When you’re planning a visit to China, one of many issues that’s in all probability on the high of your bucket listing is the Zhangjiajie Nationwide Forest Park.
This is among the most original locations on the planet in my view, and it impressed the floating mountains in James Cameron’s Avatar film.
I visited Zhangjiajie lately and it was wonderful. It’s a giant park and it’s fairly unfold out, so I like to recommend no less than 2 full days to do it justice.
This journey information will clarify how you can see one of the best of Zhangjiajie Forest Park in 1 or 2 days, based mostly by myself itinerary and expertise!
The place To Keep
Earlier than we get into the itinerary, the primary choice it’s essential make is the place to base your self.
Listed below are the choices:
- Zhangjiajie City — That is the primary city with the airport and prepare station. Regardless that it has the identical title because the park, it’s situated 30 kilometers south of it. I made a decision to remain right here as a result of I additionally needed to go to Tianmen Mountain, and the cable automotive for that’s situated in the course of city. I can suggest Hotel California as an ideal place to remain. The proprietor is tremendous useful.
- Wulingyuan City — It is a small city proper outdoors the east entrance of the forest park. It has loads of accommodations and eating places, so you may keep right here if you wish to be proper outdoors the park for straightforward entry.
- Zhangjiajie Nationwide Forest Park — There’s one lodge instantly contained in the park and it’s known as Zhangjiajie YOLO Resort. Staying right here will be advantageous if you wish to beat the crowds and watch the dawn and sundown. Subsequent time, I believe I’ll do this.
This is among the first viewpoints within the park
The entire place is filled with superior surroundings like this
How To Get To Zhangjiajie Nationwide Forest Park
The park is situated 30 kilometers north of Zhangjiajie city, so that you’ll want transportation to get there.
You possibly can go to the park by bus, taxi, or tour, and the drive takes 40 minutes with a automotive, or about 1 hour with a bus.
• By Bus
The bus is affordable and simple. The station is situated proper in the course of Zhangjiajie city, or there are even buses from the airport.
There are departures each quarter-hour, from 6:30 AM to six:30 PM (winter) or 7 PM (summer time).
• By Taxi
A taxi is one other good choice and it’s not very costly in comparison with western costs. Taxis are extensively accessible on the town, however you would possibly need to make a reserving the evening earlier than.
When you’re staying in Wulingyuan city, you may book a transfer from the airport here. In any other case, if you happen to’re staying in Zhangjiajie city, you may e book a taxi to the park by way of your lodge like I did.
You can even use a mixture of bus and taxi. In different phrases, you may take a taxi to the park within the morning, after which return with a bus within the night.
That’s what I did, as a result of I needed to get an early begin and didn’t need to threat lacking the primary bus of the morning.
• By Tour
Final, however not least, you may go to Zhangjiajie with a tour bundle.
Here’s a high-rated 2-day tour of the Zhangjiajie area from GetYourGuide that features transport and an English-speaking information.
We’ve used this firm for plenty of excursions and actions all over the world, they usually’re nice. Extremely really useful!
One other good platform with 360 diploma views
About This 2-Day Itinerary
Right here’s a abstract of this itinerary:
- Day 1 — Yuanjiajie + Tianzi Mountain
- Day 2 — Golden Whip Stream + Huangshi + Previous Home Space
Areas Of The Park
There are 5 principal areas of the Zhangjiajie Nationwide Forest Park.
On this itinerary, we’ll go to all of those areas no less than briefly:
- Yuanjiajie (袁家界) — Extraordinarily common space, however it has a number of nice sights, together with the world’s tallest outside elevator and the ‘Hallelujah Mountain’ from Avatar.
- Tianzi Mountain (Tianzishan / 天子山) — One other very talked-about space of the park with some nice sights, together with a scenic cable automotive that you may journey up and down the mountain.
- Yellow Stone Village (Huangshi / 黄是) — A much less crowded space with some extra good viewpoints. Often doesn’t get busy till later within the morning and into the afternoon.
- Yangjiajie (杨家界) — Rugged space with mountaineering. It’s spectacular, however takes extra time to go to as a result of it’s not as accessible as the opposite components of the park.
- Previous Home Space (Laowuchang / 老屋场) — Very underrated and undeveloped. This place is a hidden gem off the overwhelmed path, and it has a few of my favourite views in the entire park.
