National Day and Mid-Autumn Night Tour｜Super Detailed Guide to Guilin’s Two Rivers and Four Lakes Night Cruise

Who understands! The double festival night cruise on the Two Rivers and Four Lakes is so beautiful it leaves you speechless✨ Sailing on the emerald waves, it’s like traveling inside a painting! Based on personal experience, here’s a practical guide to avoid pitfalls—if you’re heading to Guilin for National Day, just copy this homework～ 🌃 Why must you choose the night cruise? Guilin by day is like an ink painting, but the Two Rivers and Four Lakes at night is a golden fairyland! The 7.33-kilometer city ring water system is illuminated by lights, the glass bridge over Rong Lake looks like a crystal ribbon, the Sun and Moon Twin Towers—one gold, one silver—reflect on the lake, and even the distant Diecai Hill becomes a silhouette frame. The highlight is the 3D light and shadow show on Mulong Lake, where a thousand drones coordinate with live scenes to recreate a Southern Song battlefield—goosebumps guaranteed! 🚢 Choose the right boat to avoid disappointment Tickets & Booking • Price: Night cruise luxury boat is about 210 RMB per person; student and senior IDs get 50% off, making it very cost-effective. • Channel: Be sure to book 1-3 days in advance on Trip.com! Tickets sell out instantly during the National Day and Mid-Autumn peak season; last-minute purchases are expensive and often sold out. Remember to request seats together when ordering, or you might be separated. • Combo ticket bonus: Boat ticket + Elephant Trunk Hill scenic area ticket is about 170 RMB, so you can visit Elephant Trunk Hill the next day and save on separate admission. Docks & Routes • Preferred dock: Wenchang Bridge Dock is highly recommended! Close to Elephant Trunk Hill, with the most complete route covering all the highlights in one go. Riyue Bay Dock is in the city center; you can get off and stroll the food street—perfect for the lazy ones. • Route reveal: The whole trip takes about 90 minutes, passing over 20 scenic spots—you can’t miss the banyan trees at Gunanmen, the flowing lights on the glass bridge, and the fishing fire show on Gui Lake. Focus on the right-side seats for the best views of Elephant Trunk Hill and Diecai Hill! Schedule Selection • 7:30-8:30 PM is the prime time, with full lighting and the chance to see the cormorant fishing show on Gui Lake—the firelight flickering on the water is very atmospheric. • For empty shots, choose the 9:00 PM or later sessions; fewer tourists and perfect for long exposure shots on your phone (ISO100, 2-second shutter) to capture the twin towers’ reflections. • Pitfall warning: Avoid the last boat at 10:30 PM! Some lights turn off early, reducing the experience. 📸 Photo tips & hidden experiences Photo spots 1. Sun and Moon Twin Towers: Navigate to the lakeside on the right side of Zhiyin Dock to capture the full reflection of both towers; fewer people after 9:00 PM for better shots. 2. Glass Bridge: Snap photos while passing over Rong Lake; the changing lights look like a sci-fi movie—remember to use burst mode. 3. Boat tunnel silhouette: When passing Yingbin Bridge, the boat rotates 180 degrees—stand on deck to shoot the bridge tunnel silhouette for maximum atmosphere. Hidden experiences • Boat lift bonus: The lock on Mulong Lake acts like a “water elevator,” lifting and lowering boats 3 meters—great for seeing engineering principles up close, kids love it. • Waterfall surprise: Around 9:00 PM on Fridays and Saturdays, you can see the artificial waterfall at the Lijiang Waterfall Hotel, perfectly matching the night scene. • Hanfu travel shoot: You can rent Hanfu (69 RMB/2 hours) at Riyue Bay Dock; pair it with an oil-paper umbrella and shoot at Gunanmen for an instant Tang and Song dynasty painting vibe. 🚗 Transportation & Accommodation Tips • To the dock: Taxi from Guilin Station to Wenchang Bridge Dock takes 10 minutes (about 15 RMB); from North Station, take Metro Line 1 to Elephant Hill Station, then a 10-minute walk. • Parking: Wenchang Bridge Dock parking lot is 25 RMB per time; parking spaces are tight during peak season, so arrive 20 minutes early. • Accommodation: If budget allows, choose Lijiang Waterfall Hotel with twin tower night views from the window; for cost-effectiveness, pick a downtown guesthouse within a 10-minute walk to the dock. 🍜 Post-night cruise food guide After getting off the boat, walk 10 minutes to the Cultural Palace Food Street and be sure to try: • Guilin rice noodles: Choose “braised meat noodles,” add roasted pork and pickled long beans, and pair with a cup of oil tea to cut the grease. • Beer fish: Made to order, the fish is tender to the bone, and the soup with rice can be eaten twice over. • Osmanthus cake: The old brand near the dock sells fresh osmanthus cake, sweet but not greasy, perfect as a souvenir. ⚠️ Double festival pitfall reminders 1. Bring mosquito repellent! Mosquitoes by the lake are fierce; one bite itches like crazy. 2. Bring a thin jacket; it gets windy on the river at night, especially if you have elders or kids. 3. Don’t trust scalpers! On-site price hikes of 50% are a trap; booking on Trip.com is the most reliable and choosing seats in advance is worry-free. 4. Don’t fear rain: Bring a transparent umbrella for shooting misty night scenes, but wear non-slip shoes. For National Day and Mid-Autumn in Guilin, be sure to put the Two Rivers and Four Lakes night cruise at the center of your itinerary! When the boat passes under the bridge and the lights reflect on the water, you’ll truly understand the romance of “thousands of peaks encircle the wild, one river embraces the city.” Wishing everyone a happy double festival—remember to share your experience afterward!💕