3 Days Huangshan Classic Hiking Tour
Best Highlights of Both Front and Back Scenic Areas of Yellow Mountain
Best Highlights of Both Front and Back Scenic Areas of Yellow Mountain
Why should you hike the Front Mountain + Back Mountain together?
Unlike some other mountains in the world, Huangshan is a mountain which consists of over 36 peaks of different sizes and heights. Basically they are divided into Front Mountain and Back Mountain. The Front Mountain features dominating peaks, beautiful stone paths and far reaching views. The Back Mountain is famous for idyllic smaller peaks and shapely pine trees.
This tour will take you to explore the best highlights of both Front Mountain and Back Mountain in 2 full days. The hiking pace is neither too tight nor too relaxing. Park bus and cable cars will save you from unnecessary walking, and directly bring you to the sightseeing areas with stunning landscapes and enjoyable hiking experience.
Day 1 Huangshan Arrival
Airport or railway station pick up and check in hotel
Welcome to Huangshan! Upon arrival, be greeted by our local tour guide who is holding a sign with your name in the Arrival Hall of Huangshan Tunxi Airport or Huangshan North Railway Station. Then a comfortable vehicle (non-smoking) with an experienced driver will transfer you directly to your hotel in Huangshan downtown. Your guide will help you check in. The rest of the day is on your own to discover this beautiful city.
How to get to Huangshan
Currently, there are non-stop flights to Huangshan from Beijing, Guangzhou, Xian and Chengdu, etc., usually 2 daily flights from each city. You can also take high speed trains from Shanghai (2.5~3.5hrs), Hangzhou (1.5~2hrs), Beijing (5.5~7hrs), and Guangzhou (7hrs), etc.,.
Free time ideas
Go for a relaxing stroll on the 900-year-old Tunxi Ancient Street to appreciate authentic old Huizhou-style architectures. Or take an interesting visit to Hu Kaiwen Ink-stick Factory to find out how ancient Chinese people produce ink sticks (major item used to write and paint in ancient time).
Tunxi Ancient Street
Day 2 Mt. Huangshan Hiking (B)
Route: Greeting Guest Pine - Lotus Peak - One-Line-Sky - Bright Summit - Flying-over Rock
Walking Distance: about 11km/6 hrs
Today after breakfast, our guide and driver will pick you up at your hotel, then drive about 80 kilometers (1.5 hours) to the foot of Mount Huangshan (Yellow Mountain), the UNESCO World Heritage Sites and one of the most beautiful mountains in China. Your memorable Huangshan hiking starts!
To save more time and energy to explore the highlighting mountain top area, you will directly transfer by park bus from the mountain foot to Mercy Light Pavilion to take a cableway to upper Jade Screen Scenic Area (Yuping Scenic Area), also known as the Front Mountain. After a few minutes’ ascending walking from the upper cableway station, you will reach the symbol of Mount Huangshan - Greeting-guests Pine where you can spend some time taking pictures with this most famous pine trees in China, and enjoying the beautiful view of the grandiose Celestial Capital Peak (1810m). The big stone by the side of the Pine is the best sightseeing location. From the Greeting Pine, walk about 20mins on the up-and-down stone steps to the fork where you can take the right uphill road to hike 1 hour to the top of the Lotus Peak(1864m), the highest peak on the Mount Huang, and 1 another hour to descend the peak to the Lotus Pavilion. You can also miss out the Lotus Peak, and go the left road to get to the Lotus Pavilion to save energy. Leave the Lotus Pavilion and walk down along the One Hundred Cloud Ladder to a lower valley, then climb up the steeping path of One-Line-Sky to get to Turtle Fish Peak. From the peak, an even path leads you to the middle way of today - Baiyun Hotel.
After a short rest, keep on hiking about 500 meters to the Bright Top (1860m), the second highest peak on the mountain as well as the central location of the mountain. Walk around for sightseeing and photography for a while. Then you will walk about 20mins down to the Peaks Top where you can look down upon the deep West Sea Grand Canyon, and walk 20 more minutes to get to the famous Flying-over Rock. It's very interesting to see how a 12 meters high giant rock standing still on a flat but small stage of stone for millions of years. Lastly, keep walking about 40mins to check in your hotel on the mountain.
