September 27,2022 Post by :Ruoshui Chen
What is the Best Way to Get to Huangshan, Flight, Train, or Bus, How to Get to HuangshanHow to Plan a Huangshan Tour (Best Itineraries and Travel Tips)
Huangshan (the Yellow Mountains) is one of the most popular tourist destinations in China, but often people ask about when to go and where to stay. We at China Highlights have written this article to help you plan a Huangshan tour that you'll enjoy.
When to Go
Choose a season for the weather and scenery you want.
General speaking, Huangshan is worth visiting all year round.
In spring and summer the natural scenery is very green, and you can see more different views with the changeable weather. You can appreciate seas of cloud on the Yellow Mountains and appreciate yellow rape flowers along the road. You can see red flowers cover the mountains in May.
The Yellow Mountains in winter The Yellow Mountains in winter
Cool autumn is a good season to climb mountains, with less rain, and the red leaves on the Yellow Mountains are beautiful.
In winter, though the Yellow Mountains is cold, but is still worth travelling. You can also see the snow-capped mountains and rime trees if you're lucky enough to meet the snowy weather. Both the scenic area and hotels are on discount, and you can enjoy a virtually crowd-free trip in winter.
Recommended Articles
Beware high season crowds.
The most popular period is from April to October.
July and August is summer holiday for Chinese students and Huangshan can be very crowded. The crowds are worst in the National Day holiday (October 1–7).
Attractions You Should Consider Visiting
The Yellow Mountains
The Yellow Mountains are the main attraction of Huangshan. "The most beautiful mountains in China" are a must see. Spend one day for a flavor, two days to take in the sunset/sunrise and get a good overall experience, three days to see all the main areas.
Ancient Villages/Streets of Huangshan
Hongcun Village Hongcun Village
You are suggested to spend one day discovering two or three of the ancient villages/districts of Huangshan. The following are the recommendations with both historic and natural beauty.
Tunxi Ancient Street is the best-preserved ancient street in Huangshan City, with architectural styles of the Song (960–1279), Ming (1368–1644) and Qing (1644–1911) dynasties. It's famous for ink production. If you are interested in Chinese brush calligraphy, you should see the historic factory where ink tablets, calligraphy sets, and seals are produced. You can also buy famous tea there and taste the best local food. Ideal for late afternoon/evening.
Hong Village you may have already seen, as it's the setting for Ang Lee's movie "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon". Hongcun is a beautiful ancient village frequented by painters capturing the blend of pools, willows, and ancient architecture on canvass. It's at the foot of the Yellow Mountains.
Xidi Village Xidi Village
Xidi Village has many high walls and alleys, which will make you feel like you're in a maze. The layout, decoration, and cultural backdrop make it a classic Anhui ancient village. There's an 8-km (5-mi) Hongcun–Xidi scenic walk.
The Tangyue Memorial Arches are the largest collection of these tall Chinese-style stone gateway and roof structures in the world. The arches are made of stone alone, without any fixings. Half an hour from Huangshan city, but 1½ hours from Hongcun.
Tachuan Village is a fall favorite. It is said to have the best autumnal scenery in China. It's only 2 km (1 mile) from Hongcun.
Popular Attractions near Huangshan for a day trip
Wuyuan Village Wuyuan Village
Wuyuan Village is a well-preserved village of Anhui architecture. It's well known for its yellow seas of rape flowers, best seen during March and April. It's about 1½ hours' drive (90 km / 56 mi) southwest of Huangshan.
Jingdezhen is the capital of porcelain. You can have a look at how the porcelains are made and also experience making porcelains by yourself. It's about 2½ hours by bus or 3 hours by train southwest of Huangshan.
Recommended Tours:
Classic Huangshan Tours
Now you've seen what's on offer, see how people usually combine them in a tour.
4-Day Classic Huangshan Tour
The Yellow Mountains: 3 days
Villages at the mountain foot: 1 day
You are suggested to stay one night on the mountains to see the sunrise. Spend two nights on the mountain (or add one full day) to discover the wonders of the West Sea Great Canyon trail (recommended). Make sure you arrive at the scenic area before 4pm to catch the cable car and check in to a mountaintop hotel.
5/6-Day Huangshan and Nearby Attractions Tour
The Yellow Mountains The Yellow Mountains
The Yellow Mountains: 3 days
Villages at the mountain foot: 1 day
Jingdezhen: 1day
Wuyuan: 1 day
If you would like to see exquisite porcelain or even experience making porcelain, Jingdezhen should be on your list. And if you are travelling during March and April, Wuyuan is also worth visiting for the amazing yellow fields of oilseed rape.
How to Plan Mount Huangshan Tour, Yellow Mountain Travel Tips
How to Design the Itinerary
The Yellow Mountain is consists of more than 50 peaks. The itineraries vary according to your dates, budget, interest, etc.
Two Days’ Classic Itinerary
Two day’s trip allows you to visit Yellow Mountain at a leisure pace, and give you opportunities to enjoy as many as sights you can as well as the magnificent sunrise and sunset.
D1: Transfer from Huangshan city to Tangkou, then take park bus to Yungu Temple to ride the cable car to the top region of Yellow Mountain. Visit the Begin-to-Believe Peak firstly, then check in your hotel on the mountain. Then go to spend about 2~3 hours to hike the West Sea Grand Canyon, and about 1.5 hours to tour the Flying-over Rock and Bright Summit.
D2: Watch sunrise around 6 AM. After breakfast, go to climb the Lion Peak and see sites like Dawn Pavilion and Stone Monkey Looking over the Sea. Lastly, take the Yungu Cableway down the mountain and transfer to visit Hongcun Village or directly return to Huangshan City.
