One Day Private Tour to Mt. Huashan

►  If you would like to take a Huashan tour from Xi’an on your own, we are pleased to offer the following independent travel information for your reference.

Mt. Huashan is located in Huayin City, 120 kilometers (75 miles) east of Xi'an, Shaanxi Province. With an altitude of 2,160 meters (7,087 feet), Mt. Huashan is one of the five sacred mountains in China, famous for its lofty peaks. To help you explore this splendid attraction easily, we will show you the convenient transfers from Xi'an to Huashan, the recommended climbing route, and the introduction of the mount’s history and landscape.

How to reach Mt. Huashan from Xi'an
Mt. Huashan is 138 kilometers (86 miles) from Xi'an Xianyang Airport. Unfortunately, there is no direct bus from the airport, so you will have to go to downtown Xi'an and take a train or bus from there.

By train:
About 50 bullet trains per day travel from Xi'an North Railway Station to Huashan North Station. Please feel free to contact us if you need any train ticket-booking service. The train journey takes about 30 minutes and the second-class seat is CNY54.5 per person. On arrival, you can take Huayin tourist bus No.1 (from 07:10 to 19:20) with an interval of 25 min for free or a tourist taxi (CNY 10) to get to the scenic area.

By Bus:

1. From Fangzhicheng Bus Station, 6 buses per day departing at 08:40, 10:30, 13:30, 15:30, 17:30 and 19:30 respectively. It takes about 2 hours for a single journey and costs CNY 39.5 per person.

2. Opposite Xi'an Railway Station South Square, you will also find shuttle buses to Mt. Huashan. These buses are run by local tourist companies and the departure time is not fixed. Generally, they depart every 30 minutes or once filled up with passengers. And you could easily find one there waiting to depart. The trip takes 2 hours and costs about CNY 40 per person.

Kindly Reminder: The departure of trains and buses is subject to change. Please check it before the trip. We are of your service 24/7 whenever you need more information.

The Most Popular Route Choice
Mt. Huashan has five peaks: West Peak, South Peak, Middle Peak, East Peak, and North Peak.
Here we offer a popular route for most visitors, and you will see highlights as many as possible. See the brief description of the three sections of the popular trekking route:

1st section: Foot of Mt. Huashan (Yuquan Temple) --> Mind Changing Stone --> North Peak
Road conditions: Winding trail from Yuquan Temple to Qingke Terrace
Stone stairway from Qingke Terrace to Mind Changing Stone
Steep ladders from Mind Changing Stone to North Peak

2nd section: North Peak --> Golden Lock Pass
Road conditions: Steep ladders

3rd section: Golden Lock Pass -->Top of the rest Main Peaks
Road conditions: Flat trail and some ladders

Please note that two main options are available to reach the North Peak. The first is to trek from Yuquan Temple at the west gate of Mt. Huashan so you can enjoy the amazing scenery along the way. The second option is to take the cable car (7 to 8 minutes; CNY 80 one way and CNY 150 for a round trip) from the east gate to the North Peak directly. This saves time and energy to reach other peaks. (The cable car runs from 07:00 to 19:00 between April and October, from 09:00 to 17:00 between November and March).

To One-day Explorers
Should you have a tight schedule, just take one day for your exploration. This will require a departure from Xi'an in the early morning. Then take the shuttle bus to the east gate of Mt. Huashan to take the cable car up to the North Peak. From the North Peak, you have a series of paths to reach the remaining four peaks. You will have 3 to 5 hours’ trekking time, but be sure to leave enough time to catch the last cable car down the mountain to avoid being stranded.

To Sunrise Watchers
If you want to reach the East Peak to watch the sunrise, you can climb from Yuquan Temple at night. Having watched the sunrise, you can then visit the Middle Peak, South Peak, West Peak and return to Golden Lock Pass to the foot of the mountain. This trip takes about 8 to 10 hours one way and this is also considered safer because in the dark you won't feel terrified to see the steep cliffs. However, you will miss out the breathtaking scenery.

To the First-timers
If this is your first time to Mt. Huashan, we suggest that you climb the mountain at night and enjoy the spectacular sunrise the next morning. Here is our suggested route:

Start your trip from Yuquan Temple, a Taoist temple at the entrance to Mt. Huashan. There is a 20-minute walk before you come to the ticket office at Five Dragons Bridge. The admission fee is CNY 180 from Mar. to Nov. and CNY 100 between Dec. to Feb. The first section from the entrance to Mind Changing Stone is a relatively easy uphill path. Some small shops are scattered along the road. You will pass the Fish Stone (20 minutes) – Five-Mile Pass (15 minutes) – Stone Gate (25 minutes) – Cloud Gate (20 minutes) – Mind Changing Stone.

