Zhangjiajie Travel Guide

Zhangjiajie City is located in the heart of the wilds of western Hunan Province. Covering an area of 9,516 square kilometers (about 3,674 square miles), there are four areas under its governance: Yongding District(downtown Zhangjiajie), Wulingyuan District, Cili County and Sangzhi County. With primeval forests, rocky crags and rushing streams, Zhangjiajie is a sublimely beautiful place to explore nature’s boundary. Most of the major scenic areas for Zhangjiajie travel are scattered along the following four tourist routes: Wulinyuan Scenic Area, Tianmen Mountain and Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon. Each year, more than 30 million visitors come to Zhangjiajie.

1. Wulinyuan Scenic Area – northwest of Zhangjiajie city. 
   Main sites: Zhangjiajie National Park, Yuanjiajie Avatar Hallujuah Mountain, Tianzi Mountain and cable car, Bailong Elevator, Yangjiajie Scenic Area.
2. Tianmen Mountain – South of Zhangjiajie City Center, situated in Downtown. 
   Main sites: take the world’s longest cable car from the city center all the way up to the top of Tianmen Mountain, sky walk on the glass bottom walkways built on the edge of the cliff. Take the bus down the 99 Bends Road.
3. Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon 
   Main sites: the world’s longest glass bridge, Baofeng Lake, Yellow Jargon Cave.

Zhangjiajie belongs to a subtropical, humid monsoon climate, but with a slight twist: Like the typical subtropical monsoon climate, Zhangjiajie has a long, rainy and oftentimes humid summer, almost 200 rainy days in a year. But it doesn’t affect the sightseeing since there is special beauty also on rainy days. Zhangjiajie has a relatively short, cold winter. The spring and autumn periods are even shorter, transitional periods.

April to May and September to October are the best times, since the weather is simply comfortable to travel; not too much rain and less crowded.

There is an international airport and a railway station in Zhangjiajie, so there is easy access to Zhangjiajie from major cities of China.

By Air: Shanghai: 2 1/2 hours, Chengdu: 2 1/2 hours, Guangzhou: 2hrs 40min, Beijing: 2hrs 50min, Changsha: 1hour, Hong Kong: 6hrs 50min (stopover in Shanghai).

By Train: There are no bullet trains to Zhangjiajie, fast trains from Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Changsha, Nanning are K-trains; they are slower than Z-Trains and T-Trains. Guilin to Zhangjiajie: The recommended way is to take a high-speed train from Guilin to Changsha (3hrs 20min), then take a flight from Changsha to Zhangjiajie (1h 10min, 4 flights per day).