How to Visit Zhangjiajie National Forest Park

How to get to Zhangjiajie National Forest Park? How do you get around the park? How many days do you need there? Where should you stay when visiting the park? This article will answer many of the questions you may have before visiting Zhangjiajie National Park.

What to Do in Zhangjiajie Park

Zhangjiajie National Forest Park Area

Zhangjiajie National Forest Park has a lot to do. There are numerous attractions, sights, and some world-record-holding locations. Tianzi mountain can be climbed by foot, or cable car, Gold Whip Stream is a great hiking route for those who want to see the Yuanjiajie Avatar area, and the Ten-Li Gallery is a picturesque image of Zhangjiajie’s stunning scenery.

Best Time to Visit Zhangjiajie National Park

Almost everyone asked agrees that spring and autumn are the best times to visit the park. During these transitional seasons, the weather is mild, neither freezing cold nor sweltering, and you can see the misty clouds floating among the jagged peaks.

Summer is the height of the monsoon season, making it difficult to get good views (due to cloudy weather), and difficult to spend much time outside thanks to the rain.

In winter, Zhangjiajie is beautifully covered in snow, but many of the attractions, like the cable car rides, might be shut down due to the weather.

Ticket Prices

The hours of operation for all of the above locations are 08:00-17:00. Ticket prices vary. The main entrance comprehensive ticket includes free rides on the internal bus system and insurance. It is 248 CNY (35.24 $) in the high season (March-November) and 145 CNY (20.61$) in the low season (December-February). The ticket is valid for 4 days.

Individual costs for attractions:

• Bailong Sightseeing Elevator: 72 CNY (10.23 $) 1-way; 144 CNY (20.46$) 2-way.
• Yellow Stone Village Cable Car: 65 CNY (9.24 $) 1-way; 118 CNY (16.77 $) 2-way.
• Tianzi Mountain Cable Car: 67 CNY (9.52 $) 1-way; 134 CNY (19.04 $) 2-way
• Ten-mile Gallery Tourist Train: 38 CNY (5.40 $) 1-way; 52 CNY (7.39 $) 2-way

Where to Stay?

The main areas to stay are in downtown Zhangjiajie and Wulingyuan.

Zhangjiajie City

Downtown Zhangjiajie is convenient because it is close to the train station, bus station and airport. It’s great for weary travelers who just got off a long flight or train ride. The city also offers a wider variety of hotels and hostels for various different travelers.

Recommended Zhangjiajie’s City hotels:

• Best Western Grand Hotel Zhangjiajie, North of Dayongqiao Park, Ziwu West Road, Yongding District
• Zhangjiajie Sunshine Hotel, No.2 Yongding Road, Yongding District

Wulingyuan

Wulingyuan borders the park, so it’s most convenient for travelers who wish to get straight into the national forest park- and return to their hotel nearby at night.

Recommended Wulingyuan hotels

• Homeward Mountain Hotel in Yejpu, Zhonghu town, Wulingyuan
• Zhangjiajie Pullman Hotel, No 168, Gauyun Road, Wulingyuan

Where to Eat?

Fortunately, there is a modern array of restaurants to pick from in Zhangjiajie City and the nearby parks. Eating local is most recommended, as it provides the most authentic experience, but there are also chain and Western restaurants for tourists who miss home.

A McDonalds is at the base of Tianzi Mountain, in Wulingyuan. All over the Wulingyuan area and in Zhangjiajie city there are local stalls and Hunan barbecue, where you can pick out meat skewers which will be cooked for you over a fire. You can find all kinds of things for low prices and have some authentic Chinese street food.

Tour Guide or No?

This is entirely up to you, some people like the guided experience, some want to explore on their own. Tours are all-inclusive, so you don’t have to worry about nickel-and-dime fees like cable cars, meals, and more. Tour guides in Zhangjiajie can help you see some of the less-famous stuff that you might miss if you just go after doing an internet search and asking people.

• Our local guides know everything about Zhangjiajie. They will help you get around quicker and make your trip go deeper and smoother. Don’t hesitate to create your tour with us!

Useful Tips for Visiting Zhangjiajie National Park

1. There are 5 ticket offices. The best ones for avoiding crowds are the Yangjiajie entrance and the Tianzi Mountain entrance. But they are both not close to hotels, or the popular Wulingyuan district.

