Food tips:

Guilin food is noted for its natural, fresh, and healthy ingredients. Many Guilin ingredients are from forests (e.g. gingko nuts), from mountains (e.g. bamboo shoots), or even from paddy fields (e.g. water chestnuts, taro, or lotus roots); and not from factories or greenhouses. Wild plants and animals rarely eaten in the West can be found in Guilin Cuisine.

Guilin rice noodles (Guilin Mifen) are one of the most famous and popular local staples. The dish can probably be found within 100m of any town or city area.

Yangshuo Beer Fish is Yangshuo's most famous dish. It is made from fresh caught Li River carp. The fresh fish is fried in a wok along with beer, hot and green peppers, garlic, onions, celery, tomatoes, soy, and sugar. Yangshuo's famous West Street has many restaurants serving this delicious dish. Tao's Authentic Beer Fish, and The Older Sister of Peng's Beer Fish come highly recommended.

Zhengyang Pedestrian Street is the busiest commercial area and the most enjoyable snack street in Guilin. The age old street is clustered with restaurants and eateries in traditional Chinese architectural styles, and what adds even more vibrancy is the dazzling variety of local delicacies such as rice noodle, grilled squid, roast fish, matigao cakes, and sizzling stuffed bean curd.

Bars to try:

Guilin's hottest nightlife spots can be found along Zhengyang Pedestrian Street, where a host of bars line the road. One of these is Music Life Club, also known as Lounge Bar. Also located on Zhengyang Pedestrian Street, Guilin Back Garden Irish Pub offers travelers a classic Irish pub experience. Situated in downtown Guilin near the Sheraton Hotel, 100 Degree Bar is a popular nighttime hangout, favored by locals.

Visa-free transit

Since July 2014, Guilin has been offering foreign tourists a 72-hour window to explore the city without a visa, following the introduction of a new policy for transiting passengers from 51 countries.

Visitors eligible for visa-free stays must have air tickets to a third country with confirmed dates, and visas where required. A service center for transit passengers operates at the Guilin Liangjiang International Airport