A Travel Price Comparison for China Kunming vs. Guilin for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Kunming or Guilin?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for Kunming and Guilin. We'll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.

Where Should I go: Kunming or Guilin?

Kunming

Kunming, located in southern China, is the modern capital city of the Yunnan province. It is a transportation hub for visitors entering the region, and good transfer point to just about everywhere else in the province by train or bus. Within the city itself there are many things to see and do with a full range of parks and zoos, museums, temples, theatres, and scenic areas.

Guilin

Guilin is a city in Southern China situated on the west bank of the Li River with Hunan to the north. Its name means, "Forest of Sweet Osmanthus," owing to the large number of fragrant Sweet Osmanthus trees located in the city. Products like tea, sugar, and wine, can be made from the tree and are found in many shops throughout Guilin. A popular tourist destination, the city is renowned for its scenery of karst topography with unique mountains jutting out of the urban landscape.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 2-Week Tours from Beijing, The Best Family-Friendly Tours to China, The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in China, and The Best Historical Tours in China.


Which place is cheaper, Guilin or Kunming?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.

The average daily cost (per person) in Kunming is $68, while the average daily cost in Guilin is $67. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Kunming and Guilin in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Kunming $33
    Guilin $35
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Kunming $66
    Guilin $70
Compare Hotels in Kunming and Guilin

Looking for a hotel in Kunming or Guilin? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.

Hotels in Kunming


Hotels in Guilin


Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.


Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Kunming $13
    Guilin $5.80
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Kunming

Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Kunming:


  • Taxi Ride
    $1.53

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Kunming

Also for Kunming, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Kunming Airport Private Transfer - Charge by Vehicle: $48
  • Kunming Changshui Airport Chauffeur Service, Kunming Airport Transfer, Pickup: $83
  • Kunming Private Arrival Transfer:Railway Station to City Hotel: $22
  • Kunming Private Departure Transfer:City Hotel to Railway Station: $22
  • One way Kunming airport to hotel private transfer: $41
  • Private Transfer from Kunming hotel to Guizhou Xingyi hotel: $240
  • [Airport Transfer] Kunming Changshui Airport ⇔ Kunming City Transfer ☆ High reputation for service! <Charter charter>: $36

Typical Local Transportation Prices in Guilin

Some typical examples of transportation costs in Guilin are as follows:


  • Taxi
    $2.78

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Guilin

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Guilin:

  • Private Transfer from Guilin to Fenghuang and stops at Longji rice terraces area: $267
  • Private Transfer from Guilin to Zhaoxing and stops at Chengyang Dong Village: $197
  • Guilin boutique hotel with transfer and Four Lakes walking tour: $169
  • Private Transfer from Yangshuo/Guilin to Sanjiang and stops Longji Rice Terraces: $160
  • Private Airport Transfer: Guilin Airport to Hotel in Yangshuo: $115
  • Live Show of Impression Liu San Jie including the Transfer Services: $102
  • Guilin Private Transfer in English-speaking Services: Airport to Hotel Roundtrip: $99
  • Yangshuo Via Ferrata with Round way private transfer from Guilin hotel: $92
  • 2-hours Yangshuo Yulong Bamboo Boat Tour with the Round-way Private Transfers: $83
  • Private Transfer from Guilin hotel to Longsheng hotel: $80
  • Haikou Meilan Airport Chauffeur Service, Haikou Airport Transfer, Pick up: $75
  • Guangzhou Baiyun Airport Chauffeur Service , to Dongguan Transfer: $71

Is it cheaper to fly into Kunming or Guilin?

Prices for flights to both Guilin and Kunming change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.





Food
  • Food Meals for one day
    Kunming $23
    Guilin $23

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Kunming

For Kunming, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:

  • Private Kunming Night Tour with Dinner: $78

Typical Food Prices in Guilin

Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Guilin:


  • Fresh Coconut Drink
    $1.39

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Guilin

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Guilin.

  • Half day Yangshuo Cooking lesson Small Group Tour: $62
  • Yangshuo Country Life Experience with Cooking Class like a Local: $108
  • Full-Day Li-River with the 4 Star Luxury Boat VIP Room and Yangshuo Cooking Tour: $286

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Kunming $18
    Guilin $28

Tours and Activities in Kunming

Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Kunming.

  • One day tour to eastern coast region of Daichi Lake: $69
  • Half-Day History Tour in Kunming: $82
  • Private Night Tour to Enjoy Dynamic Yunnan Show: $86
  • Morning Market Tour - Eat like a local: $93
  • 1-Day Self-Guided Stone Forest Geological Park Tour from Kunming: $106
  • Stone Forest Day Tour: $106
  • Private Day Tour of Jiuxiang Cave from Yunnan: $109
  • One day Stone Forest and Nuohei Yi Village Tour: $114
  • 1- Day Kunming Short Hiking Tour: $122
  • Private Kunming Night Tour with Dynamic Yunnan Show: $125
  • Full Day Private Kunming Sedan Chair Snow Mountain Tour: $130
  • Night tour Cross-Bridge rice Noddles Shangrila-Dynamic Yunnan Show from Kunming : $136

Typical Entertainment Prices in Guilin

Here are a few typical costs in Guilin for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:


  • Entrance to the Caves
    $17

Tours and Activities in Guilin

Here are a few actual costs in Guilin for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:

  • 2-Day Self-Guided Guilin Tour with 4 Star Boat, Yangshuo and Longji Terraces : $200
  • Full-Day Yangshuo Sunrise and Li-River cruise with the 4 Star Boat Private Tour: $272
  • 1 Day Li River Cruise from Guilin to Yangshuo with Private Guide & Driver: $219
  • 1 Day Private Tour: Li River Cruise from Guilin & Yangshuo Biking: $169
  • 1 Day Relaxing Li River Cruise Private Tour with the 4 Star Luxury Boat VIP Room: $251
  • 1 Day Relaxing Li River Cruise With The 4 Star Luxury Boat lower Deck Seating: $225
  • 1 Day Yangshuo Countryside Cycling and Yulong bamboo boat Private Tour: $94
  • 1 Day Yangshuo Countryside Hiking along the Yulong river Private Tour: $103
  • 1 Day Yangshuo private Day Tour with the Scooter: $105
  • 1-Day Guilin Tour to Reed Flute Cave, Xianggong Hill, Bamboo Boat and Night Show: $89
  • 1-Day Guilin Xing'an Ling Canal Private Tour: $183
  • 1-Day Li-River Cruise from Guilin to Yangshuo+Yangshuo Ruyi peak Cable Car Tour: $249

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Kunming $17
    Guilin $5.76


When comparing the travel costs between Kunming and Guilin, we can see that Kunming is more expensive. However, the two cities are actually relatively comparable in price, as the difference is somewhat minimal. Generally, this means that you could travel with generally the same travel style and level of luxury in each place. Since both cities are in Asia, it's no surprise that their costs are relatively close, as many destinations here have somewhat similar travel prices overall.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Kunming Expensive? and Is Guilin Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Kunming or Guilin?

Kunming has a larger population, and is about 58% larger than the population of Guilin. When comparing the sizes of Kunming and Guilin, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.