Zhangjiajie walking tour & city guide

Wulingyuan and the city

Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, opened in 1982 as China's first national forest park, is the heart of Wulingyuan. Paved trails, stairways and viewing platforms wind between the pillars at Yuanjiajie, where one column is now called Avatar Hallelujah Mountain, and along the high ridges of Tianzi Mountain; the Bailong Elevator rides up the outside of a cliff, and the Golden Whip Stream trail follows a quiet valley floor. The small town of Wulingyuan sits at the main gates and comes alive with lights and food stalls in the evening.

The city itself lies about forty minutes away by road. From its centre a cable car climbs to Tianmen Mountain, where cliffside walkways, some with glass floors, ring the summit, and a road of 99 hairpin bends leads up to the 999 steps below Tianmen Cave, the great arch known as Heaven's Gate.

A classic walk: Yuanjiajie and Tianzi Mountain

Enter the forest park early and take the Bailong Elevator or a shuttle bus up to Yuanjiajie. Follow the loop trail past the First Bridge Under Heaven, a natural rock bridge high above the gorge, and the viewpoints facing the Avatar pillars, then ride the park bus along the ridge to Tianzi Mountain for wider views over the peaks.

On another day, take the cable car from the city to the top of Tianmen Mountain, walk the cliff paths around the summit, and descend through the escalators inside the mountain to Tianmen Cave and its long stairway.

Good to know

April to May and September to October bring the most comfortable weather; summer is hot, busy and often rainy, and winter can bring snow that dusts the pillars white. A forest park ticket is valid for several days and includes the shuttle buses between areas, so most visitors stay in Wulingyuan for two or three nights. Mist can hide the views, so leave some spare time in your plans. Zhangjiajie West station has fast trains, and the airport is close to the city.