Li River Bamboo Rafting Guide: All Routes, Prices & Rules
Li River bamboo rafting covers several stretches near Yangshuo — the classic Yangdi-to-Xingping “essence” section, plus shorter routes closer to Yangshuo town and a separate section near Yanshan — all on 4-person electric rafts, not hand-poled bamboo. Most rides run 50–100 minutes, departing from docks reachable by car from Guilin or Yangshuo. The 2026 official prices run from 110 RMB for the shortest routes to 255 RMB for the full Yangdi–Xingping run. Docks can close on short notice in both flood season and the winter dry season, so it’s worth confirming a route is running before you travel out.
Section | Yangdi-Xingping core, plus routes near Yangshuo town and Yanshan |
|---|---|
Raft type | 4-person, fully electric fleet, PVC “bamboo” hull |
2026 official prices | 110–255 RMB depending on route |
Duration | 50–100 minutes depending on route |
Age / height rule | Under 1.2m or over 70 not permitted |
Booking | 漓江水上游览平台 WeChat mini-program or dock ticket window |
Closure risk | Docks can close on short notice in flood season or the winter dry season |
Table of Contents
1. What Is Li River Bamboo Rafting?
The stretch it covers
The classic version covers the Yangdi-to-Xingping section — the same stretch that built the Li River’s reputation, the part every “Guilin’s scenery is best under heaven” postcard is a photo of. A few shorter routes also run closer to Yangshuo town and on a separate section near Yanshan — → see section 4 for the full list. The raft sits low, moving slowly enough that the karst peaks on either bank feel like they’re leaning over you, not framing a view from a distance. We’ve put hundreds of guests on this water since 2006, and that low-seat perspective is the one thing every single one of them mentions afterward. If you’d rather cover the same stretch on foot, → see our Li River hiking guide for routes, ferry crossings, and transport.
What you actually see
Depending on the route, the raft passes Langshi Scenery (浪石风光), Xialong Scenery (下龙风光), Nine Horse Fresco Hill (九马画山), and Yellow Cloth Shoal (黄布倒影) — the reflection on the back of China’s 20-yuan note. Working fish traps and grazing water buffalo line the banks between landmarks. You’ll likely also pass a raft with a fisherman and a cormorant posed on the bow — that’s a paid photo op (20–50 RMB), not real fishing; commercial cormorant fishing has mostly disappeared from this stretch, and this is what replaced it. → See section 4 for exactly which landmarks each route covers.
Why it’s called “bamboo” when it isn’t
Nothing on the water today is real bamboo. The rafts are welded PVC pontoons, and the whole fleet has gone electric over the past couple of years — the old fuel rafts that used to rattle down this stretch, loud and trailing exhaust, simply aren’t there anymore. Genuine bamboo doesn’t survive daily commercial use on a river this busy, so the scenic area retired it years ago. “Bamboo rafting” stuck as the name everyone searches, so it’s the name we use here too — but you should know before you see it dockside.
2. Li River Raft vs. the Li River Cruise
Same stretch of river, two different ways to see it — this is the comparison that actually matters.
Bamboo raft | ||
|---|---|---|
Distance | 5–15km depending on route | ~83km, Guilin to Yangshuo |
Duration | 50–100 minutes | 4–5 hours |
Vessel | 4-person electric raft (fully electrified fleet), open-air, near water level | 3-star or 4-star boat, multiple decks |
Price | 90–255 RMB depending on route | 215 RMB (3-star) to 360 RMB (4-star), one-way |
Water dependency | Runs in most water levels | Needs minimum depth; suspends in dry season |
What you see | The same karst core, close-up | The same karst core, plus the wider Guilin-Yangshuo journey |
Which one to book: if you only have time for one, take the cruise — more scenery, more comfort, no need to arrange transport to Yangdi or Xingping separately. The raft gives you the same highlights in a fraction of the time, low enough to feel the water rather than just look at it.
We don’t usually pair the cruise with the Li River raft, since it’s the same water twice from a lower seat. Our standard booking is the cruise for the big landscape, then Yulong River rafting for something genuinely different — see the comparison below. → See our Li River guide for the full geography.
3. Li River Raft vs. Yulong River Raft
The mix-up we get asked about most. Same “bamboo rafting” name, same general area, completely different rivers.
