Zhangjiajie National Park: what to see, tips and where to stay

In this guide we share everything you need to organize your visit to Zhangjiajie National Park: what to see, where to stay, what to do in the surroundings, how to get around and essential tips. First of all, you should know that this natural space and its sharp mountains It was the place that inspired the creators of the floating mountains in the movie Avatar. In addition, in this region there are other natural wonders very close that you should include in your list of places to see in China. From the famous Zhangjiajie National Forest Park to the impressive Tianmen Mountain and, finally, the World's tallest and longest Glass Bridge next to the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon. Below, we tell you everything you need to plan your visit, you have a super complete video at the end!

Next, we detail the small index of the contents that you will find throughout this guide to visit Zhangjiajie on your own.

Zhangjiajie: what to see in China's Avatar Park and surroundings

As we said, in this area of ​​ChinaWithin the province of Hunan, we find three main tourist attractions, all three about 40 minutes from each other. El Zhangjiajie National Park, Tianmen Mountain and the Zhangjiajie Glass Bridge with its Grand Canyon. So, if you want to visit them all, reserve at least three full days for this part of your trip to China. The map that we show you below is quite illustrative. Now let's go with the essentials by area!

Zhangjiajie National Park what to see and information to take into account

El zhangjiajie national park, also popularly known as the Avatar Park in China, stands out for its pillar-shaped mountains that seem to float in the middle of the fog (characteristic of this area). They have one average height of 200 meters, although we find them of different sizes throughout this natural space that occupies 4.810 hectares. Given the dimensions, please note that if you want tour the entire park and mountains of Zhangjiajie, you will need at least four days. However, we believe that with a full day you will be able to explore the Essential scenic areas to see in Zhangjiajie National Park. We share them below.

• Golden Whip Stream Trail: is a path next to a stream between rock formations. The distance is 7,5 kilometers each way (It is usually done only in one direction, and then visit Huangshi Village). If you are lucky, you will meet various monkeys. Walking the entire trail will take you half a morning. If you want to have time to visit several scenic spots, we recommend getting up early. Keep in mind that from here you will see the rock formations from below.

• Yuanjiajie Scenic Area: To see the rock formations from above, we recommend this area. Here there are several attractions such as the famous "Heaven Pillar" or "Hallelujah Mountain", one of the most brutal pillars in the park (the one in the previous photo). Here we also find a natural stone bridge. It is very close to Bailong elevator, the largest open-air elevator in the world with a height of 326 meters. You can leave this part to visit in the afternoon. In the morning all the groups of Asians go and they also get up early.

If you had more time to discover other places to see in Zhangjiajie, notes Huangshi Village (you can do it after the trail) and also Tianzi Mountain. Each one at one end of the park and to ascend both, you must pay the corresponding cable car. The Bailong elevator is also not included in the park admission price.

How to get around Zhangjiajie National Park

The distances within Zhangjiajie are long, it is only possible to get from one scenic spot to another by bus, plan your routes VERY WELL to make the most of your time. The Cable cars and Bailong Elevator are not included in the park entrance fee. There are special packs if you buy several cable cars and elevator together.

Zhangijajie National Park ticket prices and schedule

• 💵 Price:The tickets They cost us 227 yuan (about €30 per person) and they serve you for 4 days. This is the high season price from March to November. Out of season it is 147 yuan. You can buy your ticket in advance at this page (also for elevators and cable cars). Even so, you must then go to the ticket office to exchange your tickets with your passport.
• ⏰ The Access hours are from 7:00 a.m. to 17:30 p.m.. The most elevators / cable cars They close at 18:00 p.m.. If I'm not mistaken, the free bus service inside the park too (check because they can extend it according to demand). Remember that you can enter through one door and leave through another, there are five entry and exit points! Then you can take a taxi or Didi to Wulingyuan, they are very economical.

