Wulingyuan Scenic and Historic Interest Area of Zhangjiajie
Wulingyuan Scenic and Historic Interest Area of Zhangjiajie
Wulingyuan Scenic and Historic Interest Area of Zhangjiajie
4.5
8:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Monday
8:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Tuesday
8:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Wednesday
8:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Thursday
8:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Friday
8:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Saturday
8:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Sunday
8:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Tours & experiences
Explore different ways to experience this place.
Full view
Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.
Top ways to experience Wulingyuan Scenic and Historic Interest Area of Zhangjiajie
The area
Address
Reach out directly
Best nearby
We rank these restaurants and attractions by balancing reviews from our members with how close they are to this location.
Restaurants
1 within 3 miles
Attractions
8 within 6 miles
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
We perform checks on reviews.
Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
Learn more about our review moderation.
4.5
860 reviews
Excellent
581
Very good
231
Average
44
Poor
2
Terrible
2
Yu Ying
Singapore, Singapore1,873 contributions
Sept 2019
This place is breath-taking and an amazing sight. To think that it took millions of years for these unique mountains to form is humbling. The trail is well built and relatively easy to walk. Do wear comfortable track shoes as some parts can be abit slippery if it just rained. There are many interesting rocks that the guide pointed out to us, like a tortise shaped rock which symbolises longetivity. It can get quite crowded during peak hour especially at popular photo taking spots. We spent around 2-3 hours there in total. If you are hungry, don't worry there is McDonalds inside! :)
Written 23 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
adamgator
Clearwater, FL187 contributions
Our visit was in mid-September 2008 (for a reference). When planning our trip to China, my wife and I saw Wulingyuan Scenic Area featured on the PBS show Globetrekker and it looked really beautiful. However, tour book information was limited as were details on websites. Zhangjiajie and Wulingyuan are highly visited by Chinese tourists but visitation by Westerners is less common, obfuscating informationon the park. Nevertheless, our visit there was a highlight of the trip to China – the scenery was spectacular and the people were extremely nice. We could have used several more days (we stayed 3 nights).
TRAVEL: We arrived to Zhangjiajie City by plane from Chengdu. Of note, our plane was rescheduled several times (dates changed, time changes, etc…. but it all worked out). Also, the Zhangjiajie airport was the dirtiest of the 5 airports we visited in China – the restrooms were unusable. In fact, I picked up typhoid (despite vaccination –it’s not 100%) within 36 hours of leaving the airport (we were stuck there for several hours due to delays) and I am convinced it was from eating in that dirty airport. I was told by a friend in Changsha that the train ride is very long. Fortunately, the rest of our time in Wulingyuan was wonderful.
HOTEL: It is also noteworthy that there is Zhangjiajie City and Zhangjiajie Town. We stayed in the latter which is right outside of the park (the town is a small tourist village, the city is an hour’s drive from the park). Of note, we arrived at 10 pm in September and it was 90 degrees down below in the city but only in the 70s up at the town (due to elevation, presumably). We stayed at the Pipaxi Hotel (see my review) and had a really great experience. We arranged airport pickup from the hotel – that was quite affordable relative to Western prices (maybe $30 for the trip up the mountain). The Tianzi Peak area had hotels as well (in fact, it was relatively built up compared to Zhangjiaje village [in which growth is limited because it's in a narrow valley] and the immediate area is not spectacular. I recommend seeing the Tianzi area, but staying in Zhangjiaje Town for the scenery.
THE PARK: Wulingyuan is composed of several areas. We visited Zhangjiajie Forest Park near Zhangjiajie Town (walking distance) and the Tianzi Peak Area. There are multiple areas of the park, many under the same 2-day entrance fee of about 250 Yuan (RMB). Many of the cable cars (and the Bailong Elevator) are separate fees (10-50 yuan). A young woman working at our hotel actually extended our park pass to 7 days at no extra charge (we needed our photos taken) but we would not have know that was possible without speaking/reading Mandarin. She spoke with the superintendent who approved it. The entrance fee (roughly equivalent to eighty US dollars per person), is several months wages to the average Chinese family, so most of the tourists visiting are fairly wealthy (relatively speaking). Again, we visited only 2 core areas of the park: the Zhangjiajie Forest Area near Zhangjiajie Town and the Tianzi Peak area (about 40 miles away) The entirety of the first day was spent at the former.
Zhangjiajie Forest Park: One could spend multiple days here. It was crowded, but if you can hike off the board walks and paved trails, it’s easy to escape the crowds and tour groups with microphones. There are hikes along a river (in the forest) and phenomenal scenery to admire in the valley (the karsts, peaks and caves surround the valley). A cable car takes you up 3000 ft offering amazing views (alternatively, a hike can take you up as well – it’s a good workout that we passed on). Part of the area up-top is called Huangshi Village. There is a several kilometer hike up above, starting from Huangshi Village, with minimal elevation change and great views. Bathrooms and vendors (water, food, ice cream) are located throughout the tourist areas. Down below in the valley was a great place to see sun rises and sunsets (I’m sure it’s great topside as well). Come to this part of the park for forest hikes and geological scenery like no-where else on earth. We saw tons of monkeys down below as well.
Tianzi Peak: The next day we took a 30 min van ride to another area of the park, the Tianzi peak area. This entrance of the park was more built up and there were many more hotels up here. Actually, we liked staying in the valley in Zhangjiajie Town better as it was smaller and less developed. From this entrance, we took a bus along a lake and to a cable car (longer than the cable car to Huangshi Village) for a beautiful ride (close your eyes if you’re afraid of heights) up to the topside of the karsts. The rest of the day was spent hiking along the ridges admiring scenery. A series of clean air buses (CNG powered) can take you along if you need a rest. There are actually hikes one can take back to the Zhangjiajie Forest Park, but we did not have the time. Instead, we explored the ridge and took various buses to cover more ground. We spent the day hiking from overlook to overlook, admiring the wonderful views. We ended up taking the Bailong Elevator back down below (the fastest and tallest clear elevator in the world). From there, we took a series of buses to a third entrance of the park. This one was very remote (in a farming area) and by pointing to the map, we convinced a local to drive us to our hotel for reasonable payment. Basically, we got around the park pointing to a map – the bus drivers either motioned us on or pointed us in the right direction. It would have been fun to hike back to the Zhangjiajie Village, but we did not want to be stuck in the dark and did not know how to ask about distance/elevation changes, etc. Another great day! Again, food, water, and toilets are never too far!
