How to use China's 10-day visa-free transit for a Guilin and Yangshuo trip — eligibility, entry steps, a 10-day plan and the mistakes to avoid.
Bottom line: The 240-hour visa-free transit lets eligible travellers spend up to 10 days in China without a visa, provided they are transiting onward to a third country. Ten days is an ideal length for Guilin, Yangshuo and Longji — but the policy has conditions, and the country and port lists change. Verify your exact situation before booking.
China's visa-free transit policy allows eligible foreign nationals to stay for up to 240 hours — ten days — without applying for a visa in advance. It replaced the older 72- and 144-hour schemes for most qualifying nationalities.
The key idea is that you are in transit. You are not visiting China and returning home; you are passing through on the way to somewhere else. That single condition is what most misunderstandings come from, so read the rules section carefully before you buy tickets.
Source & verification: Visa rules change periodically. Always confirm current eligibility, approved ports and permitted stay areas with the National Immigration Administration of China or your nearest Chinese embassy before booking travel.
The policy covers nationals of a large number of countries. Commonly included nationalities are most EU and Schengen member states, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and several others in Europe, the Americas, Asia and Oceania.
Do not rely on a summary list. The official roster has been expanded multiple times, and it is the single thing most likely to change between your research and your flight. Check your nationality against the current official list, and if you hold a passport from a country not on it, apply for a regular visa instead.
Travellers from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan regions follow separate arrangements rather than this policy.
| Step | What to do | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Before flying | Confirm your nationality and ports on the official list | Screenshot the current list to show at check-in |
| 2. Book onward travel | Have a confirmed ticket to a third country or region | Print it — staff sometimes ask to see it |
| 3. On arrival | Follow visa-free transit signs to the dedicated counter | Not the standard foreigner queue |
| 4. Forms & biometrics | Complete the arrival card; fingerprints and photo taken | Have your first hotel address ready |
| 5. Entry stamp | Officer endorses your permitted stay period | Check the date written in your passport |
| 6. Hotel check-in | Passport scanned; registration filed automatically | Carry your passport whenever you go out |
Have these ready at the counter: your passport (valid for at least six months), your onward ticket, your accommodation address, and a rough plan of where you are going. Officers rarely ask for an itinerary, but being able to answer calmly speeds everything up.
Ten days is more than enough for this region at a relaxed pace, and lets you add Longji without rushing.
| Day | Base | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| 1-2 | Guilin city | Arrive, city sights, recover from the flight |
| 3-4 | Longji Rice Terraces | Terrace viewpoints, village stay, sunrise |
| 5 | Guilin → Yangshuo | Li River cruise down to Yangshuo |
| 6-7 | Yangshuo | Yulong River cycling, bamboo rafting, West Street |
| 8 | Yangshuo / Xingping | Xianggong sunrise, Xingping old town, 20 RMB viewpoint |
| 9 | Yangshuo | Climbing, canyoneering or a slow countryside day |
| 10 | Depart | Transfer to Guilin and onward flight |
If ten days feels long, five is the classic first-trip length: two nights around Guilin or Longji and three in Yangshuo. See where to base your trip for the night splits, and best time to visit Yangshuo for picking the month.
China runs on mobile payment. Set this up before you land — it is the single biggest difference between a smooth trip and a frustrating one.
Our China digital setup guide walks through each of these in detail.
Having these in one place — printed and on your phone — turns a ten-minute counter conversation into a two-minute one.
| Document | Why you need it | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Passport (6+ months validity) | Entry condition | Original |
| Onward ticket to a third country | Proves you are transiting | Printed copy |
| Accommodation address | Needed on the arrival card | Phone + print |
| Proof of nationality eligibility | In case of airline doubt | Screenshot of official list |
| Travel insurance | Not always asked, always wise | Phone copy |
A note on the onward ticket: airline staff are the first checkpoint, and they see the transit rule differently from immigration officers. A printed itinerary showing a departure to a third country or region prevents most boarding problems. Refundable or changeable tickets are worth the small premium if your plans might shift.
