Four-Day, Three-Night Huangshan Tour
Saw sunrise and sunset at Huangshan on Douyin. Let's go!
Chose a direct flight to Huangshan Tunxi Airport and rented a Chevrolet Captiva (SUV) from a car rental service in a certain city as our vehicle.
Luggage x1, backpack x1, hat x1, trekking poles x2, selfie stick x1, water bottle x1, relevant documents xN, medicine xN, towels x5 (for sweating when climbing Huangshan).
Huangshan 4 days, 3 nights.
Hotels: Huangshan Xiangyuan Yungu / Huangshan Paiyun Type Travel / Huangshan Huiman Garden Resort Hotel. Tickets / bus tickets / Yungu Cable Car / Yuping Cable Car / parking fee.
10:30 Flew to Huangshan Tunxi International Airport. Outside the airport gate is the parking lot. The car I reserved earlier from the rental company had been baking in the sun for nearly 2 hours. Through its app, I could unlock the car door with my phone.
11:30 Drove from Tunxi Airport to Huangshan Scenic Area. It took nearly 30 minutes just to cool down the car with the air conditioning on under the shade.
13:00 Arrived at Huangshan Tangkou Visitor Center parking lot. After parking, tears and sweat mixed together. Since I planned to hike happily on Huangshan and stay for two nights, I dragged my suitcase. The scenic area entrance was right in front of me, but the up-and-down stairs made it feel far away. Never mind, just roll up my sleeves and go. Entering the scenic area required checking the green health code and travel code.
I planned to go up the mountain from the back and down from the front. The back mountain is scenic and gentle; the front mountain is steep, mostly downhill. Also, I didn't want to be too tired or rushed. Since I arrived in the afternoon, carrying luggage up Huangshan would be too tiring. So I stayed at Xiangyuan Yungu (mid-mountain) near Yungu Cable Car for the night. Tomorrow I'll go up the mountain with light luggage, stay one night, watch the sunset, watch the sunrise, then come back.
After entering the scenic area, only the scenic area bus can take you to Yungu Cable Car or Yuping Cable Car. The bus ride takes nearly 30 minutes on winding mountain roads. I had contacted the Xiangyuan customer service earlier and informed them as soon as I got on the bus. When I arrived at the mid-mountain station, they seamlessly transferred me to the hotel (using a Buick GL8). The hotel's exterior and interior design were excellent. In the evening, I could get a leg spa and soak in a hot spring, so I'd have enough energy to climb tomorrow.
The hotel wasn't crowded; I guess most people prefer to stay directly on the mountain to save time. The hotel lobby had a tea lounge with free afternoon tea and a children's drawing area. It was a sunken design, so the room's view felt wrapped up. The staff were all young and enthusiastic, and the room had fruit placed early. One thing that could be improved: more power sockets near the TV. I brought my Xiaomi box but had nowhere to plug it in. Although the hotel TV had apps installed, it wasn't to my liking. Also, it was so quiet that if someone outside spoke loudly, every word was clearly heard. Please speak softly.
16:00 Went out for a stroll. A 10-minute walk led directly to Yungu Cable Car entrance, where there was also a hiking trailhead. Entering the scenic area required a reservation one day in advance.
18:00 Dined at the hotel restaurant. The food was quite good, but at my own expense.
20:00 Got a leg spa, then soaked in the hot spring.
07:00 Woke up, had breakfast, packed my gear to go up the mountain. Left the suitcase from yesterday with the hotel front desk; they would arrange transport to a designated spot at Tangkou, and I could pick it up when I came down.
8:00 Took my trekking poles, backpack (water bottle, energy drink, fruit, clothes, gloves, hat, phone, power bank, ID), and headed to the cable car. Since I started early, there weren't many tourists heading up, so no queue. In just a few minutes, I was on the cable car, enjoying the ride comfortably.
8:30 Arrived at Yungu Scenic Area. The temperature was pleasant, slightly cool. It had been bright for a while. Gazing around, clouds and mist wrapped around the mountains, lifting my spirits. The beauty of Huangshan's back mountain was truly unparalleled.
11:00 Arrived at Paiyun Type Travel, my lodging for tonight. The hotel was renovated in March 2021 and recently officially opened. Before entering, they checked my travel history and health code. The staff were young, and check-in went smoothly. The lobby had a coffee bar and a movie viewing area. On the second floor, there was a children's play area. On the fourth floor, there was an open laundry area—not called a laundry room because the washer/dryer were in the hall, with rooms nearby. Please don't wash or dry clothes after 20:00, as neighboring guests won't be able to sleep.
The restaurant offered a buffet with a rich variety. Breakfast was included, but other meals were at my own expense: 180 RMB per person.
Got up early, ate some fruit in the room, rested a bit, regained strength, and set off for the Grand Canyon.
