A Detailed 3-Day, 2-Night Trip to Huangshan from Guiyang
Here's a meticulously crafted 3-day, 2-night itinerary for an in-depth exploration of Huangshan. Combining springtime highlights with the latest travel updates, this plan covers the area's famed pine trees, unusual rock formations, seas of clouds, breathtaking sunrises, hidden canyons, and unique Huizhou culture. It also takes into account physical exertion and cultural experiences:
🌟 Trip Highlights
- Seasonal Exclusives: Mid-April is the peak blooming season for azaleas in Huangshan. The West Sea Grand Canyon and Tiandu Peak will be open during this time. We've included stargazing on Guangming Top and viewing the sunrise over the sea of clouds.
- Optimized Transportation: We'll use a combination of high-speed rail and direct shuttle buses. The high-speed train from Guiyang North to Huangshan North is a direct route (approx. 9 hrs), and transfers within the scenic area are seamless.
- Cultural Immersion: This itinerary connects the three core areas of Huangshan: the steep front mountain, the beautiful back mountain, and the wondrous West Sea area. It also includes a Huizhou cuisine experience and a rejuvenating hot spring visit.
- Photography Guidance: We've marked the best photo spots (like sunrise at Qingliang Terrace and sunset at Paiyun Pavilion) and included recommendations for telephoto lenses and tripods.
📅 Daily Itinerary
Day 1: Guiyang → Huangshan - Front Mountain Exploration
- Morning
✔️ Guiyang North → Huangshan North (G1536, 07:30-16:30): Direct high-speed train, enjoy the idyllic scenery of the Jiangnan region along the way.
✔️ Huangshan North Station → Tangkou Town (Shuttle bus, 1 hr, CNY 30): Check in to your hotel at the foot of the mountain upon arrival. We recommend the "Huangshan Fuhua Lirang Resort," which includes hot springs and family-friendly facilities.
- Afternoon
✔️ Ciguang Pavilion → Yuping Lou (Yuping Cable Car ascent, 10 mins, CNY 90):
▶️ Key Attractions: Greeting Guest Pine, Seeing Guest Off Pine, Yuping Reclining Buddha. Capture the unique sight of "Squirrels Leaping to Tiandu Peak."
▶️ Hidden Gem: Enjoy Huangshan Maofeng tea at the Yuping Lou Hotel viewing platform, overlooking the peaks of the front mountain.
- Evening
✔️ Tiandu Peak Night Exploration (Optional):
▶️ Limited Access: Entry to Tiandu Peak closes at 15:00 daily. If you're feeling energetic, challenge yourself with a hike to "Carp's Back" (3 hrs round trip).
▶️ Safety Tips: Bring a headlamp and non-slip gloves. Avoid slippery sections after rain.
🍽️ Dinner Recommendation: Stinky Mandarin Fish and Hairy Tofu at "Lao Jie Di Yi Lou" in Tangkou Town, paired with Huangshan baked buns.
Day 2: West Sea Wonders - A Feast in the Clouds
- Early Morning
✔️ Guangming Top Sunrise (05:30-06:00):
▶️ Best Spot: Guangming Top Hotel viewing platform. Arrive 30 mins early to secure a good spot.
▶️ Equipment Recommendation: Bring a tripod for star trail photography. Wear a windbreaker for warmth (summit temperature is approx. 8°C).
- Morning
✔️ West Sea Grand Canyon (Paiyun Pavilion → Monorail):
▶️ Hiking Route: Paiyun Pavilion → West Sea Grand Canyon Loop 1 → Loop 2 → Canyon Bottom (2 hrs). Experience the "Walking on a Fairy Bridge" suspended walkway.
▶️ Monorail: Canyon Bottom → Tianhai Station (One-way CNY 100, 5 mins). Enjoy a bird's-eye view of the canyon's vertical drop.
- Afternoon
✔️ Beihai Scenic Area:
▶️ Key Attractions: Beginning-to-Believe Peak (Black Tiger Pine, Joined-Branches Pine), Lion Peak (Qingliang Terrace, Monkeys Watching the Sea).
▶️ Photography Tip: Use a telephoto lens to capture a vertical panorama at the "Magic Brush Painting Flowers" viewing platform.
- Evening
✔️ Stargazing and Night Chat at Baiyun Hotel:
▶️ Special Activity: Participate in the hotel's "Huangshan Geology Science Lecture" to learn about the formation of karst landforms.
🍽️ Dinner Recommendation: Baiyun Hotel buffet (CNY 160/person), paired with Huangshan Ganoderma wine.
