By plane
Yangshuo has no airport. The nearest airport is Guilin Liangjiang International Airport airport code KWL in Guilin serviced by many Asian carriers, with several daily flights from Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen. It is generally cheaper to fly to Guilin from Shenzhen than from Hong Kong, just across the border as flights from Shenzhen are considered a domestic flight, whereas from Hong Kong is international. There is also a daily flight from Kuala Lumpur by Air Asia.
An easy but comparatively costly way to get to Yangshuo is by taxi. It is far better to have your pick-up arranged by your hotel as local drivers in Guilin will overcharge you and drivers generally do not know anything else in Yangshuo than the bus station where they will drop you off and you need to arrange transportation from there onwards. Expect to pay between ¥260-400 depending on the vehicle, and depending on whether you take the G65 Baomao highway additional ¥30 for toll fees (but saves about half an hour. Be advised that taking the highway is much faster, less bumpy and better for your blood pressure as you will not have to watch as your driver plays chicken with oncoming traffic while passing all the transport trucks moving at 40km/h on the regular road.
To get to Yangshuo by bus, first take the airport bus ¥20, which makes three stops. Other airport shuttles cost 20 yuan and operate without a fixed schedule. A shuttle bus 20 yuan leaves for the airport every 30 minutes from the CAAC Civil Aviation Administration of China building on Shanghai Road, Xiangshan District. Be aware that like most bus services in China, the bus will not leave the airport until full, so you may be faced with a wait. Get off at the second stop near the train station for buses to Yangshuo. You can also get off at the last stop in Guilin and then take a bus or boat to Yangshuo.
By bus
From Guilin, there are frequent minibuses and express buses to Yangshuo. All buses terminate at the bus terminal in Yangshuo. Minibuses depart from the square in front of the Guilin railway station 80-90 minutes, ¥18, buy tickets on the bus once it is underway. Invariably touts will try to sell you a more expensive ticket before the bus departs, even coming onto the bus. The best approach is simply to ignore them. Express buses (¥15, buy tickets from counter inside terminal depart every half hour from the Guilin bus terminal off Zhongshan Zhong Lu and take about one and a half hour.
In Yangshuo, wait for minibuses at the exit of the bus terminal at Die Cui Lu. The first bus to depart will be at the head of the queue. Express buses depart half hourly starting at 7AM from their allotted bay inside the terminal. Buy tickets from the glass counter.
On the bus from Guilin, unscrupulous hawkers frequently stop the bus before the center of town near the service station urging you to get off while claiming this is Yangshuo and the bus will continue to another place. The bus conductor will often be complicit in the scam and even tell you that you've arrived at the bus station. The tout's goal is to get you to pay them to take you to the centre of town and to their hotel. Note: Buses from Guangdong really don't go to the bus station; they just let you off in town, a ten-minute walk from the main tourist area following the signs to West Street.
From Guangdong, overnight sleeper buses run direct to Yangshuo from Shenzhen near Hong Kong, from Zhuhai near Macau, and from Guangzhou. These cost around ¥100-250 depending on which station in Shenzhen you want to depart from and how new of a bus you want to travel on. Some sleeping buses from Shenzhen are quite uncomfortable. The buses from the border in Shenzhen are the most expensive.
From Nanning, there are 3 buses per day. The journey costs ¥120 and buses leave at 8AM, 10AM and 12:30PM. Tickets can be bought inside the bus terminal.
By ship
There are also boats that travel down the Li River from Guilin, slower and more expensive ¥400+ than buses, but a very scenic journey (http://lifeislikethat.com...). You may be able to travel for about ¥100 by joining a tour group. You will pass by what is considered some of China's most famous scenic views, including a mountain view that can be seen on all ¥20 bills. Do check with your travel agent or hotel which boat you will be on as standards can vary a lot. Ask for a picture to be sure it is what you had in mind. Do not go with the CITS travel agents that approach you just when you get off the train and will either overcharge or sell you devalued trips in their office inside the train station.
In the winter time, which is the dry season, the boats often only travel starting halfway down the Li River from Guilin. A tour company should inform you of this. It is still worth taking the journey. You will then travel part of the way by bus or private taxi, then join the boat where the water is deep enough this may vary.
In case you do not come on a Li-0river cruise, numerous boat trips on motorized rafts can be booked anywhere in Yangshuo. It is also very nice to hike the most scenic part between Yangdi and Xing Ping.