Short answer
Stay in Guilin for transport, arrival night, and city food. Stay in Yangshuo for the landscape, cycling, and a slower pace. Most trips need both, with more nights in Yangshuo.
What Guilin is good for
Guilin is the transport hub: the airport, the high-speed rail stations, and the cruise pier are all here. The city has the best food diversity, the Two Rivers and Four Lakes at night, and convenient hotels for an arrival or departure night.
It is not the landscape base. The karst around the city is less dramatic than Yangshuo's, and the city is busy and car-heavy. One night is usually enough unless you want museums and markets.
What Yangshuo is good for
Yangshuo sits in the middle of the karst. You can cycle to the Yulong River, climb, raft, and eat well. West Street is touristy, but the surrounding lanes and villages are not.
It is the better base for two or three nights. The trade-off is that it is busier than Xingping and the transport connections are slower. The Yangshuo area guide covers neighbourhoods.
How to split it
A common pattern is one night in Guilin on arrival, two or three in Yangshuo, and one back in Guilin before an early flight or train. If you are visiting Longji, add a night in the terraces or return to Guilin.
The where to stay question compares the areas, and the 3-day route shows the split in practice.
Related questions
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