There are other areas of the park… the Suoxi Valley, Yangjiajie Scenic Area, and Yellow Dragon Cave which we did not have time to explore – too bad.
Overall, we had good weather – the first day was bright and sunny while the second was foggy – both created interesting views. It was hot in September so I’d caution hiking there in the summer!
Tianmen Mountain: We spent our third day on Tianmen Mountain, which is located just outside of Zhangjiajie City. We took what is claimed to be the longest passenger cableway in the world (Tianmen Mountain Cableway) which is 7.2 KM. It departures from the Zhangjiajie city and goes to the top of the mountain. Up top, you can hike a short distance to a temple or take a chairlift. Unfortunately, it was extremely foggy so we could not admire the views (or huge drops under the cable car). However, we had fun and I would have loved to see it on a clear day!!!! We took the cable car back to the midway point and then took a bus up a treacherous road to Tianmen Cave. We climbed the thousand steps to Tianmen Cave – a large opening in the mountain (a plane actually flew through the entrance as a stunt a few years back). However, the fog was so thick we could not see the cave!
Many guides will offer their services - you really don't need one -- especially if you get a free map from your hotel -- young Chinese tourists will help you out & seem to enjoy practicing their English and being of assistance. People were very helpful and we got around just fine in the absence of any organized tours!
Summary: Overall, I highly recommend the natural beauty of this part of China. Again, stay outside of the busy city, spend a few days, and don’t expect peace and quiet unless you hike away from crowds. Do expect beautiful scenery, scary cable car rides (if you hate heights), friendly people, good food, and nice pictures and unforgettable memories!
TRAVEL: We arrived to Zhangjiajie City by plane from Chengdu. Of note, our plane was rescheduled several times (dates changed, time changes, etc…. but it all worked out). Also, the Zhangjiajie airport was the dirtiest of the 5 airports we visited in China – the restrooms were unusable. In fact, I picked up typhoid (despite vaccination –it’s not 100%) within 36 hours of leaving the airport (we were stuck there for several hours due to delays) and I am convinced it was from eating in that dirty airport. I was told by a friend in Changsha that the train ride is very long. Fortunately, the rest of our time in Wulingyuan was wonderful.
HOTEL: It is also noteworthy that there is Zhangjiajie City and Zhangjiajie Town. We stayed in the latter which is right outside of the park (the town is a small tourist village, the city is an hour’s drive from the park). Of note, we arrived at 10 pm in September and it was 90 degrees down below in the city but only in the 70s up at the town (due to elevation, presumably). We stayed at the Pipaxi Hotel (see my review) and had a really great experience. We arranged airport pickup from the hotel – that was quite affordable relative to Western prices (maybe $30 for the trip up the mountain). The Tianzi Peak area had hotels as well (in fact, it was relatively built up compared to Zhangjiaje village [in which growth is limited because it's in a narrow valley] and the immediate area is not spectacular. I recommend seeing the Tianzi area, but staying in Zhangjiaje Town for the scenery.
THE PARK: Wulingyuan is composed of several areas. We visited Zhangjiajie Forest Park near Zhangjiajie Town (walking distance) and the Tianzi Peak Area. There are multiple areas of the park, many under the same 2-day entrance fee of about 250 Yuan (RMB). Many of the cable cars (and the Bailong Elevator) are separate fees (10-50 yuan). A young woman working at our hotel actually extended our park pass to 7 days at no extra charge (we needed our photos taken) but we would not have know that was possible without speaking/reading Mandarin. She spoke with the superintendent who approved it. The entrance fee (roughly equivalent to eighty US dollars per person), is several months wages to the average Chinese family, so most of the tourists visiting are fairly wealthy (relatively speaking). Again, we visited only 2 core areas of the park: the Zhangjiajie Forest Area near Zhangjiajie Town and the Tianzi Peak area (about 40 miles away) The entirety of the first day was spent at the former.
Zhangjiajie Forest Park: One could spend multiple days here. It was crowded, but if you can hike off the board walks and paved trails, it’s easy to escape the crowds and tour groups with microphones. There are hikes along a river (in the forest) and phenomenal scenery to admire in the valley (the karsts, peaks and caves surround the valley). A cable car takes you up 3000 ft offering amazing views (alternatively, a hike can take you up as well – it’s a good workout that we passed on). Part of the area up-top is called Huangshi Village. There is a several kilometer hike up above, starting from Huangshi Village, with minimal elevation change and great views. Bathrooms and vendors (water, food, ice cream) are located throughout the tourist areas. Down below in the valley was a great place to see sun rises and sunsets (I’m sure it’s great topside as well). Come to this part of the park for forest hikes and geological scenery like no-where else on earth. We saw tons of monkeys down below as well.
Tianzi Peak: The next day we took a 30 min van ride to another area of the park, the Tianzi peak area. This entrance of the park was more built up and there were many more hotels up here. Actually, we liked staying in the valley in Zhangjiajie Town better as it was smaller and less developed. From this entrance, we took a bus along a lake and to a cable car (longer than the cable car to Huangshi Village) for a beautiful ride (close your eyes if you’re afraid of heights) up to the topside of the karsts. The rest of the day was spent hiking along the ridges admiring scenery. A series of clean air buses (CNG powered) can take you along if you need a rest. There are actually hikes one can take back to the Zhangjiajie Forest Park, but we did not have the time. Instead, we explored the ridge and took various buses to cover more ground. We spent the day hiking from overlook to overlook, admiring the wonderful views. We ended up taking the Bailong Elevator back down below (the fastest and tallest clear elevator in the world). From there, we took a series of buses to a third entrance of the park. This one was very remote (in a farming area) and by pointing to the map, we convinced a local to drive us to our hotel for reasonable payment. Basically, we got around the park pointing to a map – the bus drivers either motioned us on or pointed us in the right direction. It would have been fun to hike back to the Zhangjiajie Village, but we did not want to be stuck in the dark and did not know how to ask about distance/elevation changes, etc. Another great day! Again, food, water, and toilets are never too far!
There are other areas of the park… the Suoxi Valley, Yangjiajie Scenic Area, and Yellow Dragon Cave which we did not have time to explore – too bad.
Overall, we had good weather – the first day was bright and sunny while the second was foggy – both created interesting views. It was hot in September so I’d caution hiking there in the summer!