(Please Note: from December to the middle March of next year, the Lotus Peak and West Sea Grand Canyon are usually closed for the heavy snow. Please feel free to contact us to adjust your itinerary)
Day 3 Mt. Huangshan Departure (B)
Route: West Sea Grand Canyon - Lion Peak - Begin-to-Believe Peak - Yungu Cableway
Walking Distance: about 7km/5 hrs
Get up early (usually around 5am to 6am) to enjoy the magnificent sunrise from Huangshan. In good-weather days, you can see clearly the golden light of the sun piercing the mists, and rocky peaks rising above the frothy, ever-changing sea of white clouds. After the sunrise, get back to your hotel for breakfast.
Today, you will go to explore the Dream Land - West Sea Grand Canyon. Walk for a short while to start your hiking from the Dispelling Cloud Pavilion. Generally speaking, it takes about 3 hours for an energetic hiker to hike down from the Dispelling Cloud Pavilion, via 1st Ring and 2nd Ring, and return to the Dispelling Cloud Pavilion. 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 + return and 2.5hrs for the 1st Ring + 2nd Ring + Return. In the bottom of the canyon, there is also a monorail cable trains running to Baiyun Hotel area. It is not recommended for you as you have to walk about 2 hours to get to your hotel.
Continue on your wonderful hiking on the Yellow Mountain to see the famous Dawn Pavilion, Stone Monkey Watching the Sea on the Lion Peak (1690m). Then walk to another legendary peak - Beginning-to-Believe Peak (how the name come - an ancient traveler began to believe that Mount Huangshan was the most beautiful mountain after seeing the stunning landscapes on the Beginning-to-Believe Peak). The famous Black Tiger Pine locates along the road to the Beginning-to-Believe Peak.
Lastly, you will descend the mountain by cable car from the White Goose Station to Yungu Temple. After reaching the Yungu Temple, the park bus will transfer you to the Tangkou Town where your driver is ready to pick you up and transfer you to catch your flight/train to the next destination. Tour ends!
1. This price is for one person, based on a group of 2 adults sharing one standard double-bed room in a 4-star hotel and traveling with our private tour in low seasons.
2. This price is subject to change according to your traveling season, group size, hotel class, change of activities in your itinerary and possible fluctuation of currency exchange rate. If you want a lower price, you can get more people to join you, or use economy class hotels.
3. This price is only valid to March 31, 2025.
4. Reference exchange rate of USD 1=RMB 6.85. The final quote is based on current exchange rate. It may change according to the currency fluctuation, while the RMB quotation will be remained the same.
Hi Mr Wang,
Thanks! I had a weekend away to Xi’an, China to celebrate my birthday. It was an exciting weekend and it was certainly something off the beaten trail for most of my friends. The itinerary you have suggested provided good coverage of the city’s rich history. From the fascinating Terracotta Army to the City Walls to the sacred Mount Hua, to the Muslim Quarter to the Drum & Bell Towers, there’s an interesting story from every historical era in Xi’an. I managed to hike up Mount Hua from North Peak to West Peak, but I didn’t get to do the dangerous plank walk as it was closed.
The hotel Eastern House was very accessible too with food places within steps and its proximity to the Drum Tower is a plus. The room was very clean and comfortable.
At this point, I have to quickly mention our amazing tour guide Betty Jiao Yan who was assigned to us as part of our private tour package. She made our time feel so very special and I wonder if Xi'an would have been as awesome without her. She had such a positive and caring nature and when we had to say goodbye, we felt very sad. It was strange to miss a guide after only knowing her for 5 days! Luckily we still keep in touch on WeChat. Our driver Mr Ma was very polite, punctual and accommodating, making our travel a pleasant experience
Anne
Hi Jack,
Thanks. The Harbin and Snow Town trip was excellent and very enjoyable. We are now in Japan skiing, and will send our feedback upon our return on 31st Jan.
