Plan your Zhangjiajie Tour? Wulingyuan Scenic Area in Zhangjiajie was listed with UNESCO World Heritage 1992. This world heritage site is popularly known as “Zhangjiajie Senic Area” rather than “Wulingyuan” mainly because Wulingyuan Scenic Area is under the administration of Zhangjiajie City.
The Wulingyuan Scenic Area consists of four parts: Zhangjiajie National Park, Suoxiyu Nature Reserve, Tianzi Mountain Natural Reserve and Yangjiajie Scenic Area, covering a total area of 350 square kilometers.
We list the top 10 attractions in Zhangjiajie, which may be of some use for preparing your 2-3 day trip to Zhangjiajie. If you want to know the best time to visit Zhangjiejie, please see my post -” The Best Time to Visit Zhangjiajie” for more information.
No. 01: Zhangjiajie National Forest Park
Zhangjiajie National Forest Park is the first national forest park in China, which was recognized in year 1982. It is a unique national forest park as one of the component of Wulingyuan Natural Resort.
Here are more than 3000 surprising pillar-like formations pulling out from earth and seen throughout the park. The peaks are in varied shapes, some looks lie a human, some looks like objects and some are in the shape of animals, etc.
Vivid formations can be found everywhere of this national forest park. People there usually can not help to show their acclaim as the peak of perfection.
Entrance Fee: Part of CNY 248 through ticket for Wulingyuan (Zhangjiajie)
Opening Hours: 07:00-18:00
How to get there: There are Special Tourist Buses from the downtown area of Zhangjiajie to Zhangjiajie National Forest Park.
No. 02: Tianzi Mountain Nature Reserve
Bounded by Suoxi Valley on the east ,Zhangjiajie on the south, Sangzhi County on the north, Tianzi Mountain is one of the four scenic zones in Wulingyuan.
Tianzi Mountain Nature Reserve lies on the highest point of “Golden Triangle”, its highest point being 1262.5m (Kunlun peak) and lowest point being 534m (Shilan valley).
It has an area of 67 square kilometers. The landscape in Tianzi Mountain is natural and primeval. People who have climbed Tianzi Mountain will not climb any other mountains.Entrance Fee: Part of CNY 248 through ticket for Wulingyuan (Zhangjiajie).
Opening Hours: 07:00-18:00
How to get there: Take a minibus from the downtown area to Tianzi Mountain. The minibus to Tianzi Mountain sets off every 30 minutes.
No. 03: Yangjiajie Nature Reserve
Yangjiajie is a newly found dainty nature reserve after Zhangjiajie, Suoxi Valley and Tianzi Mountain which is located in the northwestern part of Zhangjia, adjacent to Mountain Tianzi in north.It has absorbed more and more tourist from domestic and other countries.
Many famous tourist sites of Yangjiajie are Wusehua (flower in five colors), Vine King, Shuyaoshi (three trees grown on cliff), and so on. There is a famed village in Yangjiajie-Oolong Village. Entering this village, you need to pass through three breath taking “gates of hell”. Tourists to this village in an endless stream.
Entrance Fee: Part of the CNY 248 through ticket for Zhangjiajie
Opening Hours: 08:00-18:00
How to get there: There are Tourist Buses from the downtown area of Zhangjiajie City to Yangjiajie Nature Reserve
No. 04: Suoxi Valley
Suoxi Valley is located in Zhangjiajie which is in Northeastern Hunan province of China. The meaning of the name is: ‘fog laden village’ in the dialect of the local Tujia people.Suoyi Valley Nature Reserve is connected to Zhangjiajie in southwest and abutted to Tianzi Mountain in northwest contains tourist sites of over 200.
Suoyi Valley collecting water, mountains, and hollows is a fairy land. Fancy sites including stones, forests, waterfalls, lakes, limestone cave, sea of clouds, fog, birds and animals forms the Suoxi Valley Nature Reserve.
Entrance Fee: Part of CNY248 through ticket for Wulingyuan (Zhangjiajie).
Opening Hours: 07:00-18:00
How to get there: take Buses No. 7 or 9 from downtown area to Suoxi Valley; or rent a car to get there
No. 05: Baofeng Lake
Embraced by continuous mountains, the artificial Baofeng Lake is located in the Suoxiyu Scenic Area in the south of Suoxiyu Town of Zhangjiajie, Hunan Province.