Tianmen Mountain: We spent our third day on Tianmen Mountain, which is located just outside of Zhangjiajie City. We took what is claimed to be the longest passenger cableway in the world (Tianmen Mountain Cableway) which is 7.2 KM. It departures from the Zhangjiajie city and goes to the top of the mountain. Up top, you can hike a short distance to a temple or take a chairlift. Unfortunately, it was extremely foggy so we could not admire the views (or huge drops under the cable car). However, we had fun and I would have loved to see it on a clear day!!!! We took the cable car back to the midway point and then took a bus up a treacherous road to Tianmen Cave. We climbed the thousand steps to Tianmen Cave – a large opening in the mountain (a plane actually flew through the entrance as a stunt a few years back). However, the fog was so thick we could not see the cave!
Many guides will offer their services - you really don't need one -- especially if you get a free map from your hotel -- young Chinese tourists will help you out & seem to enjoy practicing their English and being of assistance. People were very helpful and we got around just fine in the absence of any organized tours!
Summary: Overall, I highly recommend the natural beauty of this part of China. Again, stay outside of the busy city, spend a few days, and don’t expect peace and quiet unless you hike away from crowds. Do expect beautiful scenery, scary cable car rides (if you hate heights), friendly people, good food, and nice pictures and unforgettable memories!
Written 1 April 2009
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
7barb
San Antonio376 contributions
May 2013 • Family
If you don't know this area, it's probably best to have a guide or you can waste a lot of time and miss a number of scenic views. We used the Zhangjiajie Backpacking Club http://www.explorezhangjiajie.com over a 4 day time frame. They set us up in two different hotels so a lot of time was not wasted by driving. Wulingyuan is an enormous area consisting of several different parks and even though both of the hotels were in Zhangjiajia, there was about a 45 minute drive between the two of them. The plane flies into Dayong as the name of the airport on my ctrip reservation but this is part of Zhangjiajie. At least in May, there is only one flight a day going in from Chengdu and it arrives around 8PM. Andy from the ZJJ Backpacking Club and Mr. Hu, their driver picked us up from the airport and took us to the Sunshine Hotel - about a 45 minute drive. The following day we took about a 2 minute drive to the cable car ride up Tianmen Mountain. From reading the reviews, it appears there are a lot of choices from this point. We walked a pretty easy hike to the Glass Plank Walkway and on up to Tianmen Temple. From there we took another cable car down to the bus which is an experience on it's own. 99 hairpin turns on a very small road with busses and cars and construction equipment all using it but it's breathtaking. The bus drops you off at the foot of Tianmen Cave which is a natural hole in the mountains. From there you do have a hike to get to the cave called the 99 Steps to Heaven. Totally worth it for the view. You can find utube videos of the Russian and Chinese airplanes doing stunt flights through the opening and Jeb Corliss flying through it with his wingsuit. That night they took us to the Fox Fairy show at the foot of the mountain with Tianmen Cave in the background. The show was designed by the director who did the Beijing Olympic Opening Ceremonies. The colors are amazing. The music was wonderful. The words just don't translate well into English but that part really wasn't needed to enjoy the show. If nothing else, it was absolutely worth seeing the mountains backlit as part of the ending scene.
The rest of the important sites for Wulingyuan were on the other side of Zhangjiajie so the Club moved us to the Pullman Hotel about 45 minutes away. There was much more to do here. Our second outing was to Zhangjiajie National Forest Park and Golden Whip Stream which was only a few minutes drive from our new hotel. It was an easy hike for several hours with some rain but the mist just added to the spectacular views. Small macaque monkeys are all over this park and appear used to tourists. We did take the short cable car to the top but the mist was so thick here that we could not see the mountain formations. That night, we went to the Zhangjiajie Theater that is directly adjacent to the Pullman Hotel and watched two shows. The first was inside the theater and showed a lot of the local ethnic populations with acrobatics, dancing, music - it was wonderful. When it was over, the outside show had just begun with more feats of strength and some comedy that didn't need any translation. Our next day was at Zhangjiajie Great Canyon and it took about 1.5 hours to drive there. There were a lot of stairs here and a lot of waterfalls and even a long stone slide you could go down for an extra fee (it was fun). Andy took us to the new shopping area that is being developed by the river. It was an easy 10 minute walk from the hotel. Not much open during the day but it comes alive at 7PM with shops, bars and outdoor entertainment. Our final day was also in the Zhangjiajie National Forest Park at Yuanjiajia - the Avatar mountain (Tianzi). Jaw dropping views. You start by bus and there are two choices. Andy knew that most everyone wants to go up the Bailong Elevator to start and that would have a 2-3 hour wait for a 2 minute ride (most of which is behind cement). So we started with the bus that takes you to the cable car - a 5 - 10 minute wait to get to the same spot as the elevator. He then chose several of his favorite areas of the park for us to walk to - all easy hikes. You can either use the free busses in the park but the line for these can be 40-60 minutes at each stop or you can rent one of the private minivans for about $10 USD and they will take you to all the hiking areas you want and wait for you at each site. We chose the minivan. One stop was a town set up in the park with the ethnic minorities showing silver making, beekeeping, weaving and other similar trades. A lot of nice silver jewelry for sale here. After a few more stops with our minivan driver, we were let off to go DOWN the Bailong elevator and there was essentially no line for this. At the bottom the view is as spectacular as elsewhere in the Park. A National Forest Park pass is good for 3 days. I cannot say enough good about the job that Andy and the ZJJ Backpacking Club did to pick and choose what they felt we would like best. They set up the trip depending on your requests (a lot of walking, just a little walking, etc). Unless you know this area and speak Chinese, find a guide to take you around but do come to Zhangjiajie. I want to come back during the fall (but not October or any of the official Chinese holidays). Some guide at the park did note the the crowds have dropped since the new premier took over this year. He's stopped all government workers from using government money to pay for their personal vacations as they were doing in the past. That's good for us!
