Read all about our time at Clear Water Caves here.
The mud bath and slide was unreal
Cooking class
This cooking class sounds amazing and has a five star rating on Klook. I reckon we will do it when we are back next. You’ll cook a five course meal with a local chef and get recipes to take home so you can recreate the meals for friends and family. Find out more and book here.
Bike riding in Yangshuo
Super fun bike riding with kids in Yangshuo
Where to stay in Yangshuo
For the four days we were in Yangshuo we were guests of the Yangshuo Mountain Retreat and its sister property the Yangshuo Village Inn is only 20 minutes into town by bike.
Both are so beautiful and the authentic buildings are styled locally and have such a sense of home and comfort that as soon as you arrive you feel at peace. The food is delicious, the rooms are carefully decorated with traditional artworks and carved furniture and the staff are generous with their time and so helpful (they organised to have my pack sewn up after we suffered a blowout on the train from Zhangjaijie) as we found over and over again in China. I just loved it there so much and felt so at home. It’s a place I want to return to.
Yangshuo Mountain Retreat
The gorgeous view from our room at the Yangshuo Mountain Retreat
We arrived in Yangshuo a day late because I messed up our dates and so our time here was cut short. If you’re coming to Yangshuo, I recommend booking in here at the Yangshuo Mountain Retreat for at least three nights. It’s one of the best places we’ve stayed at on our travels – for many reasons, but mostly because of the vibe, the feeling of joy and of feeling at home. There’s a really happy community feeling from all the guests who sit outside on tables and chairs on the river, watching people on bamboo rafts going past and enjoying the sunshine and the beauty of nature.
Seriously beautiful Yangshuo Mountain Retreat – Emmie doing some schoolwork (hhahah I bet she wasn’t)
Its location is just fabulous. The hotel is on grounds right on the Yulong River, with rooms and dining areas having the amazing views of the famous karst mountains and with an outdoor dining area with lounges, picnic tables and little nooks to sit and eat and drink and enjoy the nature around you. In summer months you can swim and float on tyres in the river – we have to go back just to experience this!
There is coffee in the restaurant but if you’re a takeaway cup loving, mocha addict like me, just down the road at the bridge there is a little cafe called The Face that makes really yummy coffee.
Beautiful Yangshuo is perfect for kids
Our room
We could see all the way up the river from our bed!
Our room was just gorgeous with a huge window facing the river and karst mountains – we could see them even when laying down, it was such an incredible view. The rooms are lovely and well equipped and the hotel itself is just gorgeous in a modern yet rustic style that feels incredibly homey. Touches like the open fire, comfy lounges and bookshelf are perfect in the cooler months for some warmth and relaxing, and the separate open bar and lounge area at the edge of the property overlooking the river is another great spot for chilling.
I miss this place so much
Food
The food here is absolutely delicious local produce cooked in-house by locals. I love my chilli so I got stuck into local cuisine while Emmie devoured tuna sandwiches and chips and tomato soup
We ate in the dining room and also outside at one of the picnic tables overlooking the river, waving to tourists on their bamboo rafts as they floated past.
Chicken wonton soup – soooo good
Yangshuo Village Inn
The Yangshuo Village Inn is a boutique guesthouse in a traditional Chinese farmhouse with a focus on sustainability, tradition and authenticity. There are no straws here and water is provided in glass jars to reduce single use plastics. Traditional art and furniture is used in the farmhouse and the rooms are beautifully decorated – ours had two big comfy beds and a day bed, with a small entry way with toilet, bathroom and change room.
The restaurant at the Yangshuo Village Inn, Luna, is so good. It’s Italian restaurant but you can order traditional meals in such a beautiful spot up on the rooftop overlooking the town. We ate there for dinner, watching the sun go down over the Moon Hill mountain and rooftops. It was just so beautiful, a moment to take a snapshot of in my mind and freeze in time.
Emmie had green beans and pork – her favourite – and xiaolongbao, and I had a delicious soup and sneaked some of her soup dumplings.
Delicious xioalongbao at the Yangshuo Valley Inn restaurant
There’s so much to do in Yangshuo! Check out some more activities in Yangshuo and Guilin and have a fabulous time.
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