Originally known as Shijiayu Reservoir, the Baofeng Lake was later named after Baofeng Mountain and opened to tourists.
The Baofeng Lake covers an area of 30 hectares and has a depth of 72 meters. Lying in mountains, the Baofeng Lake is filled by streams without pollution. The lake has a fascinating landscape with surrounding mountains and a mid-lake island.
Entrance Fee: CNY 90
Opening Hours: 06:30-18:30
How to get there: take the minibus from Zhangjiajie Long-distance Bus Station to Wulingyuan Town, then take a motor tricycle to Baofeng Lake
No. 06: Yellow Dragon Cave
Yellow Dragon Cave was discovered by local villagers in 1983 in Zhangjiajie and opened to tourists in 1984. Some tourists thought of the cave as the most beautiful in China.
Yellow Dragon Cave is a very large limestone cave, occupying an area of 100,000 square meters. The length of the cave is 7.6 kilometers and the height is 140 meters. It is composed of two drought stores and two wet stores, two underground rivers, four waterfalls, 13 caverns and 10,000 stalagmites and stalactites.
Entrance Fee: CNY 80
Opening Hours: 08:00-16:00
How to get there: take the minibus from Zhangjiajie Long-distance Bus Station to Wulingyuan Town, then take a motor tricycle to Yellow Dragon Cave
No. 07: Yuanjiajie
Located in the northwest part of the Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, Yuanjiajie is a naturally formed platform mountain, surrounded by higher summits which are divided by deep valleys. Added to this scene is an array of amazing lesser peaks and grotesque rocks.
Each one stands in the valley and possesses its own peculiar shape. The foremost attractions in this area include: Back Garden, breathtaking Mihun Stage, and the First Bridge under the Sun.Yuanjiajie lies between Huangshi Village (yellow stone stronghold) and Tianzi Mountain(emperor mountain). From Zhangjiajie National Forest Park there are approaches to the place.
Entrance Fee: Part of the through ticket
Opening Hours: 07:00-18:00
No. 08: Ten Mile Natural Gallery
Zhangjiajie Ten-mile Natural Gallery is situated in to the northwest of Suoxigu Natural Reserve, and at the foot of Tianzi Mountain. This natural Chinese painting is about 5.8 kilometers in length.
This scenic area is part of Wulingyuan Scenic Area.With a stream flowing through, and the peaks on both sides of the valley shape, it forms natural sculptures. The Herb Collecting Old Man and Immortals Worshipping Guanyin are the most spectacular.Entrance Fee: Part of the through ticket for Wulinyuan
Opening Hours: 08:00-18:00
No. 09: Tianmen Mountain National Park
The Tianmen Mountain National Park is a newly developed attraction which is located only 8 kilometers from the city of Zhangjiajie in northwestern Hunan.
Tianmen Mountain boasts a primitive forest, numerous rare tree species, medicinal herbs and an abundance of fauna. One of the main attractions of Tianmen Mountain is the Tianmen Cave. It is a natural water-eroded cave with the highest elevation in the world.
It is actually a big hole in the mountain but people call it a cave and it has become a major attraction. Many rock climbers enjoy climbing the cave walls.
Walk across a 100-meter-long Glass Skywalk clinging around a cliff on Tianmen Mountain, which attracts a consistent flow of tourists every year.It is a great experience to walk along the glass plank trail, wearing sock booties and feeling you are walking on thin air.
Entrance Fee: CNY 258
Opening Hours: 08:00-18:00
How to get there: There are Tourist Buses from the downtown area of Zhangjiajie to Tianmen Mountain.
Opening Hours: the whole day
How to get there: There are minibuses at Jishou Station to Phoenix Town from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.
10. Zhangjiajie Glass Bottom Bridge
50 km East of Wulingyuan Scenic Area, Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon is a newly developed tourist destination. It features deep cliffs, limpid streams, amazing caves and mirror-like lakes.It is also an landform museum where you can see all kinds of rock formations, different layers of vegetation, flora and fauna particular in Zhangjiajie.
Zhangjiajie Glass Bottom Bridge is China’s record-breaking glass bridge, the world’s highest and longest glass-bottomed bridge. The bridge, 6 meters wide, spans 430 meters over a 300-meter-deep valley between two cliffs of the grand canyon.
