Emei Mountain Family Trip Breakdown! Don’t Miss These 5 Pitfalls or You’ll Regret It!

Girls! Just got back from Emei Mountain with my 7-year-old, my legs were so sore I had to crawl up the stairs😭 This "Cloud Golden Summit" is breathtakingly beautiful, but traveling with kids can be a meltdown waiting to happen! Here’s my blood-and-tears guide to avoiding pitfalls, broken down for you👇 🚗【Transportation Hits】 Never take an unlicensed taxi! From the high-speed rail station to "Only Emei Mountain" the price was quoted at 50 yuan, but Didi was only 12 yuan😱 If you’re driving, don’t take a sedan! The mountain road from zero kilometers to Leidongping is so winding my kid threw up three times. Later we found out the scenic area shuttle bus (book via Emei Mountain official WeChat) has child safety seats! 🗺️【2 Days 1 Night Itinerary】 Day 1: Chengdu → "Only Emei Mountain" theater (kid cried from the cloud mist effects) → stay at Hongzhu Mountain Hotel (soaked in hot springs until skin peeled) Day 2: Leidongping sightseeing bus (1-hour queue, froze like an ice pop) → Golden Summit cable car (packed like sardines) → hike down (kid threw a tantrum lying on the steps) ⚠️【Must-Know for Traveling with Kids】 1️⃣ Don’t choose the round-trip cable car at the Golden Summit! The glass cabins reflect too much to capture the sea of clouds; choose the loop cable car which can open windows. 2️⃣ Bring an oxygen bottle! Leidongping is at 2430 meters altitude, my kid got dizzy after just a few steps. 3️⃣ Monkey defense kit: backpack + thermos + plastic bags! Saw a sister’s milk tea stolen by a monkey. 4️⃣ Hongzhu Mountain Hotel hot springs require swim caps! They sell them on site for 25 yuan each—total rip-off. 5️⃣ Bring a jacket to the "Only Emei Mountain" theater! The air conditioning is so strong you’ll shiver. 📸【Photo Spots】 ✔️Side of the Ten Directions Samantabhadra Statue at the Golden Summit (use the prayer wheel to block crowds) ✔️"Only Emei Mountain" Cloud Theater (beautiful light through tiles at 4 PM) ✔️Leidongping steps to Jieyin Hall (catch your kid feeding squirrels) ✔️Hongzhu Mountain Hotel forest trail (shoot the green wilderness in morning mist) ✔️Emei Mountain scenic area entrance archway (shoot upwards to avoid tour groups) 🍜【Foodie Tips】 ✅Cao’s Tofu Pudding with Crispy Pork near Baoguo Temple (ask for no spice for kids) ✅Leidongping grilled sausages, choose pure meat! Starch sausages freeze hard and are impossible to chew. ❌Be cautious buying Ye’er Ba (leaf cakes) in the scenic area! Sticky glutinous rice that sticks to teeth and causes meltdown. ❌Golden Summit vegetarian set meal 50 yuan/serving! The pickled radish is so salty you’ll drink water nonstop. ✅Barbecue stall at Southwest Jiaotong University gate at the foot of the mountain (thin crispy potato slices are amazing). 🏨【Accommodation Pitfalls】 Leidongping Foguang Hotel has poor heating! The quilt was so damp you could wring water out💔 Later switched to Golden Summit Grand Hotel (expensive but floor heating saved us), they gave a zodiac gold card amulet~ Avoid the "Yuanlai Inn" at the scenic area entrance, the soundproofing is so bad you can hear your neighbor snoring! 💡【Hidden Tips】 1️⃣ At "Only Emei Mountain," find the guy in the gray jacket! Free theater-style oil-paper umbrella props. 2️⃣ Feed peacocks behind Hongzhu Mountain Hotel! 5 yuan per pack of feed, better value than a zoo. 3️⃣ Rent a pink coat at Leidongping! 30 yuan each, looks slim in photos. 4️⃣ Bring 1 yuan bills! Exchange for coins at Wannian Temple entrance to toss in the wishing pool. 5️⃣ Bring a raincoat, not an umbrella! The fierce winds at the Golden Summit will snap umbrella ribs instantly. Summary: Emei Mountain is definitely a must-visit in your lifetime! But traveling with kids is like a pilgrimage to the West 🐒 Recommended for kids 8 and older, who can handle cold, hunger, and monkeys! Not advised for toddlers; saw parents carrying kids up the mountain who fell and scraped their knees (heartbreaking!) 🌅 Sunrise Warning: To see the sea of clouds, stay at the Golden Summit! We climbed up in the dark at 5 AM and froze, but the thick fog blocked everything😭 Check the "Emei Mountain Scenic Area" live stream before you go! 🐒 Monkey Social Tips: Don’t make eye contact with blocking monkeys! Protect your kids and back away slowly. We were surrounded by a monkey gang and almost had to pay a toll (peanuts saved us!) Bring some nuts, they can keep you safe in critical moments~