Last Updated on September 16, 2026 by Nadia Halfway

📜 Introduction.

Almost a year has passed since my trip across China. While updating my 3-day Zhangjiajie itinerary old post, I realised I needed to improve the article to offer you a truly comprehensive guide.

As I was researching up-to-date and accurate information, I noticed a huge problem. There just aren’t many clear online guides for the National Parks in Zhangjiajie! Without the right details, you risk missing the landmarks you really want to visit, or you might get completely overwhelmed while planning your route.

That is exactly why I’ve decided to write this ultimate guide to these three incredible National Parks in Zhangjiajie: Wulingyuan Scenic Area, Tianmen Mountain and Grand Canyon of Zhangjiajie.

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🧭 Understanding the territory of Zhangjiajie.

Before planning your trip to “Avatar Mountain”, it is worth taking a moment to understand how the territory is organised. Zhangjiajie does not have only one natural park with a single entrance. It’ actually includes three distinct areas, each with its own access point, its own ticket and its own character. These are: Wulingyuan Scenic Area (which includes the Zhangjiajie National Forest Park with the popular Avatar Mountain), Tianmen Mountain (with the well-known 999-stairs leading to Heaven’s Gate) and the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon (and its famous Glass Bridge).

Most online guides and blogs lump them together without much explanation. They don’t include an interactive map with clear locations, but rather a drawn plan, which leads to confusion when you try to plan your itinerary.

🗺️ My Map of Zhangjiajie.

So, first of all, I thought it would be beneficial to have a handy map on Google Maps, at least to have a visual idea of the three scenic areas and their main landmarks.

Inside, you will find the Wulingyuan scenic area, Tianmen Mountain and the Grand Canyon, with some of their access gates, viewpoints and main attractions.

Nevertheless, when you visit each National Park, always refer to and follow the official maps and signs on-site to reach your points of interest.Remember: Google Maps does not work in China.

1️⃣ Wulingyuan Area.

Wulingyuan, which is also the name of the closest city to one entrance, is the centrepiece of Zhangjiajie and encloses one of the most extraordinary landscapes on earth. Covering approximately 369 km², it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992 and contains over 3,000 sandstone and quartz pillars, some rising more than 800 metres straight from the valley floor. This is the landscape that inspired the floating mountains of Avatar.

A single ticket grants access to all the scenic areas within it, along with the shuttle buses that connect them, The ticket is valid for four consecutive days giving enough time to explore at a relaxed pace without rushing all the main landmarks listed below.

Zhangjiajie National Forest Park.

The National Forest Park is the oldest and most famous section of Wulingyuan where most visitors enter the area. It gives access to both the valley floor trails and the upper plateaus.

Yuanjiajie.

The high plateau at the heart of the park, sitting at around 1,000 metres above sea level, with incredible viewpoints over thousands of sandstone pillars in every direction. Here there are several panoramic trails across the plateau connecting the main viewpoints such as:

• Hallelujah Mountain: it’s basically the famous Avatar Mountain, a single sandstone pillar standing 1,074 metres tall. The Chinese government officially renamed Hallelujah Mountain in 2010 following the success of the movie. It is the most photographed peak in Zhangjiajie.
• Tianxia Diyi Qiao: meaning First Bridge Under Heaven and also called Bridge of Immortals, it’s a natural rock bridge spanning two cliff faces high above the valley, one of the most dramatic natural formations in the park.

Golden Whip Stream.

Jinbian Xi in Chinese, is a flat, 7.5 km trail that winds along a clear mountain stream through towering rock formations. One of the most beautiful and accessible walks in the park, taking roughly two hours.

Huangshizhai.

It’s a historic scenic area with its own cable car that offers sweeping panoramas across the forest of peaks below. Cable car ticket not included.

Tianzi Mountain.

It’s the northernmost scenic area of Wulingyuan, renowned for its sea-of-clouds views and its cable car (not included in the ticket) ride across ridgelines dotted with jagged peaks. One of the most atmospheric spots in the entire park.

Suoxi Valley.