2. The national forest park does not need a passport, but Tianzi Mountain does. If you are traveling internationally, bring your passport anyway.

3. What to pack:

• In the summer, bring a water bottle, sun protection, and light clothes.
• In spring, and fall, bring some layers for the cooler mornings and evenings.
• In the winter, bring plenty of layers.
• Year-round: bring a rain jacket, it is a wet, rainy climate. Also bring good walking/hiking shoes.

4. Avoiding crowds: Check an online calendar for Chinese holidays- the dates often change because they are based on the lunar calendar. Certainly avoid going during National Holiday (October 1-8), China’s busiest holiday for travel. Also avoid Labor Day (May 1-5).

5. Even if you have a very limited amount of time in China, you should spend at least 2 days. If you have more time, a 4-7-day trip will enable you to see much more.

6. Recommended Travel route/itinerary:

2 days:

• Day 1- Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, Suoxi Valley Nature Reserve
• Day 2- Tianzi Mountain, Yangjiajie Scenic Area

4 days:

• Day 1- Golden Whip Stream and Yuanjiajie
• Day 2- Zhangjiajie National Forest Park
• Day 3- Tianzi Mountain and Ten-Li Gallery
• Day 4- Baofeng Lake and Yellow Dragon Cave

How to Get There?

From the Zhangjiajie Bus Station

Buses from the Zhangjiajie Bus Station at the city center to parts of the National forest park are as follows:

• To Zhangjiajie National Forest Park: 11 CNY (1.56$), runs every 10 minutes from 08:00 to 18:00, and takes about 40 minutes.
• To Wulingyuan: 12 CNY (1.70$), runs every 10 minutes from 08:00 to 18:00, takes about 40 minutes.
• To Tianzi Mountain: 15 CNY (2.13 $), runs every hour from 08:00 to 18:00, takes about 90 minutes.
• To Suoxi Valley: 12 CNY (1.70$), runs every 10 minutes from 08:00 to 18:00, takes about 60 minutes.

From the Airport

There is no direct bus from the Airport to the national forest park. You must first take a bus to the Zhangjiajie Bus Station in the city center. You can also take a taxi, which will cost you 20-30 CNY (2.84-4.26$)

A taxi from the airport will cost 100-200 CNY (14.12-28.24$), and take 40 minutes to an hour. Depending on how busy it is, and the time of day.

From the Train Station

You will need to get to the bus station first. From there, you can follow the guidelines listed above. The bus station is just a short, 500 meter or so walk west from the train station- they are adjacent so it should be easy to find.

Private Tour and Transfer

The benefit of a private tour is that all expenses are usually included- meals, accommodation, transportation to-and-from the airport or train station, and an itinerary of places to go in Zhangjiajie. Feel free to contact us and arrange your private tour!

Getting Around the Park

There are 6 shuttle bus routes within the park, the routes are as follows:

• Helong Park (Tianzi Mountain) – Tianzi Mountain Upper Cable Car
• Wulingyuan Ticket Office –Tianzi Mountain Cable Car – Ten Mile Gallery – Shui Rao Si Men
• Yuanjiajie Parking – Tianzi Mountain Parking
• Shui Rao Si Men – Lower Bailong Elevator
• Top of Bailong Elevator – Yuanjiajie Rear Garden
• Laomo Bay – Huangshi Village Lower Cable Car

Start Your Zhangjiajie Tour with Us

All of our tours are private and customizable, with no big bus nor fixed itineraries. But if you are not sure how to plan your Zhangjiajie Park tour and make it an extremely unique trip, maybe you can get some inspiration from our newly-designed sample itineraries. Or contact us and let our travel advisors help you plan your trip:

• 1-Day Zhangjiajie National Forest Park Tour - Yuanjiajie Scenic Area, Tianzi Mountain
• 2-Day Zhangjiajie National Forest Park Tour - Yuanjiajie Scenic Area, Tianzi Mountain, Golden Whip Stream, Yellow Stone Village
• Zhangjiajie Essence Scenery Tour - Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, Tianzi Mountain, Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon, Tianmen Mountain