Two groups should not rely on this policy. First, nationals of countries not on the current list — you need a standard tourist visa (L visa), applied for at a Chinese embassy or visa centre before travel. Second, travellers whose trip is a straightforward return to their home country rather than onward to a third destination: that is not transit, and it generally does not qualify.
A standard tourist visa is not especially difficult to obtain, but it takes time and usually requires an appointment, a completed form, a photo, and sometimes proof of flights and accommodation. Apply several weeks ahead and do not count on the transit policy as a fallback if the visa is refused.
Holders of residence permits, and travellers arriving under other exemption arrangements, should check which set of rules applies to them rather than assuming this one does.
Ten days in this region is inexpensive by international standards once you are on the ground. These are broad ranges per person per day, in yuan.
| Style | Per day | What it buys |
|---|---|---|
| Budget | ¥180-330 | Hostel or simple guesthouse, local food, buses |
| Mid-range | ¥600-1,150 | Decent hotel, restaurants, occasional private car |
| Comfortable | ¥1,200-2,000+ | Boutique hotel, private drivers, guided activities |
Activity costs are modest: an e-bike day is ¥40-80, a bamboo raft is priced per raft rather than per head, and attraction tickets are typically ¥60-100. The largest variable is transport — private cars and drivers add up quickly but save hours. Full detail is in our Guilin trip cost guide.
Remember the transit condition: your next stop needs to be outside mainland China. Common onward destinations from Guilin are Hong Kong (by high-speed rail, a straightforward and popular continuation), and regional hubs across Southeast and East Asia. Hong Kong works particularly well because the rail connection is quick and it gives you a natural exit point.
Travellers from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan regions follow separate entry arrangements rather than this policy — see the Hong Kong visitor guide for that side of the trip.
Ten days is long enough that the small logistics start to matter. Getting these right in the first hour saves you repeated friction.
Our China digital setup guide covers each of these in step-by-step detail, including how to bind an international card to Alipay before you fly.
Longji is spectacular but it is a 2.5-hour drive each way, and some travellers would rather not spend a day and a night on it. If that is you, the ten days become a much slower, deeper version of Guilin and Yangshuo:
| Days | Focus | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1-2 | Guilin city | Arrive, city sights, night cruise |
| 3 | Guilin to Yangshuo by river | Li River cruise, four hours of scenery |
| 4-5 | Yangshuo countryside | Yulong loop, rafting, villages by e-bike |
| 6 | Xingping | 20 RMB viewpoint, old street, Laozhai climb |
| 7 | Active day | Climbing, canyoneering or a long ride |
| 8 | Slow day | Markets, cooking class, West Street evening |
| 9-10 | Buffer and departure | Weather-proof day, then onward travel |
That version still leaves a spare day for weather, which in a region with this much rain is the wisest use of a tenth day.
It allows eligible foreign nationals to enter China without a visa for up to 240 hours (10 days) when transiting to a third country or region. You must arrive and depart from approved ports and continue onward to a destination outside mainland China.
The policy covers nationals of dozens of countries, including most EU/Schengen states, the UK, the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea and Singapore, among others. The official country list has been expanded several times, so always verify your nationality before booking.
Yes. The defining condition is that you are transiting: your onward journey must leave mainland China for a third country or region. A round trip back to your home country generally does not qualify.
Guilin Liangjiang International Airport (KWL) is the relevant gateway for this region, but the official list of approved entry and exit ports is updated periodically. Confirm current eligibility with the National Immigration Administration before you book.
The 240 hours generally starts from 00:00 on the day after your arrival. Ten days is generous for Guilin and Yangshuo, but do not cut it fine — build in a buffer in case of delays.
The policy generally permits travel within the approved stay area for the relevant region, and the rules on permitted areas have been relaxed over time. Check the current restriction that applies to your entry port.
Install and verify Alipay or WeChat Pay with an international card, download Amap (Gaode) for navigation and a VPN if you need it, and have your onward ticket and first hotel address ready for the arrival form.
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