Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, the first authorized national forest park in China, boasts the most unique and largest quartz sandstone peaks in area in the world. As the filming location of the popular film Avatar, it is known as Avatar Mountains Park and attracts global fans all the time every year.
Included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, Zhangjiajie National Forest Park was once ranked among "25 Most Beautiful Places in the World" by CNN and listed as one of "50 Must-Visit Destinations in a Lifetime" by The New York Times.
What is special about Zhangjiajie National Forest Park: Must-see Attractions
Zhangjiajie National Forest Park has been described differently, such as majestic, eccentric, tranquil, delicate, and wild. It features over 3,000 grotesque sandstone peaks, lucid brooks, about 400 kinds of animals, 850 species of plants, and a pleasant climate. There are over 90 attractions inside the park, distributed in the following 6 must-see areas:
Yuanjiajie, the core of Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, is situated amidst giant rock pillars rising from deep valleys and surrounded by higher mountains. Unique in their shapes and covered with pine trees, these rocks immerse people in the magical planet of Pandora. When the sea of clouds appears, all peaks seem to be suspended in the air, resembling a vivid Chinese ink painting.
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| Dense Stone Pillars in Yuanjiajie |
Hallelujah Mountain: Floating Mountain in Avatar
Among the various peaks in Yuanjiajie, you should never miss Hallelujah Mountain, once called Qiankun Column, a towering stone column with a vertical height of 150 meters (490 feet), which is the prototype of the floating mountain in the film Avatar.
Bailong Elevator: Highest and Fastest Outdoor Sightseeing Elevator in the World
The fastest way to reach Yuanjiajie is to take the Bailong Elevator. In 1.5 minutes moving up from the mountain foot to the summit with a vertical height of 335 meters (1,100 feet), the natural wonders outside the elevator can be clearly seen through the transparent glass. Taking it, you also save a significant amount of time on climbing, approximately 2 hours.
 | | Floating Mountain | |  | | Bailong Elevator | |
First Bridge Under Heaven: Stunning Natural Stone Bridge
The First Bridge is not man-made; instead, it is a natural stone bridge with a huge vertical drop of 350 meters (1,148 feet). It’s approximately 2 meters (6.6 feet) wide and 5 meters (16.4 feet) thick, connecting two parallel mountain peaks. When you step on it, a valley with dizzying depth appears beneath your feet. On cloudy or rainy days, mist swirls and rolls, making one feel as if standing in the sky.
Sitting in the north of the Forest Park is Tianzi Mountain, also known as “King of Peak Forests”. You can always see peaks of various shapes on its west, east, and south sides. Some look like hundreds of soldiers, some like young girls, and some like huge pens standing in the floating mist and lush forests.
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| Dianjiang Platform, Tianzi Mountain |
Sky Garden: Secret Terrace at the Top of the Cliff
It is a terraced farmland under cultivation rather than an artificial or natural garden. Perched atop a plateau at an altitude of approximately 1,000 meters (3,281 feet), the terrace overlooks a deep valley. From the viewing platform, you can gaze upon the rice fields and rapeseed fields interplaying with high peaks, and Yangjiajie canyon and Bailong Elevator in the distance are clearly visible.
As the latest open area for sightseeing in the park, Yangjiajie retains its original form without being visited by numerous visitors. Unlike stone pillars of Yuanjiajie and dense peak forests at Tianzi Mountain, here rows upon rows of rock walls stretch out like a natural Great Wall.
With steep terrain, Yangjiajie is a good option for adventurers. At “One Step to Heaven”, 32 iron steps lead to a high platform, forming a 70-degree angle to the ground, which looks much thrilling. It also boasts thick forests, clear streams, and grand valleys. The 80-meter-high (260 feet) Longquan Waterfall pouring from the high, Wulong Ancient Village standing on the cliffs, etc., will give you a distinctive travelling experience.