Where to stay in Zhangjiajie National Park

As we discussed, the Zhangjiajie National Forest Park It has five entrances. Without a doubt, the one who We recommend the one in the eastern area next to the town of Wulingyuan. Because? Due to its short distance to the park access and where you can buy tickets. Also for its wide range of accommodation and restaurants. Our hotel was only a 5 minute walk from the access. Is Yoba Boutique Hotel and it was great. It cost us about €40 a night and had breakfast included, we left you a photo of the hall. Also, there was a good restaurant right next door.

How to get to Zhangjiajie National Park in China

We fly direct from Shanghai to Zhangjiajie. From Zhangjiajie Airport to Zhangjiajie Forest Park (Wulingyuan area) it takes about 45 minutes by taxi. Subtract about 10 minutes if you leave from the city of Zhangjiajie like we did. We know that there are buses at a good price, but Given the limited time we had and how cheap taxis were, we always moved that way. The Didi from Zhangjiajie center to Wulingyuan cost us 96 yuan (13 euros). With Didi you can surely get it cheaper. Didi is the Chinese Uber that you can book from the Alipay app. Later on our trip through China we got the hang of it and always booked with Didi, taxis are less trustworthy in our experience.

Remember to carry travel insurance for your route through China. We always travel with IATI insurance and we have a 5% discount on all their policies. Below you can see all the coverage and prices for China. If you are going to do adventure activities, the IATI Backpacker is the most complete.

Tianmen Mountain, Zhangjiajie what to see around the National Park

La Tianmen Mountain is another gem of the Zhangjiajie area to see. We already spoke outside China's Avatar Park, in the city of the same name. That is, about 40 minutes from Wullingyuan (the other base camp). The day we arrived by plane from Shanghai we stayed here, 5 minutes walk to the cable car to visit Tianmen Mountain the next day. Below we share the activities to do in Tianmen Mountain.

• Ride the world's longest cable car to the top, having a length of 7,5 kilometers. During the 30-minute ride, you'll be able to enjoy panoramic views of the mountainous landscape and lush forests (fog permitting).
• Tour the famous Heaven's Door, a natural cave 131 meters high, 57 meters wide and 60 meters deep. The Gate of Heaven is a sacred place and one of the most impressive natural formations on the mountain.. You can also walk up, which is 999 mini steps up here. We share a stock photo with you, since we didn't have any luck with the weather.

• Walk along its paths next to the cliffs at a height of 1,430 meters above sea level. There are two glass trails, neither are included in the Tianmen Mountain entrance price. If you're lucky with the weather, you'll have some stunning views of the landscape. Still, it is very exciting to stop by here if you are not afraid of heights.

Tianmen Mountain Price and Opening Hours

• 💵 Price: There are several types of tickets (all €35,30 per person). We recommend booking in advance, we took the Line A Package on this page. Even so, you must then go to the ticket office to exchange your tickets with your passport.
• ⏰ The Hours are 07:30-18:00 (last access at 16:00).

Where to stay in Zhangjiajie city

We stay in the Zhangjiajie Hero Boutique Hotel, just a few steps from the famous cable car and very close to the downtown restaurant area. As for where to eat, since the restaurants we went to are not on Google Maps, it is very difficult for us to explain the places we went to and how to get there. A shame because they were both great.

How to get to Zhangjiajie city

We fly direct from Shanghai with China Eastern. He The flight cost us about €106 and lasts 2,5 hours. From airport to Zhangjiajie to the center is about 10 minutes by taxi and it cost us about 90 yuan (12 euros). Another option to get to Zhangjiajie city is from Fenghuang by bullet train (just one hour). Fenghuang is one of the historical cities to see in China, we chose it as the next destination on our route through the country. But if it is the previous stop for you, keep in mind that the two destinations are connected by train.

The Crystal Bridge and the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon

Another of the places to see in Zhangjiajie is the famous longest and highest Glass Bridge in the world, which crosses the spectacular Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon. From the Crystal Bridge you will have impressive views of the canyon, which undoubtedly goes around the glass bridge a thousand times.