The rest of the important sites for Wulingyuan were on the other side of Zhangjiajie so the Club moved us to the Pullman Hotel about 45 minutes away. There was much more to do here. Our second outing was to Zhangjiajie National Forest Park and Golden Whip Stream which was only a few minutes drive from our new hotel. It was an easy hike for several hours with some rain but the mist just added to the spectacular views. Small macaque monkeys are all over this park and appear used to tourists. We did take the short cable car to the top but the mist was so thick here that we could not see the mountain formations. That night, we went to the Zhangjiajie Theater that is directly adjacent to the Pullman Hotel and watched two shows. The first was inside the theater and showed a lot of the local ethnic populations with acrobatics, dancing, music - it was wonderful. When it was over, the outside show had just begun with more feats of strength and some comedy that didn't need any translation. Our next day was at Zhangjiajie Great Canyon and it took about 1.5 hours to drive there. There were a lot of stairs here and a lot of waterfalls and even a long stone slide you could go down for an extra fee (it was fun). Andy took us to the new shopping area that is being developed by the river. It was an easy 10 minute walk from the hotel. Not much open during the day but it comes alive at 7PM with shops, bars and outdoor entertainment. Our final day was also in the Zhangjiajie National Forest Park at Yuanjiajia - the Avatar mountain (Tianzi). Jaw dropping views. You start by bus and there are two choices. Andy knew that most everyone wants to go up the Bailong Elevator to start and that would have a 2-3 hour wait for a 2 minute ride (most of which is behind cement). So we started with the bus that takes you to the cable car - a 5 - 10 minute wait to get to the same spot as the elevator. He then chose several of his favorite areas of the park for us to walk to - all easy hikes. You can either use the free busses in the park but the line for these can be 40-60 minutes at each stop or you can rent one of the private minivans for about $10 USD and they will take you to all the hiking areas you want and wait for you at each site. We chose the minivan. One stop was a town set up in the park with the ethnic minorities showing silver making, beekeeping, weaving and other similar trades. A lot of nice silver jewelry for sale here. After a few more stops with our minivan driver, we were let off to go DOWN the Bailong elevator and there was essentially no line for this. At the bottom the view is as spectacular as elsewhere in the Park. A National Forest Park pass is good for 3 days. I cannot say enough good about the job that Andy and the ZJJ Backpacking Club did to pick and choose what they felt we would like best. They set up the trip depending on your requests (a lot of walking, just a little walking, etc). Unless you know this area and speak Chinese, find a guide to take you around but do come to Zhangjiajie. I want to come back during the fall (but not October or any of the official Chinese holidays). Some guide at the park did note the the crowds have dropped since the new premier took over this year. He's stopped all government workers from using government money to pay for their personal vacations as they were doing in the past. That's good for us!
Written 28 May 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
srilagna
Beijing, China9 contributions
Mar 2018 • Couples
I've just returned from my four-day stay in Zhangjiajie and it's undoubtedly one of the most scenic places I have been in China! It's totally worth the trip irrespective of which time of the year you may choose to travel - as each season gives a different view. Wulingyuan happens to be one of the scenic spots and as the name suggests its located in Wulingyuan District, approximately 80 minutes drive from the main city or where the airport is located. My husband and I stayed at Crowne Plaza, literally 15 min walk from the park entrance and therefore, makes the whole experience far more relaxing. However, the day we visited Tianmen Mountain, travel took up over 2.5 hours (two way) as it's closer to the city center - so you might have to time yourself accordingly.
Weather was just perfect - comfortable enough to just put on a light jacket even when you are on top of the mountains. However, you may experience sudden rains and complete haze which will turn out to be a total dampener blocking the incredible view of the famed Avatar Mountain. So checking the weather app might be a good idea.
It's hard to give a day-to-day plan to you guys, as it entirely depends on your interests. It's a huge park and ideally if you wanna cover everything, you will end up taking good four days. But the good part is, the entry ticket covers you for all four days. I can, however, share what all places we managed to cover within Wulingyuan scenic area.
Day 1: Wulingyuan scenic spot
From the entrance gate, we took the admission ticket (RMB 248 per person) and headed to our first stop - Bailong Elevator - by a shuttle bus free of cost. The ride is approximately 20 minutes and once you reach the ticket station, you will have to get your elevator tickets (one way or round-trip) and the cost is RMB 72 per person. The ride to the top is amazing, even so if you get to be the first to enter the elevator. We didn't get too much of a crowd and ended up taking the front space inside the elevator and saw the amazing view while going up - though the entire ride lasts for barely one minute. You can simply stroll around once you reach the top, have loads of photo-ops and eventually through a winding walkway move towards the parking lot to catch your next shuttle bus for the Avatar Mountain and few other places - only this time the ride is less than 10 minute long. The moment you get off the bus you will find an area map and you may either choose to cover all (by walking/hiking) or simply picking the ones you want to. At the end of the walking tour you will come to this open area to board your bus to yet another spot.. We chose to move to Tianzi Mountain scenic area (another half hour ride). Tianzi mountain is primarily known for its cable car ride and its view from the platform. Unfortunately, we missed out on the view that day as it was filled with fog everywhere - but wasn't a bad visit nevertheless.
Duration: 6.50 hours (Bailong, Avatar Mountain, Tianzi Mountain)
Day 2: Tianmen Mountain Scenic Spot
Tianmen mountain has the world's longest cable car ride that lasts for 28 odd minutes and gives you some amazing, out of this world view on your way up. Initially you may find it little overwhelming in figuring out the route you wanna take, but trust me you will figure it all out. Things are well mapped out, even for those with little or no Chinese spoken language skill. Once you are on the top, you can either take the east walkway or the west (again depends on the things you would like to see). We took the west walkway since it had the glass plank and few other spots of interest.
Tianmen Cave is the second spot here which is a must-do! If you take the cable ride first, you will have to come down to the cave, but you may opt to do it the other way round (all explained at the ticket counter). While coming down, we took the LONG escalator down to the entrance of the cave, only to realize that there were another 999 steps down to reach the viewing platform. Unlike other stairs, these were steep and narrow - so we dropped the idea and brought another fresh ticket for yet another round of escalator ride going down (RMB 32 per person).
Finally, we took the shuttle bus down to the cable car ticket station and got cab ride back to our hotel.
Duration: 6-7 hours
Day 3: Wulingyuan yet again
Since we missed out on the views the first day, we chose to go back and revisit those on Day 3. But this time it was faster, since we knew our ways around. We took the usual route through Bailong, visited Avatar Mountain and came back using the elevator. Followed by which we decided to go to 10-mile gallery on our way back to take the small tram ride to enjoy the scenic view. It was short but memorable - plenty of stall-type eating option and of course, amazing view! We took the shuttle bus back to the entrance and got back to our hotel.
Weather was just perfect - comfortable enough to just put on a light jacket even when you are on top of the mountains. However, you may experience sudden rains and complete haze which will turn out to be a total dampener blocking the incredible view of the famed Avatar Mountain. So checking the weather app might be a good idea.
It's hard to give a day-to-day plan to you guys, as it entirely depends on your interests. It's a huge park and ideally if you wanna cover everything, you will end up taking good four days. But the good part is, the entry ticket covers you for all four days. I can, however, share what all places we managed to cover within Wulingyuan scenic area.