Day 3: Back Mountain Stroll - Return Journey
- Morning
✔️ Cloud Valley Temple → Descent (Cloud Valley Cable Car descent, 8 mins, CNY 80):
▶️ Easy Route: White Goose Ridge → Cloud Valley Temple. Admire unique rock formations like "Immortal Drying Boots" and "Wu Song Fighting the Tiger" along the way.
✔️ Emerald Valley Exploration (Optional):
▶️ Hidden Gem: Explore "Lover's Valley," photograph the 108 emerald pools, and participate in the "Chain of Love" blessing activity.
- Afternoon
✔️ Tunxi Ancient Street Cultural Tour:
▶️ Intangible Cultural Heritage Experience: Make your own Huangshan baked buns at "Hu Xing Tang" and learn about Huizhou ink production at the "Huimo Su" workshop.
▶️ Souvenir Shopping: We recommend Xie Yu Da Huangshan Maofeng tea, Huimo Su pastries, and Huangshan dried bamboo shoots.
✔️ Huangshan North → Guiyang North (G1537, 17:00-00:30): End of the trip, return to Guiyang.
📌 Practical Tips
1. Transportation:
- There is one daily high-speed train from Guiyang to Huangshan. It is recommended to book tickets 15 days in advance. The last shuttle bus within the scenic area departs at 18:30.
- West Sea Grand Canyon Monorail operating hours: 08:00-16:00 (normal season). Operation may be temporarily suspended due to rain or snow.
2. Tickets:
- Huangshan entrance ticket: CNY 190 (April is normal season). Seniors over 60 enjoy half price with valid ID.
- Cable car combo ticket: Yuping + Cloud Valley + Monorail combo ticket CNY 270 (CNY 20 discount when booked on Trip.com).
3. Accommodation:
- High-end: Guangming Top Hotel (Standard room CNY 1200/night, including breakfast), 5-min walk to Guangming Top.
- Cost-effective: Baiyun Hotel (Standard room CNY 800/night), next to the West Sea Grand Canyon entrance.
4. Food:
- Breakfast: Huangshan baked buns (Cheng Ji), Crab Shell Pastry (Lao Xie Jia Tea Dried Tofu).
- Night Market: "Wang Yi Tiao Wonton" and "Wu Ji Hairy Tofu" in Tunxi Ancient Street.
5. Other:
- Photography equipment: Wide-angle lens (for seas of clouds), polarizing filter (to reduce glare).
- Emergency supplies: Bring stomach medicine (for adjusting to the rich Huizhou cuisine) and sunscreen (UV index 10+).
🌿 Trip Features
- Immersive: Through intangible cultural heritage crafts, geology lectures, and other experiences, you'll deeply appreciate the natural and cultural charm of Huangshan.
- Flexible: Each day's itinerary includes 2 hrs of flexible time, allowing you to adjust the pace based on your physical condition (e.g., skip Tiandu Peak and enjoy the hot springs instead).
- Seasonal Exclusives: The probability of seeing azaleas and seas of clouds in Huangshan in April is as high as 70%. Miss it, and you'll have to wait another year!
We hope this plan helps you create unforgettable memories atop Huangshan and experience the awe-inspiring beauty of "Climbing Huangshan, there are no other mountains in the world"! ⛰️
Huangshan is indeed the best, climbing Huangshan and there is no mountain in the world. We have not finished climbing for nearly 10 hours. The scenery is very beautiful and thrilling. If the ticket price is more favorable, it will be perfect.
Sitting on the cable car all the way, ending the trip to Huangshan, with an exhausted body, this time I came to Huangshan with a good weather, but I didn’t see the sea of clouds. It’s a pity, but after climbing the Tiandu Peak, it’s still more satisfying.
The small train that took the next night went up from the bottom. Because it was cloudy, I didn’t see the sea. I heard that it rained the day before. I would see the sea of clouds in the morning. It seemed to enter a fairyland and see what people took. It is estimated that I have to brush Huangshan three times.
Regarding the recommended highlights of Huangshan Scenic Area, the following are several must-visit places I have carefully organized: Huangshan Wujie: Huangshan is famous for its strange pine, strange stone, sea of clouds, winter snow, hot springs. Every place is a ghostly work of nature, which makes people linger. Among them, the welcome pine is the iconic landscape of Huangshan Mountain, you must not miss it! Sunrise and sunset: watching the sunrise and sunset in Huangshan Mountain is definitely an unforgettable experience. Paiyun Pavilion, Yuping Building and Guangmingding are all excellent places to watch the sunrise and sunset. It is recommended to plan the itinerary in advance to avoid missing the best viewing time. History and culture: Huangshan is not only magnificent in natural landscape, but also extremely rich in history and culture. The ancient city of Huizhou is a good place to understand the history and culture of Huangshan. The ancient city's style is well preserved. The Huizhou architectural style such as white walls and tiles, horse head walls, wooden carved windows and other unobstructed views. Food experience: When you come to Huangshan, how can you not taste local cuisine? Huizhou specialty snacks such as Chengkan Maotofu, Qiankou Yu, Huihong Biscuits are all delicious foods that should not be missed. Accommodation options: There are a variety of accommodation options in Huangshan Scenic Area, from the top of the mountain hotel to the budget hotel at the foot of the mountain. Recommended to stay at the Peak Hotel, although the price is slightly higher, but you can enjoy the beautiful sunrise and sunset scenery.
