Zhangjiajie

travel time: October / November 2024

Tianmen Mountain

On our arrival day in Zhangjiajie, we decided to visit Tianmen Mountain. There are three ticket options, and we chose Ticket A, the most popular choice. This ticket includes access to the famous cable car, which takes you up the mountain in about 30 minutes.

We’d read online that the wait times can be long, so we were pleasantly surprised to see that the outdoor line was relatively short. However, after the security check, we realized the line continued indoors. After some more waiting, we finally reached the ticket checkpoint, only to discover that the line continued up to the second floor. It took about an hour before we could finally hop into a cable car cabin and begin our ascent up the mountain.

At the top, there are several walking routes, allowing visitors to customize their experience based on interests and time. We took the East Route, which included a thrilling glass-bottomed walkway and a scenic hike along the summit, with breathtaking views of the surrounding landscape. To reach Tianmen Dong, a dramatic natural arch cut through the mountainside, we descended via a series of seven elevators included in Ticket A. From there, visitors have the choice to pay extra for additional elevators down or descend the famous 999 steps, leading to a fantastic view from the bottom. As dusk settled, we took another cable car back to town, our adventure on Tianmen Mountain complete.

National Park

We initially thought taking the shuttle bus from the Central Bus Station to the National Park would be a quick and easy option. Unfortunately, that wasn’t quite the case. First, it was challenging to find the bus departure point, and as it was still very early in the morning, there weren’t many people around to ask for help. After passing through a security check, we found a VIP lounge on the right side of the building, that also provides access to the buses and is the place where the shuttle bus departures. For the shuttle bus, you can’t purchase a ticket in advance - instead, you buy one directly on the bus.

After a short wait of about 10 minutes, the bus finally set off. However, rather than going directly to the park, it made several stops along the way to pick up and drop off locals. So, while the bus technically did go straight to the National Park, it was more like a local bus service than a quick shuttle, and it ended up taking us about an hour to finally reach the entrance.

Tickets to the National Park can be easily purchased at the entrance and are valid for four days. Instead of receiving a physical ticket, they register your passport in their system, and each gate operates through facial recognition. The technology is surprisingly advanced and worked seamlessly throughout our visit.

Planning exact routes in advance proved challenging, so we decided on general regions to explore and made our walking plans spontaneously. Our first stop was Yangjiajie, where we took one of the free buses within the park to head in that direction. After a short hike and a scenic cable car ride, we reached our destination. The landscape is breathtaking, with each area of the park offering a unique but equally stunning view. In Yangjiajie, some of the trails were closed for maintenance, so we couldn’t hike as planned. Instead, we took another bus to the Yuanjiajie area, famous for its resemblance to the floating mountains in Avatar. This part of the park, despite being crowded, felt otherworldly - the views truly seem like they’re from another planet.

After a quick rest, we took a bus to Tianzi Shan. The line was fairly long, and a taxi driver tried to convince us that paying 300 yuan for a ride would be better than waiting - claiming we’d have to wait at least two hours. However, we noticed that the bus line was moving quickly, with many buses heading in that direction, so we opted for the free option. Just 15 minutes later, we were on the bus, relieved we hadn’t fallen for his sales pitch.

Upon arriving at Tianzi Shan, we found the area packed with people, all enjoying the stunning views from the mountaintop. We explored several viewing platforms, each offering a unique perspective on the landscape. From Tianzi Shan, we decided to hike down to the Ten-Mile Gallery, where a monorail is located. We chose to hike instead of taking the monorail, navigating countless steps along the way. By the end, our legs were feeling quite wobbly from the descent!

The park’s bus services are all included with the entrance ticket, but other transport options, such as the monorail or cable cars, require separate tickets.

After an amazing day in the National Park we wanted to see the famous 72 Strange Buildings. From the street you only get a glimpse of the building and to see it up close it is required to buy a ticket. Even though the price was quite high we were eager to see this amazing building and the whole surrounding area, where shows are taking place the whole evening.

Grand Canyon & National Park

Even though I'm afraid of heights, we didn’t want to miss the experience of walking across the famous Glass Bridge spanning the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon. Upon arriving at the entrance, we went through a standard security check. Although we had read online that backpacks and cameras weren’t permitted, this rule didn’t apply during our visit. However, steel water bottles were the only item prohibited to take onto the Glass Bridge. Fortunately, free lockers were available, allowing us to securely store our belongings during our visit.

The Glass Bridge, spanning 430 meters across the canyon at a height of 300 meters, is a major tourist attraction. We nearly missed the requirement to book tickets in advance, but fortunately, we managed to secure tickets the day before our visit. Walking across the bridge, we were surprised to find fewer people than expected. Alex fully enjoyed the view down into the valley and the surrounding area, while I was feeling a bit more apprehensive, was relieved to survive the experience - even though I read the day before that the bridge could supposedly support the weight of a tank!

On the other side of the bridge, we decided to add to the adrenaline rush by taking the zip line over the canyon for part of our descent. The zip line costs extra, but it’s an incredible experience, even if you’re nervous beforehand - I can vouch for that first-hand! With our legs still a bit tired, we chose to take the slide (also an extra cost) down further into the canyon, which was surprisingly fun.

At the bottom, we followed a scenic path through the canyon, marveling at the breathtaking natural surroundings. It was a memorable and peaceful experience, and we thoroughly enjoyed our time exploring the canyon.

After arriving at a different location than where we started, we took a taxi back to the top to retrieve our backpack from the locker, then caught another taxi back into the National Park. That afternoon, we set our sights on visiting Huangshi Village. We took a cable car to the top, which was a quick and scenic ride. Unfortunately, we only had about half an hour there before they closed the cable car for an emergency drill. Not wanting to hike all the way down, we made the most of our time by soaking in the breathtaking views and taking a few photos before catching the cable car back down.