Zhangjiajie: sandstone pillars, glass and cable cars
Three or four days for the sandstone pillars of Wulingyuan, the Bailong elevator, Tianmen Mountain's cable car and the Grand Canyon glass bridge.
The short answer
Zhangjiajie needs three days, four with Tianmen Mountain. Day one is the Bailong elevator and the Yuanjiajie pillars — the rocks that became Avatar's Hallelujah Mountain; day two the Golden Whip Stream and the glass bridge; day three Tianmen Mountain and its 7.5 km cable car.
- The National Forest Park ticket is ¥224 and covers four days, so pace yourself.
- The Bailong elevator climbs 326 m in two minutes; buy the ¥76 ticket the day before.
- Tianmen Mountain costs ¥275 and includes the 7.5 km passenger cable car.
- Zhangjiajie West is 2 hours 30 from Changsha by rail, ¥145.
The province around it
Zhangjiajie is the base for Wulingyuan, and the reason most people come to Hunan in the first place — the pillars, the cable cars and the glass bridge are all within a short drive of the city. Hunan →
The pillars
Zhangjiajie is a small city in Hunan that exists because of one landscape: Wulingyuan, a UNESCO site of more than 3,000 quartz-sandstone pillars, some over 200 m (650 ft) tall, rising through cloud forest. Entry to the core national park is ¥224 and valid for four days, which tells you how much there is to walk. The famous 'Avatar Hallelujah Mountain' is the Southern Sky Column on the Yuanjiajie plateau, reached by shuttle bus and a short stairway.
Getting up and around
The park is big and the viewpoints are far apart, so the lifts and shuttles matter. The Bailong Elevator — a glass lift bolted to a cliff — climbs 326 m in two minutes (¥76). Free shuttles link the plateau, Yangjiajie and the Golden Whip Stream, a 7.5 km (4.7-mile) walk along a stream that most people do in three hours. In the south, the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon has a 430 m glass bridge, ¥138, booked by timed slot.
Tianmen and the Tujia towns
Tianmen Mountain, on the edge of the city, is a separate ticket (¥275) that includes the cable car from downtown — at 7.5 km it is the longest passenger ropeway in the world, and the ride takes 30 minutes. At the top, a glass walkway circles the cliff and a staircase of 999 steps climbs to Tianmen Cave. Back in town, eat sanxiaguo, a Tujia dry pot of pork, offal and tofu, for ¥60–100. Fenghuang old town is three hours away by road.
Bailong Elevator
A glass lift up a sheer cliff, 326 m in two minutes. ¥76; buy the day before and go before 09:00.
Yuanjiajie and Avatar Hallelujah Mountain
The Southern Sky Column and its plateau, inside the ¥224 four-day park ticket.
Golden Whip Stream
A 7.5 km (4.7-mile) walk beneath the pillars. Included in the park ticket; three hours.
Tianmen Mountain
The 7.5 km cable car and 999 steps to Tianmen Cave. ¥275 including the cable car.
Grand Canyon glass bridge
A 430 m glass-bottomed bridge over a 300 m drop. ¥138, timed slots; before 11:00.
Practical
| Province | Hunan |
|---|---|
| Airport code | DYG (Zhangjiajie Hehua International) |
| Direct flights from the UK | None — one stop via Shanghai, Beijing or Guangzhou, 14–18 hours |
| High-speed rail connections | Changsha 2h30 · Chongqing 4h · Guangzhou 5h |
| Days needed | 3–4 |
| Best months | April–May and September–November |
| Local food to try | Sanxiaguo dry pot, smoked bacon, Tujia sour fish |
| National Forest Park entry | ¥224, valid four days |
| Tianmen Mountain | ¥275 including the 7.5 km cable car |
| Summer / winter temperature | 32°C (90°F) in July · 4°C (39°F) in January |
Getting there from the UK
There is no non-stop flight from the UK to Zhangjiajie (DYG); fly one stop via Shanghai, Beijing or Guangzhou, or into Changsha and take the train. Hehua International sits 5 km from the town — unusually close — so a taxi is ¥20 and 15 minutes. Most travellers arrive by rail instead: Zhangjiajie West opened in 2022, and Changsha is 2 hours 30 away (¥145).
How many days
Three full days is the right number. Day one: the Bailong elevator to Yuanjiajie. Day two: the Golden Whip Stream and the glass bridge. Day three: Tianmen Mountain, from 08:00 to beat the queue.
Worth knowing if you're travelling from the UK
Two things to plan around. The park runs on internal buses and lifts, and the Bailong elevator queue can reach 90 minutes by 10:00; we book a hotel inside the park gate so you are near the front. Second, this is a wet, misty landscape — the pillars vanish in cloud, so allow a spare day and pack grippy shoes.