Avatar Mountains – Huangshan Mountains in China are often called Yellow Mountains Scenic Area – this is one of the most unreal natural landscapes on earth. No surprise James Cameron’s Avatar movie was inspired by this mountain range. The scenery of the granite masses of the Yellow Mountains in China triggers millions of local and international visitors. Hiking Huangshan Mountains is a remarkable experience, one of the best destinations you can explore in China. I spent 5 winter days exploring the area and every day was magic. Here is all you need to know to set up your hiking itinerary.
Best time to visit Yellow Mountains.
They say the best time for hiking Huangshan Mountains is spring (March to May) and autumn – when the weather is mild and the sky is often clear, providing stunning panoramic views. Summer can be hot and crowded, while winter brings ice and snow, making hiking more challenging.
However, I visited the Mountains in winter (end of January), it was cold and icy but the scenery was breathtaking and the place wasn’t too crowded. There were still thousands of visitors, the iconic viewing points were crowded and I had to queue to get to the top. I honestly CANNOT imagine exploring this area in spring or summer months with millions of tourists.
I would advice to check weather forecast before leaving for a hike.
How to get to Huangshan?
There are many ways to get to Huangshan City, located 1330 kilometres from Beijing. Huangshan has both direct and indirect flights from a number of cities in China. I took many domestic flights – which if booked in advance are at similar price to bullet trains (about $100).
- FLIGHT: taking a direct flight is a convenient and fastest way to travel between major cities in China. The best platform to book your flights in China is Trip.com. Flight from Beijing Capital International Airport to Huangshan Tunxi Airport is only 2 hours. Huangshan Tunxi International Airport (TXN) is located only 5 kilometres from Huangshan City.
- BULLET TRAIN: Hight speed train network in China is amazing. Bullet train takes only 6 hours to get from Beijing to Huangshan, speeding at 306 km/h. It operates from Beijing South Railway Station, arriving at Huangshan North Railway Station. Again best prices and connections can be booked on: Trip.com. Price around $85. Slow trains operate as well.
- PUBLIC BUS: Long-distance buses operate between major cities.
Bus network functions really well in China, the only disadvantage are huge distances between cities. Local buses and mini buses are well organized and pretty comfortable for distances below 500 kilometers.
NOTE: book your flights/train tickets well in advance!! Train tickets in China are in huge demand, this is the main transportation for locals. I found myself in big trouble when all train tickets were sold out. I booked some trains ahead of my trip but then I made changes to my itinerary and got so stressed discovering no train tickets were unavailable. I had to swap for slow trains with transfers, which wasn’t great, but it was a valuable lesson.
A sleeping train can be a great option if you want to save some money – there are hard and soft beds available.
Where is Huangshan Mountain?
The Huangshan Mountains (Yellow Mountains) are located in Anhui Province in eastern China.
The Mountains are UNESCO world heritage site and an iconic destination in China. Huangshan gained its popularity due to its surreal avatar mountain landscape and it is now a gateway to hiking Huangshan Mountains.
You will first need to arrive to Huangshan City. The best place to locate yourself if you want to explore Huangshan Mountains is Tangkou Town – it is the closest gateaway to the Yellow Mountains Scenic Area. The Huangshan Mountain (Yellow Mountains) is located about 1 hour north of Huangshan City and 15 minutes bus drive from Tangkou Town – both easily accessible by local buses (vans) or taxi.
Plan on hiking Huangshan Mountains.
Because of the huge distances in China, it is essential to do some planning ahead of any trip or tour. You will need to arrive to Huangshan City first and make a plan on hiking Huangshan Mountains. That was my main concern before heading to Huangshan but I was hoping to get good advice onsite in the backapackers hostel.
Kunlun International Youth Hostel – the backapackers hostel was the greatest place to stay Tangkou Town (which is a short ride from the main Bus Station in Huangshan). Google maps are showing different location of the Kunlun Hostel, so taking a taxi saves you a lot of hassle.
The girls in Kunlun Hostel are incredibly helpful – they speak English, they will guide you on all hiking routes in the Yellow Mountains. There is a huge hiking map painted on the biggest wall of the hostel.
You will also get a hiking map of the Huangshan Mountains. Some trails were closed in January. All trails in the Yellow Mountains are maintained by stairs. The routes are quite well marked, so you will be able to navigate your trail.
How long does it take hiking Huangshan Mountains?
Depending on the routes you choose and your hiking pace, your hiking trip can take from one to four days. If you really want to explore the mountain area and follow different routes, including the West Sea Canyon (full hiking day), you need about 3 days.
Where to stay when hiking Huangshan Mountains?
The best option is to accommodate yourself in the nearest town TONGKOU TOWN (TANGKOUCUN) – the gateaway to Huangshan Mountains and one and only place to stay there is Kunlun Youth Hostel!
On the way back from hiking Huangshan Mountains always ask in the bus to drop you at TANGKOU Bridge.
The place is unbeatable! It will not only give you a warm welcoming but it offers great facilities and very low rates for high standard accommodation (dorms and private rooms). The staff is beyond friendly. You’re welcomed with valuable mountain introduction and guidance. On arrival you’ll be fully briefed on the weather conditions, closed trails and recommended routes, guided across a wall map in the main hall. Things like hot or bottled water, tooth brush, tea are free of charge in the hostel. There’s a lovely sunny reading area and plenty of animals in the house – cat and a dog, which all make the place incredibly cosy.
I was staying there in the cold winter season and the hostel accommodates electric blankets, which keep you warm all night.
Kunlun International Youth Hostel.
