Guilin vs Kunming: Which Should You Choose for a First Trip?

The short answer

Guilin is a city in China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region where karst peaks, rivers and lakes sit right in the city center. The downtown 'Two Rivers and Four Lakes · Elephant Hill' scenic area describes itself as an important part of the 'South China Karst' World Natural Heritage, and it includes Elephant Trunk Hill, the city's emblem. If you want hill-and-river scenery and night views on foot and by boat in the city itself, Guilin fits well.

Kunming is the capital of Yunnan Province in southwest China, a highland city nicknamed the 'Spring City'. The Stone Forest, inscribed as World Natural Heritage in 2007 as part of the 'South China Karst', lies about 78 km from Kunming and makes a day trip. If you also want the Dragon Gate and temples of the Western Hills west of Dianchi Lake, and ethnic minority culture at Yunnan Nationalities Village, Kunming fits well.

Best for: Guilin suits lakeside walks, hills and caves covered in old inscriptions, night cruises and Guilin rice noodles. Kunming suits the Stone Forest's packed sword- and pillar-shaped rocks, cliffside views, winter gulls and Yunnan food such as wild mushroom dishes.

• Full Guilin travel guide →
• Full Kunming travel guide →

From the airport to the city

From Guilin Liangjiang International Airport (KWL), take the airport bus to the Civil Aviation Building (民航大厦) stop, then change to city bus 16 or 23 and get off at Xiangshan Park stop. It's about 2 hr 20 min to the Two Rivers and Four Lakes · Elephant Hill visitor center, including the transfer. By taxi it's about 30 km, around 55 minutes by car, on the meter. Check the airport's official information for airport bus routes, timetables and fares.

The Kunming guide could not verify transport from Kunming Changshui International Airport (KMG) to the city (routes, hours and fares) this time, so check the airport's official information before you arrive. There is, however, a direct bus from the airport to the Stone Forest Scenic Area and Shilin county town: about 96 km in about 1 hr 30 min, with airport departures between 9:30 and 18:30. Times may change, so check on the day.

• Guilin airport bus + city bus: about 2 hr 20 min to the visitor center (check official fares)
• Guilin taxi: about 30 km, about 55 min by car, metered
• Kunming airport to the city: check the airport's official information
• Kunming airport to the Stone Forest direct bus: about 1 hr 30 min, CNY 60

How many days, and what it costs

Both guides suggest 2 to 3 days. In Guilin, day one covers Elephant Trunk Hill, Rong and Shan lakes, the Seven Star Scenic Area and the night cruise; day two covers Fubo Hill, Diecai Hill, Mulong Lake and the daytime Four Lakes cruise. In Kunming, day one is a Stone Forest day trip; day two takes Metro Line 3 to the Western Hills and Dragon Gate, then the cableway to Yunnan Nationalities Village.

Neither guide gives a total daily budget, so here are the main fees they list side by side. In Guilin, Elephant Trunk Hill (real-name booking required) and Rong and Shan lakes are free, and most spending goes on cruises and entry fees. In Kunming, Stone Forest entry and transport are the main costs, while Huating Temple, Taihua Temple and Sanqing Pavilion in the Western Hills are free.

• Guilin Two Rivers and Four Lakes night cruise: adults CNY 210 (about 80-90 min)
• Guilin daytime Four Lakes cruise: adults CNY 80 (about 60 min)
• Guilin Seven Star Scenic Area CNY 55 (CNY 100 with Seven Star Cave), Mulong Lake CNY 55
• Kunming Stone Forest entry CNY 130 + electric shuttle CNY 25
• Kunming Stone Forest direct tourist bus: CNY 30 one way from Kunming East Bus Station
• Kunming Dragon Gate entry CNY 30, Dragon Gate ropeway CNY 25 one way

Weather: the same months side by side

The Guilin guide picks March to April and October to November, when average highs are about 18–27°C. The Kunming guide cites the Stone Forest's official site: a spring-like, mild climate all year, so any season works. So we compare March, April, October and November for both cities.

Source: China Meteorological Administration submission · WMO normals collection (NOAA NCEI), Guilin station and Kunming station, 1991–2020 normals, rounded. Of these four months, Guilin's October and November (55 mm, 82 mm) get far less rain than March and April (153 mm, 227 mm), and across the year June is Guilin's wettest month (449 mm). Kunming's highs are 19–24°C in all four months, and its wettest month of the year is July (216 mm).

• March: Guilin high 18°C, low 11°C, rain 153 mm / Kunming high 22°C, low 9°C, rain 20 mm
• April: Guilin high 24°C, low 17°C, rain 227 mm / Kunming high 24°C, low 12°C, rain 25 mm
• October: Guilin high 26°C, low 18°C, rain 55 mm / Kunming high 21°C, low 13°C, rain 82 mm
• November: Guilin high 21°C, low 13°C, rain 82 mm / Kunming high 19°C, low 8°C, rain 30 mm

What you do there

Guilin's sights are clustered in the city. Elephant Trunk Hill, where the Taohua and Li rivers meet, has been free since January 31, 2022, but needs a real-name booking (one ticket per ID). In the evening the Two Rivers and Four Lakes night cruise passes illuminated Elephant Trunk, Fubo and Diecai hills; by day you can take in a 360-degree city view from the top of Diecai Hill or explore Seven Star Cave and Flower Bridge in the Seven Star Scenic Area. Wild monkeys roam the Seven Star Scenic Area, so don't tease them or take close-up photos.

Kunming's headline sight is the Stone Forest Scenic Area. Its five zones are packed with sword-, pillar- and tower-shaped rocks, and a pillar in the Big Stone Forest is over 40 m tall. Real-name e-tickets have been on trial since January 24, 2025. In the city, Metro Line 3 to Xishan Park station takes you to the Western Hills and the cliffside Dragon Gate, and a cableway across Dianchi Lake continues to Yunnan Nationalities Village. In winter, gulls from Siberia spend the season around Haigeng Dam and Haigeng Park.

The food differs too. Guilin is known for Guilin rice noodles, added to China's national intangible cultural heritage list in 2021; Kunming for wild mushroom dishes such as jizong and for rubing, the goat's milk cheese of the Sani people of Shilin.

How to choose, or do both

Pick Guilin for karst scenery you can walk and cruise through in the city itself; pick Kunming for the Stone Forest out of town plus lakeside and ethnic minority culture. If you combine both, the guides have no information on travel between the two cities, so check routes and times with official sources.

Some places could not be verified on official sites by the guides this time. In Guilin, check official information before going on the Li River cruise to Yangshuo, to Reed Flute Cave or to the Longji (Longsheng) rice terraces. Near the Stone Forest, the Dadieshui scenic area is listed as 'closed to visitors' on its official site (checked October 5, 2026).

• Chinese visa rules, including visa-free entry, change often: check the latest official information
• Some foreign apps and services may be restricted: sort out your connection (roaming, eSIM, etc.), a Chinese map app, and Alipay or WeChat Pay before you travel
• The Kunming guide also suggests carrying a little cash
• Guilin cruise seats sell out on holidays such as National Day, so book 1-2 days ahead

• Full Guilin travel guide →
• Full Kunming travel guide →

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