Day 1: Wulingyuan scenic spot
From the entrance gate, we took the admission ticket (RMB 248 per person) and headed to our first stop - Bailong Elevator - by a shuttle bus free of cost. The ride is approximately 20 minutes and once you reach the ticket station, you will have to get your elevator tickets (one way or round-trip) and the cost is RMB 72 per person. The ride to the top is amazing, even so if you get to be the first to enter the elevator. We didn't get too much of a crowd and ended up taking the front space inside the elevator and saw the amazing view while going up - though the entire ride lasts for barely one minute. You can simply stroll around once you reach the top, have loads of photo-ops and eventually through a winding walkway move towards the parking lot to catch your next shuttle bus for the Avatar Mountain and few other places - only this time the ride is less than 10 minute long. The moment you get off the bus you will find an area map and you may either choose to cover all (by walking/hiking) or simply picking the ones you want to. At the end of the walking tour you will come to this open area to board your bus to yet another spot.. We chose to move to Tianzi Mountain scenic area (another half hour ride). Tianzi mountain is primarily known for its cable car ride and its view from the platform. Unfortunately, we missed out on the view that day as it was filled with fog everywhere - but wasn't a bad visit nevertheless.
Duration: 6.50 hours (Bailong, Avatar Mountain, Tianzi Mountain)
Day 2: Tianmen Mountain Scenic Spot
Tianmen mountain has the world's longest cable car ride that lasts for 28 odd minutes and gives you some amazing, out of this world view on your way up. Initially you may find it little overwhelming in figuring out the route you wanna take, but trust me you will figure it all out. Things are well mapped out, even for those with little or no Chinese spoken language skill. Once you are on the top, you can either take the east walkway or the west (again depends on the things you would like to see). We took the west walkway since it had the glass plank and few other spots of interest.
Tianmen Cave is the second spot here which is a must-do! If you take the cable ride first, you will have to come down to the cave, but you may opt to do it the other way round (all explained at the ticket counter). While coming down, we took the LONG escalator down to the entrance of the cave, only to realize that there were another 999 steps down to reach the viewing platform. Unlike other stairs, these were steep and narrow - so we dropped the idea and brought another fresh ticket for yet another round of escalator ride going down (RMB 32 per person).
Finally, we took the shuttle bus down to the cable car ticket station and got cab ride back to our hotel.
Duration: 6-7 hours
Day 3: Wulingyuan yet again
Since we missed out on the views the first day, we chose to go back and revisit those on Day 3. But this time it was faster, since we knew our ways around. We took the usual route through Bailong, visited Avatar Mountain and came back using the elevator. Followed by which we decided to go to 10-mile gallery on our way back to take the small tram ride to enjoy the scenic view. It was short but memorable - plenty of stall-type eating option and of course, amazing view! We took the shuttle bus back to the entrance and got back to our hotel.
Written 28 March 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Frank H
Shenzhen, China10 contributions
Apr 2013 • Friends
We were looking forward to the trip to zhangjiajie long ago. We finally chosed Zhangjiajie Backpacking Club among so many travel agencies, the club arranged us a 5-day Zhangjiajie Happy Tour. The fourth day of the trip left a deep impression on us, we did saw the Avatar Mountain in Yuanjiajie scenic area, really a real padora world just like the scene in movie "Avatar". The tour guide Andy from the club was so kind and professional. The club and Andy did a great job for us, we were so grateful for their excellent service.
Written 20 June 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rajiin0110
Wappingers Falls47 contributions
We only spent two days here in mid-April which is not nearly enough time to see all the sights in the three connected parks: Natural Reserves of Emperor Mountain, Natural Reserves of Suoxi Gully and Zhangjiajie National Forest Park. We spent the first day visiting Golden Whip Brook and Huangshi Village in the Zhangjiajie park. Golden Whip Brook, while touted as one of the world’s most beautiful valleys is actually the least favorite part of our visit. I wished I had skipped this which would have left me more time for other areas. The brook is ordinary and you cannot fully appreciate the peaks by looking at them from their base. You will appreciate them much more from higher elevation, as from Huangshi Village. We had a much better day the second day. We entered from Suoxi and took the cable car up Tianzi Mountain. Here you will have birds-eye views of the splendid landscape. It is truly spectacular. From there, we took the park’s internal bus to Yuanjiajie. The views from there are just as splendid if not more so. I would say that Yuanjiajie is my favorite of the limited areas we were able to hit within two days, as the scenic spots seem to be more concentrated. You don’t need to walk as much as in Tianzi to get one breathtaking view after another. We did not have time to visit the Ten Mile Gallery which also has very high rating based on visitor reviews. But I am not sure how much I would enjoy it since again like along Golden Whip Brook, I would be walking the valley floor looking up.
We stayed in Zhangjiajie city, about an hour away from the parks. We prefer this over staying just outside of the parks as those areas are too ‘touristy’ for me. When staying in the city, we can easily find places where the locals eat. We can get great food for great prices.
One note: At Zhangjiajie, you will likely to be hounded by people offering guided tours. I had to practically shout at a persistent one before she stopped pestering us.
We stayed in Zhangjiajie city, about an hour away from the parks. We prefer this over staying just outside of the parks as those areas are too ‘touristy’ for me. When staying in the city, we can easily find places where the locals eat. We can get great food for great prices.
One note: At Zhangjiajie, you will likely to be hounded by people offering guided tours. I had to practically shout at a persistent one before she stopped pestering us.
Written 3 May 2009
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bryce-Joanne
Melbourne, Australia20 contributions
May 2012 • Couples
If you are visiting Zhangjiajie, we highly recommend you hire a guide to help you negotiate the extremely large National Park. Our guide was Jeffery and we were so happy he could help us plan our 3 days there in June 2012. He can be contacted on several email addresses but the one we used was: zjjtripadvisor@yahoo.cn.
Jeffery was fantastic and looked after us really well. He managed to get us a cheaper rate on our hotel than we could on Ctrip, got us really good seats for the Fox Fairy show, knew all the good scenic outlooks so we did not have to waste time on the less interesting ones, helped us with the logistics of taking different shuttle busses in the National Park and at the end of each location / day there was a driver to take us to the next place / hotel. As we only had 3 days and wanted to visit 11 places and as there is so much walking to do, it is nice to not worry about transport.