Kunlun International Youth Hostel is a lovely place with a restaurant, bar and reading space. You will be able to enjoy an Asian breakfast. The hostel provides:
- They can book any transportation you require.
- They can cook you dinner if you ask them in advance.
- There are plenty of local restaurants, banks, fruit shops and cafes in the nearby area.
Hotels in Huangshan Mountains.
Many visitors would be looking to stay in mountain hotels to witness a spectacular sunrise over the Yellow Mountains. However, the mountain accommodation is not the cheapest, it can come up to few hundreds of dollars per night. The most popular mountain hotel is 4*star Huangshan Baiyun Hotel. You can browse all the accommodation options on Agoda.com.
RECOMMENDED HOTELS IN TANGKOU:
RECOMMENDED HOTELS IN TUNXI:
- Mild Spring Boutique Hotel ~ $80/per night
- 5*star DW Hotel Huangshan~$65/per night
- Crowne Plaza Huangshan Yucheng.
RECOMMENDED HOTELS IN HUANGSHAN:
How to get to Huangshan Mountain (Scenic Area).
If you are based in Tangkou Town it’s very easy – you need to reach a local bus station, located 1.5km from the Kunlun Hostel (north direction). I left at 7 am to reach the bust station in 25 25-minute slow pace walk. The ticket office is located in the car parking next to the bus station.
The bus ticket cost 19Y and the first bus leaves at 7.40 am/and then every 30 minutes or when it’s full.
After purchasing your bus ticket go to another box office and show your passport, they will upload it into the system and you will need to take a photo of it to show at the ticket gate, otherwise you will not get through.
Even in winter time, there were plenty of local visitors, I cannot imagine crowds in the summer time.
STARTING POINT FOR HIKING HUANGSHAN MOUNTAINS: Tangkou Town (small bus station). The bus ride takes 15 minutes and you’re dropped off at the Lower cable car station (SOUTH GATE ENTRANCE) from where you have two options: hike up on foot or take Yu Ping cable car up to the top and start your hike from there – see the map.
Entry ticket to Huangshan Mountains.
ENTRY TICKET TO YELLOW MOUNTAINS:
- Winter time: 85Y,
- Summer: 160Y.
- Cable car one way 80Y.
Hiking Huangshan Mountains - my route.
The Greeting Guest Pine.
There are several scenic spots within the Huangshan (Yellow) Mountains If you are taking the Yungu cable car to the summit, you’ll be greeted by the iconic “Welcome Pine” and breathtaking views.
The Greeting Guest Pine is a 1,000 years old tree and an iconic spot. From the top you will find signs on the way toward Yupinglou Hotel & Guest-Greeting Pine.
Lotus Peak & Bright Top Peak.
Then follow signs toward Bright Top Peak, the route leads through up and down stairs sections. On the way get on top of the highest peak – Lotus Peak, and pass Turtle Peak to reach magnificent Bright Top Peak. It takes 1-1.5h from the upper Yu Ping cable car station/depending on your pace and number of photos 😉 The scenery is magnificent.
Turtle Mountain.
Turtle Mountain is a magnificent viewing point. There are many hotels and guesthouses, so you might want to consider staying overnight in one of the mountain’s accommodations. The area is home to numerous ancient temples, some of which date back to the Tang Dynasty, so there’s plenty spots to visit on the while hiking.
Over Stone!
After a quick break, I moved toward the Over-Stone –mind-blowing spot with landscape views over the Yellow Mountains Scenic Area. There is a tiny passing through stairs to get to the stone balcony. Again, in cold January people were queuing to get there, I really cannot visualize how crowded this place must be in the summer months. Additionally, the barrier is pretty low, be careful when going around the stone, the space is tiny and watch out for other people not to push you toward the barrier.
Monkey Peak - Stone Monkey Gazing over a Sea of Clouds!
Hike up toward the Tai Ping lower cable car station (which was closed in January) – this cable car takes you to the North Gate. You will find many hotels, snacks stalls and drink bars in this area.
Follow signs to Shi Lin Hotel continuing on to see Stone Monkey Gazing over a Sea of Clouds (Lion Peak was closed in January due to weather conditions). Ahead of Monkey Peak you’ll find a few magnificent viewing spots but Monkey Peak is just fabulous! You will need to walk on stones (be careful here, it’s a strap area) to reach the end of the barrier for the best panoramic photo.
Coming down from the Monkey Peak you you can take a trail down toward the North Gate – it is 8km steep trail and there is a warning about taking the route in winter season. You also shouldn’t undertake this route after 3.30pm.
Begin to Believe Peak & Yun Gu Temple.
The main trail leads toward upper Yun Gu Cable car Station, you can visit Begin to Believe Peak on the way. You can either hike down from the mountain – or take a Yun Gu Cable car.
Hiking down takes about 2-2.5h. Cable car takes 10 minutes (80Y).
From Yun Gu Temple you will need to take a bus (19Y)toward the starting point or directly to Tangkou Town (the bus will drop you near the Tangkou Bridge), which about 5 minutes walk from the Kunlun Hostel.
The West Sea Canyon.
The West Sea Canyon is a deep gorge flanked by towering cliffs. It’s a full day hike along more challenging trail. It’s a famous area for watching the sunrise from the mountain peaks.
What to pack for hiking Huangshan Mountains?
Safety in any mountains should be a top priority.
- The trails in the Yellow Mountains can be steep and challenging, be sure to wear appropriate footwear.
- Carry plenty of water,
- Pack Snacks (nuts, protein bars) to keep your energy levels up during long hikes.
- In WINTER: gloves, a hat, warm hiking clothes, thermos with hot ginger lemon honey tea and tissues are a must. It was sooo cold in January in the mountains!
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