Zhangjiajie National Forest Park Tour with Tianmen Mountain

Upon arrival at Zhangjiajie Hehua International Airport or the train station, your driver will meet you and transfer you to your hotel in Wulingyuan.

If you arrive before midday, you have the option to visit the Glass Bridge at Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon in the afternoon, about 40 minutes from Wulingyuan by car. Entrance fee is not included and is at your own expense. Allow 3 to 4 hours for the visit.

Overnight in Wulingyuan.

Today you will spend a full day exploring Yuanjiajie and Tianzi Mountain, two of the most iconic scenic areas in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park.

Enter the park via the East Gate and take the Bailong Elevator, the world’s tallest outdoor elevator at 335m, up to Yuanjiajie. Key viewpoints include the Qiankun Pillar, the sandstone column that inspired the floating Hallelujah Mountains in Avatar, Lost Soul Terrace (Mihuntai) with its sweeping views over the sea of peaks, and the First Bridge Under Heaven, a natural stone arch 357m above the canyon floor.

Take the scenic shuttle bus to Tianzi Mountain, the highest viewpoint in Wulingyuan Scenic Area. From the top, visitors can see the full extent of the Wulingyuan Scenic Area — thousands of sandstone pillars stretching in every direction, often wrapped in a rolling sea of clouds. Walk the outer path of Helong Park for views of the Imperial Writing Brush Peaks and Fairy Offering Flowers, then climb to the 5th floor of Tianzi Pavilion for a 360-degree panorama of the mountain. Descend by the Cable Car, with option visit to Ten Mile Gallery. 

Optional add-ons(choose one, at own expense):
1. For hikers, add a visit to Yangjiajie — hike the trails to One Step to Heaven (Yibudengtian) and the Air Corridor (Kongzhong Zoulang), allow 2 to 3 hours and be prepared for steep, narrow paths;
2. Visit Fields in the Sky (Kongzhong Tianyuan) by battery car for elevated views of the peak forest from Yuebingtai and Shenbin Juhui viewpoints;
3. Walk or take the sightseeing train through Ten Mile Gallery after descending from Tianzi Mountain.
4. Visit a local Tujia minority household to experience their lifestyle.

Today you will spend another day at Zhangjiajie National Forest park. Morning enter the park via the South Gate and take the cable car up to Huangshizhai (Huangshi Village), the largest natural viewing platform in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park. Walk the summit circuit past Star Picking Terrace and Five Finger Peak for sweeping views across the peak forest.

Descend by cable car and spend the afternoon walking Golden Whip Stream, a 7.5km valley trail from Oxygen Bar Square. The path follows a crystal-clear creek past the Golden Whip Rock and Zicao Pool, between towering sandstone pillars and dense forest. Wild monkeys are a frequent sighting. You can walk the full trail or just a section at your own pace, allow 1 to 3 hours depending on how far you go

In the later afternoon, transfer to Zhangjiajie City for overnight. In the evening you might head to visit 72 Wonder Tower (Qilou Old Street) for Tujia architecture, local snacks, and city night views.

Overnight in Zhangjiajie City.

After breakfast, head to Tianmen Mountain, the highest peak in Zhangjiajie at 1,518m and often called the soul of the region. Known for its four wonders — the cableway, the 99 Bends Road, Tianmen Cave, and the Bonsai Garden in the Sky — it offers a completely different experience from the National Forest Park.

Take the cable car to the middle station, then board the eco-bus winding up 66 hairpin turns with the valley dropping away below. At Tianmen Cave Square, climb the 999 Steps to Tianmen Cave, one of the largest natural cave openings in the world at 131.5m high and 57m wide, or take the optional lift (CNY 32 per person). From the cave, ride the through-mountain escalator up to the summit.

At the summit, the West Route leads through the Wishing Forest, across the West Line Glass Skywalk perched at 1,430m, and along the Ghost Valley Plank Road, a 1,600m trail carved into sheer cliffs that feels particularly otherworldly on misty days. The route ends at Tianmen Mountain Temple, a Tang Dynasty Buddhist temple at the mountain’s highest point. Take the forest cable car up to Yunmeng Fairy Peak for a stunning panoramic view over the surrounding peaks before descending by escalator back to Tianmen Cave.

Optional for hiking lovers: after Tianmen Temple, continue along the East Route through South Overlooking Tianmen Cave, Immortal Source, Yuhu Peak, and Happy Grove. Allow 6 to 8 hours total. Additional guide fee applies.

After your visit, your driver will transfer you to the airport or train station. End of tour.