Li River raft | Yulong River raft | |
|---|---|---|
Power and craft | Motorized — PVC pontoon styled as bamboo, fully electric fleet | Genuine bundled bamboo, hand-poled, no motor |
Scenery | Grand scale — the karst peaks the region is famous for, Nine Horse Fresco Hill, Yellow Cloth Shoal | Smaller and gentler, the “Little Li River” — rice paddies, old bridges, water wheels |
Feel | Steady and photogenic, the classic postcard shot | Quieter, with small weirs giving the raft a playful tip and splash |
Capacity | 4 per raft, usually paired with strangers | Usually 2 per raft — more private |
Which one to book: big and famous, go Li River. Quiet and intimate, go Yulong. With time for both, do both — they genuinely don’t overlap the way people assume. → See our Yulong River bamboo rafting guide for the full route breakdown.
4. All Routes, Prices & Which One to Book (2026 official Prices)
Prices below are per adult, from the scenic area’s 2026 posted boards, and are one-way unless marked round-trip. Watch for the Yangdi–Xingping route in particular — it’s often written with a double arrow (↔) that reads like it covers the return leg. It doesn’t; a round trip costs double, around 510 RMB.
🗺️ 1 Yangdi→Xingping · 2 Xingping↔Jiuma Hill · 3 Yangdi→Mashan · 4 Yangdi↔Laocuntou · 5 Chaobanshan→Yangdi · 6 Guanlian→Linjiazhou · 7 Fuli→Liugong · 8 Biyange↔Caoping
1. Yangdi → Xingping (Chaobanshan), one-way
14km · 80–100 min · 255 RMB (30 RMB entry + 225 RMB raft) · Tel: 0773-8996303
Tags: full essence route · every landmark · Yellow Cloth Shoal
Why pick this route
- Covers the complete “essence” run — every landmark on this stretch in one continuous trip
- The only route with Yellow Cloth Shoal (黄布倒影), the reflection on the back of the 20-yuan note — bring an actual note for the classic photo, since most people don’t carry cash and end up borrowing one on the raft
- If you’re only doing this once, this is it
Things to know
- Best for non-self-drive travelers; self-driving guests do better on a round-trip route
- Most exposed to suspensions — both peak-season crowding and the November–early April low-water period
- Reserve 3–5 days ahead over holidays
2. Xingping (Chaobanshan) ↔ Jiuma Hill, round-trip
8km round-trip · 50–60 min · 140 RMB (15 RMB entry + 125 RMB raft) · Tel: 0773-6779990
Tags: most popular · best value · Yellow Cloth Shoal
Why pick this route
- The most booked route on the river — most of the full route’s scenery for a meaningfully lower price
- Starts right from Xingping — no trip out to Yangdi first
- Sails up to Jiuma Hill (九马画山) for photos, then turns back the same way without landing at its foot
- Take the 20-yuan-note photo from the raft itself, not the shuttle afterward — best light 8:00–9:00 or after 16:00
Things to know
- After landing, a 15-minute electric shuttle takes you into Xingping old town
- Busy in peak season — go before 9:00 or after 15:30 to skip the queue
3. Yangdi → Mashan (Jiuma Hill), one-way
10km · 50–60 min · 140 RMB (15 RMB entry + 125 RMB raft) · Tel: 0773-8996303
Tags: quieter alternative · Jiuma Hill up close
Why pick this route
- Ends right at the foot of Jiuma Hill (九马画山) — the only route that actually lands you there, rather than sailing past for photos
- Noticeably less water traffic than the full run
- Good if you’re not looping back to Yangdi
Things to know
- Pick up the shuttle onward to Xingping from Mashan dock
- Doesn’t reach Yellow Cloth Shoal
4. Yangdi ↔ Laocuntou, round-trip
15km round-trip · 70–90 min · 170 RMB (15 RMB entry + 155 RMB raft) · Tel: 0773-8996303
Tags: self-drive friendly · Carp Hang Wall Hill
Why pick this route
- Same-dock pickup and drop-off — the most self-drive-friendly route on the river
- Passes Carp Hang Wall Hill (鲤鱼挂壁)
- Afterward, continue on to Xianggong Mountain, Luosi Hill, or the Yellow Cloth Shoal viewing platform
Things to know
- Doesn’t reach Yellow Cloth Shoal or Jiuma Hill from the raft itself
5. Chaobanshan → Yangdi, one-way (reverse)
14km · 80–100 min · 255 RMB · Tel: 0773-6779990
Tags: same route, reverse direction · Yellow Cloth Shoal
Why pick this route
- Same route and landmarks as #1, including Yellow Cloth Shoal, run backward
- Book this direction if you’ve parked in Xingping and want to end near your car
Things to know
- Same suspension risk as the forward route
