Booked Room 8888, Golden Summit View A. The view was magnificent, with the Golden Summit literally right outside our balcony. Hotel amenities were perfectly adequate.
It gets crowded during the day. A great tip is to wake up early the next morning for the sunrise. Once the sunrise crowds disperse, and before the main influx of tourists reaches areas like Laojun Temple, Daode Mansion, Golden Summit, and Yuanbao Terrace, you'll have these spots almost to yourself, enjoying the beautiful scenery in peace.
Twice a day, at 10 AM and 3 PM, hotel staff lead guests from Zidao Academy (at the scenic area entrance) to the cable car station via electric shuttle. From there, you can utilize a VIP lane (bypassing extensive queues) to take the express first-stage cable car up to Zhongtianmen. After a short walk, another VIP lane (again, avoiding long waits) grants access to the second-stage cable car, which brings you to the entrance of the Ten-Mile Gallery. I recommend taking the outer route – it offers excellent views and takes about 30 minutes – leading you directly to the cluster of Taoist temples.
**Important Tips:**
1. Be aware that you'll need to carry your own luggage. While hotel staff can arrange assistance, they charge a fee (a few hundred yuan) based on size and weight. My advice: either pack light or be prepared to pay to have your bags transported. It's much more enjoyable to explore hands-free.
2. I highly recommend purchasing the all-inclusive package, which covers accommodation, entrance tickets, and cable car passes. It genuinely saves a lot of hassle.
3. For the descent, you'll need to walk. I suggest starting your trek in the morning when the paths are less crowded, making for a more pleasant walk, and you'll avoid queues for the cable car. Once you reach Parking Lot 13, there's an electric shuttle bus; remember to tell them your hotel name, otherwise you'll have to purchase a ticket.
4. Given the limited resources on the mountain, the hotel's dining options are quite basic and not particularly varied – just enough to get by. However, you'll find Luckin Coffee and KFC for coffee, a few bubble tea shops (such as Mixue Ice Cream & Tea and Cha Ji), and some small convenience stores for snacks and essentials.
- Yizhixieliuguiererao
We booked a cloud-sea view room this time, but unfortunately, the weather didn't cooperate, so we couldn't see the sea of clouds. The room was spacious, and the amenities were comprehensive. The surroundings were beautiful, though the view from the balcony would have been even more picturesque without the obstructing ropes/cables. Traveling with a child, I was particularly drawn to their advertised 'butler service' when booking. However, my child caught a chill on the mountaintop and suddenly developed severe stomach pain during the night. I called the front desk for help, but they informed me they had no medication. The cable cars were all closed for the night, and the mountain was enveloped in thick fog, with extremely low temperatures and no lighting, making it absolutely impossible to go outside. My child suffered from intermittent pain from 3 AM until 7:30 AM, and during this entire period, the hotel offered no verbal reassurance or practical assistance. After we finally descended the mountain, it was a kind owner of a roadside shop who directed us to a nearby county hospital. There, my child had blood tests, an ultrasound, and was prescribed medication. I strongly recommend that anyone traveling with children, the elderly, or those with weaker health bring essential medications when ascending the mountain, just in case of emergencies. The hotel's external environment is quite good. However, if you're counting on the hotel's advertised butler service, you might as well forget about it. It amounts to little more than transportation up the mountain; beyond that, you're on your own, including the descent.
- Xieshougonglicheng