Best wishes
Leong
Hi Rita,
From my end, everything is remarkable! Jane is amazing! She really make us feel welcome.
All the hotels were amazing too! My parents also very impressed.
I will definitely reaching out again, next time when I visit China. There’s many more places I want to visit.
Best regards,
Jefry
Dear Rita,
We are home. Thanks for arranging this nice trip. Everything worked out nicely except the smoking room problem in Chengde.
Thanks again.
John
Hi Rita,
In response to your enquiries, we had a wonderful experience with the tour arrangements in both Guilin and Yangshuo. Both the tour guide and driver were very professional and handled the arrangements well.
I am surely recommending any friends or relatives who are interested in travelling to China in future to use China Discovery. Also, will be looking at other destinations for ourselves too.
Thanks once again for the wonderful experience.
Kwan
We are one of the few China travel agencies who have kept active and received lots of feedbacks and reviews during pandemic years
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After sending us an inquiry, one of our travel consultants will get back to you within 0.5~23.5 hrs. In the next few days, he/she will be working closely with you to formulate a customized tour plan, as well as providing professional suggestions based on your travel interests, time, and budget.
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Our local guide in every destination is not only very friendly, enthusiastic but also very informative and knowledgeable.
Once you arrive in the destination, the patient and punctual guides will pick you up and take you to get under skin of the city at your own pace. By in-depth discovery and explanation, they’ll show you more about the history, culture, customs and authentic local life. Throughout the journey, they're not only expert guides who take care of all the details but also fellow travelers who are dedicated to help you explore in comfort and style.
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Our private service includes licensed drivers with many years’ driving experience and air-conditioned, non-smoking, clean and well-maintained cars/vans. Drivers are local, polite, friendly and helpful, taking you to your tourist sites, hotels, airport/train stations in safety. All kinds of vehicle are offered, and yours depends on the size of your group. Usually, we offer sedan cars, SUVs, business vans (MPV) and different types of buses, all with extra space for your luggage.
Our private transfer service guarantees you the highest comfort!
In each destination, you’ll enjoy a comfortable stay in a great location!
The hotels we choose are based on star rating, great locations, well-equipped facilities, cozy bed, high quality service and guests’ feedbacks. Choices are a lot ranging from luxury 5 star, comfortable 4 star to budget 3 star. You could decide where to stay to best suit for your budget and likes. Generally, the hotels have both Western and Chinese breakfast with a wide choices.
If you have already got an ideal hotel, please feel free to tell our travel consultants and they'll book the hotel for you.
Have good sleep in our well-selected hotels in all the destinations of China.
We can satisfy all the dietary requirements no matter you want Chinese local food, western food, vegetarian food or muslin food.
The restaurants we will take you for lunch or dinner are all designated tourist restaurants approved by local tourist administration bureau. They have very good sanitary conditions and the food is prepared fresh and clean.
There will be some meals excluded in your itinerary as you like, and your private guide will be delighted to give you some suggestions and take you to the local restaurants to taste like Beijing Roast Duck, Xian Dumpling Dinner, Sichuan Hotpot, etc., if you are interested in local food tasting.
All the dining options will satisfy your stomach!
Tunxi Ancient Street
Jack and Emily from UK - Greeting Pine in Yellow Mountain
Murray from UK - Yellow Mountain, Huangshan
Andreas' group from Swedan - Flying-over-Rock, Yellow Mountain, Huangshan
Marvellous Natural Beauty of Lion Peak in Mt. Huang
Yellow Mountain Sunrise
Beautiful Yellow Mountain in Bright Day
Stone Monkey Watching the Sea (on Lion Peak)
Hiking Huangshan Mountain can be a rewarding yet physically demanding experience. The trails vary from relatively flat paths to steep, challenging ascents. The stone-paved paths, while adding to the mountain's charm, can be tough on your knees. If you're looking for a less strenuous visit, consider following the classic route on the Back Mountain. However, for those seeking a more adventurous and rugged experience, venturing into the West Sea Grand Canyon and Front Mountain areas is an option, but be prepared for steep and challenging terrain. Thankfully, there are cableways available at certain sections to help conserve your energy and time.
