Guilin to Yangshuo Train: The Real Route & Transfer Guide (2026)

There is no train that runs directly from Guilin into Yangshuo town. Every bullet train ticket sold as "Guilin to Yangshuo" actually ends at Yangshuo Railway Station, a stop built near Xingping, about 22 km (14 miles) from Yangshuo's West Street. To finish the trip you still need a shuttle bus or taxi, roughly an hour, on top of the train ride. Skip that step in your planning and you will be standing at an empty station forecourt wondering why there's no town in sight.

Quick answer: No direct train reaches Yangshuo town. The route is: high-speed train from Guilin (usually Guilin North, sometimes Guilin West) to Yangshuo Railway Station, 23-27 minutes, then a bus or taxi transfer of about 50-60 minutes into Yangshuo. Many travelers find the direct highway bus from central Guilin, which runs straight to Yangshuo Bus Station in about 1.5-2 hours, simpler overall.

You can also book the train leg yourself for free on 12306, China's official rail ticketing site and app, if you're comfortable with the Chinese-language interface or its English version.

For step-by-step guidance on registering, choosing between 12306 and Trip.com, and boarding with only your passport, see our complete guide to booking China's high-speed trains.

The real route: train to Yangshuo Station, then a transfer

Search "Guilin to Yangshuo train" and the schedules that come up all show a station called "Yangshuo" as the destination. That station exists, and the bullet trains are real. What most searches don't clarify is where the station actually sits: outside Xingping town, not in Yangshuo itself. It was built there because the high-speed line runs through that stretch of countryside, not because it's convenient for the county seat everyone visits for West Street, the Li River, and Yulong River.

From Guilin, the high-speed ride to Yangshuo Station takes 23-27 minutes, with second-class fares running about CNY 23-38 and first class CNY 36-58. Around ten daily departures run from roughly 07:50 to 20:40, so timing options are decent, and the ride itself is fast and comfortable. The catch is entirely on the other end.

Guilin North vs. Guilin West: which station you actually need

Guilin has more than one railway station serving high-speed lines, and tickets don't always make it obvious which one applies to you.

• Guilin North Railway Station is the main high-speed hub for the city, about 6.5 km from the center, and the arrival point for most trains from Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, and Changsha. If you're unsure which station to use, this is the safer default, and it has the better taxi and bus links into central Guilin.
• Guilin West Railway Station sits farther out, around 12-15 km from downtown, and mostly serves as a bypass stop on the Guiyang-Guangzhou corridor. Some through-trains on that line stop here instead of Guilin North. It has fewer onward transport options, so budget extra time if your ticket routes you through it.

Both stations run direct services to Yangshuo Station, so either one gets you there. Check your ticket's departure station name carefully before you leave your hotel, since Guilin's stations are not interchangeable and a wrong guess means a scramble to rebook.

Getting from Yangshuo Station to Yangshuo town

Once you arrive at Yangshuo Station, you're still about an hour from West Street. Three options cover almost everyone:

The shuttle buses to Yangshuo run roughly 07:00-18:30. If your train lands outside that window, taxi is your only realistic option, so check the timetable before booking a late arrival.

Skip the train entirely: the direct bus from Guilin

For a lot of travelers, the simplest way to reach Yangshuo has nothing to do with a train ticket. Express coaches leave Guilin South Coach Station (the most commonly used terminal for this route) roughly every 20 minutes from about 7 am to 8 pm, arriving directly at Yangshuo Bus Station, which is about 1 km from West Street, an easy walk or a two-minute taxi ride. The trip takes about 1.5 hours, sometimes closer to 2 hours in heavy traffic, and costs around CNY 15-17.

There's also a direct shuttle from Guilin Liangjiang International Airport straight to Yangshuo for CNY 50, taking about 90 minutes, useful if you're flying in and skipping central Guilin altogether.

Common mistakes

• Assuming the train ticket ends in Yangshuo town. It ends at Yangshuo Station near Xingping, a taxi or shuttle ride away from West Street.
• Booking a tight connection after a late train. The station-to-town shuttle stops running around 18:30. Arrive later than that and you're relying on a taxi.
• Not checking whether your ticket says Guilin North or Guilin West. They are different buildings on opposite sides of the city, and mixing them up can cost you the train.
• Overlooking the direct bus option. If your hotel is near West Street and you're not connecting from a train elsewhere, the direct coach from Guilin South Coach Station is often faster door-to-door than the train-plus-transfer combination.
• Assuming Yangshuo Station is close to Xingping's old town. It's about 6-8 km out; you still need the CNY 5 local shuttle to reach Xingping itself.

Who this is for

• Coming from Guangzhou, Shenzhen, or elsewhere already on the high-speed network: the train to Yangshuo Station plus a shuttle is a reasonable one-ticket-plus-transfer combination, especially if you're also stopping in Xingping.
• Based in central Guilin with no reason to touch the rail network again: the direct bus from Guilin South Coach Station is simpler, cheaper, and drops you closer to West Street than the train does.
• Landing at Guilin airport and heading straight to Yangshuo: the airport shuttle bypasses both the train and the city bus station.
• Traveling with heavy luggage or during peak holiday weeks (Chinese New Year, October 1 Golden Week): book the train leg in advance through 12306 or a booking platform, since seats sell out, and confirm the shuttle bus schedule doesn't have you waiting at the station after dark.

Booking tips

• Buy the train ticket through 12306 for free, or through Trip.com if you want an English interface with card payment and don't want to fight with ID-verification steps.
• If you take the train, keep at least an hour of buffer at Yangshuo Station before you need to be anywhere in town, more if you land after 17:00.
• For the direct bus, no advance booking is usually necessary outside major holidays, buy the ticket at the counter at Guilin South Coach Station shortly before departure.
• Pair this trip with a look at where to stay in Yangshuo so your arrival point (West Street versus Yulong River) matches whichever transfer option you pick.
• If you're building out a full itinerary, the Yangshuo 3-day itinerary lines up well with either arrival route.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a direct train from Guilin to Yangshuo town? No. Trains sold as "Guilin to Yangshuo" end at Yangshuo Railway Station, about 22 km from Yangshuo's West Street near Xingping. You need a bus or taxi to finish the trip.

Guilin North or Guilin West, which station do I need for Yangshuo? Both run trains to Yangshuo Station. Guilin North is the main hub and the default if you're unsure; Guilin West is a bypass stop mostly used by through-trains on the Guiyang-Guangzhou line. Check your ticket's departure station name before you leave.

How long does it take to get from Guilin to Yangshuo including the transfer? Train plus transfer runs about 1.5-2 hours door-to-door (23-27 minutes on the train, then 50-60 minutes for the bus or taxi into town). The direct bus from Guilin South Coach Station takes about 1.5-2 hours as well, with no transfer required.

Is the bus or the train better for getting to Yangshuo? If you're starting in central Guilin, the direct bus is usually simpler since it ends near West Street. If you're arriving on the high-speed network from another city and want to stop in Xingping, the train to Yangshuo Station makes more sense.

How much does the Yangshuo Station shuttle bus cost? About CNY 20 to Yangshuo town (roughly an hour, running 07:00-18:30) or CNY 5 to Xingping (about 15-20 minutes). A direct taxi from the station to West Street runs roughly CNY 100.