Jeffery also gave suggestions for our itinerary, treated us to local snacks, waited patiently for us when our late night arrival flight was delayed for an hour, helped us check into / out of our hotel and waited until we checked in our luggage in at the airport before he bid us farewell.
Unlike other National Parks like Huangshan, Juizhaigou and Huanglong which are smaller and can be negotiated on your own with a good map (as all the trails are marked out), Zhangjiajie has more attractions and covers a bigger area. 3 days was not enough for everything we wanted to see even with a guide and we covered only the highlights. Having a guide/driver is definitely very useful especially when travelling from one place to another.
After reading other reviews and forums, we told Jeffery we were interested in the areas listed below:
Huangshi zhai (many scenic outlooks but preferred Yuanjiajie and Tianzi Mountain)
Golden whip stream (nice but very crowded, monkeys are the main attraction)
Yuanjiajie (stone pillars are amazing to see)
Tianzi Mountain (mountain formations are amazing and Bailong elevator gives a different view)
Ten Li Painting Corridor (did not have enough time to visit)
Tianmen Mountain (glass walkway a novelty, longest cable ride and large hole at the top of Mt)
Zhangjiajie Fox Fairy show (amazing show in outdoor setting with English translations)
Wulong zhai -Field in the sky (did not have enough time to visit)
Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon (very nice with a slide to go down part way and boat ride at the end)
Yelow Dragon cave (biggest one in South East Asia with a boat ride inside)
Li Junsheng Sandstone Painting (nice but depends if you have time)
Jeffery never rushed us at each location (my husband and myself are keen photographers) and even though we did not see all that we planned, Jeffery took us to all the best attractions and gave us descriptions for the rest. If you are thinking of going, send Jeffery an email.
Jeffery was fantastic and looked after us really well. He managed to get us a cheaper rate on our hotel than we could on Ctrip, got us really good seats for the Fox Fairy show, knew all the good scenic outlooks so we did not have to waste time on the less interesting ones, helped us with the logistics of taking different shuttle busses in the National Park and at the end of each location / day there was a driver to take us to the next place / hotel. As we only had 3 days and wanted to visit 11 places and as there is so much walking to do, it is nice to not worry about transport.
Jeffery also gave suggestions for our itinerary, treated us to local snacks, waited patiently for us when our late night arrival flight was delayed for an hour, helped us check into / out of our hotel and waited until we checked in our luggage in at the airport before he bid us farewell.
Unlike other National Parks like Huangshan, Juizhaigou and Huanglong which are smaller and can be negotiated on your own with a good map (as all the trails are marked out), Zhangjiajie has more attractions and covers a bigger area. 3 days was not enough for everything we wanted to see even with a guide and we covered only the highlights. Having a guide/driver is definitely very useful especially when travelling from one place to another.
After reading other reviews and forums, we told Jeffery we were interested in the areas listed below:
Huangshi zhai (many scenic outlooks but preferred Yuanjiajie and Tianzi Mountain)
Golden whip stream (nice but very crowded, monkeys are the main attraction)
Yuanjiajie (stone pillars are amazing to see)
Tianzi Mountain (mountain formations are amazing and Bailong elevator gives a different view)
Ten Li Painting Corridor (did not have enough time to visit)
Tianmen Mountain (glass walkway a novelty, longest cable ride and large hole at the top of Mt)
Zhangjiajie Fox Fairy show (amazing show in outdoor setting with English translations)
Wulong zhai -Field in the sky (did not have enough time to visit)
Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon (very nice with a slide to go down part way and boat ride at the end)
Yelow Dragon cave (biggest one in South East Asia with a boat ride inside)
Li Junsheng Sandstone Painting (nice but depends if you have time)
Jeffery never rushed us at each location (my husband and myself are keen photographers) and even though we did not see all that we planned, Jeffery took us to all the best attractions and gave us descriptions for the rest. If you are thinking of going, send Jeffery an email.
Written 3 July 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
tinadam
seattle, wa59 contributions
I went to Zhangjiajie in the summer of 2006 at the tail end of a Yangtze River cruise. Going in, I didn't really have much of an idea of what to expect from an area coined as "China's Yellowstone". The train from Yichang to Zhangjiajie was incredibly painful. I've been on a number of Chinese trains, but never one close to as crowded as this. It was well beyond the sardine can analogy. Thankfully we were traveling light. There is an airport in Zhangjiajie city, so use it if possible.
We had arranged for a tour guide to take us through the trip. It turned out to be a group of six people plus our guide. We used a chinese language guide that we booked in Chongqing when we booked our Yangtze cruise. Our guide took us to a hotel deep in the forest, on the border of the Park. Without getting into much detail, the 2 hotels we stayed in (the first night at the Park's gate, the second night in the Park itself) were absoultely horrendous-- the kind of place where I slept fully dressed on top of a fully-made bed because the room was just that bad. Showering was not an option. So you may want to allow yourself some time to do your homework on accomodations in and around the park. The international hotel in Zhangjiajie city was pretty nice, and we cleaned up with a night's stay there at the end of our trip. Note that the city is about 2 hours drive from the Park.
Enough on the hotels, the Park itself was great, a totally unique experience. Pillars of stone everywhere, very primevial rainforesty feel, lots of rivers, greens, just a great atmosphere. The tours range from well-trodden walking paths to back-breaking treks up the stone pillars to bus rides along the ledges and cliffs that made me truly fear for my life. Lots of cool stuff to see-- nature, monkeys, vistas, etc. We closed it out with an underground cavern tour (heavily advertised within the park) which was a bit anticlimactic. The park was pretty crowded (it is China after all), probably 99.5% ethnic chinese (don't expect to see a lot of foreigners). At the time, I left the park exhausted and unrecognizable (summer humidity plus trekking plus hotel accomodations will do that to you), but as time passes I treasure the experience more and more. Very cool trip.
We had arranged for a tour guide to take us through the trip. It turned out to be a group of six people plus our guide. We used a chinese language guide that we booked in Chongqing when we booked our Yangtze cruise. Our guide took us to a hotel deep in the forest, on the border of the Park. Without getting into much detail, the 2 hotels we stayed in (the first night at the Park's gate, the second night in the Park itself) were absoultely horrendous-- the kind of place where I slept fully dressed on top of a fully-made bed because the room was just that bad. Showering was not an option. So you may want to allow yourself some time to do your homework on accomodations in and around the park. The international hotel in Zhangjiajie city was pretty nice, and we cleaned up with a night's stay there at the end of our trip. Note that the city is about 2 hours drive from the Park.
