Zhangjiajie: the 'Avatar' mountains, glass bridges, and Tianmen Mountain (3 days)

The thousands of sandstone pillars of Zhangjiajie, in Hunan province, rise straight out of the forest, often wrapped in mist. They’re said to have inspired the floating mountains in the film Avatar. Plan at least two full days in the park, plus one for Tianmen Mountain.

Tickets: Zhangjiajie National Forest Park

• Park entry is valid for 4 consecutive days from your first entry. In 2026 it costs about ¥236 per adult including the park’s eco-buses (about ¥165 without them). Prices have changed several times recently, so confirm when you book.
• Book ahead in your real name with your passport. Children under 14 and visitors over 65 enter free.
• Not included: the Bailong Elevator (about ¥65 one way), the Tianzi Mountain cable car, and the Ten-Mile Gallery sightseeing train. Combination passes cover the lifts for all four days.
• Agents such as GetYourGuide and Klook sell entry plus the elevator in English.

Everyone pays the same official prices. Be wary of tickets sold far below them.

Day 1: Yuanjiajie and Tianzi Mountain

Take the park bus to Yuanjiajie, home of the Avatar Hallelujah Mountain and the First Bridge Under Heaven, a natural stone bridge between two pillars. Continue to Tianzi Mountain for wide views over a sea of peaks. Ride the Bailong Elevator, a glass lift on the outside of a cliff, up or down.

Day 2: Golden Whip Stream and Huangshi Village

Walk the Golden Whip Stream, an easy, flat 7 km path along a stream at the bottom of the valley, beneath the pillars. Then take the cable car up to Huangshi Village for one of the best viewpoints in the park.

Day 3: Tianmen Mountain

Tianmen Mountain is a separate park, close to Zhangjiajie city. Its highlights are Tianmen Cave, a huge natural arch in the cliff, reached by 999 steps, and the glass skywalk clinging to the cliff face.

Check before you go: in October 2026, Tianmen’s main cable car from the city was reported closed, and only the route via the cave-side cable car and escalators was on sale. Confirm which route is running when you book.

The Grand Canyon Glass Bridge is a different site, about an hour from the city: a glass-bottomed bridge 300 metres above a gorge.

Getting there

• High-speed train: Zhangjiajie West station has trains from Changsha, Chongqing, and further afield.
• Flights: Zhangjiajie Hehua airport has flights from Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and other big cities.
• The park’s main gates are at Wulingyuan (about 40 minutes from the city) and Zhangjiajie Forest Park gate. See how to book trains.

Tips

• Go early: buses and viewpoints are calm before 9am.
• Avoid Chinese holidays, when queues for buses and lifts can last hours.
• Mist is normal: it can make the views more magical, or hide them completely. Allow a spare day if you can.

Where to stay

Stay in Wulingyuan, next to the park’s main gate, to start early each day. Compare on Trip.com or Agoda, and check the hotel accepts foreign guests.