How to buy Li River cruise tickets as a foreigner
Buy on the official WeChat Service Account “Li River Ticket Office” (漓江售票处). Tickets are real-name and online-reservation only. The piers basically do not sell same-day tickets, so do not turn up without a booking (notice of 2026-10-01). The two main ship classes cost ¥215 (3-star) and ¥360 (4-star) per person. The passport question is open: the official pages never say whether a foreign passport works.
- Follow the account in WeChat. The English site’s Online Reservation page shows a QR code for it.
- The 2026-04-21 notice advises registering and filling in personal information ahead of time, but does not explain how foreign visitors register. In peak season it also advises entering passenger details under 我的 → 常用游客 (My → Frequent travelers) in advance.
- Check remaining tickets. They are updated every day at 11:00 and 16:00 (China time, 03:00 and 08:00 UTC).
- On the day, bring your own valid ID document and reach the pier before the booked departure time. Late arrivals cannot board.
The Chinese and English Online Reservation pages don’t say which payment methods the ticket office takes. For paying in China in general, see Is cash accepted in China?
Can I use my passport to book a Li River cruise?
The official pages don’t say. The 2026-10-01 notice tells ticket holders to bring 本人有效身份证件, “your own valid ID document”. The price notice of 2026-02-12 says buyers must give valid identity documents, and “ticket, person and ID” are checked against each other at boarding (its English line says “ID Card”). Neither names a passport or explains how a foreigner registers on the account.
The English site’s Hotline page lists a “Foreign Visitor Ticket Service Hotline”, 19167711091, but not what it handles. We would ask there before planning around a passport booking.
How much is the Li River cruise: 3-star vs 4-star
Prices are per person per trip. Each ticket is admission plus the boat ticket.
| Ship class | Admission | Ship ticket | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3-star | ¥54 | ¥161 | ¥215 |
| 4-star | ¥54 | ¥306 | ¥360 |
Two official lists carry these numbers. The price list image on the Ticket Information page prints no effective date (only its file name has 20260805). It gives the same prices for Mopanshan (Zhujiang) Passenger Terminal—Yangshuo and for Yangshuo—Yangdi (Return Trip). The notice dated 2026-02-12 shows the same 54 + 161 and 54 + 306 but lists only Yangshuo-bound routes: Mopan Mountain—Yangshuo (磨盘山—阳朔) for 3-star, Zhujiang—Yangshuo (竹江—阳朔) for 4-star. The undated list names Mopanshan (Zhujiang) for both. The two lists don’t match on piers, and neither explains which pier a given ship uses, so check which pier you are booking from.
- Meals: 3-star ships have unified catering, charged separately and optional. A full, half or discounted 4-star ticket includes one Chinese-and-Western buffet lunch (children’s zero-price tickets excluded).
- Discounts: the 2026-02-12 notice gives them to “the following special groups of Chinese citizens”: free admission for children 6 and under or 1.2 m and under, half price for children over 6 through age 18 and full-time students up to bachelor’s level, free at 65 and over, half at 60 to under 65. On the boat, each adult may bring two children 6 and under or under 1.2 m free; extra children pay half, as do children over 6 and 1.2–1.5 m. It does not say whether foreign visitors get these.
How far ahead do Li River cruise tickets go on sale?
The notices state a window only for holidays. For National Day 2026, Mopanshan (Zhujiang)—Yangshuo and the Yangshuo—Yangdi return route (3-star and 4-star) go on sale 15 days ahead (notice of 2026-09-16). For May Day 2026, Mopanshan (Zhujiang)—Yangshuo went on sale 10 days ahead (notice of 2026-04-21). These are holiday rules, not the everyday rule. The official site gives no window for normal days; the WeChat account shows what is open.
Li River cruise tickets sold out? What to do
The 2026-10-01 notice says some dates had sold out. Its advice is to move to an off-peak day, or choose the Lijiang urban section (漓江城市段), the time-separated sectional (分时分段) routes, or other nearby routes and attractions. A few returned tickets go on standby sale at the pier, but the notice says not to wait there without a booking.