> 3 Days Huangshan Highlights Tour
Itineraries for Hiking Lovers
For hiking lovers, it is necessary to spend at least two days on the mountain to explore both the Front Mountain (Greeting Guests Pine, Lotus Peak, One-Line Sky…) and the Back Mountain (Begin-to-Believe Peak, Lion Peak).
D1: Route: Greeting Guest Pine - Bright Summit - West Sea Grand Canyon / Length: about 10 km/7 hrs.
Drive about 80 kilometers (1.5 hours), and take park bus to Mercy Light Pavilion to ride a cableway to upper Jade Screen Scenic Area. Visit the symbol of Mount Huangshan - Greeting Guests Pine firstly, then follow the uprising stone steps to the highest peak on the Mount Huang - Lotus Peak(1864 m). Walk down the One Hundred Cloud Ladder, then climb the steeping path of One-Line-Sky to get to Turtle Fish Peak, Bright Summit and Flying-over Rock. In the afternoon, go to explore the dreamland – West Sea Grand Canyon. Generally speaking, it takes about 3 hours for energetic hiker to hike from the Dispelling Cloud Pavilion, via 1st Ring and 2nd Ring to the bottom and return to the starting point. For beginners, children, and senior travelers, you can decide the hiking length on your own according to your physical condition, usually 2 hours for the 1st Ring and 2.5hrs for the 2nd Ring.
D2: Route: Sunrise - Lion Peak - Beginning-to-Believe Peak; Length: about 9 km/4 hrs.
Get up early watch sunrise. After breakfast, continue on your hiking to see the famous Dawn Pavilion, Stone Monkey Watching the Sea on the Lion Peak (1690 m). Then walk to another legendary peak - Beginning-to-Believe Peak. Lastly, you will descend the mountain from the White Goose Ridge to Yungu Temple, which is an easy walking of about two and a half hours along wide but a bit precipitous stone steps. You can also take the Yungu Cableway down the mountain.
> 3 Days Huangshan Brief Hiking Tour
Yellow Mountain Day Tour is possible
To visit Huangshan and return in a single day, you have to start very early at around 7 AM (you can accommodate at Tangkou, the nearest town from Yellow Mountain). Take park bus from Tangkou to Yungu Temple to take cableway up. Visit Begin-to-Believe Peak and Lion Peak then walk to the Dispelling Cloud Pavilion to enter the West Sea Grand Canyon. After reaching the bottom of the canyon, take a cable car up to Baiyun Hotel for lunch. Keep walking from Baiyun Hotel to visit Turtle Fish Peak, One-Line Sky, One-Hundred-Steps Gladder. Then you will get to the symbol of Yellow Mountain – Greeting Guests Pine. Lastly, take cableway down the mountain before 4 PM to catch the park bus to Tangkou. Transfer from Tangkou to Huangshan City for accommodation.
> 3 Days Yellow Mountain Essential Tour
What is the Best Way to Get to Huangshan, Flight, Train, or Bus, How to Get to Huangshan
Compared by Cities
The nearest big cities to Huangshan is Shanghai, Hangzhou and Nanjing. It is suggested to travel from those places as the transport is much more convenient with flight, trains or bus.
►From Shanghai
Tourists can travel from Shanghai to Huangshan by flight, train or bus. The highly recommended way is by flights. There is one flight from Shanghai to Huangshan every day. It departs from Shanghai Hongqiao Airport and takes about 1 hour.
There are two trains from Shnaghai to Huangshan every day (K782 and K 8418). And they takes about 12 hours for one way journey. They departs from Shanghai Railway Station.
Besides, as what we mentioned in the above, there is a high speed train every day from Shanghai to Huangshan. The train No is G1509 (0827/1313).
The long-distance bus terminals in Shanghai have coaches leaving for Huangshan every day.day.
►From Hanghzou
There is no flight from Huangshan. The only way is to take long-distance coach or car rental from travel agency. It cost about 3 hours for one-way trip from Hangzhou to Huangshan, much nearer than from Shanghai.
Besides, the high speed train from Shanghai to Huangshan will have 2 minutes stop at Hangzhou East Railway Station (杭州火车东站). Therefore, tourists can also take high speed train to Huangshan, which will need about 3 hours on the train.
►From Nangjing
Tourists can travel from Nanjing to Huangshan by train, bus or car rental. There are about 7 trains every day between Nanjing and Huangshan cities. It takes 6 to 7 hours for one way trip by train.
There are a couple of buses leaving for Huangshan every day from Nanjing Bus Terminal. They depart from early morning to late afternoon. It takes about 5 hours.
The foot of the mountains is linked by rail and by air to Shanghai, and is also accessible from cities such as Hangzhou and Wuhu
The main entrance to Mt. Huangshan Scenic Area is the southern one near Tangkou Town. However it is some distance from here to the paths on the mountain. You cannot enter by taxi: only the tourist shuttle buses are allowed into the scenic area. Buses depart about every 20 minutes, cost RMB 19 and take around 20 minutes. You can walk in, but it is better to save your energy for climbing the mountain. Shuttle buses go from Tangkou to either Mercy Light Temple for the Yuping Cable Car (aka Jade Screen Cable Car) or to Yungu Cable Car (aka Cloud Valley Cable Car). From the lower cable car stations you can either walk to the top or take the cable car. Cable car tickets can generally be purchased 6:30 am to 4:30 pm but hours may be extended occasionally, especially in tourist peak season. There is also an entrance and cable car in the north at Taiping from Songgu Nunnery near the bottom of the valley up to Purple Cloud Peak. It is recommended to stay one night on the mountain, in a hotel or camp. Sunrise in the top of the mountain is quite beautiful.