Enough on the hotels, the Park itself was great, a totally unique experience. Pillars of stone everywhere, very primevial rainforesty feel, lots of rivers, greens, just a great atmosphere. The tours range from well-trodden walking paths to back-breaking treks up the stone pillars to bus rides along the ledges and cliffs that made me truly fear for my life. Lots of cool stuff to see-- nature, monkeys, vistas, etc. We closed it out with an underground cavern tour (heavily advertised within the park) which was a bit anticlimactic. The park was pretty crowded (it is China after all), probably 99.5% ethnic chinese (don't expect to see a lot of foreigners). At the time, I left the park exhausted and unrecognizable (summer humidity plus trekking plus hotel accomodations will do that to you), but as time passes I treasure the experience more and more. Very cool trip.
Written 9 May 2007
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Music L
17 contributions
Mar 2019 • Couples
I didn’t do extensive research and ended with joining tour. Because we (Chinese) were being told it’s inconvenient to stay 4 nights at Wulingyuan. It wasn’t true! The tour we joined was costly because we have to pay for plenty of cable car rides and Bailong elevator. Plus waiting time to listen to sales talk. If the local guides/ushers tell you it’s inconvenient to travel on your own, just smile to them and go on your own anyway. They are wrong!
The park is huge. It has few parts to visit:
1. Tianmenshan : longest cable car ride to top, walk around and walk down 999 staircase and down to station by bus. 200+ for the ticket including these rides. Worth to visit about 3-5 hours. It’s so near to ZJJ city.
2. Zhangjiajie forest park has 3 points: Yuanjiajie - Yangjiajie, shimenzhai, and Tianzi mountain. We got 4days pass for 200+rmb, excluding the rides (cable car & elevator). Shutter buses inside are free to hop up and down, highly recommended to stay at Wulingyuan area.
3. Glass bridge & Canyon : we skipped these points because ZJJ Park is impressive enough.
My top pick is :
1. Tianzi mountain viewpoints, especially Dianjiangtai 点将台 in the late afternoon. There is an overpriced McD on top. Lesser tourists than Yuanjiajie but more impressive rock formations you can see. Smaller and denser. We trekked up to Tianzi mountain from shilihualang, it took about 3-4 hours, we take it slowly, stopped by to take photos.
2. Golden Whim Stream around 6km is a must walk if you have the time. A nice walk along the river below Yuanjiajie, there is a path to walk up to Yuanjiajie but we didn’t went that path (can save money by not taking the pricey Bailong elevator). Make sure you download Mapsme apps to navigate.
I feel Huangshizhai is a place that you may skip, because this mountain is one way up and same way down. Cable car is pricey, walk up and down is not worthy.
Wulingyuan has bus to ZJJ and the West entrance of the park. At night can visit the market alongside the river. Don’t need to spend unnecessary money for the unimpressive show.
The park is huge. It has few parts to visit:
1. Tianmenshan : longest cable car ride to top, walk around and walk down 999 staircase and down to station by bus. 200+ for the ticket including these rides. Worth to visit about 3-5 hours. It’s so near to ZJJ city.
2. Zhangjiajie forest park has 3 points: Yuanjiajie - Yangjiajie, shimenzhai, and Tianzi mountain. We got 4days pass for 200+rmb, excluding the rides (cable car & elevator). Shutter buses inside are free to hop up and down, highly recommended to stay at Wulingyuan area.
3. Glass bridge & Canyon : we skipped these points because ZJJ Park is impressive enough.
My top pick is :
1. Tianzi mountain viewpoints, especially Dianjiangtai 点将台 in the late afternoon. There is an overpriced McD on top. Lesser tourists than Yuanjiajie but more impressive rock formations you can see. Smaller and denser. We trekked up to Tianzi mountain from shilihualang, it took about 3-4 hours, we take it slowly, stopped by to take photos.
2. Golden Whim Stream around 6km is a must walk if you have the time. A nice walk along the river below Yuanjiajie, there is a path to walk up to Yuanjiajie but we didn’t went that path (can save money by not taking the pricey Bailong elevator). Make sure you download Mapsme apps to navigate.
I feel Huangshizhai is a place that you may skip, because this mountain is one way up and same way down. Cable car is pricey, walk up and down is not worthy.
Wulingyuan has bus to ZJJ and the West entrance of the park. At night can visit the market alongside the river. Don’t need to spend unnecessary money for the unimpressive show.
Written 27 March 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
jameshuang
Taipei, Taiwan2,004 contributions
May 2016 • Family
Wulingyuan Scenic and Historic Interest Area (武陵源風景名勝區) is located in Hunan Province, China. It includes four national parks, which are Zhangjiajie National Forest Park (張家界國家森林公園), Suoxi Valley Nature Reserve (索溪峪自然保護區), Tianzi Mountain Nature Reserve (天子山自然保護區) and Yangjiajie Scenic Area (楊家界景區). It covers an area of 26,000 ha (64,247 acres) with more than 3,000 narrow quartz sandstone pillars and peaks with many of them over 200 m (656 ft) high. Between the peaks lie ravines and gorges with streams, pools and waterfalls, some 40 caves, and 2 large natural bridges. Yuanjiajie Scenic Area (袁家界景區) is located at the northwest of Zhangjiajie Forest Park. It was named after a clan with “Yuan” as their family name. Yuanjiajie has an area of about 1,200 ha (2,965 acres), with an average altitude of 1,074 m (3,435 ft). Yangjiajie is the scenic spot developed last among the four major spots in Wulingyuan.
We went to some parts of the Wulingyuan Scenic and Historic Interest Area. The most popular one is the Yuanjiajie Scenic Area (袁家界景區) which is located in the north of Shadaogou (砂刀溝). We arrived at the base of Bailong Elevator (百龍電梯) around 11 am with the cloudy weather still dominating the sky. The 335 m (1,099 ft) high with a running height of 326 m (1,070 ft) elevator and its first 154 m inside the mountain tunnel and the last 172 m of mountains view made it a fantastic start of this amazing trip. It is the tallest outdoor elevator in the world. There are three elevators running all the time, and it takes only 66 seconds from the base to the top. If possible, go to the far end of the elevator where you can have a fantastic view of the landscape through windows. Get ready to take photos while you are in the elevator. Once we were at the top, we started our journey in the Yuanjiajie. We took the minibus to the Back Garden (後花園) and then to the First Bridge Under the Sun (天下第一橋) which is a 2 km (1.24 mi) trail along the cliffs. There are many viewing platforms (觀景台) on the way to the last sight. The famous sights are Back Garden, Mihun Stage (迷魂台), Southern Sky Column (南天一柱/乾坤柱, also called Avatar Hallelujah Mountain), Lianxinqiao (連心橋), First Bridge Under the Sun and Lock Mountain (鎖山). Among those sights, the Southern Sky Column is the most famous because it was used as the floating "Hallelujah Mountains” in the 2009 epic science fiction film Avatar. The best location to take photo of the column is at the small steel bridge – Lianxinqiao. The other famous one is the First Bridge Under the Sun, which is a unique 50 m (164 ft) long, 3 m (9.8 ft) wide and 5 m (16.4 ft) thick natural stone bridge hanging 400 m (1,312 ft) above ground.
