Mount Emei Travel Guide: Trains from Chengdu, Hiking Routes and Real Costs

Mount Emei is the highest of China’s four sacred Buddhist mountains and one of the easiest big mountains in the country to reach: a high-speed train from Chengdu puts you at the foot of it in about 90 minutes. That combination — 3,099 metres of altitude, a 1,000-year-old temple network and a railway station 3 km away — is why it receives millions of visitors a year and why the logistics matter more than the scenery.

This guide is about those logistics. Which of the three ascent routes suits your legs and your schedule, what the buses and cable cars actually cost, where to sleep if you want to be on the summit at dawn, and the mistakes that turn a two-day mountain into a two-day queue. For the case for going at all, and what to look at once you are up there, see the companion piece on why Mount Emei is worth the trip.

Mount Emei at a glance

Getting there

By high-speed train

Trains leave Chengdu East and Chengdu South throughout the day for Emeishan station, taking about 1 hour 10 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes. A second-class ticket is around ¥65; book on 12306 with your passport, as the China high-speed rail guide explains. Note the name: there is also an older “Emei” station in the city centre, which is further from the mountain and not where you want to end up.

From Emeishan station, a local bus or taxi covers the short distance to the Baoguo Temple entrance in 10 to 15 minutes (about ¥20–30 by taxi). Ticket offices, luggage storage and the shuttle bus terminal are all in the same square.

By bus

Long-distance buses run from Chengdu’s Xinnanmen station to Emeishan in about 2.5 hours. They are cheaper and less comfortable than the train, and on holiday weekends the expressway can add an hour. If you are coming from Leshan, the bus takes about 45 minutes and is the natural way to combine the two.

By air

Chengdu has two airports. From either, take the metro or airport bus into the city and continue by high-speed rail; there is no useful direct airport connection to Emeishan. Allow half a day between landing and reaching the mountain.

Three ways up, and how to choose

1. The full hike: Baoguo Temple to the Golden Summit

The classic route is about 50 km with 2,550 metres of ascent, following stone-paved pilgrim paths through forest, past temples, and up the long staircase between Xixiang Pool and Leidongping. Most people split it into two days: Baoguo to Wannian Temple (3–4 hours), Wannian to Xixiang Pool (3–4 hours), then Xixiang Pool to the summit (4–5 hours) the next morning.

This is the version worth doing if you have the time. The mountain changes as you climb: subtropical broadleaf forest at the bottom, mixed forest and bamboo in the middle, firs and finally bare rock and cloud at the top. It is also hard — the upper stairs are relentless, and the altitude begins to register above 2,500 metres. Carry more water than you think you need; the stalls thin out after Leidongping.

2. Half hike: bus to Wannian, walk the middle

The best compromise. Take the shuttle from Baoguo to the Wannian Temple car park, walk up to Wannian Temple (or take its small cable car), then continue on foot through the forest to Xixiang Pool, and pick up the bus again at Leidongping. You get four to five hours of real walking, the best temples and the monkey zone, without committing to 50 km.

3. Bus and cable car: summit in three hours

The shuttle bus from Baoguo climbs to Leidongping in about 1.5 hours on a road with a lot of hairpins; from there, a five-minute cable car covers the last stretch to the Golden Summit. Total time from the entrance is 2.5 to 3 hours. This is the right choice in winter, with children, or if you are day-tripping from Chengdu — but understand that you will experience the summit and almost nothing in between.

A two-day plan that works

Day 1. Catch a train from Chengdu before 8 am, leave bags at Baoguo Temple town, and take the shuttle to Wannian. Walk up to Wannian Temple, then follow the path to Qingyin Pavilion and on towards Xixiang Pool. Sleep at a temple guesthouse or a small hotel in the Xixiang Pool area. Dinner is vegetarian, served early, and the lights go out soon after.

Day 2. Start walking at 6 am for the three to four hours to Leidongping, or take the first bus if the weather is closing in. Walk or ride the cable car to the summit, spend an hour at the Golden Summit, then descend by cable car and shuttle bus. You can be back at Emeishan station by late afternoon, or stay a second night at the base and visit Leshan the next day.

Tickets and costs

Prices are indicative for 2025–2026 and change with season. Foreign cards are unreliable at ticket windows and in the mini-program, so set up Alipay or WeChat Pay in advance and keep a few hundred yuan in cash.

Where to stay

Baoguo Temple town is the base for almost everything: guesthouses from ¥150, restaurants, bus tickets, luggage storage and the entrance gate within walking distance. It is not beautiful, but it is convenient.

Wannian and Xixiang Pool are the mid-mountain stops, with temple guesthouses and a few small hotels. Rooms are simple, heating is limited, and dinner is whatever the kitchen is serving. This is where you sleep if you are walking the mountain properly.

Leidongping sits just below the cable car and has the most practical altitude: you are high enough to reach the summit in an hour, low enough to sleep. It is also the coldest and dampest option outside the summit itself.

The Golden Summit has a small cluster of hotels. They are expensive for what they are, but they are the only way to see sunrise without a 4 am start on a bus.

When to go

If you are here for the view rather than the walk, September to November is the answer. If you want the mountain to yourself, January — with proper boots and a down jacket — is better than most people expect.

Practical notes

• Monkeys: the Tibetan macaques between Qingyin Pavilion and Hongchunping are bold. Do not carry food in an open bag, do not feed them, and do not make eye contact with a large male.
• Weather: the summit can be 15°C colder than the base and in cloud while Baoguo is sunny. Carry a shell and a warm layer even in summer.
• Altitude: 3,099 metres is not high enough to cause serious sickness in most people, but the last 700 metres of climbing will feel harder than the numbers suggest.
• Cash: temple donation boxes, small stalls and some guesthouses still prefer it.
• Luggage: store bags at Baoguo or the station rather than carrying them up; this packing list covers what to leave behind.
• Combining: the Leshan Giant Buddha is 30 minutes away by train and shares the UNESCO listing, making a natural half-day add-on.

Where to go next

Mount Emei sits in the middle of the best mountain country in Sichuan. These guides will help you sequence the rest: what makes Emei worth the climb, the best scenic spots in Sichuan, Mount Siguniang, and Jiuzhaigou Valley. For the wider region, see the best places in southwest China.