Cycling routes in Yangshuo - The Yulong River

Yangshuo - Gong Nong Bridge - Longtan - Backtracking to Yulong River

We start at Yangshuo and take the road to Moonhill. You could start with Cycling routes Yangshuo part 1, which will also bring you to the Gong Nong Bridge (where the rafts dock).

On the way to Moonhill we can do a 30 minutes little side trip. On the main road you will see a sign for Omeida Collega. There's a small road leading deep into the hills. It's a dead end road but it is a very beautiful and hardly visited part of Yangshuo. You can cycle all the way to wide open valley surrounded by kart mountains.

Yulong river Yangshuo
You can pass this point and cycle further to the mountains at the far end of the photo, but there's no way out.

Gong Nong Bridge - Longtan - Back track to Yulong River

Ready for a more adventurous cycling route around Yangshuo? Take this one. If you haven't visited Moonhill, this might be the moment. Otherwise, just pass Moonhill. Direct after Moonhill, take the junction to your right. There is a sign for a guesthouse too.

The road swindles along the Zhutou mountain for a few kilometers before reaching the Jinbao bridge.

Fisherman seen from the Jinbao Bridge before Longtan Village

A few hundred meters further is Longtan Village. There are two ways to continue.

Left: Old house in Longtan
Right: The pond of Longtan

1. Just before the village there is a small path to your right, which leads around a mountain and the village.

2. Cycle a bit further in the village and find the most obvious junction to your right, it's a small path that leads to the central pond. You have to cycle around the pond (right side) to the end of the concrete road. Follow the main path (there's a small path leading steep up into another valley with a small lake). You end up at the same track as described above.

Just outside Longtan

Some villagers try to make you pay Y10 for making photos but there's little need to pay.

Once out of the village you're back in the spectacular countryside. You might see farmers working at the land, maybe some passing you with plough and water buffalo but you will hardly see a tourist (as most do not know how to come here).

Near Longtan village
Left: Farmer walking to Longtan Village
Right: The path to Longtan (in the back of this photo)

The path follows westwards. You will pass fruit yards and the path will slowly go up, though never steep or high.

China local farmer village
Cross the "pass" and look into the next valley.

At the top you will have a nice view to the next valley. The path will curve down to a junction. Should you decide to go right, you will cycle to the Yulong river but it will be very hard to find a path either left or right following the river. It is not impossible but you may have to carry your bike.

Instead, go left and follow the road but keep right (keeping left after the junction leads again to hiking with your bike on your neck). The road passes through a village and curves around the mountain back to the Yulong river.

Village on the way to the Yulong river crossing

There are two ways to continue. There's a good path leading all the way to Dragon Bridge but if the river is not too high you may want to try to cross the river on foot (or rent a raft to cross).

The river crossing, many rafts arriving.

The crossing by foot is possible with low water but at one point you have to be very careful as a lot of water passes a small point and the water goes very fast, we do NOT recommend crossing here.

Instead, you can cycle a bit further where there is a bridge at Jiuxian. This is a safe crossing

It is also a good place to cool down a bit and have a swim.

The river crossing

After the bridge at Jiuxian just follow the road to Jima and back to Yangshuo which is another 3 km away (from Jima). The total cycling time is around 3 to 4 hours.

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