You need to fight for the spots in order to take photos although there are many viewing platforms. Local photographers occupied part of the viewing platforms, offering visitors to take so-called best photo of the scenes for a fee. The best part of the walk is you do not need to take the original trail back to the elevator. There is a bus stop nearby that can take you back to the elevator.
We went to some parts of the Wulingyuan Scenic and Historic Interest Area. The most popular one is the Yuanjiajie Scenic Area (袁家界景區) which is located in the north of Shadaogou (砂刀溝). We arrived at the base of Bailong Elevator (百龍電梯) around 11 am with the cloudy weather still dominating the sky. The 335 m (1,099 ft) high with a running height of 326 m (1,070 ft) elevator and its first 154 m inside the mountain tunnel and the last 172 m of mountains view made it a fantastic start of this amazing trip. It is the tallest outdoor elevator in the world. There are three elevators running all the time, and it takes only 66 seconds from the base to the top. If possible, go to the far end of the elevator where you can have a fantastic view of the landscape through windows. Get ready to take photos while you are in the elevator. Once we were at the top, we started our journey in the Yuanjiajie. We took the minibus to the Back Garden (後花園) and then to the First Bridge Under the Sun (天下第一橋) which is a 2 km (1.24 mi) trail along the cliffs. There are many viewing platforms (觀景台) on the way to the last sight. The famous sights are Back Garden, Mihun Stage (迷魂台), Southern Sky Column (南天一柱/乾坤柱, also called Avatar Hallelujah Mountain), Lianxinqiao (連心橋), First Bridge Under the Sun and Lock Mountain (鎖山). Among those sights, the Southern Sky Column is the most famous because it was used as the floating "Hallelujah Mountains” in the 2009 epic science fiction film Avatar. The best location to take photo of the column is at the small steel bridge – Lianxinqiao. The other famous one is the First Bridge Under the Sun, which is a unique 50 m (164 ft) long, 3 m (9.8 ft) wide and 5 m (16.4 ft) thick natural stone bridge hanging 400 m (1,312 ft) above ground.
You need to fight for the spots in order to take photos although there are many viewing platforms. Local photographers occupied part of the viewing platforms, offering visitors to take so-called best photo of the scenes for a fee. The best part of the walk is you do not need to take the original trail back to the elevator. There is a bus stop nearby that can take you back to the elevator.
Written 30 September 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Is it possible to buy the tickets for Zhangjiajie National Forest Park - in advance - from your hotel? Do you need to provide your original passport to buy the tickets from hotel?
Written 24 August 2019
Just buy at the entrance booth. Yes you have to provide your passport. There are special rates for those above 60 years old and student price if I remember it right. Have fun!
Written 24 August 2019
Is there a luggage storage facility at Wulingyuan Bus Station? I need to keep my backpack there for 1 night. Please let me know if it's possible.
Written 12 August 2019
I read that there are many hostels in the center of the park around Dingxiangrong village near Daguantai (Grand Sightseeing Platform).
Which hostels do you recommend in this area? Do they offer Wi-Fi as well? How is the cellular network inside the park?
Written 9 August 2019
I am trying to figure out how to go from Zhangjiajie town to the Yangjiajie (West) entrance which is near the Yangjiajie cable car station (lower level).
I read about buses from Zhangjiajie to Wulingyuan (East) entrance, but I need to go to Yangjiajie (West) entrance. Please let me know!
Written 7 August 2019
Hi! I would simply take a taxi. They're easy to find and affordable. Or the slow scenic exhausting route is to enter through the east and then take various bus routes, walking etc. across the national park at the top, but that could easily take half a day.
Written 8 August 2019
If I have limited time, would you recommend visiting the Tianmen mountain near Zhangjiajie town OR the Avatar mountains in Wulingyuan area? Which offers more spectacular scenery?
Written 22 July 2019
I would say Avatar mountains, because it's a bigger area with more views, so you're more likely to see something if it's foggy as is often the case.
We spent a whole day walking around the top of Tianmen but it was raining as usual etc.; we barely saw anything and it was very exhausting. (Still well worth it though for those who have the time.)
Written 23 July 2019
We are spending three days in this area Please let me know which sites you would suggest we visit. Thank you so much for your input. Karen Rentzsch
Written 29 July 2018
U should spend half day in Tiamenmountain then move to wulingyuan area to stay. So easier to explore zhangjiajie national park. Take entrance B of the park.this the best route to explore park in one day. Ending with avatar then bailong elevator (all main scenic in park). Then 3 rd day you can visit baifong lake and grandcanyon. Please check entry schedule and how to purchase ticket of all places.this is so tricky to arrange ur scheduled. We spent 4days to visit all.
Written 5 August 2018
Hi there!
Is it possible to explore the Avatar spot and the glass bridge all on a one-day-trip?
Thinking if its possible to take a plane to Zhangjiajie, and from the airport directly to the places, and when its done back to the airport for takeoff?
PS:
I read somewhere that the glassbridge had closed, but it seems like people have been there recently (here on TripAdvisor).
Whats the status on that?
Hoping for some help.
Written 1 August 2017
Traveling from Wulingyuan to glass bridge by bus will take 1 hour each way. Getting to Avatar viewing point from entrance and back - near an hour each way. The park is one of the most beautiful place in the world & it deserves not less than 2 days of your attention & admiration. If you like to visit glass bridge add one more day for it. Bus from airport in Zhangjiajie to Wulingyuan will take 1,5 hour + half of an hour is taxi to bus station.
Written 12 May 2018
Showing results 1-10 of 15
Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.
Airport exclusive: extra 20% off beauty
Sponsored by Armani Beauty, YLS & Lancôme
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing