Exploring Zhangjiajie National Forest Park was an item on my bucket list ever since I learned that these beautiful mountains existed! When we were trying to decide our travel plans in China, we wondered if Zhangjiajie National Forest Park was worth visiting with a 2-day itinerary. I’m here to tell you with a resounding YES, it most definitely is! In Zhangjiajie, there are two main areas that you will want to explore – Zhangjiajie National Forest Park and Tianmen Mountain. While you could easily spend about a week to truly take it all in, we saw the highlights over a weekend in December 2019, still making this one of our favourite weekend getaways ever, even in 2026!
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Is Zhangjiajie National Forest Park Worth Visiting?
The Zhangjiajie National Forest Park is honestly a magical place! And despite going years ago, it still remains one of my favourite trips EVER! I don’t say that lightly. It truly was mesmerizing, and I loved the incredible views that we had. To see these beautiful mountains close up is unlike anything that I had ever seen. If you are travelling within China, then I highly recommend you make the trip out to see the Zhangjiajie National Forest Park. It will be so worth your time, and you will LOVE IT!
Where is Zhangjiajie National Forest Park & How to Get Around?
We travelled to Zhangjiajie National Forest Park from Shanghai, and the flight time was just over 2 hours. Luckily, we found flights that worked out well for us, as we only had the weekend to explore the park. We chose to fly with Shanghai Airlines, leaving at 8:05 pm on a Friday night and leaving Zhangjiajie on a Sunday at 10:45 pm. Yes, it was a late night on Sunday, but totally worth the extra time exploring the mountains!
One of the best ways to get around is by taking a taxi. The popular ride-sharing app Didi will be your best bet. You can order a taxi via this app and pay through the Alipay payment app. The Didi app is in English as well, making it convenient to use while you are there.
There are also a large number of shuttle buses all around the park. These are easy to find as there are so many signs, helping you navigate to find your next stop.
Zhangjiajie National Forest Park 2-Day Itinerary & Recommended Route
Day 1: Upper Mountain Peaks & Avatar Hallelujah Mountains
With just one day to explore the Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, our suggested highlights were as follows: Tianzi Mountain, Yangjiajie, Yuanjiajie (Hallelujah Mountains/Avatar Mountains), and ending at the Bailong Elevator. When we checked into our hostel, the lady working there helped us to come up with this route as a way to maximize our day. This really worked out well for us, and we had a magical day at Zhangjiajie National Forest Park!
Tianzi Mountain (Where we started our day)
We began our day taking the cable car from the Wulingyuan entrance. It was a quick ride up the mountain, and it actually took less than 10 minutes. There are also a few restaurants at the top (including a McDonald’s), so bringing snacks is not essential. There are a few view spots at Tianzi Mountain, which are quite neat and give you your first glimpse of the beauty that Zhangjiajie has to offer!
Yanjiajie
Getting to Yanjiajie was quite simple by bus. You will see many bus parking signs, and the buses run very efficiently. We rarely waited long to get to our next stop. Here, there are many more trails to explore, and one recommendation was to see the “One Step To The Heaven” viewpoint. If you’re on a time crunch like we were, we saw “The Great Wall of Natural” before making our way to our next stop.
Yuanjiajie (Our Favourite Place!)
At Yuanjiajie, you will find the Heaven Pillar, also known as the Hallelujah Mountains and commonly nicknamed the “Avatar Mountains”. There are many viewpoints to witness the beauty of these mountains, and they certainly did not disappoint. This was my FAVOURITE PART of the weekend, and we absolutely loved the view. In this area, you will also see (and walk on) “The Greatest Natural Bridge” and the“Enchanting” area of the park. After spending quite some time exploring, we headed to the bus to make our way to the Bailong Elevator.
Bailong Elevator
The fee to use the elevator was 65RMB per person. The elevator does have a bit of a line; however, we did not end up waiting that long. To be honest, the view is neat, but the elevator was packed. They fit in as many people as they could, making it not so comfortable to take in the view. The elevator ride time is about a minute and a half. Alternatively, you could hike down, which would take a couple of hours before reaching the bus stop at the base of the mountain. After getting to the bottom of the elevator, we took a bus (with a couple of pit stops) back to the Wulingyuan entrance.
Travelling from Wulingyuan to Zhangjiajie City
After our awesome day exploring, we wanted to head south to Zhangjiajie City to be close to Tianmen Mountain for our day out on Sunday. This was super easy and very inexpensive. We took the city bus, which was less than a 5-minute walk from our hostel. It cost us 13RMB per person, and the ride took about an hour. This was way cheaper than taking a taxi, and I highly recommend this method of transit.
