To spend time in the village, you must book at least a night at a traditional Yao home (see lodging tab for more info). Due to the transit time to the village, I recommend 3-4 nights as a minimum.
There is no grocery store, so bring your own snacks. The neighbor, Ayi, will cook all meals for you, at your request. The easiest way to get to the village is by coordinating a transfer from the Guilin Airport, train station or hotel. If anyone in your family tends toward car sickness, take Dramamine before the ride as you will be ascending curvy mountain roads.
Hiking the terraces, then eating lunch, takes about a half day. Time is a little “loose” in the village, but you can schedule activities like hiking on the terraces with Ayi, who is the house manager, any day you are there.
The weather was gorgeous and mild in December. Summer months would be quite hot and humid, and mosquitos would be an issue.
Meals are served family-style, so discuss ahead of time how many servings will be needed. For instance, in our family, we paid for 5 servings each meal instead of 7.