Mount Emei: summit access, tickets and safe visit planning

Choose your visit before booking

Mount Emei is one of the holiest Buddhist mountains in China: the first Buddhist temple in China was built here in the 1st century AD, and later temples made it one of Buddhism's most sacred sites.^[1] You can spend the day at the lower and middle temples and walk the permitted paths, or you can add the Golden Summit, Jinding, at the top. The two trips differ in transport, walking and altitude, and a summit ticket does not guarantee clear views. The Leshan Giant Buddha shares the UNESCO listing with Emei but is a separate visit with its own ticket.

Construction and summit reservations

The mountain is open, but the Golden Summit area has crowd control. On 22 May 2026 the scenic-area authority announced that the parking lot and station at Leidongping will be closed for construction and the Golden Summit cable car will be upgraded, which cuts the capacity of the high-mountain buses and the cable car. From 23 May 2026 only 8,000 tickets a day are sold for the Golden Summit area, the high-mountain bus tickets to Leidongping are limited too, and timed entry reservations continue. The projects are expected to be finished in 2027.^[2]

Boarding and waiting at Leidongping have moved to a temporary area, and the old station building no longer offers overnight stays or a place to rest.^[2] Check the current notice and book your time slot early for a summit day.

Admission, buses and cable cars

The official fee list published on 8 January 2026 sets admission at 160 yuan per person in high season and 110 yuan in low season. The Golden Summit cable car costs 65 yuan up and 55 down in high season, and 30 up and 20 down in low season. The Wannian cable car costs 65 yuan up and 45 down in high season, and 30 up and 20 down in low season.^[3]

Sightseeing-bus round trips are priced per route: 90 yuan from Baoguo Temple or Huangwan to Leidongping, Wannian Temple and Wuxiangang and back; 40 yuan for the lower area between Baoguo Temple or Huangwan, Wuxiangang, Wannian Temple and Zero Kilometre; 70 yuan from Wuxiangang or Wannian Temple to Leidongping and back; and 50 yuan from Zero Kilometre to Leidongping and back.^[3] A high-season adult trip to the Golden Summit with the 90-yuan bus and the Golden Summit cable car up and down adds up to 370 yuan (160 + 90 + 65 + 55) before meals, onward transfers and temple fees.

Getting to the correct departure point

From Chengdu, make sure you head for Emeishan station for the mountain, not just the town of Emei, and book each leg in an operator system with its own arrival station. For a summit visit, book the right sightseeing bus and cable car, and allow time for walking between stops, including steps.

Walking routes and night restrictions

Night visits are banned every day from 18:00 to 06:00 on the footpaths, roads and non-open areas around the Qingyin Pavilion monkey area, Wannian Temple and Zero Kilometre. The checkpoints at the Qingyin Pavilion monkey area and at Wannian Temple stop uphill passage in those hours, and the Xixiangchi checkpoint stops downhill passage. Pedestrians may not walk the road from Zero Kilometre to Leidongping at any time.^[4] Entering non-open areas without permission to hike, climb or camp is also forbidden, and violators bear the cost of any accident or rescue and face penalties.^[5]

A pre-dawn climb on a banned path is not an option. For a sunrise visit, book a hotel or an arrangement that confirms how you get up, when you can enter and how you get back. Clouds, closures and limited transport capacity can hide the sunrise whatever you book.

Altitude, weather and overnight stays

A bus or cable car spares your legs, but not your body: rapid ascent still carries the risk of altitude illness. US health authorities advise ascending gradually, never going higher to sleep when you have symptoms, and descending if symptoms get worse despite rest. Confusion, trouble walking and drowsiness are signs of severe altitude illness and need a descent and medical help at once.^[6] If you have a health condition, talk to a doctor about your plan before you go.

Check the weather and closure information before you go, and pack footwear with grip, rain protection and warm layers, because the lower and upper areas feel very different. A walking pole helps with balance on permitted trails. Stay away from exposed edges, and turn back if conditions turn, even if your ticket is prepaid.

Wildlife and temple etiquette

The Tibetan macaques are wild animals. The authority asks visitors to keep a safe distance and not to feed or tease them.^[7] Keep children close and do not touch the monkeys. After a bite or scratch, wash the wound well with plenty of soap and running water and get medical care immediately, even if the wound looks minor or you were vaccinated against rabies.^[8] In the temples, follow the local rules for photos and worship, and ask before you photograph where you are unsure.

Allow time for a flexible return

Choose a realistic set of temples, paths or summit sights instead of trying to see the whole mountain in a set number of hours. Allow time for transfers, queues, walking, breaks and the last confirmed return connection. Leshan is a separate trip: its Giant Buddha was carved out of a hillside in the 8th century, looks down on the confluence of three rivers and, at 71 metres, is the largest Buddha in the world.^[1] Combine it with Emei only if your transport and tickets leave you enough time.