Things to do in Huangshan

Thank you to our tour leader, Mr. Gu, for his professional and attentive service. The itinerary was flexible and relaxed. He planned ahead during the National Holiday to avoid congestion and thoughtfully prepared items such as umbrellas and bottled water. Thanks to him, we were able to deeply experience the charm of Shanxi, making our trip exceptionally comfortable.

Huangshan is not a single mountain you climb to a peak.It is a vast, ethereal world of granite. Imagine colossal pillars, twisted pines clinging defiantly to rock faces, and clouds that don't float above you but flow through the valleys below, dissolving and reforming in minutes. A day trip would be a frantic, exhausting tease. Staying overnight lets you experience the magical sunrise/sunset and explore at a better pace.

The itinerary is not precise. The departure time was not 12.40pm as stated but at 1.30pm and not departed from Tangkou but the pick up bus straight brought us to Hongcun village. The heat of the day made the driver and tour guide quite impatient. The accomodation provided is old and gloomy. Luckily the counter staff upgraded us to a better room. Upon arriving to Tangkou the next morning, the pick up bus left us and we had to pay ¥15.00 per piece to store our luggages in a shop. Tour guide didn't inform us about this and even didn't tell us that there are plenty of food stores (with affordable and delicious food)on top of the mountain. He only encouraged us to pay extra ¥80.00 for a lunch. Another thing we had to pay is the pick up bus doesn't send us to the main entrance and cable car station. Everyone must pay ¥38.00 per person to a blue bus to take us up and later down. Cable cars total cost ¥370.00 per person. There are so much extra to pay along the way. for this inexpensive tour.

The scenery over there is breathtaking and I would go there again if my body allow me to climb the steps.

Lucas was my guide and he was very proactive and accommodating to my needs and provided a lot of information en route. The itinerary was well organized and the quality of views were dependant on the weather, overall it was a good tour.