Zhangjiajie Transportation - How to Get to Zhangjiajie

 There are both flights, trains, and buses to Zhangjiajie, however, the quickest way to get to Zhangjiajie is by air. 

Get to Zhangjiajie by Air

Zhangjiajie Hehua International Airport is the only airport in Zhangjiajie. It offers direct flights to and from over 40 of China’s major cities, such as Shanghai, Beijing, Changsha, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Xi’an, and a couple of international cities like Seoul and Bangkok. Most flights land in Zhangjiajie in the evening.

The airport is located 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) away from downtown Zhangjiajie. Passengers can take airport shuttle buses or bus nos. 401, 402, or 4 to the city center. It takes about 50 RMB by taxi.

Get to Zhangjiajie by Train

The Zhangjiajie railway connects to most cities in China. Please be noted that the regular train is such a time-consuming way that you will need to spend more than 10 or even 24 hours to get to Zhangjiajie from popular ports of entry like Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Shanghai, and Beijing. So it is not recommended.

Zhangjiajie West Railway Station

The suggested way is to take a bullet train from Changsha Railway Station to Zhangjiajie West Railway Station. The journey takes about 3 hours and costs 138 RMB – much cheaper than by air.

Get to Zhangjiajie by Bus

Zhangjiajie Central Bus Station is right next to Zhangjiajie Railway Station, operating long-distance buses to and from nearby cities such as Changsha, Changde, Yueyuang, and Fenghuang.

How to Get to Zhangjiajie from Changsha

Changsha, 321 kilometers (200 miles) from Zhangjiajie, is an important connection between Zhangjiajie and China’s major cities. It is recommended to get from Changsha to Zhangjiajie by high-speed train.

How to Get to Zhangjiajie from Shanghai

Zhangjiajie is an excellent weekend-trip destination for people who work or study in Shanghai – you can get from Shanghai to Zhangjiajie in only 2.5 hours by flight!

How to Get to Zhangjiajie from Beijing

Zhangjiajie is 1567 kilometers (974 miles) from Beijing. Is it possible to see Beijing and Zhangjiajie on one trip? Yes, you can! The best way to get to Zhangjiajie from Beijing is to take a direct flight.

How to Get to Zhangjiajie from Chengdu

Zhangjiajie is 867 kilometers (539 miles) from Chengdu. Many travelers visit Zhangjiajie after the lovely panda tours in Chengdu because it is convenient to travel between these two cities by air. The direct flight takes only 1.5 hours.

How to Get to Zhangjiajie from Guilin

The distance between Zhangjiajie and Guilin is only 600 kilometers (373 miles). The two cities are destinations famous for different kinds of karst landscapes. It is totally worth it to visit both of them! The best way to travel from Guilin to Zhangjiajie is by air.

How to Get to Zhangjiajie from Guangzhou

There are more than 100 high-speed trains running between Guangzhou and Changsha every day, making it very convenient to travel from Guangzhou to Zhangjiajie.

Notes: Prices for flights will skyrocket during the busiest times, which usually falls on Labor Day, summer holiday (July and August), National Day Holiday (October 1-8th), and Spring Festival (generally late January to Early February).

See more detailed info from How to Travel from Guangzhou to Zhangjiajie.

Getting Around Zhangjiajie

Zhangjiajie is a small city. It doesn’t have subways and bus lines are relatively few, so getting around Zhangjiajie yourself might not be easy, especially for those who don’t speak Chinese at all. The best way to explore Zhangjiajie is to find an agency that can tailor-make private tours with private transfer services for you – which is exactly what we are good at. Feel free to contact us!

Private driver picking you up at airport/train station

City Bus

The public buses in Zhangjiajie operate from 6:00 to 20:30 every day and cost 1 yuan for a trip.

It is also easy to find coaches to Zhangjiajie’s major attractions in Wulingyuan and Fenghuang ancient town. The coaches depart from Zhangjiajie Central Bus Station and usually cost 80 CNY for a single trip.

Taxi

It is expected to pay 6 CNY for the first 1.6 km by taxi in Zhangjiajie, followed by 2 CNY for every 1 km after. Usually, 20 CNY is enough to get across town. Taxi fares go up slightly at night.

Cable Car

Tianmen Mountain Cableway is the world’s longest passenger cableway. It starts from Zhangjiajie downtown to the top of Tianmen Mountain directly, with a length of 7455 meters. The ride takes 28 minutes and the fee is included in the entrance ticket of Tianmen Mountain.

How to Get from Zhangjiajie to Wulingyuan

Avatar Hallelujah Mountains in Wulingyuan, Zhangjiajie

Zhangjiajie National Forest Park is part of the Wulingyuan Scenic Area. Buses from Zhangjiajie downtown to Wulingyuan depart from Zhangjiajie Central Bus Station (张家界中心汽车站). The journey takes about 40 minutes and costs 20 CNY.

But there is no direct bus from the airport to Wulingyuan, so you can go to the bus station by bus no. 402 and then hop on a coach to Wulingyuan. Taking a taxi is of course the most convenient way to get to Wulingyuan from the airport, and will cost about 100 CNY.

How to Get from Zhangjiajie to Fenghuang

Fenghuang Ancient Town

Fenghuang Ancient Town is about 220 kilometers (137 miles) from Zhangjiajie downtown. There are three ways to get there:

By Train

Take a train from Zhangjiajie Railway Station to Jishou (吉首) Railway Station, which will take 2 hours and cost 20 CNY. And then catch a bus from Jishou to Fenghuang, which will take 1 hour and 15 CNY.

By Bus

You can get to Fenghuang Bus Station from Zhangjiajie Central Bus Station by bus. The journey needs 80 CNY and 3.5-4 hours. Another 10 CNY will get you from the Fenghuang bus station to Fenghuang Ancient Town by taxi.

By Private Transfer/Taxi

The fastest and best option to get from Zhangjiajie to Fenghuang Ancient Town is by private transfer. We can arrange this 3.5-hour door-door transit for you! Feel free to contact us!

If you find a taxi driver willing to take you from Zhangjiajie to Fenghuang, the same journey might cost up to 700 CNY (after bargaining).

See more detailed info from How to Travel between Zhangjiajie and Fenghuang.

Visit Zhangjiajie with China Travel

Zhangjiajie’s tremendous natural landscapes inspired the fairyland-like Hallelujah Mountain in the movie Avatar. It is unlikely for us to go to planet Pandora, but Zhangjiajie is near! We are ready to help you arrange the best transportation solutions in Zhangjiajie and custom-make tour itineraries!

Perhaps you can get some inspiration from our sample tour packages:

• Zhangjiajie Essential Scenery Tour
• Zhangjiajie and Guilin Nature Landscape Tour
• Cultural and Natural Wonders of China- Beijing, Xi’an, Zhangjiajie, Shanghai