It was a fun evening learning about Huangshan Mountain and the beautiful villages surrounding it. I’ve  hiked Huangshan Mountain once before, and it is one of my favorite hiking trips I’ve done in China.

Huangshan International Citizen

It was also such an honor to be selected as a Huangshan International Citizen! A few special attendees will be Huangshan International Citizens for a year, and we can visit this mountain without paying the entrance fee for a year!

I then spoke on behalf of Lets Locals to say thank you for the invitation to attend the event, and also shared about my own personal experience hiking Huangshan.  Thank you to the Mayor of Huangshan City for this honor!

We were also able to enjoy the beautiful Shanghai skyline at night from the cruise ship and had a buffet banquet after the ceremony.

Thank You For Inviting Me!

Thank you again to Ctrip and Lets Locals for inviting me to join this event in Shanghai!

To read more about the event, check out this article by Digital Journal: “Fascinating Night of Huangshan” Held in Shanghai, Huangshan City Brand Celebrates Inbound Tourism, Ushers in Promising Future 

I have previously collaborated with Ctrip and LetsLocals on a trip to Zunyi, Guizhou. Check out my post about that trip here! 

After the event I had time to take some other photos by the Bund! Add Shanghai to your travel list if you’ve never been!

I recently visited Huangshan and spent two total days in Huangshan and Hongcun, and 1.5 days traveling to and from Huangshan.

For a full guide on planning a trip to Huangshan, check out my post: A Guide to Hiking Huangshan

Day 1: Traveling to Huangshan

Huangshan City is located in the Anhui province, south of the province capital Hefei. Huangshan City is actually not where the mountain scenic area is located, but you’ll need to arrive here first before going to the mountain.

To get to Huangshan City you can:

• Fly to the Huangshan Tunxi International Airport
• Take a train to Huangshan Railway Station
• Take a high-speed train to Huangshan North Railway Station
• Take a long-distance bus to get to Huangshan (from close cities like Shanghai)

After you arrive in Huangshan City (黄山市), then need to take a bus to the scenic area. Go to the public transportation hub and get a bus ticket to Tangkouzhen, the little city right next to Huangshan Mountain.

Day 2: Hiking Up Huangshan 

MORNING: Shuttle bus to Yungu Cable Way, Xihai Grand Canyon

I started the morning early, arriving at the park ticket office around 6:30am. From here you can choose where to start hiking on Huangshan: the Eastern steps (Temple of Cloud Valley) or the Western steps (Mercy of Light). I bought a shuttle bus ticket for 19 RMB, and rode 30 minutes up the mountain to the Eastern entrance.

From the east side you can either hike up (which takes 2-3 hours) or take the cable car (8 minutes). I wanted more time to hike on the top, so I took the cable car up (80 RMB).

Unfortunately it was really foggy for the first part of the morning when I started hiking from the cable car, so I couldn’t see much. I hiked for an hour around the Shixin Peak up to my hotel (The White Goose Hotel) and waited for the fog to clear a bit.

After the fog cleared up around 9am, I hiked to the Xihai Grand Canyon Area. This area was stunning and an amazing place for photos! There were lots of tour groups coming from this way, but I was able to walk ahead of them for a bit to get some photos.

From the Xihai Grand Canyon area I took the Cable Car (tram) up to  and stopped to grab some food and rest. I also ran into a Chinese family who asked me to hold their baby!

AFTERNOON: Turtle Peak and Lotus Peak

After resting, I hiked to the top of Turtle Peak, then headed over to Lotus Peak.

Lotus Peak was a bit tough but totally worth all the stairs up! I almost waited to hike Lotus Peak because I originally planned to hike down the Western side of the mountain, but I decided to try it in one day then head back down the Eastern side the next day to see what I missed when it was foggy.

EVENING: Hike to the hotel and sunset

I headed back down Lotus Peak, back up Turtle Peak, and then up to the Beihai Hotel to catch sunset around 5:30 p.m. Afterwards I walked back to my hotel to rest early for sunrise the next morning. 12 miles and sore legs, but a full and happy first day hiking!