Day 2: Tianmen Mountain & Stairway to Heaven
Tianmen Mountain
Tianmen Mountain is also home to the famous Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon Glass Bridge…which we did not go to. It certainly looks really cool, and I’ve heard great recommendations to go see it; however, we spent more time on the mountain, and there are little mini glass bridge areas, so we did that instead. If you want to see the Glass Canyon Bridge, it is a separate cost from the mountain. We heard it is worth the cost, so check it out and tell me what we missed!!!
Choosing A, B, or C???
When deciding how to plan your day on Tianmen Mountain, we learned there are three options:
- A) Cable car up, bus down
- B) Bus up, cable car down
- C) Bus up, bus down
We went with Plan A, which, in the end, we were very happy that we did. The cable car actually begins in Zhangjiajie City and takes about 30 minutes to get to the mountain. We booked our tickets online ahead of time; however, the window we were meant to pick up our booked tickets wasn’t open, so we ended up in the regular line anyway. Regardless, the tickets are booked for a 1-hour window, so by booking online we had the first slot to go on the cable car.
Exploring Tianmen Mountain
To explore the whole mountain, it really only takes about 6 hours, depending on your pace. We covered most of the trails, finding it easy to navigate and a fun mountain to explore. The park entrance ticket was 235RMB per person, and it is valid for one day only.
After taking the cable car up, we arrived at the Upper Station of Cable Way. This is one of the main areas of the mountain, and many trails begin from here. We could have preplanned our route better, but ultimately we enjoyed taking the little cable car (resembling a ski lift) from the “Yumeng Fairy Peak” to the Cherry Bay restaurant. From there, we went East to walk along the suspension bridge and paths along the side of the mountain.
The views are pretty neat, but not quite the same as those at the Zhangjiajie National Forest Park. I did, however, like the walk along the mountain, and there are three points where you can pay a small fee to walk on a glass-bottom (Approximately 5RMB per person). We did our walk at the “Coiling Dragon Cliff Glass Bottom Cliffside Path,” and it was really neat. Luckily, it wasn’t very busy as we went in the low season, so although the glass bridge path is small, it was really neat to walk on and take in the views.
Plan A: Getting Down the Mountain
With the Plan A transit from the mountain, we took the Transmountain Escalator down. The escalator is a single lane only, and you take many continuous escalators down until you reach the Opening of the Tianmen Cave. It seems that there is another escalator to get to the bus area; however, we walked down the 999 steps of the “Stairway to Heaven”. You take the bus from there, winding quickly (wear your seat belt…seriously!!) down the rest of the mountain until you reach your starting point at the Down Station of Cable Way.
Best Time to Visit Zhangjiajie National Forest Park
There are a few ideal times to visit Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, but honestly whenever you can go is certainly the best time. We actualy when in early December, and we loved it. Since it was the off-season, it wasn’t too busy at all, and the weather was perfect for us!
There are two major long holidays in China: the Labour Day holiday in early May, and Golden Week in early October. These two periods will likely be quite busy at Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, so avoid these times if you can. Additionally, July and August are quite hot and will also be a busy time in the summer.
Ideal months to go to Zhangjiajie National Forest Park would be in the autumn and into the early winter (if you don’t mind the cooler temperatures). From September to early December (except for Golden Week) is a great time to go. The temperature is a little bit cooler, you’ll have fewer crowds, and the weather will be more on your side. Alternatively, springtime, particularly in April, might also be a good time to go, with nicer weather but still a bit less busy on the mountain.
Zhangjiajie National Forest Park Tickets & Opening Hours
Since we went in the “low season,” our park entrance fee for Zhangjiajie National Forest Park was a bit lower, costing us 115RMB per person. The cost includes internal transit by cable car and by bus. The Bailong Elevator ticket was not included in this fee. The park ticket was actually valid for use within 4 days and is also connected to your fingerprint, so you are unable to transfer your ticket to others. There is also luggage storage near the park entrance; however, we kept our luggage stored at our hostel for the day for free :).
For our second day visiting Tianmen Mountain, the park entrance ticket was 235RMB per person, and it is valid for one day only.
Keep in mind that these prices are from 2019 and have since been updated. For current pricing and opening hours, be sure to visit the Zhangjiajie official website or this China Discovery site for up-to-date information!
Where to Stay: Wulingyuan vs. Zhangjiajie City
It is a little bit tricky to determine where exactly the best place to stay near Zhangjiajie National Forest Park is. There are two main areas to stay: Wulingyuan and Zhangjiajie City, and we actually decided to stay in both. They are only about 30-45 minutes away from each other, making it easy to travel between the two. We spent one night in each area in order to reduce our morning travel time to start our day as we explored two different mountain areas.