There are additionally 5 completely different entrances to the park, however for this itinerary, we’ll solely use the east gate and south gate.
This spot was a hidden gem with no crowds in any respect
Stone pillars within the Huangshi space
Day 1: Yuanjiajie + Tianzi Mountain
• Yuanjiajie (袁家界)
On your first day within the park, I like to recommend beginning on the Yuanjiajie space. That is the most well-liked space of the park for Chinese language tour teams, so it’s finest to do it early within the morning earlier than the largest crowds arrive.
Enter the park from the east gate after which take a 30 minute bus journey to the Bailong Elevator. Strains at this elevator can take as much as 2 hours throughout the center of the day, in order that’s why it’s necessary to start out early.
Bailong is the world’s tallest outside elevator and it has a glass wall, so you may benefit from the surroundings whereas it takes you to the highest of the mountains. It’s spectacular, though the journey up solely takes 2 minutes.
On the high, you hop on one other brief bus journey that brings you to a paved loop path.
The path at Yuanjiajie takes 1 or 2 hours to stroll, and it’s properly marked with English indicators, so that you gained’t get misplaced.
It has a bunch of good viewpoints, together with the Enchanting Terrace, Hallelujah Mountain, and First Bridge Underneath Heaven.
Probably the most well-known picture spot is the ‘Hallelujah Mountain,’ which was a part of the inspiration for the floating mountains of Pandora in James Cameron’s film Avatar.
It’s one of many first viewpoints on the primary path at Yuanjiajie, so if you wish to get there rapidly you may stroll previous the primary few picture spots after which backtrack afterwards.
Truthfully although, regardless of the hype round Avatar, I believe all the different viewpoints listed here are simply as wonderful.
Hallelujah Mountain
Be careful for monkeys
Big karsts
• Tianzi Mountain (Tianzishan / 天子山)
Subsequent, take the bus from Yuanjiajie to Tianzi Mountain.
This journey is a protracted one and takes about 1.5 hours since you’re going all the way in which to the opposite facet of the Nationwide Forest Park.
If you get to Tianzi, there are a bunch of viewpoints inside strolling distance, plus a 6-story pavilion with panoramic views of the realm.
Probably the most well-known viewpoint known as ‘Imperial Writing Brush Peaks’ as a result of it appears form of like a set of calligraphy pens. You’ll see this one in a lot of pictures from the park.
‘Imperial Writing Brush Peaks’ at Tianzi mountain
Panda binoculars
If you’re accomplished sightseeing at Tianzi, you may hike down from the mountain or take the cable automotive. Each are good choices.
I took the cable automotive as a result of I heard the views are wonderful. It didn’t disappoint. It’s actually breathtaking.
The cable automotive takes you instantly by way of the center of the limestone mountains, and you’re feeling such as you’re flying on a drone or one thing. Epic!
On the backside of the valley, you may take a bus again to the East Gate after which catch a bus or taxi again to Zhangjiajie city.
Taking place the cable automotive at Tianzi Mountain
Day 2: Golden Whip Stream + Huangshi + Laowuchang
For the second day, enter the park from the South Gate.
This entrance is far much less busy and extra relaxed than the East Gate, so it’s a pleasant change of tempo.
• Golden Whip Stream (Jinbian Xi / 金鞭溪)
It is a stream on the foot of the mountains, and you may attain it in simply 5 minutes strolling from the park entrance. If in case you have children it might be a enjoyable place for them to play within the water.
There’s a strolling path that follows this stream into the mountains for about 7 kilometers, however the views aren’t the best. There are higher makes use of of time, so I’d suggest strolling for only a couple kilometers after which turning again.
In any case, the primary motive we’re right here is to see the mountaintops, not the within of a forest!
Golden Whip Stream
• Yellow Stone Village (Huangshi Zhai / 黄石寨)
The following cease is Huangshi village. Truly, it’s a mountain, however for some motive they name it a village.
You may get there by mountaineering up from the Golden Whip space, or taking a cable automotive. Climbing is free, however I’d suggest utilizing the cable automotive as a result of it’s simpler and saves time.
I didn’t see a lot on the hike besides monkeys, and the trail is fairly strenuous if you happen to’re going uphill.
First views on the walkway at Huangshi
Trying over the balcony
The highest of Huangshi mountain is huge and it has a walkway that principally circles the entire mountain, with a lot of nice viewpoints alongside the sting of the cliff.