13:00 Headed to the Grand Canyon. This section had two loops (First Loop and Second Loop). You could choose to take the outer side of the First Loop for steep views and the inner side of the Second Loop for rugged scenery. The entire path was downhill, narrow, and steep. The endpoint was the网红小火车 (internet-famous small train), which supposedly stopped running at 16:30. It was already 14:30 when I had only walked a short distance, so I was a bit worried I wouldn't make it back to the hotel. The small train ticket was 100 RMB per person.
Along the way, I met a cute little squirrel foraging for food. Even though the downhill walk was tiring, this little creature lifted my spirits.
16:20 Arrived at the small train entrance, put on my mask, swiped my ID, and smoothly rode the train back to the mountain top. In less than 10 minutes, I was back on the summit. The fog was quite thick today, so there was no hope of seeing the sunset, but the afterglow was still beautiful.
18:00 Walked from Bright Summit to Paiyun Pavilion. The sky gradually darkened, and the path went up and down. After a day of mountain hiking, my legs started to feel tight. I really understood the saying 'A thousand-mile journey feels heavy.' If possible, I would have used the restroom and eaten something near Bright Summit. Now, there was no village ahead or inn behind; I was hungry, tired, and needed to go.
19:30 Returned to Paiyun Type Travel, quickly changed clothes, and queued for laundry with dirty clothes. After 20:00, I couldn't wash; if needed, I had to hand it to the staff. While waiting in line,
20:00 Had dinner at the restaurant. 20:30 Walked to Paiyun Pavilion to look at the night sky. Looking up, it was pitch black, but if you gave your eyes and heart enough patience, they would gradually appear, like shy sprites suddenly everywhere.
21:00 Returned to the hotel to rest. The room's TV was a large smart TV with several apps installed. If I wanted to screen-mirror to play games, I needed to check the TV's IP address. While gaming, I used the TV to play music, and suddenly 'My Sassy Girl' started playing.
04:00 Woke up to watch the sunrise. The hotel provided windbreakers, so I didn't need to bring my own. That was quite thoughtful. Put on the windbreaker, shorts (I hadn't noticed last night that my long pants were washed and not dry), phone, trekking pole, water bottle, and went out.
A hotel staff member said there was a sunrise viewing spot near Paiyun. Maybe I left too early, because I didn't meet any fellow travelers, so I went alone. Walking up the mountain alone is like the path of life—most of the time you have to walk alone. As I walked, I hesitated, felt lazy, and got lost. The sky brightened. I followed the navigation, listening to the voice of Uncle Yu (a navigation voice), who kept telling me I was going the wrong way. About halfway, there was a viewing platform. I chose it, set up my phone, started a time-lapse, adjusted the speed, and filmed toward the brightening sky.
Here is the time-lapse from 5:30 to 6:30.
07:00 Returned to the hotel, had breakfast, and took a nap.
11:00 Started packing, had lunch, and headed to the front mountain. Destination: Yuping - Greeting Pine, here I come! Since I had walked nearly 6 hours yesterday, my legs were already tight, so I should have stretched the night before and warmed up thoroughly before leaving today. The next few hours were mostly downhill, with slopes nearly 80 degrees, leaving only about half a foot's contact surface. No wonder they say 'After seeing Huangshan, no need to see other mountains.' After this hike, nothing could make my legs feel more sore. Fortunately, fellow travelers encouraged me along the way. Stopping and going, sometimes walking in S-curves, after 5 hours I finally reached Yuping Greeting Pine.
17:00 Took the cable car down. The scenery from Yuping Cable Car was also beautiful, built along the mountain. I marveled at the difficulty of design and construction.
17:30 Returned to the scenic area parking lot to pick up the car, then went to the designated spot to retrieve my luggage.
20:00 Arrived back in Huangshan Tunxi.
8:00 Got up early, packed luggage, drove back to Tunxi Airport. The journey ended.
Summary: Overall, the physical exhaustion was rewarded with a positive mindset. Along the way, I met three age groups of travelers: First, the young, like students—full of energy and vitality, full of hope for life. Second, the middle-aged—some with families, some as couples, some as spouses. They chatted and laughed, supporting each other along the way. Third, those past their forties—traveling in groups or with a few close friends, returning again and again. And the only common thing was that all the competitive pressures of the city were left behind.
Places to eat on the mountain were basically a few hotels like Paiyun and Baiyun Hotel. Xihai was under renovation, so the opening time was unclear. Near Baiyun, there was a row of small shops. 10 yuan for three sausages was already a bargain, and 8 yuan for a bottle of mineral water wasn't too expensive—many ingredients were carried up by porters step by step.
Restrooms were spaced far apart. Don't wait until you feel the urge, especially during downhill sections.
Accommodation: 1500+ RMB per night. Tickets / bus passes / cable cars / small train: about 500 RMB per person. Parking: 50 RMB per day.
Meals: 200 RMB per day.
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