Huangshan ⛰️ people must visit once in their lives, and there is no regret in this life! Huangshan is really worthy of being a world cultural and natural heritage, it is a beautiful landscape painting! Qisong, strange stones, sea of clouds, sunrise, winter snow, hot springs...
Huangshan Mountain is very worth coming, the reasons are as follows: Natural landscape Qisong: such as welcoming guests, extending arms to welcome guests, dream pen flowers and pine like a giant pen to write legend. Strange stones: There are flying stones, it seems to fly away, and monkeys watching the sea, etc., the shape is strange and makes people think. Cloud sea: When the clouds rise, the peaks are hidden in the sea of clouds, such as the sea fairy mountain, and the sunrise and sunset are like dreams. Hot springs: After climbing tired, soak in warm spring water, which can dispel fatigue, enjoy tranquility, and have excellent water quality and minerals. Cultural heritage Huangshan has been praised by countless literati and ink tourists since ancient times, leaving many poems and ink treasures, which contain deep cultural connotation, so that tourists can enjoy the beautiful scenery while feeling the historical vicissitudes and culture. Mountaineering experience Huangshan provides a great place for mountaineering enthusiasts, Tiandu Peak is steep and steep, and the courage of the carp is tested; there are also facilities such as cableway to provide convenience for the physically weak, and you can easily enjoy the beautiful scenery. Tourist facilities There are a variety of accommodation options on the mountain, from high-end hotels to specialty homestays, which can meet different budget needs. There are also local specialties, such as stinky salmon, hairy tofu, Huangshan sesame cakes, etc., which can meet the taste buds of tourists.
Natural landscape ● Qisong: Huangshan pine has different forms, such as welcoming pine, breaking stones, stretching branches, like warm welcome tourists, is the iconic landscape of Huangshan. ● Strange Stone: Strange stone, strange shape, such as monkey watching the sea, fairy guide, dream pen flower, etc., lifelike, as if nature's ghostly work. ● Sea of clouds: The sea of clouds is tumbling, the waves are magnificent, sometimes like the choppy sea, sometimes like the light tulle, the peaks are shrouded in it, like dreams. ● Hot springs: The hot springs are rich in resources, the water quality is excellent, and have certain medical care value, providing tourists with a good place to relax. ● Winter Snow: Huangshan in winter is wrapped in silver, the snow scene is charming, and the pine and strange stones are more charming under the cover of ice and snow, like a fairy tale world of ice and snow. Cultural value ● has a long history: Huangshan has a long history, since ancient times has been loved by literati and inks, leaving a large number of poems, paintings, calligraphy and other works, such as Li Bai's "Huangshan 4 thousand, 32 lotus peaks". ● Cliffstone Carvings: There are many cliff stone carvings on the mountain, rich in content, diverse fonts, with high artistic value and historical and cultural value, adding a strong cultural atmosphere to Huangshan. Tourism experience ● Scenic Area Management: Scenic Area management is more standardized, facilities are perfect, and a variety of sightseeing methods are provided, such as cableway, cable car, etc., which is convenient for tourists to climb the mountain. ● Service quality: The staff is enthusiastic in service, providing consultation, guidance, rescue and other services, and welcoming pine volunteers to help tourists. Ecological environment ● High forest coverage: scenic area forest coverage is high, the air is fresh, it is a natural oxygen bar, which is conducive to the physical and mental health of tourists. ● Rich in biodiversity: Huangshan is a habitat for many rare plants and animals, such as Huangshan short-tailed monkeys and Huangshan rhododendrons, which have important ecological protection value.
The scenery is excellent, beautiful and worthy of fame. In addition, the scenic service is relatively standardized. But it is necessary to pay attention to a point, even if you take the cable car to the mountain, you have to walk countless steps, and there are not many flat roads to go. Because Huangshan basically does not have a flat plank road around the mountain, most of them are steps. Climbing Huangshan is really "climbing", and the physical strength is not good. It is not recommended to go more. Although I have a good view on this trip, I have continued pain in the knee joint for many days after going down the mountain, and I need to cooperate with medical physiotherapy for rehabilitation.