Tip : Hassle-free Zhangjiajie Guided Tours
If you don’t want to go the do-it-yourself route and prefer the hassle-free escorted tours, here are some options for guided tours to Zhangjiajie:
Glass Bridge & Yellow Dragon Bridge Day Tour
Zhangjiajie 3 Day Tour
Zhangjiajie Fenghuang 5 Day Tour
Beijing Zhuangjiajie Fenghuang 8 Days Tour
Further Readings
Best Time to Visit Zhangjiajie.
How to Get to Zhangjiajie.
Top 10 Attractions in Zhangjiajie.
Top 10 Attractions in Changsha.
Top 10 Attractions in Hunan.
Zhangjiajie Tour.
Zhangjiajie Trip
Any questions, just drop a line.
Hi,
I am from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. I would like to find out how to get to Zhangjiajie National Forest Park. The nearest airport? is it Beijing? or Shanghai?
Please advice.
thank you,
[email protected]
Hello Shahrul Amin Ismail，
Zhangjiajie National Forest Park is about 30km north of Zhangjiajie City. Zhangjiajie City has both a railway stationa and an airport to to be linked to the other cities in China like Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou..
Zhangjiajie City is also easily accceesible by highway from Changsha, the capital city of Hunan Province.
Hi,
I wish to travel to Zhangjiajie during Chinese New Year (6 Feb to 14 Feb, 2016). I wish to know is the Zhangjiajie National Park and Tianzi Mountain Natural Reserve open during that time. I read that the Zhangjiajie National Park is closed for 1 week in February. Please let me know.
Thank you,
Hi Krishnendu Chatterjee,
Normally it will be open. No information on the one-week closure of the Zhangjiajie National Park yet.
hello
How do I secure a ticket for the glass bridge at the canyon?
I will be in zhangjiajie in March/April next year.
Hi Jennifer,
Actually you don’t need to buy the ticket for the glass bridge at the canyon. It is included in your entrance ticket to Zhangjiajie ( RMB 258 ). But you need to pay 5 yuan for plastic shoe covers for your walk on the glass sightdeeing bridge.
Hello.
I know it’s short notice but I will arrive in Zhangjiajie on April 1st.
I would like to visit as much as possible on April 2nd and April 3rd.
I would like to see:
-The Tianmen Mountain, including the cable, the sky walkway and the cave with the steps
-The National Forest Park to see the pillars (I want to avoid the elevator)
-If it’s open, the glass bridge.
My hotel is located on the west side of the scenic area.
Please let me know is something is possible as I do not wish to waste time there, 2 days is short.
Thanks a lot
Yoann
How many hours from Changsha to Zhangjiajie by bus
Dear Chin Joong Onn,
About 6 hours: 405 km.
Hi,
We will be arriving Wulingyuan for 2 days in 21-23 Oct and would like to cover most of the places. Taking early flt from Shanghai and leaving Changsha in evening to make sure plenty of time in there. Please suggest what to do ?
Hi,
where do I get bus for Chnagsha from Wulingyuan. I found that it will leave at 0820 hrs.
Dear Bhim Rai，
As far as I know, there are 4 major bus stations in Changsha. But only Changsha West Bus Station offers the bus service goes from Changsha to Wulingyuan. The other three go to Zhangjiajie city. Wulingyuan is about 30km north of the city of Zhangjiajie.
Daily two buses to Wulingyuan: 8:20 am and 2:30 pm from Changsha West Bus Station . Bus fare: 103 yuan.
Have a nice time!
Dear Bhim Rai,
1. Any flight from Shanghai to Zhangjiajie directly to save your time?
2. Arrival at Changsha by flight, then connect the bus to Wulingyuan. But not sure you can make it.
The last bus from Changsha West Bus Station to Wulingyuan leaves at 14:30.
3. If you cannot connect the bus, you can connect the afternoon or evening flight from Changsha to Zhangjiajie. Arriving at Zhangjiajie city, you take a taxi to Wulingyuan.
You can spend your 22-23 daytime in Wulingyuan. Your entrance ticket allows you to visit in Wulingyuan easily using the facility in the park: shuttle bus, cable car….
Then you take the evening flight from Zhangjiajie ( or via Changsha ) back to Shanghai .
Have a nice time!
we come from Turkey that 6 persons. is it possible for one day for zhangiajie?
becuse we will go on to chonging?
what do you think about mind?
thanks