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How to Plan a Huangshan Tour (Best Itineraries and Travel Tips)

How to Plan a Huangshan Tour (Best Itineraries and Travel Tips)

Written by Chris QuanUpdated Mar. 4, 2024

Planning a trip to Huangshan involves discovering the hidden gems of this Chinese wonder. This guide is designed to assist in exploring the enchanting landscapes and cultural richness of this remarkable destination, providing valuable insights for an unforgettable experience.

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Highlights in Huangshan

The Yellow Mountains are absolutely the highlight. Either a cable car or walking are ways to get around. For adventures, if the weather permits, you could have a flying experience with a paramotor. It is also well worth getting up early to watch the sunrise.

Visit nearby villages. Hongcun Village at the foot of the Yellow Mountains is the most popular one where you could learn about the original Hui style architecture (a type of traditional Chinese architecture) and have some cultural experiences like making fish-shaped lanterns.

HuangshanOur guests are learning to make lanterns in Hongcun Village.

Bishan Village, though it will be a little far away from the Yellow Mountain is also recommended for its peaceful vibe if you want to escape from the noisy city. Ride a bike along the field, listen to the chirp, or just have a cup of coffee on the hotel terrace and enjoy the idyllic views in the distance.

How Long to Spend in Huangshan

HuangshanOur Family guests in Huangshan

We suggest at least a 3-day Huangshan trip for the essence experience and a not-in-rush travel pace. See our 3-Day Ancient Villages and Yellow Mountain Tour.

If you wish to experience more activities like those mentioned above, such as learning to make lanterns or embarking on a trekking tour, you may require approximately 4 to 5 days. See 4 Days Trekking in the Yellow Mountains Tour.

Huangshan is usually a stop for many first-time visitors to China. If you want to include Huangshan in your trip to China, you could see our 2-Week Beijing, Guilin, Hangzhou, Huangshan, and Shanghai.

You could get more ideas on our How Long to Spend in Huangshan or contact us to make a Huangshan (or China) itinerary based on your needs.

Suggested 5-Day Huangshan Itinerary

  • Day 1: Arrival and rest
  • Days 2-3: The Yellow Mountains sightseeing (hiking, watching the sunset and sunrise, a flying experience)
  • Day 4: Visit Bishan village and Hongcun village with a lantern-making experience
  • Day 5: Departure

For more details, you could see our 5-Day Dynamic Huangshan Tour

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When to Go

huangshan weather

Generally speaking, Huangshan is worth visiting all year round.

In spring and summer, the natural scenery is very green, and you can see more different views with the changeable weather. You can appreciate seas of clouds on the Yellow Mountains and appreciate yellow rape flowers along the road. You can see red flowers covering the mountains in May.

Cool autumn is a good season to climb mountains, with less rain, and the red leaves on the Yellow Mountains are beautiful.

In winter, though the Yellow Mountains are cold, is still worth traveling. You can also see the snow-capped mountains and rime trees if you're lucky enough to meet the snowy weather. Both the scenic area and hotels are on discount, and you can enjoy a virtually crowd-free trip in winter.

See more on Best Times to Visit Huangshan

Get to Huangshan

If you travel to Huangshan from its nearby cities such as Shanghai and Hangzhou, taking a bullet train is the most popular way.

If you are traveling from some other city such as Beijing, it is faster to fly, of course, you could also choose to take a bullet train.

Get Around Huangshan

The majority of sightseeing in Huangshan relies on car transportation, whether it's commuting from hotels to the Yellow Mountains or exploring villages. Public transportation poses difficulties in accessing certain village areas like Bishan Village for sightseeing. Opting for a taxi is notably less convenient and flexible compared to the freedom and convenience offered by private cars.

We will manage all the transport within Huangshan and provide private transfers to enable a smooth and hassle-free journey. All our tours are customized. Just contact us to create your Huangshan trip based on your interests and requirements.

Where to Stay in Huangshan

HuangshanA boutique hotel converted from a pigsty in Bishan Village

The accommodation areas we recommend are mainly based on different sightseeing needs:

If you want to see the sunrise and sunset in the Yellow Mountains and want to visit the mountains more conveniently, we recommend choosing the hotels on the mountain. Spend one day to climb the mountains, then spend a night on the mountain, and descend on the next day.

Huangshan has many boutique hotels with a peaceful and artistic vibe. Some of them have been converted from traditional buildings, retaining the local architectural style. If you want to enjoy the quiet countryside, we highly recommend staying there for a few nights, waking up in the fresh air and cycling around the surrounding fields.

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