6. Guanlian → Linjiazhou, round-trip
6.8km round-trip · 50–60 min · 110 RMB
Tags: Yangshuo town departure · easy access
Why pick this route
- Departs from inside Yangshuo town — no trip to Yangdi or Xingping needed
- Calmer water, close to town
- Easy to pair with Impression Liu Sanjie’s theater nearby
Things to know
- Doesn’t reach Jiuma Hill or Yellow Cloth Shoal
7. Fuli → Liugong, round-trip
5–6km round-trip · ~60 min · 90 RMB adult / 45 RMB child
Tags: quiet old-town route · least crowded
Why pick this route
- Departs from Fuli, one of Yangshuo’s four historic old towns, well clear of the Yangdi/Xingping crowds — the old-town scenery along this stretch is unusually well preserved
- Passes Shutong Hill (书童山) and Xiucai Kanbang (秀才看榜)
- Once ashore at Liugong, the centuries-old Sansheng Palace (留公三圣宫) and old village are worth the walk
Things to know
- Same age rule applies: under 1.2m or 70+ can’t board
- A good second, quieter outing after you’ve done one of the main routes
8. Biyange (Yanshan) ↔ Caoping, round-trip
~10km round-trip · ~100 min round-trip · 115 RMB (10 RMB entry + 105 RMB raft) · Tel: 0773-7590913
Tags: Yanshan section · quiet, rural · avoid 9:00–11:30
Why pick this route
- A separate stretch entirely, on the Yanshan section rather than Yangdi–Xingping
- Passes Xiushan (秀山) peninsula — quieter and more rural than the postcard run
Things to know
- Traffic control pauses rafts between 9:00 and 11:30 to let the large Guilin–Yangshuo cruise boats through — plan around that window
- Doesn’t reach Jiuma Hill or Yellow Cloth Shoal
Prices in detail
Where we’ve confirmed the breakdown, each fare is an entry ticket plus a raft ticket combined into one total — older listings quoting 95/170/80 RMB for the Yangdi-Xingping routes are running on a superseded 2020 price notice, not the current one.
Getting into town from the dock costs extra. A sightseeing shuttle bridges the gap between raft dock and Xingping/Yangshuo proper — Xingping ticket office ↔ Chaobanshan dock is 15 RMB/person one-way; Mashan dock ↔ Xingping ticket office is 20 RMB/person one-way.
Fewer than 4 in your group? You either share the remaining seats with strangers heading the same way, or buy out the empty seats at 60% of the per-person raft-ticket price. Two travelers on the Xingping–Jiuma round-trip not sharing, for example, pay two empty seats at 60% of 125 RMB each, on top of their own fares.
Discounts, per the official notice
Category | Discount |
|---|---|
Children under 1.3m | Half the adult raft-ticket price (one adult per discounted child, max 2 per raft) |
Seniors 60–64 | Half off the entry ticket |
Seniors 65–69 | Half off the entry ticket |
Seniors 70+ | Entry ticket free — though raft boarding itself is capped at 70, so this mostly matters for the cruise instead |
Military, firefighters, police (valid ID) | Free |
This tier is built around Chinese ID categories, so ask at the window whether it extends to a foreign passport.
The cormorant photos are staged
The fisherman-and-cormorant you’ll see near the docks is a paid photo op (20–50 RMB), not real fishing — the birds are trained to pose. Commercial cormorant fishing has largely disappeared from this stretch; this is what replaced it.
5. Who Isn’t Allowed on the Raft?
Per the scenic area’s official ticketing notice, posted in Chinese and English at every dock:
Rule | Restriction |
|---|---|
Height | Children under 1.2m not permitted to ride |
Age | Adults 70 and over not permitted |
Health | Anyone with mobility difficulties, pregnant travelers, intoxicated or unconscious individuals not permitted |
Pets | Not permitted on any raft |
Group size | 4 passengers per raft; fewer than 4 must share or pay the empty-seat charge |
Guests who fall outside these limits are usually better served by the Xingping fishing-village sightseeing cruise, a larger 3-star boat covering similar scenery on the same stretch without the raft’s age and mobility restrictions — air conditioning, proper seating, a steadier ride. If a booking comes in with a baby or a grandparent well past 70, we point them to the cruise outright rather than trying to force the raft to work. But for families with kids over 1m and grandparents comfortably under 70, we’d actually call the raft the better of the two — it’s the one guests bring up again months later.