Scalper tickets
The scenic area warns against “internal tickets, express tickets, scalper tickets” from roadside sellers and unofficial online channels.
Li River cruise refunds and cancellation
The 2026-02-12 notice sets these fees, as a share of the ticket’s total face value: 72 hours or more before departure, none; 15 to under 72 hours before, 10%; 3 to under 15 hours before, 30%; within 3 hours before departure, 50%; after departure, no refund. For tickets bought on the official website or the “Li River Ticket Office” account, the refund rules in the product description apply instead.
Mopanshan or Zhujiang pier: how to get there from Guilin
The route page says the highlight reach sets off from the Mopanshan or Zhujiang pier (磨盘山或竹江码头). The official pages don’t say which is better or whether the boat is the same. The Chinese transport page lists three ways from Guilin (the English page says to find times in the WeChat account):
- Bus 9 (9路公交): listed for Zhujiang pier, 07:00-08:30, every 30 minutes.
- Customized bus (定制公交): Tiexi bus depot, Guilin Railway Station (Route 100 stop), Xicheng Road junction, Shizi Street, Sanlidian Plaza, then Zhujiang and Mopanshan piers. Departs 07:00, 07:20, 08:00, 08:30, 09:00, 10:30.
- Customized coach (定制客运): Guilin North Bus Station, Beiji Square, Central Square, the old Guilin bus station, Sanlidian Plaza, then Zhujiang and Mopanshan piers. Departs 07:00 and 08:00.
How long is the Li River cruise from Guilin to Yangshuo?
The official routes are “Mopanshan (Zhujiang)—Yangshuo” and “Yangshuo—Yangdi (Return Trip)”. A Guilin Daily item republished by the Lijiang River management committee on 2026-09-01 gives the highlight reach as about 60 km and about 4 hours. The Chinese and English Highlight Reach route pages give no departure times, boarding time, sailing time for the return route, or Yangshuo landing pier for the cruise.
How to get back from Yangshuo after the cruise
The transport page doesn’t say where the cruise lands, or that these are the only ways back. It lists:
- Longtoushan Pier (龙头山码头), Yangshuo: a “customized return tour line” (定制返程旅游专线) via Yangdi junction to Mopanshan and Zhujiang piers at 14:50 and 16:10, tel 0773-8811669. Yangshuo buses 808 and 803 run 07:00-18:10 every 30 minutes, tel 0773-8811989. A Liangjiang airport–Yangshuo customized coach also stops there, leaving for the airport 09:00-20:30 every 30 minutes, tel 18172297643.
- Yangdi Pier shuttles (timed to the boat’s arrival, tel 18176338209; they matter only for the return cruise): the Chinese page lists Guilin Railway Station, the English page Guilin South Railway Station. Both list Yangshuo coach station. Confirm the Guilin station by phone.
The page lists no ride from Yangshuo to Guilin city as such. We can help you plan the day, and a car transfer is something we do offer. We don’t sell the cruise ticket.
3-star vs 4-star Li River cruise ships
- 3-star: panoramic windows, Wi-Fi, onboard surveillance, set meals from a central kitchen, multilingual QR-code self-guiding and an onboard interpreter. Some ships are culture-themed.
- 4-star: the standard fittings plus a more spacious cabin, a two-tier open walking deck, a Chinese-and-Western buffet or custom dining, mini bar or tea service, and senior interpreters.
Both pages say layout and decor differ by ship, and photos are for reference.
When the Li River cruise stops running
The official notice list posts suspension and resumption notices when navigation is closed. In 2026 the titles include a highlight-reach suspension on 2026-06-22 and resumption on 2026-06-23, and a closure on 2026-07-21 with a lifting notice on 2026-07-22. The 2026-06-23 summary says the closure was lifted on the maritime authority’s notice because the water level had fallen.