This is the eastern section of Wulingyuan, home to a cluster of very different attractions that range from underground caves to mountain lakes such as:

• Shilihualang. Known as Ten-Mile Gallery, it’s a canyon of bizarrely shaped peaks that can be explored on foot or aboard a small panoramic train that runs along the valley floor (ticket not included).
• Baofeng Lake. A mountain reservoir surrounded by vertical cliffs, explorable by rowing boat. The boat cruise is not included.
• Huanglong Cave. Known also as Tellow Dragon Cave, it’s one of the largest karst caves in Asia, stretching several kilometres underground and featuring enormous stalactite formations, an underground river and an interior lake. The entrance to the cave and the boat trip are not included.

Yangjiajie.

The quietest zone of the park, with spectacular vertical cliff faces and waterfalls. It’s a good choice if you want to avoid the largest crowds. It has been recently added as the fourth National Park enclosed in Wulingyuan along with Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, Tianzi Mountain and Suoxi Valley.

Bailong Elevator.

Getting between areas inside Wulingyuan is straightforward thanks to free shuttle buses running continuously between the main zones. However, the most famous and fastest transport is the Bailong Elevator. Located at a point called Shui Rao Si Men, its lower station is reachable in three ways:

1. By shuttle bus from Wulingyuan Gate in 15-20 minutes. Ask the driver for the Bailong Elevator stop.
2. On foot along the Golden Whip Stream trail from the Forest Park Gate
3. By shuttle down from Tianzi Mountain.

Once you are there, the tallest outdoor elevator in the world carries you 326 metres up the sheer cliff face in just under 90 seconds. You emerge directly onto the Yuanjiajie plateau, steps away from the Avatar Mountain viewpoint and the First Bridge Under Heaven. The elevator ticket is not included.

2️⃣ Tianmen Mountain.

Of the three areas, the Tianmen Mountain National Forest Park is the closest to the city of Zhangjiajie, and the most self-contained. The vibe here is more dramatic and completely different from Wulingyuan.

The protected area encompasses Tianmen Mountain, its summit plateau and the network of trails and viewpoints that surround Heaven’s Gate. The cable car that takes you up is one of the longest in the world at 7.5 km, departing directly from the city centre and offering views that justify the ride alone.

Best of all, everything is included the admission ticket. Below, you will find a list of the unmissable spots:

• Heaven’s Gate. A vast natural arch eroded through the cliff face of the mountain, 131.5 metres high and 57 metres wide. One of the most iconic natural formations in China.
• 999 Steps. The steep stone staircase that leads up to Heaven’s Gate from below. Climbing it is a rite of passage, while descending it is optional (the cable car handles both directions).
• 99 Hairpin Road. The winding mountain road with 99 switchbacks used by buses to reach the summit area. Even if you take the cable car up, the bus ride down along this road is a spectacle in itself.
• Tianmen Cable Car. At 7.5 km, one of the longest cable car lines in the world. It departs from a dedicated terminal in the city centre and ascends to the summit plateau, passing over forested ridges and dramatic drop-offs.
• Cliffside Walkway (East and West). Glass-floored walkways built into the cliff face near the summit, offering vertiginous views straight down the mountainside. Not for the faint-hearted.
• Tianmen Temple. An ancient Buddhist temple perched at the top of the mountain, partially restored and still in use.

3️⃣ Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon.

The Grand Canyon is the third distinct area of Zhangjiajie and the most recently developed. Located east of Wulingyuan, it offers a gorge-walking experience that contrasts with the vertical drama of the other two areas. Here, the scenery unfolds horizontally, along a river that carves through steep canyon walls. Its main draw is the Glass Bridge, which became a global sensation when it opened in 2016.

The Scenic Area of Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon includes a river gorge with a marked trail that descends gradually through the canyon, following the water from the bridge down to the lake at the far end. Allow three to four hours for the full route. Besides walking and trekking on the trails, there are several adventurous activities you can do here:

• Glass Bridge. A 430-metre suspension bridge with a transparent glass deck, at 300 metres above the canyon floor. For a period after its opening it held the world record for both length and height among glass-bottomed bridges.
• Panoramic Canyon Trail. A signposted walking path that descends through the gorge alongside the river, passing waterfalls, rock formations and dense forest.
• Giant Slide. A long tubular slide that carries you rapidly down a section of the canyon. Popular with younger visitors.
• Zipline. An optional crossing of the canyon by wire, offering a brief but memorable aerial view of the gorge below.
• Boat Trip. You can also take a short boat ride on the lake at the canyon’s end, for a final view back up towards the cliffs before you exit the scenic area.