I like to recommend strolling it in a clockwise route utilizing Baidu Maps. Meaning if you arrive on the high of the mountain, you’ll take the trail on the left.
Huangshi is quieter and fewer crowded than the locations you noticed on the primary day, and among the viewpoints are really wonderful. It’s underrated and I actually loved it.
The Huangshi space is much less crowded, particularly within the morning.
If you’re accomplished at Huangshi, you’ll have to retrace your steps by both mountaineering down the mountain or taking the cable automotive again down. Once more, I’d suggest taking the cable automotive to avoid wasting time.
Again on the backside highway, you may take a collection of buses after which a unique cable automotive to rise up to the Yangjiajie space. Regardless that the title is de facto just like Yuanjiajie, which you noticed on the primary day, this space is completely separate and so much much less busy.
It’s a pleasant part of the park, however it takes loads of time to go to as a result of it’s largely mountaineering.
The cable automotive to Yangjiajie could be very scenic
At this level, you may spend the remainder of the day exploring Yangjiajie, or you may go to Laowuchang (the ‘Previous Home Space’).
I’d suggest Laowuchang as a result of it has one of the best surroundings, though it’s farther away. I’ll clarify how you can get there subsequent.
Nevertheless, earlier than you go, it’s value seeing no less than one simple viewpoint at Yangjiajie: the ‘Pure Nice Wall.’
This viewpoint is only a 10 minute stroll from the highest of the cable automotive station, and also you get to see a karst rock wall that appears form of like a pure model of China’s most iconic landmark.
Right here’s an image of it beneath. It’s a pleasant little detour.
The ‘Pure Nice Wall’ in Yangjiajie
• Previous Home Space (Laowu Chang / 老屋场)
The final place on this Zhangjiajie itinerary known as the ‘Previous Home Space’ (Laowu Chang / 老屋场), often known as the ‘Fields within the Sky’ (Kongzhong Tianyuan / 空中田园).
It’s a hidden gem, and getting there could be a bit complicated, however the views are completely value it. Actually, this place had a few of my favourite views in the entire park.
I noticed some footage of it on-line and knew I needed to go there, however I wasn’t capable of finding any clear instructions on the web in both English or Chinese language.
In the end, I used to be capable of finding it by exhibiting the Chinese language title to the bus attendants, who acknowledged it and pointed me in the suitable route.
Dozens of rock towers
‘Paddies within the Sky’ on the Previous Home Space
To get to Laowuchang, you’re taking the bus that travels between the Yuanjiajie and Tianzi Mountain areas, however hop off if you attain a junction in the primary highway, close to the North Gate of the park.
The junction is roughly midway between Yuanjiajie and Tianzi. There, you turn to a bit of shuttle cart that appears form of like a 12-seater electrical golf cart.
The shuttle goes on to the ‘Previous Home’ space, and it’s a brief and scenic 15 minute journey with views of rice paddies on the cliffs.
If you arrive on the Previous Home space, there are two principal viewpoints that may be reached with 10 minutes of mountaineering. Each of them are epic.
The primary viewpoint — ‘Army Parade Platform’
Unimaginable view. Discover the Bailong Elevator throughout the valley.
The primary viewpoint known as ‘Army Parade Platform’ (Yuebing Tai / 阅兵台) and it has a lot of stone towers. You possibly can even see Bailong Elevator throughout the valley. I believe this must be top-of-the-line spots within the park.
The second viewpoint is 5 minutes away, and it’s known as ‘Divine Troopers Gathering’ (Shenbing Juhui / 神兵聚会). It has a unique angle of the surroundings, with much more rock towers.
Each of those spots are wonderful, and I solely noticed a handful of vacationers at every of them. This space of the park is really a hidden gem!
To return, simply take the shuttle cart to the identical junction after which hop on a bus to both Yuanjiajie or Tianzi Mountain. You possibly can exit the park from both of these areas if you’re accomplished sightseeing.
Loopy surroundings
The second viewpoint — Divine Troopers Gathering
If You Solely Have 1 Day At Zhangjiajie Forest Park
If potential, I’d suggest spending no less than 2 days on the park as a result of it’s a giant space and there’s a number of wonderful surroundings.
Nevertheless, if you happen to solely have sooner or later due to climate or different causes, you may nonetheless see a bunch of nice issues in a number of sections of the park.
