Luoyang Departure: Yuntai Mountain, Hongshi Gorge and Zhuyu Peak, 4 Days 3 Nights

The coach leaves Luoyang at eight and takes the expressway north, reaching Xiuwu in about two hours. Drop the bags at the guesthouse in Anshang first; that cluster of houses sits inside the park, and the shuttle stop is at the door. Lunch is at the guesthouse, steamed iron-stick yam and a bowl of braised noodles. The afternoon is free for Wanshan Temple, an old Ming hall on the slope behind the village, with a few cypresses shading the yard.

Attraction introduction: Yuntai Mountain lies in Xiuwu county, Jiaozuo, on the southern edge of the Taihang range, and takes its name from the cloud and mist that sit in the valleys. The park is made up of Hongshi Gorge, Tanpu Gorge, Quanpu Gorge, Macaque Valley and Zhuyu Peak, linked by shuttle buses. Wanshan Temple, built in the Ming dynasty, is one of the few sites inside the park that charges no admission.

Tips: The peak-season ticket is 120 yuan plus a mandatory 60 yuan shuttle pass, and both hold for three days with unlimited entries, so there is no reason to enter the gorge on the first afternoon. Guests generally find that staying in Anshang saves time in the morning, because the shuttle stop is a two-minute walk. In practice, treat day one as a buffer and start early tomorrow.

Breakfast at seven thirty, then straight into the gorge. Hongshi Gorge is one way: down the steps at the entrance, then forward along the boardwalk with no turning back. The walls are purple-red sandstone cut into horizontal bands by water, and the pools below run green. The walk ends at the Zifang Lake exit around noon. In the afternoon take the shuttle to the lake dam, where the wind comes off the water and speedboats circle.

Attraction introduction: Hongshi Gorge runs about 1.5 kilometres, and at its narrowest the passage fits one person sideways. The bed is purple-red quartz sandstone, a Danxia formation, and the stream collects in a chain of pools. Zifang Lake sits at the gorge exit and is named after the courtesy name of Zhang Liang, the Han dynasty strategist.

Tips: The gorge is cooler than the plateau above, so bring a thin jacket even in summer, and wear shoes with grip because the boardwalk stays wet. Guests generally find the entrance queue builds after nine and that the full walk takes about an hour and a half. In practice, half an hour earlier beats half an hour of standing at the gate.

The morning goes to Tanpu Gorge, known locally as Xiaozhaigou, three kilometres in and out on flat ground with a stream alongside. The Y-shaped fall has the widest pool, the Lovers fall splits into two threads, and at Water Curtain Cave the path passes behind the water. Back to Anshang for lunch and a nap. In the afternoon walk Quanpu Gorge, which ends at the Yuntai waterfall dropping straight off the cliff lip, with a rainbow on clear days.

Attraction introduction: Tanpu and Quanpu share one valley. Tanpu is dense with pools and small falls, water appearing every few dozen steps; Quanpu, also called Laotangou, ends at the Yuntai waterfall, a single drop of 314 metres and the signature of the park. Neither walk climbs seriously; both are flat paths and gentle slopes.

Tips: The last stretch to the waterfall is a set of uphill steps, so take it slowly if your knees complain. Guests generally find the fall carries less water in autumn and winter than in flood season, though the gorge is quieter then. In practice, split the two walks across morning and afternoon and rest at the guesthouse in between.

Take the shuttle up early, and the road itself is the attraction: the Diecai tunnels, fourteen spirals bored one after another, the window going bright and dark by turns. At the foot of Zhuyu Peak there is a cable car, or steps for those who prefer them. The summit stands at 1,308 metres, and the view is ridge behind ridge. Noodles at the bottom, then the drive back to Luoyang in the afternoon.

Attraction introduction: Zhuyu Peak is the highest point of Yuntai Mountain. The Tang poet Wang Wei wrote of climbing with dogwood sprigs in his hair, and the hills in that poem are these. The access road, Diecai, was cut into the cliff face section by section and corkscrews through fourteen tunnels.

Tips: The summit is windy and five or six degrees colder than the valley, so carry a jacket. Guests generally find the cable car queues in the afternoon and the morning quiet. In practice, put Zhuyu Peak on the last morning so the return to Luoyang still lands before dinner.