Day 3: Hiking Down Huangshan & Hongcun Village

MORNING: Sunrise, Hiking Shixin Peak, Cable car down

I woke around 4:30 a.m. to catch the sunrise outside – it was so worth waking up early, and there wasn’t any fog like the previous day, so we had a nice clear view of the sun!

After sunrise I went back to sleep a little longer, than began my hike down. I decided to go down the Eastern Side because I wanted to see what I missed when it was foggy. Shixin Peak was especially nice!

I would have loved to get a photo here, but there were so many tour groups going through there was no way it was going to happen.

I went down the mountain at an unusual time and an unusual route, so I got a cable car to myself which was nice. This route worked for me, because I did more hiking the first day than I planned and I didn’t want to go back up Lotus Hill to go down the mountain (that was a hard hike!)

AFTERNOON: Hongcun Ancient Village

Once I reached the bottom of the mountain, I took a shuttle bus back to Tangkouzhen and made plans to go to Hongcun. Usually to get to Hongcun you take a bus from the bus station, but the buses only leave a few times a day so I would have to wait awhile. Fortunately my first hotel host Mr. Hu told me he knew of a private van going. Normally a bus ticket costs 15 RMB, but I paid 26 RMB to ride in the van – a cheap upgrade to leave earlier in the day and get more time at Hongcun!

Hongcun was a lovely place to stroll around, try local Anhui snacks, and enjoy the ancient village. There were lots of tour groups that came through in the afternoon, but if you avoided them and explored the little alleyways it was much quieter. For a break I stopped inside a cute little coffee shop, and they were nice enough to let me leave my big bag inside their shop while I went outside to take more photos.

EVENING: Hongcun Railway OR Tunxi Old Street

Depending on your time schedule, you may want to leave Huangshan and go back to the airport or railway station from Hongcun, or if you have extra time you can go back to Huangshan City and spend the night near Tunxi Old Street.

(Day 4 Optional: Leave Huangshan)

MORNING: Airport or Railway Station

I had an early train the next morning, so I left Tunxi Old Street at 7:15 for a 30 minute ride to Huangshan North Railway Station.

Hiking the Yellow Mountains

If you’re looking for adventure and some breathtaking scenery, Huangshan is the place to be! There are plenty of stunning photo opportunities and despite the tour groups, there  are even places to avoid the crowds and get some space to yourself for a bit. If you have two or three free days while traveling in China, I highly recommend a trip to Huangshan.

For a full guide on planning a trip to Huangshan, check out my post: A Guide to Hiking Huangshan

*Note! My schedule was very tight is and is not for those wanting a leisurely holiday. I packed it full to make sure I had time to see everything and also hiked hard my first day. If you want more time on the mountain, feel free to skip Hongcun. If you don’t want to rush your hiking but still want to see Hongcun, skip some parts I did (like Lotus Peak or The Grand Canyon). It really depends on your timing and what you enjoy doing!

Check out some of my itineraries for other destinations in China:

• The Ultimate 7-Day Beijing Itinerary
• 6-Day Zhangjiajie and Fenghuang Itinerary
• A Guide To Hiking Jinshanling Great Wall

See you in the mountains!

Huangshan is well-worth seeing, but a trip here definitely takes some planning in advance. I just recently visited China’s famous Yellow Mountains and put together a guide for visiting Huangshan, including how to get there and which sites on the mountain you can’t miss!

An Overview to Huangshan:

• How To Get To Huangshan
• Where To Stay In Huangshan
• Planning a Trip to Huangshan
• Packing for Huangshan
• Which Route To Hike on Huangshan
• Scenic Areas on Huangshan
• Tips for Huangshan
• Other Places to Visit Nearby Huangshan

How To Get To Huangshan City

Huangshan City is located in the Anhui province, south of the province capital Hefei. Huangshan City is actually not where the mountain scenic area is located, but you’ll more than likely need to arrive here first before going to the mountain.

