Yangshuo

Cafe le Votre

Set back from the street with a courtyard in front, is a brew pub with its own beer. They have two brews, a wheat beer and a dark beer, both are rare finds in China. They also have French and Chinese food; quality is good and prices relatively high. Their courtyard is a great place for people-watching, but unfortunately it is also convenient for touts to find you.

Kelly's Cafe

Great service and food, cheap beer. Foreigners living in Yangshuo often hang out here. Also offers free wireless Internet. The Kelly's Cafe on Guiha street is better than the one on the side street. They both have great milk shakes but their veggie burgers are not the best in town as claimed. Also, a nice view and an ample breakfast.

Moon Hill

月亮山

Another popular scenic spot south of town. The main attraction is a hill with a huge hole in the shape of a moon. The hills here can be climbed for spectacular vistas from the top. There is a ¥15 entry fee. (There is also another dirt trail to the right of the entrance; follow it left, hop over the barbed wire and follow the stone steps up to reach the main path for free.) It is not an incredibly long trek to the top but the gradient and strange angle of the steps can do something strange to your legs on the way down. The Moon Hill Cafe at the base of the hill sells fairly mediocre food at ridiculously high prices, and you may need something after the trek up and down. Alternatively there are a few other places to choose from in nearby Moon Hill Village, and plenty of hawkers selling cool drinks. If it is a slow day, don't be surprised if a hawker follows you up the mountain to make a sale when you are thirsty. The hawkers are mostly harmless old farm women, but they are aggressive. ¥5 is a fair price for two bottles of cold water. They will try to sell it for triple that price. On the road back to Yangshuo, not far from Moon Hill, is the 'Big Banyan Tree' scenic area. A ¥20 entry fee gets you into this popular park by the Yulong river, featuring a 1,400-year-old banyan tree. Be sure to use the official entrance (ticket offices at the front), as hawkers will attempt to lure you into an alternative entrance that is lined with dozens of souvenir stalls.

Temporarily closed as of May 2025

Bike riding

Wandering through the countryside on a bike and getting lost is one of the best things about Yangshuo. The villages often have dramatic mountain backdrops, and the people are generally friendly. Another popular trip is to take a boat ride with a bike, then bicycle back to town. Bike hire starts at around ¥15-20 per day, and tandems are a bit more. The bikes tend to be poorly maintained, so be sure to check brakes and gears before you set out. For travelers craving reliability, Bike Asia (22 Guihua Rd, across from Bar 98 and next to Kelly's Cafe) has well-maintained specialized mountain bikes for ¥70 a day, including a map, lock, helmet and advice on routes. Bike Asia also has good bike maps of the area, and can advise on where to cycle and help out with a reliable guide. Find a farmer woman for ¥100 per day to give you a guided tour of the local paths. This may include lunch at her place if you're lucky.

From ¥10 per day

Cafe China

Great coffee, great cheesecake, packed most nights, wireless internet, and good chocolate milkshake (though small).

Brandy: ¥7

Cafe del Moon

Breakfast here is excellent value if you are hungry or want a lot of coffee. Ghastly croissants but the rest is good.

all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet: ¥32

Lucy's Place

Serves a variety of Western and Chinese dishes, including excellent fries and great coffee. Their apple crumble (¥20) is a must-try. The owner and manager (Lucy) is a terrific resource for things to do and places to go in Yangshuo.

Minority Cafe

Friendly staff and tasty food with decent size portions. The burrito and the chocolate and banana pancake are particularly good. Wireless internet and two computers available for customers. Regular expat hangout.

Western food around ¥25, Gin and tonic ¥10, Beer ¥6

Mono Roof-top Bar

Bar is on the fourth floor, with a small rooftop drinking area, great for getting away from the heat and crowds at street level. Fantastic views of the mountains that are lit up at night time. Ground floor is being renovated as an art gallery to display the owner's paintings. Free internet cafe for customers, 10 computers available. Bar has a fussball table, and roof-top area has a pool table. The owner and staff are very friendly, and speak good English.

Open 20:00, Close late·Large local beer ¥10, Spirits ¥15-30

Nature's Cup

English speaking, Excellent breakfast with bottomless coffee at a good price. Great coffee! The pear and ginger juice and 'adult shake' with Malibu rum are to die for. Best fresh drinks in Yangshuo.

The Brew Yangshuo

formerly The Alley - Yangshuo Beer Bar & Restaurant

Located right in the centre of Yangshuo's nightlife area in a pedestrian zone and is a great place for a few drinks and good western food (pizza and steaks are excellent), very nice music selection. This bar offers a great variety of imported beers (Duvel, Leffe, Stella and Erdinger), and plenty of cocktails as well as harder stuff (absinthe, single malts etc.) They have a foosball table and every Wednesday foosball competition. Great coffee, European football live, nice outside sitting area, good service, very good English.

17:00-late·¥10 for a local beer

Used Bookstore

There is a used bookstore and reading room (with a large selection in English and some books in several other European languages) at Cafe Too. Prices are higher than at used bookstores in Western countries, but cheaper than new books. You can buy coffee, or a meal, and read them free. WiFi here is free and Philip, the owner, is a great source of local news and information. It is great for people living in China and missing Western books.

Cafe Too

Has English books to read, buy or trade.

Soul Cafe

A great coffee house.

Twin Peaks Cafe

Standard Western fare. Slow service.