Hiking on Mt. Huangshan

Huangshan with its fascinating scenery attracts more and more tourists all year round. The transportation in Huangshan is very convenient. It is only 5 kilometers from Huangshan airport to downtown. You can easily find the shuttle bus in the airport, with ticket costing CNY5. Or you can take a taxi to downtown for approximately CNY25. From Huangshan railway station, the bus to Huangshan scenic area will take you for CNY13. 

From Huangshan City to Mt. Huangshan, it is suggested you use the National Highway No.205. Usually it takes about 1.5 hours. Along the highway, you will reach the gate to the Huangshan Mountain. If you get to Mt. Huangshan in the late afternoon, you might stay one night in Tangkou Town, located at the foot of the mountain. The hotels and hostels in Tangkou number in the hundreds, with different classes and styles, and you can find your preferred standard for an economical price. Here we would like to recommend the Huangshan Yunhailou Hotel for you. The clean room with fresh facilities and its friendly service have won it a high reputation among travelers. You may check it trough 0559-5561109 or go through their webpage at http://www.yunhailou.com/english/..

Splendid Mt. Huangshan

The next day, you should get up early. Then, go to climb up the mountain. There are three identified routes. One is 'Ciguang Pavilion (Mercy Light Pavilion) - Tiandufeng Peak - Yupinglou (Jade Screen Pavilion) - Lotus Peak - Guangmingding Top - Xihai - Beihai', this is called the South Route. The East Route is 'Yungu Temple - White Goose Ridge (Bai E Ling) - Shixinfeng Peak - Beihai'. The last one is North Route, Furongling (Lotus Mountain) - Songgu Nunnery - Beihai Hotel. If you choose the first route, you may feel very tired. What's more, it's easy to climb up the Tiandufeng Peak but very dangerous to hike down. Most people prefer the second route, as it's easier to finish. 
The third route is a mountain road of 12 kilometers. Along this way, you can appreciate the virgin mountains, peaks and so on. Whichever route you choose to climb up, you can also take another one as the way climbing down. In this way, you will not miss the most beautiful parts.
For the sake of safety, however, keep this saying in mind: Don't walk if you want to enjoy views, and don't get distracted by views while walking.

Also you can regard exploring Xihai or Donghai grand canyons as your hiking itinerary. After breakfast, start exploring the Grand Canyon, a newly developed scenic site with breath-taking view. From Paiyun Pavilion to Buxian Bridge, it is over 6 kilometers. Along this route, there are numerous steep mountains and deep valleys, really stunning indeed. Its beauty and precipitous nature are simply beyond words! You'll need about 6 hours to do the whole loop.

As for the meals in Huangshan, you are advised to have a big breakfast before you go climbing. You'd better take some bread or a lunch box as you can only get lunch in the hotel restaurants in the mountain and it is pretty expensive there. When you get back in the evening, you can have a good dinner.