Huangshan National Forest Park

Huangshan is one of China’s most famous mountains, known for its dramatic granite peaks, twisted pines, and sea-of-cloud views. It’s stunning, but also busy, structured, and, at times, confusing to navigate. We visited Huangshan National Park in November, spent one full day inside the park, and honestly found that one day was more than enough for what we wanted to see. Here is exactly how we did it, what to expect, and everything you need to know.

Best Time to Visit Huangshan

Huangshan is beautiful year-round, but different seasons offer different experiences:

  • Spring (March-May): Clearer skies, cool temperatures, and fresh greenery. Crowds start increasing.

  • Summer (June-August): Warm and lush but extremely crowded, especially during school holidays. Expect queues everywhere.

  • Autumn (September-November): One of the best seasons. Pleasant temperatures, fewer crowds compared to summer, and nice foliage.

    We visited in November, definitely less busy, but still crowded. Weather was good, but there was a lot of smog which did block some views.

  • Winter (December-February): Cold but insane if you get snow or frost. Trails can be slippery.

 

Avoid weekends and Chinese holidays (Golden Week, Mid-Autumn Festival, Chinese New Year). Weekends are noticeably more crowded, you’ll thank yourself for choosing a weekday.

Getting to Huangshan National Park

 

1. Take the High-Speed Rail to Huangshanbei (Huangshan North)

This will be your arrival hub.

 

2. Bus to Tangkoucun (Town at the Base)

After exiting the station, go left and follow the sign that says Tour Bus. It’s a 3-5 minute walk to the terminal.

  • Ticket: 30 RMB

  • Duration: ~40 minutes (Ours took shorter because the driver was… enthusiastic.)

 

You’ll arrive at Huangshan Mountain Scenic Area Parking Lot (Google Maps), or Tangkou Transfer Center (Amap)

From here you can walk to your hotel or take a taxi.

 

3. Taxi to Your Hotel

Some hotels offer pick-up, but ours didn’t, so we used Didi through Alipay.

  • Cost: 7 RMB

  • Duration: <10 minutes

 

Important:

You need SMS verification to use Didi, which won’t work with non-Chinese phone numbers. Bring a second phone and install a Chinese SIM card so the app can send verification codes. Go check out my 'Useful Information' section on how to navigate the Alipay and Didi app.

 

Getting back

Simply reverse the exact same steps back to Huangshanbei Station.

Where We Stayed

We booked through Booking.com: 0517 Boutique Hotel (on Booking) or Huangshan Mountain Lingwu Yaoqi Inn (黄山山岭雾瑶栖客栈, listed on Amap)

  • Price: USD 75 for 3 nights (2 people)

  • Verdict: Absolutely worth it.

The room was extremely comfortable, the best sleep I’d had in a long time. The bed was genuinely amazing. The staff were kind, caring, and went above and beyond.

 

Extras:

  • Beer: 10–12 RMB (500ml)

  • Coffee: 25 RMB (a little pricey)

  • Free walking sticks

  • Very clean & cozy

 

Food Nearby:

  • Plenty of dinner options for 20-30 RMB

  • Be careful with spice levels, even “medium” had me struggling

  • A great small fruit/snack shop: Xiaobao Fruit Shop

  • Convenience store: Good Spot / Linji Convenience Store with cheap heated meals (14–17 RMB) + hot/iced coffee for 7 RMB, only 5 minutes from the hotel

Visiting Huangshan National Park

If you aren’t hiking all the way up the mountain (5+ hours), you’ll follow the standard cable-car route.

 

Step 1: Walk to the Park Entry Bus Station

Named Huangshan Scenic Area South Gate on Amap, approximately 12 minutes walk from the hotel.

 

Step 2: Get Your Park Entry Slip

There are two buildings on the parking lot:

  • One small

  • One large

You must go to the large building first to collect your entry slip. No payment yet. Bring your passport.

 

Step 3: Get Your Bus Ticket

Go to the small building with your entry slip.

  • Bus ticket: 19 RMB

  • Destination: Cloud Valley Temple (for the cable car)

  • Staff can help if you’re confused (English is limited, and many signs are only in Chinese)

Sit on the right side of the bus for views. The ride takes about 10 minutes.

 

Step 4: Yungu Cable Car (Cloud Valley)

Follow the signs to Yungu Cable Way / 白鹅岭, the main cable car up.

 

From the ticket office:

  • Cable car (one-way): 80 RMB per person (yikes)

  • Park entry fee: 95 RMB for 3 days

  • Passport required again

The cable car drops you at White Goose Ridge Station, where most trails begin.

Hiking Huangshan: Our 1-Day Route

We only had one day, so we focused on the highlights and avoided super long detours. The map makes everything look small but trust me, it takes time. We spent 6 hours hiking with breaks (and plenty of photo stops)

  • Black Tiger Pine: great viewpoints for classic Huangshan photos.
  • Xihai Canyon (West Sea Canyon): We went all the way down to the bottom. The scenery was incredible and it felt a bit like the movie Avatar. However, the walk down was long and tough. But the worst part? You have to climb all the way back up. Luckily, there is a cable cart! We took the Xihai cable car back up for 100 RMB per person (yikes x 2), but it was totally worth saving our legs.
  • Bright Top Peak: One of the highest peaks on the mountain. Views can be hit or miss depending on fog or smog. Just a bit further from Bright Top, there’s another peak that gives a beautiful view back into the canyon from the opposite side (direction Flying Over Rock).

Down via Yuping Cable Car

To leave the park, head toward Yuping Cable Way. Cable car down: 90 RMB per person (it just kept coming...).

Take the bus back to Tangkou:

  • Bus: 19 RMB

  • Stay on until the town stop, not the first South Gate stop.

Food & Facilities in the Park

You won’t go hungry, there are tons of stalls and small restaurants on the mountain.

  • Meals: 15–30 RMB

  • Even Costa Coffee exists up there (but expensive)

  • Free hot and cold water dispensers at toilets (bring your own bottle), although making your own instant noodles is not allowed!

Important Things to Know Before You Go

  • The map is deceptively small: distances take longer than expected, and there are endless stairs, both up and down.
  • Many visitors were unprepared. We saw people in casual every-day shoes, families with small kids struggling badly, and people who just underestimated the difficulty levels of the trails. It made some parts feel messy and chaotic. We did think, however, that there was not enough information provided by the park on how to navigate, how long the distances were and how difficult the path would be.

  • There will be yelling & loud music on the trails. Unfortunately, not everyone enjoys the quietness of nature as much, so don't expect much tranquillity. 

  • Navigation isn't always clear: signage varies and many signs are only in Chinese. A translation app is helpful.
  • Respect the environment: no smoking in most areas, bins are everywhere so use them, and keep noise levels down

Final Thoughts

Huangshan is stunning for its landscape, unique rock formations, and atmospheric views. The infrastructure makes it accessible, but it also means crowds and higher costs. If you’re not staying overnight on the mountain, one day is definitely enough to see the main highlights without rushing.

For us, the canyon and the peaks were the best parts, and despite the smog, November was a great time to go.