The bridge has a height of 260 m from the canyon, it measures 430 m long and 6 m wide. In addition, it is built of 99 transparent glass panels with the capacity to hold 800 people. You can cross it on foot, they give you non-slip shoes (at least on rainy days). From here you can also go bungee jumping. The truth is that if you have vertigo, don't go haha.

We besides cross the Crystal Bridge, we bought a ticket that included an activity package to explore the area in a fun way. This is, cross the canyon with zip line, take a virtual reality tour, go down to the base of the canyon on a slide and, finally, cross the canyon by boat with hiking. The route ends at the park exit where you can take a taxi back to Wulingyuan. So much the zip line, the trail and the boat tour next to waterfalls, they are very worth it.

Schedule and tickets Crystal Bridge and Grand Canyon

As we told you, we We booked a ticket that allowed you to use 5 attractions in the area to choose from 7 activity options. The zip line to cross the canyon, the boat tour through the canyon, the elevators or slides to go down to the base of the canyon and the virtual reality tour.

• Crystal Bridge and Grand Canyon Price: approximately €22. The price of the most complete route that we booked was €37. You can See all options and book in advance at this page.
• ⏰ Opening hours: from 7:30 to 16:30
• Estimated duration of the activity: 3/4 hours (depending on if you do the full route like us). Then add about 45 minutes each way to and from Wulingyuan.

How to get to the Zhangjiajie Glass Bridge and its Grand Canyon

El Zhangjiajie Crystal Bridge It is about 40 minutes from Wulingyuan. To get to the famous Glass Bridge in Zhangjiajie we used Didi, it cost us only 35 yuan! This is 5 euros. The exit from the park is different from the entrance, since the boat travels through a large part of the canyon. As soon as you leave, the taxi drivers will approach you, we negotiated with one because we already had the one-way price as a reference. If you don't feel like negotiating, ignore them and book a Didi (Uber) from Alipay.

Where to stay to visit the Crystal Bridge

We used the same Wulingyuan hotel as a base camp. Visiting the Grand Canyon and the glass bridge will take you half a day. On our return we had time to visit Zhangjiajie National Park (a scenic area). As we show you in the video on our YouTube channel below, we took the opportunity to go to the Yuanjiajie and, we were alone!

Where to stay in Zhangjiajie

As we mentioned in each Zhangjiajie tourist attraction to see, We recommend taking the city of Wulingyuan as a base camp to visit the Zhangjiajie National Park and the Crystal Bridge. To visit Tianmen Mountain, it is best to stay in the city. It is sure to be good for you to combine the visit with the day you arrive or leave Zhangjiajie.

• Recommended hotel in central Zhangjiajie: Zhangjiajie Hero Boutique Hotel, it is newly renovated and just 5 minutes walk from the cable car that takes you to Tianmen Mountain
• Recommended hotel in Wulingyuan: Yoba Boutique Hotel, just a 5-minute walk from the access to Zhangjiajie National Park and the park's ticket sales area.

How to get to Zhangjiajie

As we mentioned before, the city of Zhangjiajie is accessible by several means of transportation:

• Plane: Zhangjiajie Hehua Airport has domestic flights from major cities such as Beijing and Shanghai. From the airport, you can take a taxi or bus to the city center or directly to your Wulingyuan accommodation if you are only visiting the Forest Park.
• Train: There are trains from Fenghuang, Changsha, Guangzhou and other major cities. Train travel is a quick option and Zhangjiajie train station is in the center of the city.
• Bus: Buses connect Zhangjiajie to nearby cities, although this option may be less convenient. Buses tend to be slower given the distances in China, but they are an economical option for travelers on a budget and with plenty of time on their hands.

How many days to Zhangjiajie and places to see

To make the most of your visit to Zhangjiajie, we recommend at least 3 full days, this was the itinerary that we follow to visit the essential things to see in Zhangjiajie. This will depend on your arrival time in Zhangjiajie, but you can take them as a reference.