🛏️ Where to Stay at Zhangjiajie National Parks.

There are several options depending on your travel plans and budget.

Choose an accomodation in Zhangjiajie city centre if you only have a few days and need a convenient base:

• Tianmen Mountain Yuyuan Theme Hotel. I personally stayed here! It is a lovely central spot for just €20 a night per person, breakfast included.
• Jinjiang Metropolo Hotel. Perfect if you are visiting Tianmen Mountain, as the cable car is right around the corner. Only €50 a night with breakfast.

If you want to focus on the whole Wulingyuan Area and the Grand Canyon, I highly recommend staying in Wulingyuan district.

• Santo Domingo International Hotel. A brilliant choice for budget-friendly accommodation without sacrificing comfort, cleanliness, or proximity to the park entrance. Just €25 a night with a continental breakfast.
• FUNGEE S Hotel. If you want to treat yourself, this stunning property designed like a traditional Chinese villa featuring a pool, it is right opposite the Wulingyuan gate. It is pricier at €115 a night, but totally worth it!
• Coiling Dragon Villa. Located closer to the Huanglong Cave, this beautiful traditional property resembles a Chinese pagoda. Only €25 a night with breakfast.
• Cao’s Family Courtyard. Right by the Grand Canyon, this humble spot is perfect for a quick stay to visit the Glass Bridge. Just €25 a night, breakfast included.

🎁 Use the referral code below or register via Trip.com to unlock your €10 discount 🎁

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🔽 If you are looking for another type of accommodation, you can explore plenty of options in Zhangjiajie and Wulingyuan using the map below 🔽

🎫 Where to Buy Tickets.

As these are national parks, it is rather difficult to run out of entrances, so you can buy them on-site directly. However, keep in mind that attractions such as the Bailong Elevator, the Glass Bridge, caves, etc., have limited spots. In order to avoid long queues, especially during the high season, and to not miss your chance, I recommend booking everything in advance.

Trip.com is the best comprehensive resource to book your entrances to the three scenic areas, and especially for purchasing entrances for the add-ons. Moreover, you can buy combos for more than one attraction and combine multiple tickets for more than one national park.

Below is a summary table outlining what each admission includes, plus direct links to purchase tickets for additional activities and landmarks in advance.

Wulingyuan Area.

Ticket = €31

Tianmen Mountain.

Ticket = €37

Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon.

Ticket = €7

💡 Travel Tips.

The Wulingyuan area alone is immense, which is why the entrance ticket lasts 4 days. I highly suggest dedicating at least 3 full days to cover Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, Tianzi Mountain, Yangjiajie and Suoxi Valley, including a visit to Huanglong Cave.

If you have limited time, you can consider skipping the Grand Canyon and only visiting the Glass Bridge instead. However, I believe it is absolutely worth climbing all 999 steps and visiting Heaven’s Gate.

In any case, wear comfortable shoes, drink plenty of water and take a break whenever you need one. Some of these spots can be incredibly physically demanding. For this reason, I also suggest visiting Zhangjiajie in April–May, before the extreme summer heat sets in. Bear in mind it can be foggy, even on summer.

If you are still planning your trip and have limited time, take a look at my 3-day itinerary in Zhangjiajie for some inspiration on how to combine the National Parks, the city and the various attractions.

❓ FAQ.

🎈 Conclusion.

Zhangjiajie is one of those destinations that genuinely defies description. No photograph fully captures the beauty of Wulingyuan, no video does justice to the silence at the top of Tianmen Mountain, and no map prepares you for the moment you step onto the Glass Bridge and look straight down 300 metres into the canyon below.

What makes it extraordinary is precisely the variety. Three areas, three completely different experiences: vertical sandstone pillars, a long stairway to heaven, horizontal gorge scenery… all within reach of a single base. You could spend a month here and still feel you have only scratched the surface.

If there is one thing I hope this guide has made clear, it is this: plan ahead, study the territory and give yourself enough time. Zhangjiajie rewards the traveller who slows down. If you love national parks, I reccomend you Huanglong and Jiuzhaigou: Natural Wonders in the Heart of Sichuan.

💬 And you? Which of the three areas would you visit first:Wulingyuan, Tianmen Mountain or the Grand Canyon?

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