Three days and two nights in Huangshan, Anhui—I have to say, it’s really amazing

⛱️Must-visit spots: West Sea Grand Canyon, Bright Summit Peak, Tiandu Peak, Welcoming Pine, Monkey Watching the Sea…
🌄Travel tips:
⭐️Day 1🌻: Take the high-speed train to Huangshan North Station, check into the hotel. If you have time, I recommend visiting Hongcun first🍓. You can book a car from the hotel🚗🚗 for about 25 RMB per person, around 26 km. Hongcun is best explored in 2-3 hours; it’s quite commercialized and features typical Huizhou architecture. You can have dinner in Hongcun before returning to the hotel.
⭐️Day 2🌻: Wake up at 5:40 AM, freshen up, and have breakfast at 6 AM. Book a car from the hotel to the South Gate Transfer Center main station. Ticket check and start ascending at 6:30 AM. You can take the cable car towards Yungu Temple. Here’s the route we took, which I think is relatively easy and relaxed~~
Yungu Temple route: Yungu Cableway—Bai’e New Station—Shisun Gorge—Woyun Peak—Shixin Peak—Black Tiger Pine—Beihai Hotel—Monkey Watching the Sea—Return to Beihai Hotel—Shilin Hotel—King Pine—West Sea Restaurant—Paiyun Pavilion—North Entrance of West Sea Grand Canyon—Paiyun Creek Station—Tianhai Station—Baiyun Hotel—Bright Summit Peak—View Feilai Stone from afar—Baiyun Hotel—Aoyu New Trail—Hundred-step Cloud Ladder—Welcoming Pine—Yupinglou Cableway—Descend. This was our first day’s route. We saw most of the attractions except Danxia Peak, Aoyu Peak, and Buxian Bridge. We visited all other must-see spots, walking and stopping along the way. The three of us are fairly fit, and we managed to get to Yuping Station to take the cable car before 5:30 PM.
Day 3🌻🌻 On the third day, we mainly climbed Tiandu Peak. We left at 6:40 AM, took the park shuttle bus, and reached Yuping Station by cable car around 8 AM. Because of the crowd, there was a bit of a jam. We arrived at Welcoming Pine at 8 AM, then climbed from Laodaokou. It takes less than 10 minutes from Welcoming Pine to the foot of the mountain. We started climbing Tiandu Peak at 8:20 AM, reached the peak at 9:10 AM, took photos and checked in, then descended at 10 AM, arriving at the foot by 10:30 AM. The main delay was due to the crowd; the route itself isn’t far. Maybe we were just faster because of good stamina.
🏨Accommodation tips: Book accommodation in Tangkou Town directly from Huangshan North Station on Trip.com. The guesthouses or hotels🏨 usually have their own private car teams🚗, mostly charging about 30 RMB per person. Most guesthouses are affordable and have good facilities. If your budget allows, you can stay at chain hotels, which might offer a richer breakfast🍔. Most guesthouses also provide breakfast, but it’s simpler. It’s best to stay near the South Gate Transfer Center main station for convenient travel.
💗Other tips:
💐💐Tip 1: If your stamina is average, I personally recommend going from the Yungu Temple direction, where there are fewer people and smoother sightseeing. The West Sea Grand Canyon’s north entrance is a downhill route, offering views of steep peaks!! When you circle back from Yungu Temple to Bright Summit Peak and then down towards Welcoming Pine, it’s mostly downhill, so you don’t have to keep climbing[Facepalm][Facepalm]. Many check-in spots are similar, so there’s no need to climb every peak because the views are quite alike!! The must-see spots like West Sea Grand Canyon, Bright Summit Peak, Monkey Watching the Sea, and Welcoming Pine are definitely worth seeing[Grin][Grin].
Tip 2: 🤔🤔Book Tiandu Peak climb in advance. You don’t need to buy a ticket but must make an offline reservation, preferably for 7-9 AM when there are fewer people[Facepalm]. Visibility depends on the weather that day🐢🐢. It’s best to enter from Laodaokou; the climb is really enjoyable.
Tip 3: 🌺🌺No tickets are needed for some people; free rides on buses, cable cars, small trains, and shuttles are available for guides, journalists, photographers, etc., but you must carry valid ID and register at the window before entering the park!
⭐️⭐️Lastly, places like Hongcun and Chengkan are quite similar in style, with not much difference in scenery. They are great for travel photography, but visiting both might cause visual fatigue. The main attraction is the local architecture and culture. The food and drinks are similar to other cultural spots, featuring local specialties and creative dishes[Facepalm][Facepalm].
🍟🍟Food: 🌝Shaobing (baked flatbread) is everywhere; just buy one or two to try. 🐠🐟Stinky Mandarin Fish (I didn’t dare try it personally because I don’t like smelly food). 👑Mao Tofu (if you like fermented bean curd flavor, you might enjoy it; I couldn’t accept it, but my companions who like fermented bean curd thought it was okay). Big crispy rice crust[Incapable] (it’s basically rice crust with some sauce; I tried a bit and it was okay). [Headache]Braised pork (not tasty, definitely not homemade). The surrounding area mostly serves local dishes. Every household is similar; any restaurant is about the same!!

Post by KarmaSutraSage444 | Oct 14, 2025