Guilin Caves: Best Guide to Explore Caves in Guilin
Reed Flute Cave, Yanzi Cave, Silver Cave, Seven Star Cave, and Crown Cave are the top caves in Guilin. All these caves are famous for beautiful natural rock formations and shapes, multicolored light shows, and mysterious historical legends, and each cave is unique, with its own highlights.
Reed Flute Cave has Rose Dawn Over Lion Peaks, Silver Cave has Waterfall on the Snow Mountain, and Seven Star Cave has A Natural Fresco, Crown Cave has an underground palace.
Reed Flute Cave
Location: No. 1 Ludí Road, Xiufeng District, Guilin City, Guangxi
Opening Hours: 7:30 to 18:00 in May to October; 8:00 to 17:30 in November to April
Ticket: CNY82
Visit Time: 1 to 3 hours
Best for: the lover of culture and history
Known as the Palace of Natural Arts, Reed Flute Cave is one of the most extraordinary scenic spots in Guilin and also a must-see sight in Guilin, like Elephant Hill. It's a natural limestone cave about 240 meters in length.
It developed as a tourist destination in 1962 and attracts countless nature lovers every year due to its stalactites, stalagmites, and rock formations in weird and wonderful shapes.
Highlights in Reed Flute Cave
The cave is filled with various stalactites and stalagmites, which are named according to what they look like and the legends surrounding them. The vivid rock formations have names like Rose Dawn Over Lion Peaks, Crystal Palace, Fish Tail Peak, and Double Columns.
One giant stalactite is said to have been the magic spear of the Dragon King, used by the Monkey King Sun Wu Kong in the Chinese Buddhist classic, Journey to the West. The whole cave is lit up by the colorful lights and looks like a dazzling underground palace. That’s why the cave is also known as Nature's Art Palace.
How to Get to Reed Flute Cave
Take a Taxi: After getting in the taxi, show the driver 请带我去芦笛岩 (Please take me to Reed Flute Cave in English).
By Bus: Take Bus 3 and get off at Reed Flute Cave Bus Stop.
Yanzi Cave
Location: Huixian Town, Lingui District, Guilin City, Guangxi
Opening Hours: all day
Ticket: free
Suitable for: adventure lovers
Every spring, large numbers of swallows come to build their nests, which is how the cave got its name. At the entrance, fresh air blows inward, and the natural smell of soil and rocks brings a sense of embracing nature. It is like a natural air conditioner.
Highlights in Yanzi Cave
Yanzi Cave is a natural cave formed over tens of thousands of years by underground river water carving through the rock. Inside, stalactites, stalagmites, stone columns, and an underground river can be found, making the cave feel like an untouched underground art palace.
To explore the cave, rappel about 20 meters (roughly the height of a seven- or eight-story building) from the entrance down to the bottom.
The descent relies entirely on flashlights for light, as if entering an underground world. It really is an activity that tests courage and gets the heart racing.
Yanzi Cave has not been developed yet. It is recommended that you go caving under the guidance of a professional instructor, as this is safer and more reliable.
Silver Cave
Location: Maling Town, Lipu City, Guilin City, Guangxi
Opening Hours: 8:30 to 17:00
Ticket: CNY65
Visit Time: 2 hours
Best for: photography lovers
Opened in 1999, Silver Cave is the largest karst cave in Guilin and fully shows the charm of the typical karst landform in southern China. It goes through 12 hills total, and is about 2000 meters long. In the cave, stalactites and stalagmites are shining like silver from a silver river, giving the cave its name.
Highlights in Silver Cave
Silver Cave consists of three parts: the lower cave, the grand hall, and the upper cave. It has many remarkable scenic spots, including stalactites, stalagmites, stone pillars, and cave curtains. The most famous among all the scenic spots in the cave is the unique three: Waterfall on the Snow Mountain, Musical Stone Screen, and Jasper Lake Fairyland. All these marvelous sceneries formed an unforgettable cave tour.