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| Natural Great Wall |
Huangshi Village is not a village, actually, but a vast observation deck at a mountaintop. Surrounded by cliffs on all sides, it does not guide you to navigate through strange peaks, but provides a top-level vantage point for a panoramic view of them. Standing on the highest “Picking Star Platform”, you can overlook all the over 3,000 sandstone peaks in the park at once.
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| Looking out from Huangshi Village |
It is the first choice for hiking enthusiasts, and also serves as a great place to relieve fatigue after visiting other attractions. The clear and perennial stream winds through an enchanting valley, with a total length of about 7.5 kilometers (4.7 miles). Thanks to lush vegetation, the air is as fresh as an oxygen bar. You can stroll on the flat walking path, and will be surrounded by towering peaks throughout the journey. Looking up from the valley bottom, one can most intuitively feel their majesty. Macaques often play around, and crystal clear water makes it possible to observe every action of the fish in the water.
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| Hike along Golden Whip Stream |
It’s a 1.7-km-long (1.1 mi) walkway built in forests and along a valley. Hundreds of giant strange rocks soar on both sides, forming spectacular peak clusters. You can walk or take the sightseeing tram to shuttle through.
More information:
Top 10 Things to Do in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park  |
| Ten Miles Gallery |
Layout & Transportation of the park
Among the 6 core areas, Yuanjiajie, Yangjiajie, and Tianzi Mountain are three connected mountains. The viewing spots are all located at their peak and linked by winding mountain roads. When you finish visiting a mountain, just take an eco-bus to the next one without going down and up again. To reach the mountaintop area from the bottom where entrances are located, visitors can take Bailong Elevator to Yuanjiajie, Yangjiajie Cableway to Yangjiajie, and Tianzi Mountain Cableway to Tianzi Mountain, respectively.
Huangshi Village is a separate mountain in the southwest of the park. Similarly, the viewing area is located on its top, which can be reached by Huangshi Village Cableway.
Golden Whip Stream and Ten Miles Gallery are located at the foot of the mountains. You can reach there by eco-bus, but for Golden Whip Stream, you need to hike through; the sightseeing train is only offered for admiring Ten Miles Gallery.
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| Zhangjiajie National Forest Park Map |
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It serves as the most effective strategy and most classic touring method. Tourists can reach core scenic areas on mountaintops effortlessly via Bailong Elevator and cableways, with only a short hike along the gentle boardwalk connecting major attractions. It is suitable for everyone coming here, particularly those with a tight schedule or limited physical strength, and families containing children or seniors.
It is a challenging, immersive exploration. When trekking up and down the mountains, one can experience beautiful scenery up close and enjoy quiet viewing platforms without crowds. But it requires extremely high physical fitness and takes a longer time, thus recommended to hiking enthusiasts, and tourists with a limited budget but ample time who want to explore the park in depth.
Know more:
Facts about Hiking in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park How many days do you need in the park?
A carefully planned 2-day tour can cover the main attractions, which is the choice of most people, while a compact day is also feasible, when you can have an essence tour. The ticket is valid for 4 consecutive days, so feel free to have fun.
Is it easy to tour independently?
No, particularly for visitors who don’t know Chinese well. If you have a tight schedule, it’s much more challenging. Multiple transfers by eco-bus are required during your visit, and their broadcasts are only in Chinese. You may miss your stop if you don’t understand Chinese. In addition, although the guideboards are multilingual, the names of attractions on them may not be the same as those on the map in your hand, making it confusing to find the right directions. There is nothing more despairing than realizing that you have chosen the wrong line after queuing up for a long time.
So, independent travel means you need to spend more time finding useful information before departure to ensure a well-planned itinerary, but even so, you may encounter many problems when visiting around.
If you want to have a better travel experience in a limited amount of time, try
Zhangjiajie Tours offered by TCG, with both mini group and private packages.
 | | Direction Board Only in Chinese | |  | | Complex Traffic System | |
Is it difficult to visit Zhangjiajie with seniors or children?
No, there is no need to worry too much. Many major attractions are linked with others by gentle trails that are reasonably good to walk, even for elderly people in wheelchairs and adults pushing strollers.
