This route pairs China's best eating with its best scenery: Guangzhou for the stomach, Guilin and Yangshuo for the eyes. Allow about 7 days.
Days 1-2, Guangzhou: yum cha at a century-old teahouse (har gow, siu mai, cheung fun), the Chen Clan Ancestral Hall and Shamian island's European architecture, a Pearl River night cruise, and congee and roast goose for dinner.
Day 3, Guilin: about 3 hours by train. The Two Rivers and Four Lakes night cruise, and Elephant Trunk Hill, the city's icon.
Days 4-5, Yangshuo: boat or bamboo raft down the Li River's classic stretch (Xingping to Nine Horses Hill), beer fish on West Street, and the quieter hand-poled rafts of the Yulong River.
Days 6-7: cycle Ten-Mile Gallery, climb Moon Hill, or explore the Silver Cave's karst chambers, then fly out of Guilin Liangjiang Airport.
In the rainy season (April-June) the Li River runs high and dramatic but can turn muddy; autumn brings clear water and the best photography.