It takes nearly 2 hours to reach the Mind Changing Stone, the real starting point of this trek. You will find narrow steps instead of a flat path, and it will become steeper as you progress. Beside the rock, as you continue to climb the 370 steep steps, you will go along a very breathtaking path, known as Thousand-Foot Precipice. Here you can only climb with the assistance of the iron chains. Just as its name implies, this site is 1,000 feet high and only 1 meter wide. The towering rocks and cliffs around will make you feel as if you were walking at the bottom of a well. Although this section is difficult, it is safe to use the chains and step carefully.

Cross the Thousand-Foot Precipice and continue to walk for 15 minutes. You will see Hundred-Foot Crevice, another precipitous path. Keep on climbing for another 25 minutes, and you will reach the North Peak (1,614 meters high), the terminal of the cable car. The North Peak is also named Cloud Terrace Peak as steep cliffs surround the peak in all directions just like a flat terrace in the clouds. Standing here you can see the other three peaks and Black Dragon Ridge. Here you will also pass the Ca'er Cliff (ear rubbing cliff), to one side of the North Peak.

Not far away from Ca'er Cliff, you need to climb 999 stairs to reach the Heavenward Ladder and view the Riyue Cliff. Continue to hike for another 5 minutes, and Black Dragon Ridge will beckon you nearby. It is a path built on the mountain ridge which is one meter (3.3 ft.) wide and you can only move with the help of iron rails. The overhanging cliffs on each side are nearly 70 meters (230 ft.) high. After you walk across this section, you will feel more relaxed as the trail flattens and the steps are wider.

The next site is Golden Lock Pass. It is a custom to hang a golden padlock on the iron chains with families and friends as a prayer for happiness and good health. Up to now, you have successfully reached the end of the so-called “one way path of Mt. Huashan”. From Golden Lock Pass, you can continue to trek either clockwise or counter-clockwise. It is recommended that you follow the clockwise way from Golden Lock Pass - East Peak – Heavenly South Gate - South Peak - West Peak - Middle Peak - Golden Lock Pass; though you can reverse the order this way if you prefer to trek counter-clockwise.

East Peak (2,090 meters high) has the best view of the sunrise. From Golden Lock Pass, you have to walk for another 30 minutes and climb the Cloud Ladder, which is about 10 meters (33 ft.) high. Then you will finally reach Sun Watching Terrace, the top of the East Peak. There you can also see the famous Yaozi Fanshen Road, Chess Pavilion and Immortal Palm. Check in at the Dongfeng Hotel for a night and have a simple dinner there (it pays to make an early reservation). The next morning, you can enjoy the spectacular sunrise at dawn. The following schedule is the time of sunrise and sunset:

Tips: There are six decent hotels (North Peak Hotel, Wuyun Peak Hotel, Middle Peak Hotel, East Peak Hotel, Zhenyu Gong, Chaoyang Gong Hotel). Many hostels (CNY 150-200 for a bed for a night) on the mountain are also available. The prices at the hostels are negotiable.

On the second day, after watching the sunrise at the East Peak, continue your way to the other three peaks. It takes 35 minutes to reach Heavenly South Gate from East Peak. You will also pass the Changkong Plank Road, one of the most dangerous sites on Mt. Huashan. It is about 110 meters (360 ft.) long and only 0.33 meters (1 ft.) wide. Refresh yourself before you go for the next stop.

Then, after passing Heaven Watching Pool in another 25 minutes, you will reach the South Peak (2,160 meters high), "the Monarch of Mt. Huashan". You can be proud to say that you've conquered Mt. Huashan. Then walk to West Peak (2,082 meters high), taking another 35 minutes, and there are no railings along this way but only an old wooden plank. You can visit the Taoist Temple and Cuiyun Palace.

Continue to walk downwards for another 30 minutes to the Middle Peak where you will have a chance to visit the Taoist Jade Maiden Temple, Rootless Tree and Sacrificing Tree. The Middle Peak is actually regarded as a branch of the East Peak and the view is not as outstanding; you can leave out this part if you are feeling tired.

From the Middle Peak, you can return to North Peak through Golden Lock Pass and Black Dragon Ridge the same way, which takes about 1 hour. Then take the cable car to the foot of the mountain and catch the shuttle bus back to Xi'an.

Further Tips:
1. You should take gloves, a raincoat, any necessary medicines and a flashlight if at night.
2. The average temperature on the mountain is 6.8℃, so be sure to take enough clothes.
3. You can rent an overcoat for CNY 50 on the mountain with a deposit of CNY 100.
4. Leave any heavy luggage at the foot of the mountain.
5. Don't drink too much water as it is not easy to find toilets on the mountain.
6. The best seasons for visiting Mt. Huashan are spring (March to May) and autumn (September to October).
7. Please do remember to avoid climbing the mountain on Chinese holidays, such as May Day (May 1st to 3rd) and National Day (Oct 1st to 7th).