Guilin West Station is Guilin's main station for the Guiyang to Guangzhou HSR bullet trains. It serves almost no other trains. It's good for Guangzhou transport (change for Shenzhen/HK) as well as westward transport to Guiyang (change for Kunming, Chengdu, etc.) with 21 bullet trains each way daily.
- Chinese: 桂林西站 Guìlín Xī Zhàn /gway-lin sshee jan/ 'Guilin West Station'
- Name on train tickets: 桂林西 Guilinxi
- Address: Dingjiang Zhen, Lingchuang County，Guilin City 桂林市灵川县定江镇
- Location: about 10 km (6 miles) north of the city center and Guilin Station
- Station size: 4 platforms with six tracks
Popular Bullet Trains from Guilin West
For Guangzhou
Guilin West has the most trains for Guangzhou of any Guilin station, so you are more likely to get a ticket. You can change there for Shenzhen North.
- To Guangzhou South, there are 21 trains daily, taking around 2½ hours (21 USD second class).
Guilin West StationFor Guiyang
Change in Guiyang for trains to Kunming, Chengdu, and Chongqing. You can now get to Kunming faster via Guiyang than via Nanning. The opening of the Guiyang–Kunming HSR around the the start of 2017, should bring the journey down from around 12 hours to around 8 hours.
- Guiyang North Station has 20 trains daily taking around 2½ hours (20 USD second class seat) so you are more likely to get a favorable journey time.
From the Minority Townships
Miao minority women.The Gui-Guang HSR has opened up the fascinating minority areas of Guizhou with four stations now in popular Miao and Dong minority areas. For more see The Guangzhou to Guiyang High-Speed Railway. If you are touring the minority areas of Guizhou, direct bullet trains to Guilin West are a very convenient option:
- From Kaili (Duyun East Station): 12 trains daily between 9:02 to 18:28 taking about 1 hour 40 minutes (14 USD second class seat)
- From Rongjiang Station: 7 trains daily taking about 70 minutes (from 9:37 to 19:31; 10 USD second class)
- From Congjiang Station: 13 trains daily taking about 50 minutes (from 9:39 to 19:55, 7 USD second class)
- From Sanjiang South Station: 18 trains daily taking about half an hour (from 10:00 to 19:41; 5 USD second class)
Train Stations and Bullet Train Lines Around Guilin
For Yangshuo
Yangshuo West Street is Yangshuo's main tourist streetThere is now the option to take a train to Yangshuo Station (from Guilin), BUT trains don't go to the popular tourist town area. "Yangshuo" Station is a small station in the mountains, 6 km east of Xingping (which is renowned for the cream of Li River karst scenery).
- From Guilin West Station: 5 trains daily taking 31 minutes (11:39, 11:49, 18:10, 18:22, 20:15, 4 USD second class).
See Yangshuo Transportation for more information about the relative merits of Yangshuo Station and how to get from there to the town of Yangshuo.
Alternative Train Routes
Bullet trains: Fewer bullet trains leave from Guilin Station and Guilin North for Guiyang, Yangshuo, and Guangzhou, but they do have high-speed trains north and south as well, to places like Nanning and Beijing.
The regular train lines spread out to the rest of China from Guilin and go to most places. They take two or three times as long as bullet trains. See Guilin North and Guilin Station for conventional train information.
If you are touring Guizhou and its minority areas, you may want to go direct to Yangshuo Station.
Using the Station
Guilin West is a simple, quiet station, so waiting in lines and navigating the station aren't usually issues due to its limited usage. There are only two ticket windows, so it might be better to get your tickets elsewhere instead of possibly waiting on busy days.
See these pages for more on using China's railway stations:
- How to Get On/Off a Train
- 7 Things to Know Before Riding a Train
- Differences Between Chinese and Western Railways
Transportation to/from Guilin West
Beware the private cars/hawkers: Foreigners are a particular target for people waiting with private cars offering transport partly because they are easy targets for scams and perhaps crime. It is best to avoid them and take regular metered taxis or the bus, or hire a reputable private driver in advance. Also beware tour hawkers and other hawkers at the station for the same reason.
Taxis can be caught outside.
2 public buses are available:
- For Guilin North Railway Station (桂林北站): take bus 303 (2 RMB). It only operates between 10:00 and 21:30.
- For Guilin Railway Station and the Guilin Bus Station, take 22B (2 RMB, 1 hour with perhaps 20 minutes waiting between buses). It only operates between 9:30 and 17:30.
See more Guilin Transportation information.
Booking Tickets
Be sure you book the right tickets since like most Chinese cities, there are several train stations with similar names. You could book tickets at any train station, at city ticket windows, or online. How to Buy Tickets in China.
We can assist you with booking tickets — just 3 easy steps (search trains, book tickets, and quick pay), 10,000+ customers/year, 24/7 service, and express delivery.
Touring Guilin with Private Transportation
China Highlights' private transport servicesIf the Guilin West Station's public transport doesn't sound like the way you would like to go around, China Highlights is based in Guilin and can help.
Better Local Transport: Private Car — hassle-free, more flexibility
Private drivers: Hiring a private driver might be the best option, saving you time and maybe even money. It is the most comfortable and pleasant way to travel.
But pick a reputable and knowledgeable company like China Highlights. You can arrange for our driver and guide to wait for you. We are known for providing individualized services for our customers.
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