To get to Huangshan City you can:

• Fly to the Huangshan Tunxi International Airport
• Take a train to Huangshan Railway Station
• Take a high-speed train to Huangshan North Railway Station
• Take a long-distance bus to get to Huangshan (from close cities like Shanghai)

How To Get To Huangshan Scenic Area (Tangkouzhen)

The Huangshan scenic area where Huangshan Mountain is located is actually 40 minutes north of Huangshan City.

After you arrive in Huangshan City (黄山市), then need to take a bus to the scenic area. Go to the public transportation hub and get a bus ticket to Tangkouzhen, the little city right next to Huangshan Mountain.

The last bus leaves Huangshan City around 6pm, but you should check the latest time schedules. If you’re taking a bus from Shanghai, there are direct buses that go straight to the scenic area.

My route from Beijing:

• 9:45am – 3:15pm: High speed train to Huangshan North Railway Station
• 3:30pm – 4:25pm: Bus from Huangshan North to Huangshan Scenic Area (Tangkou zhen)
• Check into hotel in Tangkouzhen

Where To Stay In Huangshan

There are three different locations to stay at when you’re in or near Huangshan, each with price options that range from cheaper hostels to nicer 4 star hotels.

1. Huangshan City (Tunxi): Close to the railway stations and airport – convenient if you’re arriving late at night into Huangshan City
2. Tangkouzhen: Right next to the mountain area – best if you want an early start to one day on the mountain
3. Huangshan Mountain: Inside the park on the mountain – best if you want to see sunrise and sunset

I stayed in Huangshan for 3 nights at a different place every night. I’m a budget traveler and stayed at these places:

• 1st night: Mr. Hu’s Hotel (Tangkouzhen  – private room 90 RMB)
• 2nd night: White Goose Hotel (on the mountain – hostel bed 160 RMB)
• 3rd night: Old Street Hostel (Tunxi, close to the railway station – hostel bed 35 RMB)

This is the small city of Tangkouzhen where I stayed my first night in Huangshan. It’s a good base to start your time in Huangshan before you hike the mountain.

Packing for Huangshan

The weather in Huangshan can change quickly, and you can experience cold, heat, and rain all in one day no matter what season it is. It’s good to bring lots of layers and versatile clothing to be prepared! Usually late spring and fall are the best times to visit Huangshan, but the park is open year round.

There are shops, restaurants, and hotels on top of the mountain to buy food and water, however it will be more expensive to buy them on the mountain. Normally water is 2 RMB, and on the mountain I paid up to 10 – 15 RMB for a bottle. I found it worth paying the higher cost to save space and energy because I was packing very light, but you may want to stock up beforehand if you don’t want to pay extra.

Some important things to pack when hiking Huangshan:

• Water
• Hiking stick – especially in winter
• Snacks
• Clothing for all weather (dress in layers!)
• Umbrella
• Sunscreen/hat/sunglasses
• Huangshan Mountain Map (I used Baidu Maps to navigate on the mountain too)

Huangshan Park Hours and Entrance Fees

Huangshan is open year round, but the park hours and admission fees will be different depending on which season you go during. It is best to avoid weekends and holidays because Huangshan will be especially crowded then.

Huangshan Park Hours:

Park Admission and Cable Car Fees:

Planning Your Route on Huangshan

There are multiple routes to hike inside the area! Ultimately which route you take depends on how many days you’ll stay at Huangshan and if you’re planning to spend the night on the mountain.

To start your trek onto Huangshan Mountain, you’ll go to the Park Transportation office in Tangkouzhen and take a shuttle bus up to the park (19 RMB). You can choose to start from the Western steps (Front Mountain) or the Eastern steps (Back Mountain). The Eastern side is the more popular option to start from, and many people will opt to take the cable car up.

1 Day Hike:

For a one day hike, it’s recommend to hike or take the cable car up the eastern side, walk around to the Begin-to-Believe (Shixin) Peak, go past Baiyun Hotel, hike up Lotus Peak, then walk down the west side.