Barrier-free pathways for people in wheelchairs to take cable cars and eco-buses are set. If you cannot find it, consult the staff around in time. The entrance to cable car cabins is level with the ground, making wheelchairs and strollers enter easily, and eco-bus drivers often offer help to tourists in need to get on or off the bus. There are more than ten steps on the way to Bailong elevator, but don’t be nervous, as staff and volunteers can assist.
Read more:
Top FAQs about Zhangjiajie National Forest Park  | | Accessible Passage | |  | | Cable Car with Barrier-free Pedal | |
Best time to visit Zhangjiajie National Forest Park
April to May and September to October, with a pleasant climate, are the best times to visit Zhangjiajie National Forest Park. A sea of clouds in the mountains frequently appears in April to May. From September to October, sunny days take the majority with high visibility, serving as good foundations for outdoor sightseeing.
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| Visit the Park in Golden October |
With increasing popularity in recent years, Zhangjiajie National Forest Park sees a long high travel season from April to November. During the May Day holiday from May 1st to 5th, the
National Day holiday from October 1st to 7th, and summer vacation in mid-July to late August, the number of tourists surges dramatically, making it common to queue up for over 3 hours. If possible, avoid these periods. December to March is the slack season, with the busy
Spring Festival holiday as an exception.
See more:
Best Time to Visit Zhangjiajie  |
| Crowds in High Season |
The park is located 32 kilometers (19 miles) from urban Zhangjiajie, Hunan Province, Central China.
First, take a flight, high speed train or coach to Zhangjiajie city.
International flights serving between Zhangjiajie and Seoul, Busan, Jeju Island, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, and Singapore are usually in operation, and domestic flights from/ to Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, etc., serve daily. The city is also connected with major cities in China by bullet trains, including Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, Chongqing, Guangzhou, Xi’an, Shenzhen, and Changsha.
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| Arrive in Zhangjiajie by Bullet Train |
Then, transfer to the east or south gate of the park.
The park has 5 gates, among which the East Gate is the most well-equipped main entrance, and the South Gate is the closest to Zhangjiajie downtown. Therefore, these two are mostly used and recommended.
Travel from Zhangjiajie Hehua International Airport to the park:
a. Take city bus No.4 to Zhangjiajie Central Bus Station, and transfer to the tourist bus to Wulingyuan Bus Station. After getting off the bus, walk to the East Gate. The whole journey takes about 1h50m and costs CNY 15.
b. Get to Zhangjiajie Central Bus Station first by city bus No.4, and then take the tourist bus to the South Gate. The total duration is around 1.5 hours, and the overall cost is CNY 14.
c. If by taxi, roughly CNY 90 is needed for a 40-minute trip from the airport to the East Gate and CNY 80 for South Gate in 30 minutes.
 | | East Gate | |  | | Reach East Gate by Taxi | |
Travel from
Zhangjiajie West Railway Station to the park:
a. Take a tourist bus at the tourist distribution center to Wulingyuan Bus Station first after exiting the railway station. It takes CNY 13 and half an hour on board. Then, walk 15 minutes to the East Gate.
b. Reach the south gate directly by tourist bus departing at the tourist distribution center with a duration of 40 minutes at CNY12.
Travel from Zhangjiajie Central Bus Station to the park:
a. Take the tourist bus to Wulingyuan Bus Station in about 40 minutes at CNY 13, and then walk 15 minutes to the East Gate.
b. The direct tourist bus to the South Gate is available, taking 30 minutes on the way and costing CNY 12.
 | | South Gate | |  | | Tourist Bus to South Gate | |
Where to stay for visiting Zhangjiajie National Forest Park
If you plan to spend over one day in the park, it's recommended to stay overnight near the East Gate, where hotels are concentrated with prices changing between CNY 150 – 600. In this circumstance, the entrance is within walking distance, which helps you save energy to explore the park fully.
If you go to other attractions later, it’s also optional to return to the downtown area:
Where to Stay in Zhangjiajie.