How to Get to Silver Carve
Take a Taxi: After getting in the taxi, show the driver 请带我去银子岩(Please take me to Silver Cave in English).
By Bus: Take Bus 1 or Bus K99 and get off at Guibei Bus Station Bus Stop. Then take a long-distance bus to Silver Cave.
Seven Star Cave
Location: Inside Qixing Scenic Area, Qixing Road, Qixing District, Guilin City, Guangxi
Opening Hours: 8:00 to 22:00
Ticket: CNY70
Visit Time: 1 hour
Best for: those who have limited time
Also known as Qixia Cave (the place where colorful clouds settle in Chinese), Seven Star Cave is referred to as the Residence of the Immortals for its huge, impressive rock formations and inscriptions.
Highlights in Seven Star Cave
Seven Star Cave is divided into three parts. The upper part is so high and steep that one can hardly reach while the lower part is an underground river channel. The middle part is an 814-meter-long tunnel, with 49 meters in width and 27 meters in height.
Artificial lighting for walkways and displays is staged throughout, including colored accents, and various formations have names such as A Natural Fresco and The Chessboard. The temperature inside remains 20 degrees year-round, providing a comfortable environment for visitors.
How to Get to Seven Star Cave
Take a Taxi: After getting in the taxi, show the driver 请带我去七星岩 (Please take me to Seven Star Cave in English).
By Bus: Take Bus 10, 21, 204, or 207 and get off at Jiangan Road Crossing Bus Stop.
Crown Cave
Location: Lüqiao, Caoping Hui Ethnic Township, Yanshan District, Guilin City, Guangxi
Opening Hours: 8:30 to 16:00
Ticket: CNY40
Visit Time: 1 hour
Best for: the elderly and the family
The mountain that houses Crown Cave is shaped like the hat worn by ancient Chinese officials when attending court, which is how the cave got its name. The cave is 12 kilometers long in total, but only about 3 kilometers are open for visitors.
Highlights in Crown Cave
As a typical karst cave, Crown Cave is filled with rock chambers of various sizes, containing rock formations, stalagmites, and stalactites. Under the colorful lights, these formations look even more magnificent, creating a mysterious and enchanting atmosphere.
It offers the most ways to explore of any cave in the world, with 5 different touring methods: walking, sightseeing slide, sightseeing elevator, cave train, and an underground river floating bridge.
How to Get to Crown Cave
Take a Taxi: After getting in the taxi, show the driver 请带我去冠岩 (Please take me to Crown Cave in English).
By Bus: Take Bus 306 and get off at Daxu Bus Stop. Then transfer to Bus 306 Extension and get off at Caoping Hui Ethnic Township Government Bus Stop.
Related Reading: Guilin Transportation
Best Time to Explore Caves in Guilin
Caving is an outdoor activity you can do year-round, but it's best to avoid China's public holidays. Labor Day and National Day are peak travel weeks, and the scenic areas will be more crowded than usual.
Related Reading: Best Time to Visit Guilin
Tips for Exploring Carvings in Guilin
- Buy your karst cave tickets three days in advance. You can purchase them directly at the scenic area's ticket office or look for the ticket mini‑programs for each cave on WeChat.
- The cave floors are slippery all year round and have many steps, so you must wear non‑slip sports shoes or flat shoes.
- In summer, the temperature difference between the outside and inside the cave is large. It will feel cool, or even a bit cold inside, so it's best to bring a light jacket.
- The stalactites in the cave take tens of thousands of years to form and are very precious.
- Do not touch or knock on them. Do not use the flash when taking photos.
Booking Your Guilin Tour
Most of Guilin's karst caves are far from the city center, and public transportation to them is not convenient. After booking your Guilin tour with China Travel, we will arrange a private vehicle to pick you up and drop you off, making it easy for you to travel between the city and the caves.
This will save you a lot of time compared to using public transport. We will also provide you with a local guide from Guilin, who will give you in‑depth explanations of the stories behind the caves.
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