Traveling light is essential. Before ascending the mountain, pack a small backpack with important travel documents, valuables, and overnight necessities. You can leave your larger, heavier luggage in your hotel in Tunxi (Huangshan City) or arrange storage with your tour guide at a hotel located at the mountain's base. For a comfortable and enjoyable hike, consider packing the following essentials: breathable and comfortable clothing, sturdy hiking shoes, trekking poles, sunscreen, a raincoat (especially from May to October), a small bag, and some cash. With these preparations, you'll be better equipped to make the most of your Huangshan Mountain hiking adventure.
The hiking routes on Huangshan can be customized according to your days, energy condition and interest, basically for one day, two days or three days. It doesn't matter a lot to start your hiking from the Front Mountain or the Back Mountain.
1.5 Days Back Mountain + West Sea Grand Canyon Leisure Hiking:
- Day 1: Yungu Cableway - Begin-to-Believe Peak - Lion Peak - West Sea Grand Canyon (hiking around 9km/6hrs)
- Day 2: Sunrise - Flying-over Rock - Bright Top (hiking around 7km/3hrs)
2 Days Front Mountain + Back Mountain + West Sea Grand Canyon Full Highlights Hiking:
- Day 1: Yuping Cableway - Greeting-guests Pine - Lotus Peak - One-line Skye - Bright Top - Flying-over Rock (hiking around 11km/6hrs)3 Days In-depth Hiking:
- Day 1: Mercy Light Pavilion - Half Way Temple - Greeting-guests Pine - Lotus Peak - One-line Skye - Baiyun Hotel (hiking around 14km/7.5hrs)Please feel free to let us know your idea if you have no idea where to start.
To stay one night or more on the mountain is very worth doing as you will have more time to enjoy as much as landscape of Huangshan especially the amazing sunset and sunrise. There are only 6 hotels on the mountain - 2 hotels (Yupinglou Hotel and Baiyun Hotel) in the Front Mountain, and 4 hotels (Beihai Hotel, Xihai Hotel, Shilin Hotel, Paiyunlou Hotel) in the Back Mountain. The South Building of Xihai Hotel is the only 5-star hotel on the mountain. Beihai, Shilin, Baiyun are 4-star, while Paiyunlou and Yupinglou are 3-star. Our guests usually accommodate at Xihai Hotel, Beihai Hotel and Baiyun Hotel as they have better rooms, facilities and foods. Please kindly know the hotels on the mountain are not as good as the 4-star and 5-star hotels in the big cities while the prices are sometimes higher because there is no vehicle road can be built to the top area of the mountain, which made these hotels cost much longer time and much more money during their constructions. Besides, the supplies of the hotels basically rely on porters who usually walk for many hours to carry the foods, drinks, vegetables, eggs, bedding from the foot of the mountain.
Only hotels provide foods on the mountain, usually Chinese dishes of local Hui-style Cuisine cooked by seasonal vegetables, pork, chicken, beef, fish, etc. Beihai Hotel and Xihai Hotel's buffets are most popular. Western food is usually not provided, but if you ask, Beihai Hotel and Xihai Hotel can arrange. Basic western breakfasts, such as breads, jam and coffee, can be offered in Beihai Hotel and Xihai Hotel.
Huangshan mountain area features a humid subtropical monsoon climate. Summers and Winters are longer than Springs and Autumns. There are plenty of rainfalls, usually more than 180 rainy days through the whole year. It often snows in the Winter days, usually around 50 days per year. Clouds and fogs occur easily, and go fast sometimes. The average temperature in Summer is around 20°C. In winter days, it will drop to below 10°C. Basically speaking, Huangshan can be visited all year around. But Lotus Peak, Celestial Capital Peak and West Sea Grand Canyon are not open during Winter days (December to March). The best time to visit is from March to October. If you want to escape from crazy crowds, you can avoid travelling to Huangshan during Chinese holidays and School summer holidays (July~August).
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