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| Hotels near the East Gate |
Get a ticket and make reservations
Entrance tickets are needed for everyone, which include the eco-bus and insurance, while other transportation inside the park, including cableways, the elevator, and sightseeing tram, is optional and requires an additional payment.
| Ticket Type | Price |
| Entrance Ticket (Eco-bus & Insurance included) | Adult (Age 18 - 59): CNY 227
Youth (Age 14 - 17): CNY 116
Senior (Age 60 - 64): CNY 116
Preferential Ticket (Age 65+): CNY 33
Child (Age under 14): CNY 3 |
Notes:
1. You can book in advance with your passport through the official WeChat mini program. The booking interface has an English version, but it is not very user-friendly as it’s a simple translation of the Chinese version. What’s more, only WeChat Pay is supported. TCG offers worry-free booking: Entrance Ticket for Zhangjiajie National Forest Park.
2. The entrance ticket is valid for 4 consecutive days. On the first day, enter the park with your passport through the reserved gate during the time slot selected when booking. For the other 3 days, before re-entering the park, you need to make a new appointment for dates, gates, and time slots through the official WeChat mini program or the self-service machine at the ticket center.
3. The eco-buses depart regularly with a short interval. You can take unlimited times during your visit.
4. Children under 14 years old enter free of charge, but they still need to get an entry voucher. Besides, if they take cableways and the elevator, insurance is also a must. Therefore, they can
Option A (more advised)
Book an entrance ticket online containing a single insurance at CNY 3.
Option B
Get a free ticket at the tourist center. Before boarding the cableways and the elevator, purchase insurance on site at CNY 7. |
 | | Ticket Center at East Gate | |  | | Bailong Elevator Ticket Window | |
2. Fees for Elevator, Cable Car and Sightseeing Train
| One-way Ticket | Price |
| Bailong Elevator | CNY 65 |
| Tianzi Mountain Cableway | CNY 72 |
| Yangjiajie Cableway | CNY 76 |
| Huangshi Village Cableway | CNY 65 |
| Cableways & Elevator 4 Trips Combination Ticket | CNY 238 |
| Cableways & Elevator Unlimited Trips Combination Ticket | CNY 298 |
| Ten-mile Gallery Sightseeing Train | CNY 38 |
| Notes:
1. The transportation options within the park include 3 cableways, 1 elevator, and 1 sightseeing train. You can book in advance together with the entrance ticket, or it’s OK to purchase on site before boarding.
2. They are not a must, but highly recommended for the elderly and children, and those with a tight schedule (1 - 2 days), as thorough hiking in the whole park requires a lot of energy. In addition, cableways and the elevator provide a special visiting experience, other than saving effort.
3. Only children who are both under 1.2 meters (3.9 feet) in height and under 14 years of age can ride for free, but they need to get the free ticket at the ticket center as a voucher. Tourists of other ages need to pay the full price without any discounts.
4. Cableways & Elevator 4 Trips means you can take 4 rides in total on all cableways and the elevator in 4 days, which is advised for a one-day trip.
Cableways & Elevator Unlimited Trips means you get unlimited access to all cableways and the elevator in 4 days, suitable for multi-day trips. |
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| Tianzi Mountain Cableway |
3. Ticket Package
| Type | Price |
Entrance Ticket (Eco-bus & Insurance included)
+
Unlimited Cableways & Elevator | Adult (Age 18 - 59): CNY 521
Youth (Age 14 - 17): CNY 414
Senior (Age 60 - 64): CNY 414
Preferential Ticket (Age 65+): CNY 331
Child (Age under 14, height above 1.2 m): CNY 301
Child (Age under 14, height under 1.2 m): CNY 3 |
Notes:
1. It is recommended to purchase this package in advance to avoid constantly focusing on how to buy tickets during the journey.
2. At present, only the adult package can be purchased online through the official WeChat mini program. You can choose TCG for hassle-free booking: Ticket Package for Zhangjiajie National Forest Park. |
Opening Hours
7:00 – 17:00 all year round
- Last updated on Jun. 08, 2026 by Grace Yang -