6. How Do You Book, and What Should You Bring?
Docks can close without warning
Flood season (May–August) and the winter dry season (November–early April) both shut docks down — floods for safety, low water for depth on the longer routes. Online ticketing pauses in step with any closure, so a bookable date is a genuinely running one. Call the dock or check the “漓江水上游览平台” mini-program before you travel out. → See our Guilin-Yangshuo rainy season guide for the month-by-month picture.
Booking and pickup
Book through the “漓江水上游览平台” WeChat mini-program or at the dock window; third-party platforms resell the same tickets, usually at a markup. Online bookings don’t hand you a boarding pass directly — a pickup code lands by text after payment, which you exchange for a physical ticket at the counter for your route (Yangdi, Xingping, or Guanlian, matching where you booked) before heading to the dock. This pickup step is what trips people up most, so build in extra time during peak season.
Getting to the dock
From | To Yangdi | To Xingping |
|---|---|---|
Yangshuo | 40km, ~1hr by car; infrequent public bus | 30–40 min by car |
Guilin | ~1hr by car | Further; usually via Yangshuo |
Public transport | Bus service exists but is infrequent, plus a taxi for the final stretch to the dock | Same — bus to Yangshuo, then onward transport |
Most independent travelers just book a car or join a small group tour that already includes transport to the dock — it’s the difference between a smooth morning and standing around at a rural bus stop. We build this into most of our Guilin-Yangshuo itineraries by default, since the dock transport is easy to underestimate when planning from abroad.
At the dock
Bring your actual passport — a photo on your phone won’t be accepted, and staff check it against the booking at the pier gate. Life jackets stay on the whole ride; no standing, swimming, or moving to the raft’s front for photos. Suitcases and large bags aren’t allowed on board — send them ahead to your next hotel if you’re moving straight through from Yangdi to Xingping. Phones and cameras aren’t technically permitted either, though everyone brings one — a waterproof pouch is worth having given how explicit the liability warning is.
Rain, refunds, and cancellations
Light rain doesn’t stop departures — rafts have a canopy, and some guests prefer the misty, ink-painting look it gives the river. Heavy rain or thunderstorms do stop departures, and the booking system closes that date automatically rather than letting you book a raft that won’t run. Cancel before ticket pickup for a small fee through the booking platform; once picked up, tickets are non-refundable except when the scenic area itself cancels for weather, in which case contact the platform’s customer service.
7. When Is the Best Time to Go?
Best months
April, May, September, and October give the most reliable combination of water levels and comfortable weather — high enough water for every route to run, without the peak heat of summer or the crowds of national holidays. June and July bring the heaviest rain and the highest flood risk; November through early April runs drier and cooler, with the full Yangdi–Xingping route the most likely to see low-water suspensions.
Time of day
Go before 9:00 if the quiet everyone talks about actually matters to you — calmer water, softer light at Yellow Cloth Shoal. By late morning, both docks fill with domestic tour groups, and several electric rafts running the same stretch still adds up to more motor hum than the photos suggest, even with the fleet’s quieter engines. Afternoon light after 16:00 is the second-best window, warmer and better for photos than the flat midday sun.
Whichever month you land in, the one thing worth locking in early is the route itself — the popular ones sell out fastest, and that’s worth planning around more than the weather.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Li River bamboo rafting loud, and does it smell like gasoline?
No, not anymore. The old fuel rafts we used to see on this stretch are gone. Guilin Daily confirmed the fleet-wide conversion in 2025: all 1,210 tourist rafts now electric, noise down from around 120 decibels to roughly 60. You might spot an old-style fuel boat used by a local villager off the tourist routes, but nothing running commercial passenger trips is anything but electric today.
Do I need to know how to swim for Li River bamboo rafting?
No swimming ability is required. Life jackets are mandatory for the entire ride, the raft operator handles all the steering, and the water along this stretch is calm enough that no paddling or swimming skill comes into play.
Can I ask the raft to stop for photos?
Not officially — rafts run on a fixed schedule and don’t stop mid-route except in an emergency. Tipping the raft operator sometimes gets you a slower pass through a scenic stretch, but don’t count on a full stop.
Is the ride rough or bumpy?
It’s a steady, low-speed cruise on calm water, not whitewater — no sudden drops or rapids on any Li River route. The main sensation is the engine’s vibration and occasional spray from other rafts’ wakes, not anything resembling a thrill ride.
Planning your Li River itinerary and want the bamboo raft, the cruise, or both timed correctly around current water conditions? Get in touch with our team — we’ve been routing guests through this stretch since 2006.