2 Day Hike:

If you have two days, you can still start from the Eastern side, but walk towards the West Sea Grand Canyon. After completing that part, take the Paiyun Cable car up to the Tian Hai station, and stay near the Baiyun Hotel. For day two, you can hike up to Lotus Peak and finish your hike down the west side.

My Route:

It really depends on how much time you have, what you want to see, and how fast you can hike. I did a long hike my first day and packed a a lot into one day, combining the Eastern side, Grand Canyon, and Lotus Peak into one hike. It was a long and tiring day and more than 12 miles, but worth it to me because I wanted to leave the mountain early and have a shorter hike the next day.

Scenic Areas You Should See on Huangshan

There are many scenic areas and peaks to hike on Huangshan. These are some of my favorite places I hiked around.

Xihai Grand Canyon

This was one of the best areas for photos! Start from the back by the Taiping Cableway and make your way towards the Track Rail Cableway (if you do it backwards you’ll be going only uphill and be in a lot of pain).

Turtle Mountain (Aoyu)

This might be my favorite place in Huangshan – it was easy to find a place by myself and take photos without many people around!

As I was leaving my hotel in the morning a man stopped me and said, “Excuse me I think I have a photo of you. I was confused why he had taken my photo at first (but this is China afterall) then he airdropped me a photo he took when I was on Turtle Peak. It turned out to be an awesome pic I never could have gotten on my own!

Lotus Peak

Lotus Peak is a real leg work out, but totally worth it for the view at the top!

Beginning to Believe (Shixin Peak)

The first time I walked up Shixin Peak it was incredibly foggy and I couldn’t see anything! But on my way back down I came back here and really loved the views.

Tips for Hiking Huangshan

• Huangshan is huge! There are lots of different routes to hike, depending on how much time you have. Plan your route carefully so you don’t waste time or exhaust yourself.
• Cable cars save time! There is plenty of hiking to do on the mountain itself with incredible views, so I recommend taking a cable car up part way then saving your energy for hiking at the top.
• Stay on the mountain for a night. It’s more expensive than staying in the town below but worth it for the sunset and sunrise.
• Pack light! My first night I stayed in Tangkou and my hotel let me keep my big bag there so I could hike with a lighter bag. Or you can drop your things at your hotel first, but it is still a hike up to most of the hotels.
• Your photo might be taken. When you hike to popular tourist locations in China, people might ask for your photos. Some Chinese people are traveling from smaller cities and may not have encountered many foreigners before. Most will be nice in asking for your photo. When I sat down for a rest one person asked for a photo, which started a line of other people in their tour group asking me for a photo, too.

I was even asked to hold a baby for a photo (this happens in China sometimes!)

Other Locations Near Huangshan Mountain

If you have extra time in Huangshan, there are other scenic locations to visit nearby.

Hongcun Village

An ancient village more than 900 years old, Hongcun became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000. It’s a popular place to walk around and take photos. (Fun fact: scenes from the movie Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon were filmed here!)

Tunxi Old Town

In Huangshan City there’s a famous area called Tunxi Old Town. It mostly is a walking pedestrian street where you can find markets, shops, and scenic places to take photos.

Hiking the Yellow Mountains in China

Hiking Huangshan was always on my China Bucket List and I’m so excited I finally had the chance to go. Although I was sore for days afterwards and my legs wanted to fall off, I highly recommend visiting the Yellow Mountains and seeing Huangshan for yourself!

As I was leaving the mountain I met a few Chinese ladies who were making videos of themselves hiking some tall stairs. They were shouting: “黄山我爱你, 但是我怕你” (Huangshan wo ai ni, danshi wo pa ni) which translates to “Huangshan I love you, but I am afraid of you!” It was so funny and a great description for Huangshan and it’s many stairs.

If you’re looking for other places to hike in China, check these out:

• A Guide To Hiking The Avatar Mountains in Zhangjiajie
• 5 Things You Should Do In Yangshuo
• 7 Incredible Views on Tianmen Mountain
• Hiking The Badaling Section of The Great Wall of China

Have you visited Huangshan before? Where should I hike next?