Right here’s how I might arrange a 1 day itinerary:
- Begin early on the east gate in Wulingyuan and take the Bailong Elevator to Yuanjiajie. See the Enchanting Terrace, Hallelujah Mountain, First Bridge, and different viewpoints.
- Take the bus and shuttle to Laowuchang and see the 2 spectacular viewpoints there: Shenbing Gathering and Parade Platform.
- Take the bus to Tianzi Mountain and see the primary viewpoints just like the Imperial Writing Brush Peaks. End the day by taking place the Tianzi cable automotive and exiting on the east gate again in Wulingyuan.
When you can’t begin very early within the day, I might skip Laowuchang and shorten the itinerary to only Yuanjiajie and Tianzi. You in all probability gained’t have time for Laowuchang except you enter the park as quickly because it opens within the morning.
Take into accout, you are able to do this itinerary in both route. In different phrases, you can begin at Tianzi and finish at Yuanjiajie if you’d like.
Nevertheless, since Yuanjiajie has the worst crowds, I believe it’s clever to start out there and catch the elevator into the park earlier than the traces get too lengthy.
Morning haze within the valley
One other view from the Yellow Stone Village
Different Ideas For Zhangjiajie Forest Park
- Tickets: The doorway tickets for the park are bought as a 4-day cross that features free buses throughout the park, however it doesn’t embrace elevator or cable automotive rides. Nevertheless, Klook sells a combo ticket that additionally contains one elevator journey and three cableways. That’s the right ticket if you wish to do my 2-day Zhangjiajie itinerary that I’ve described right here. I extremely suggest reserving it prematurely so that you don’t must waste time within the ticket queues on the park like I did.
- Passport: Bear in mind to carry your passport to the park, as a result of they gained’t allow you to in with out it. After you present it on the entrance and confirm it the primary time, there are facial recognition scanners all through the park for boarding buses, cable vehicles, and elevators, so that you gained’t have to hold whipping out your passport for the remainder of the day.
- Opening Hours: The park is open day by day from 7 AM to six PM from March to November, and eight AM to five PM from December to February.
- Getting Round: Be ready to do a lot of strolling. You possibly can take buses between the primary areas of the park, however a lot of the exploring is completed on foot. It’s extra of a exercise than I anticipated.
- Meals: There are eating places, meals stalls, and ice cream distributors scattered in every single place all through the park, so that you’ll by no means have to fret about discovering one thing to eat. I entered the park early within the morning, however I used to be nonetheless capable of purchase some scorching Jiaozi dumplings and different snacks for breakfast. That’s one of many issues I beloved about Zhangjiajie. There’s even a McDonald’s and KFC within the park if you happen to’re craving western meals.
Ice cream
Dumplings with a view
Beware the monkeys
- Funds: Like different locations in China, the park makes use of cashless funds for every thing. Even the meals stalls use Alipay or WeChat.
- Cell Service: Cellphone knowledge works all through a lot of the park. I not often misplaced reception.
- Bogs: There are many bathrooms all through the park. Those I used appeared clear sufficient to me, however carry your personal tissues.
- Monkeys: The macaques within the park are wild, so give them loads of house. They may attempt to steal your meals, or assault you if you happen to get too near one in every of their infants.
- Crowds: It is a common park in China, so it’s essential have some tolerance for crowds. In any other case, you may largely escape it on the much less touristy areas like Previous Home and Yangjiajie.
Landscapes from a fantasy film
One of many craziest views within the park
- Funds: The cable vehicles and elevator rides add to the fee. When you’re on a decent funds and need to get monetary savings, you may hike as an alternative. I nonetheless wouldn’t suggest it although, since you’ll lose time and also you’ll miss out on some nice views.
- When To Go to: Any month is sweet, however spring (March to Could) or fall (September to November) could be good if you’d like gentle climate. Simply you’ll want to keep away from the primary weeks of Could and October as a result of Chinese language vacationers will likely be very busy touring for Labor Day and Golden Week. The photographs on this web page had been taken in June.
- Images: If you wish to catch the well-known foggy views of the mountains, that’s normally finest seen after a rain. It makes the mountains look mysterious and delightful. Sadly after I went, it by no means rained and there was by no means any hint of fog.
Extra Journey Guides For China
Thanks for wanting! I hope you loved this information for how you can spend 2 days within the Zhangjiajie Nationwide Forest Park.
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