• Day 1: Visit Tianmen Mountain and its main attractions, such as the cable car, the Gate of Heaven and the glass path (arrival in the evening of the previous day). In the afternoon transfer to Wulingyuan.
• Day 2: Depart from Wulingyuan to visit the Crystal Bridge and the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon. In the afternoon we had time to explore one of the scenic areas of Avatar Park Yuanjiajie and Bailong Elevator.
• Day 3: Tour the Golden Whip Stream and Huangshi Village trail, also known as Yellow Stone Village. Around 13.30:XNUMX p.m. we were already taking the Didi to Zhangjiajie station to take our train to Fenghuang. Of course, we got up quite early to be able to see everything in the morning.

Tips for visiting Zhangjiajie

To make your visit to Zhangjiajie as pleasant as possible, keep these tips in mind:

• Visit in spring or fall to avoid crowds and enjoy pleasant weather. If possible, avoid making any of your visits coincide with a Sunday, as it is the day the Chinese take off and the crowds are larger.
• Buy your tickets in advance.
• Plan your itinerary wellThere are many places to see in Zhangjiajie and poor planning will waste a lot of time.
• Take your passport: essential to access the three attractions of Zhangjiajie that we share with you in this post.
• Get a map in English at your hotel, some maps inside the park are only in Chinese
• Wear comfortable clothing and shoes for walking. Also warm clothes, once you take the cable car the temperature at the heights can change. Both in Tianmen Mountain and in the National Park.
• Check the weather forecast. Zhangjiajie is a VERY rainy area. We recommend that you check the forecast and if you have had rain, wear quick-drying clothing and water-resistant footwear. In any case, many stores sell umbrellas, ponchos and even a type of plastic covers for your shoes. Go prepared.

Zhangjiajie map: what to see, where to stay and airport

Next, we share a map with the location of each tourist attraction and recommended area to stay. Below we detail the estimated distances from one point to another:

• Zhangjiajie Airport – Zhangjiajie City: approx. 20 minutes, we recommend taxi or Didi (a kind of Uber that you can order from the Alipay app)
• Zhangjiajie city – cable car to Tianmen Mountain: approx. 5 minutes walk from our hotel.
• Zhangjiajie city – Wulingyuan: approx. 40 minutes by taxi or Didi
• Wulingyuan – access to this Zhangjiajie National Forest Park: approx. 5 minutes walk from our hotel.
• Wulingyuan – Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon and Crystal Bridge: approx. 40 minutes by taxi or Didi.

Video about what to see in Zhangjiajie

In the following video of our YouTube channel you have the complete guide on what to do in Zhangjiajie, how to get around, accommodation, restaurants and important tips. Subscribe and take a look at the entire list of our trip to China!

Unlimited data in China with built-in VPN

Finally, keep in mind that to travel to China it is essential to have an internet connection to pay with your mobile phone (payment methods are with different apps). We travel with Holafly offering unlimited data plus, It has a built-in VPN to be able to use apps and social networks controlled by China such as Google (Gmail included) and Instagram or Facebook. It was great for us and we recommend it 100%. Additionally, you can benefit from a 5% off for being our reader.

We hope this guide to visiting Zhangjiajie on your own was helpful to you. For any questions, leave us a comment. By the way, we also have super complete articles about other destinations in China that can be of great help to you in planning your trip on your own.

• What to see in Shanghai (our previous destination to Zhangjiajie)
• What to see in Fenghuang (our next destination, just an hour by train from Zhangjiajie)
• What to see in Chengdu + Leshan Great Buddha
• What to see in Xian + Terracotta Warriors
• What to see in Beijing + the Great Wall of China
• Tips for traveling to China

Ruth González

Hello! I am Ruth, Canarian with a traveling soul. With training and experience in the tourism and digital marketing sector. In this blog I tell you all the tips you need to get to know the most authentic side of Gran Canaria on your own. I also share my travel guides to all the places in the world that I am visiting so that you can discover the destinations like a local and save time planning. In addition to traveling, I love gastronomy and sports. I run and hike in the mountains with my “dog-children” (Silver and Plata). In all these adventures my partner accompanies me, Jorge, which you will also see a lot on this blog.