Wulingyuan Accommodation Recommendations
1. Guihua Road 106th Hostel
For our first night, we chose to stay in Wulingyuan at Guihua Road 106th Hostel and absolutely loved our stay. The rooms were neat and clean, and the hospitality was exceptional. We landed in Zhangjiajie city around 11:00 pm on the Friday and straight away booked a Didi taxi to our accommodation at the Guihua Road 106th Hostel. The Didi was about 100RMB and took approximately 1 hour to arrive at our accommodation. We spent some time on Friday evening with the lady working there, and she gave us a map and detailed information on the highlights and how best to explore in just one day. This was a great help and really made our day exploring truly efficient and smooth travelling. The park entrance is about a 10-minute walk from the hostel, and it was a great location to stay.
Book Your Stay: Guihua Road 106th Hostel
2. Wang Yun Residence Boutique Homestay
Wang Yun Residence Boutique Homestay is another great option when looking for a place to stay in Wulingyuan. I love the boutique design of the rooms and the beautiful views they have as well! It has a cozy environment with amenities including a coffee shop, games room, and a lounge. This looks like another great place to unwind and has great reviews!
Book Your Stay: Wang Yun Residence Boutique Homestay
Zhangjiajie City Accommodation Recommendations
1. Zhangjiajie Yuansu Inn
For our second night, we chose to stay in Zhangjiajie City at Zhangjiajie Yuansu Inn. Although this place was a little difficult to find, we had a great experience. I loved the room decor and the mural painting of the mountains. It is such a unique stay, and we truly loved it! For a small extra cost, we kept the room for the entire Sunday until our flight, which was great to freshen up and get some rest after a day exploring the mountains!
Book Your Stay: Zhangjiajie Yuansu Inn
2. WuYun Designer Boutique Hotel
The WuYun Designer Boutique Hotel looks absolutely incredible if you are looking for a luxurious stay in Zhangjiajie City. The rooms are upscale, modern, and have incredible garden or mountain views. The amenities look incredible, as they have a spa and wellness center, hot tub, yoga classes and more! This hotel looks incredible, and if you are looking to splurge on an accommodation, then this looks like the perfect place to unwind and relax after an incredible day in the mountains!
Book Your Stay: WuYun Designer Boutique Hotel
Should You Book a Zhangjiajie Tour or Go DIY?
I truly think that whether you book a tour or plan your trip yourself, you’ll have an incredible time. The views are simply amazing, and truly unlike anything that I have ever seen. My partner and I booked everything ourselves and found it easy to navigate on our own. There are a lot of signs everywhere, and so we never got lost and simply followed the paths we were on.
With that said, if you want to take the guesswork out of planning and maximizing your time, then absolutely, booking a tour would be the way to go. We have done other tours in China, and it’s a great way to enjoy seeing a place without any of the stress of itinerary planning.
Zhangjiajie Tours
Final Thoughts on Visiting Zhangjiajie National Forest Park
We absolutely loved our time exploring Zhangjiajie City, Tianmen Mountain, and Zhangjiajie National Forest Park. Although we could have spent a couple more days visiting, we managed to fit in a lot with our 2-day itinerary! We loved the hotels that we stayed in and didn’t mind changing hotels after each night. This allowed us to maximize our time each morning and have a short commute to where we started each day. No question at all that Zhangjiajie National Forest Park is worth visiting. It still remains one of my favourite trips that I have ever been on! It’s a beautiful place with incredible views, and it is so worth your time! We highly recommend visiting, even as a weekend destination! I hope these tips are helpful and you enjoy exploring just as much as we did! Happy travelling!
FAQ’s About Visiting Zhangjiajie National Forest Park
Is the Glass Bridge inside Zhangjiajie National Forest Park?
The Zhangjiajie Glass Bridge is actually not inside the Zhangjiajie National Forest Park. It’s actually located at the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon, which is about 40 minutes away. We haven’t been here ourselves, but I do think it would be worth your time to go if your itinerary allows. It’s the longest and highest glass bridge in the world!!
Can you visit Zhangjiajie without a guided tour?
Yes, you can visit Zhangjiajie without a guided tour. In fact, we went for a weekend and planned the trip ourselves. We loved our time exploring, but since we had limited time, I can understand why you’d want to book a tour. We didn’t visit the large Glass Bridge, which I do think would have been really cool; however, we still loved our trip nonetheless!
How long does it take to get from Shanghai to Zhangjiajie?
It takes about 2 hours to travel by plane from Shanghai to Zhangjiajie, which is what we did. You can also travel by high-speed train, which takes about 7-9 hours. The flight for us was smooth and easy! We had two really late-night flights (Friday night & Sunday night), however, this left us with both a full Saturday and Sunday to explore!
Is 2 Days Enough Time to Visit Zhangjiajie National Forest Park?
You can certainly spend more time in the Zhangjiajie area. We only had a weekend, so we created our own Zhangjiajie National Forest Park 2-day itinerary as a way to maximize our time. This actually worked out well for us, and we felt that we truly got to experience the magic of this area. With that said, if I had one more day, I’d go and check out the Zhangjiajie Glass Bridge!
