Tour Description

South China - Guangzhou to Guilin 19-Day Bike Tour

Dates: Monday, November 2 to Friday, November 20, 2009

"Which way do I go?"

Guangzhou to Guilin 19-Day Bike Tour

Dates: Monday, November 2 to Friday, November 20, 2009

This cycle tour begins in Guangzhou (also known as Canton) the capital of Guangdong Province and one of the major economic centers in China. After a brief tour of the city, we will head out into the countryside for some fresh air and head toward Guilin. The tour will be self-supported meaning there will be a guide, but no support vehicle, so everyone will carry their own gear.

The area around Guilin is famous for the karst landscape (limestone hill formations jutting up from an otherwise level ground and the subject of countless traditional Chinese paintings). This area is also riddled with caves used extensively by locals to hide when the Japanese invaded during World War II. From Wuzhou we head north for three days to Yangshou where we will take a day off to do some local sightseeing, or just hang out in this backpacker traveler town.

We will continue north to Guilin and Longsheng in to the mountains where there are some hot springs to relax in. The next stop at Sanjiang brings us into to one of China's many minority areas where the Dong people live. This mountainous area is offers some of China's marvelous landscapes of mountain sides terraced for rice fields. While the grades are rarely over 10% the length of climbs can be 20 km long. If this is too much we can either get a lift up the hills either in the back of a "walking tractor" or on a local bus.

We continue southerly through small towns and villages, where we can see how the average Chinese live. We will circle around and then head back to Guilin for connections back to the West (see below).

For those coming from the U.S., you can fly to Hong Kong, and arrive the next day (because you cross the dateline).

For a gradual acclimation to the time zone and weather, we recommend that you arrive in Hong Kong on or before the scheduled date and then take the train to Guangzhou. There are several trains a day, and if you provide arrival information, we will be at the train station to meet you and take you to the hotel.

In Guilin, you can take the train or fly to back to Hong Kong. If you have other places you want to see, like Beijing, Shanghai or Xi'an, you could arrange to train/fly there and then head to Hong Kong later.

Here is the Guangzhou-Guilin Itinerary

Day	Location	# of KM	Notes
			GUANGZHOU PROVINCE
1	Guangzhou	30	Meet group members/Brief City Tour - Shamian Island
2	Guangzhou	30	Qingpping Market, Temples, Mosque, Pearl River Boat Tour
3	Dinghushan	80	Mountain Resort Area
4	Zhaoping	28	Seven Star Crags Park
5	Deqing	102	Sanyuan Pagoda
			GUANGXI PROVINCE
6	Wuzhou	84	Snake Repository, Western Bamboo Buddhist Temple/Nunnery
7	Taiping	31	Boat on the Xun River for 60 kms then cycle to Taiping
8	Mengshan	85	Yong'an Prefecture City
9	Yangshou	96	Heart of the Karst Hill Scenery
10	Yangshou	30	Rest Day, explore on your own
11	Guilin	80	25 km boat ride up the Li River and cycle to Guilin
12	Jinzhu	110	Zhuang Minority area, Rice Terraces
13	Longsheng	60	Hot Springs
14	Sanjiang	85	Dong Minority: Wind and Rain Bridges and Drum Tower
15	Rong'an	100	Yao, Zhuang Minorities
16	Rongshui	30	River Cruise to Minority villages
17	Qingshui	71	Baishou Cave
18	Guilin	98	Reed Flute Cave, Tunnel Hill Rock
19	Guilin	0	Trip End
	Total Distance	1250	750 miles

Dates: Monday, November 2 to Friday, November 20, 2009

Start location: Guangzhou (Canton), Guangdong Province

Finish location: Guilin, Guangxi Province

Tour type: No support vehicle - riders carry there own luggage. (Note: This tour is also available with a dedicated support vehicle at a higher cost.)

Geographical location: South China

Elevation range: 300 feet (100 meters) to 4,000 feet (1,200 meters)

Climate: The best weather for touring is in the spring and fall. Click on the links below for detailed historical weather data.

Terrain: Flat, rolling and mountainous

Cycling tour level: Moderate to Challenging

Total distance: Approximately 750 miles (1,250 km): Average distance per ride day: 50 miles (80 km)

Days: 19

Nights: 18

Cycling Days: 16

Rest Days: 3

Group size: 1 - 8

Rental bike: US$175 including panniers, helmet, gloves, raincape and lock.

Accommodations will be basic Chinese hotels generally of the 1-3 star variety. A few times it will be necessary to use a 0-star hotel. The prices are for single occupancy rooms, and will vary depending on the number of people who participate.

Private room supplement: US$580

The tour is limited to no more than eight people. This will permit more flexibility in the program and allow more spontaneity for taking photos or exploring villages along the way.

Prices include the following:

Bilingual bike tour guide to accompany the group throughout the tour.

All hotel accommodations for 19 nights.

Meals eaten as group (private meals, snacks and alcoholic beverages are not included).

All group transportation costs including buses, boats, and taxis as needed and to/from airports.

All group entrance fees.

This will be a self-supported ride. This means that each person will carry their own luggage throughout the trip. Alternative transportation (buses, trucks or taxis) will be used if necessary if members become too tired to continue, ill or time is insufficient to complete the ride before dark. If, however, there is a desire by some members have a support vehicle, I will provide cost information.

If you decide to do something on your own, you will be responsible for those costs.

Cost: Prices depend on the total number of people going on the tour and the time of year. Below are the price per person (pp) and quoted in US dollars (US$) for non-holiday periods*:

Group size:
1 person: $4,490
2 people: $2,670 pp
3 people $2,250 pp <<- Price per person with next registrant
4-8 people $1,990 pp

Current registrations:

There are two people registered as of

An announcement of the cost of the tour will be made to the group 45-days prior to the start based on the number of registered members.

A deposit of $500 per person is required. This is fully refundable up to 45 days prior to the start of the tour. Submission of a deposit will guarantee your place on the tour. Balance is due at least 45 days prior to the beginning of the tour and payable by credit card, wire transfer, or personal check.

Click here to Register

Click here to send a note of interest or to request additional information

Read some

Testimonials from our Clients

For general ride information that applies to all rides, please visit out FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) and the General Info page.

Top of Page