Zhangjiajie National Forest Park

What a breathtaking place! crazy what nature can create and how impressive these formations look in real. Also really recommend taking the 6km long golden whip stream path and walk through the valley to get a view of these giants from below! went in mid November (Thursday and Friday), weather was decent and not as crowded as I expected. There was never any waiting lines at the cable cars or elevator, just make sure you make your bookings for the preferred time at least a day before.

Truly a wonderful park, Avatar has chosen well its filming location . I have never seen such kind of mountains anywhere in the West. It is well organized despite the crowd w a lot of food and drink places along the way, shuttle buses to take you from one to the next place on a constant schedule. It is super clean, the paths unlike national parks in the west are all paved and with steps. You won’t find a gravel road to walk on. Do spend 2 days exploring it. 1 day, enter from the East Gate and head to the direction of the world’s highest outdoor elevator, visit clockwise, don’t forget to visit Terrace in the sky which costs extra. Walk all the way down, there is a drone photographer who can have a fantastic drone film 98 cny made for you without the crowd anywhere else you encounter in the park. The 2nd day do Huangshizai enter from the South Gate take the cable up walk clockwise. After you come down, I would definitely walk all 7km along the creek and exit from the east gate. Along the creek you will have the park almost to yourself as not many tourists do the long walk and you will encounter the snow monkey cousins. We went very early the 1st day to avoid the crowd, but the fog hasn’t cleared up. I would probably enter around 9:30-10 if it is a good day because by then the fogs would be gone. You have to decide whether you want the long wait or the fog. Have fun.

We visited the park the last day of November and first day of December and the crowds were very low. We didn’t have to queue for almost anything which is a big deal in China. Only the most famous spots (hallelujah mountains etc) were very crowded with tour groups, screaming people using speakers and so on but once you walk further away it got better. We enjoyed most the south and south west part of the park which requires more walking and it had way less crowds and noise. It was so relaxing and peaceful and had almost no tour groups. I would easily spent 2-3 days exploring the park. We got the tickets from our hotel with a discount and only spent 2 full days in the park. I’d say get some snacks with you because although there are many vendors selling food and snacks they can be a bit more expensive, not too bad though. We had our own snacks but had lunch in the park. Also bring your own toilet paper and soap for the hands because don’t have any unfortunately which is a shame for such a big park they accepts so many tourists daily.

Planned our visit for late October and opted for the fast-track option, which we definitely appreciated when we zoomed past 10 minute queues which gave us more time exploring the landmarks. The ride up on the cable car is exhilarating and truly milestone memorable!! We made our way down by the touristy spots, which were busy, but if you were willing to walk 10 minutes away, you were rewarded with the most magnificent views of Mother Nature's rock skyscrapers and the mist drifting amidst the tree-lined stacks! The elevator down definitely tested my vertigo-nerves, but is a feat of engineering that can't be missed. We finished off our visit at the beautiful river and little 6km train ride where we were entertained by the resident monkeys and their thieving mischief.

Zhangjiajie National Forest park 张家界国家森林公园 is where Mother Nature built skyscrapers before humans even figured out bricks. Recognized as the first national forest park in China (1982) and part of the larger 武陵源 UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1992, it’s officially rated a 5A tourist attraction, which in China means expect world-class views and equally world-class crowds. Even in off season it feels like half the country decided to go hiking with you. Main areas to explore before your legs give up: • 金鞭溪 Golden Whip Stream – a tranquil valley walk with towering cliffs, crystal-clear water, and monkeys plotting to steal your snacks. • 袁家界 Yuanjiajie – home of the iconic Avatar Hallelujah Mountain where sandstone pillars levitate in misty glory. • 杨家界 Yangjiajie – dramatic cliffs and quieter trails, great for pretending you discovered Zhangjiajie before everyone else. • 黄石寨 Huangshizhai – panoramic viewpoints so good that locals say “if you don’t climb Huangshizhai, you haven’t truly seen Zhangjiajie.” • 十里画廊 Ten Mile Gallery – stone peaks arranged like a giant natural scroll painting. Spoiler: it feels shorter than ten miles. • 张家界大峡谷 Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon – home to dizzying cliffs, waterfalls, and the record-breaking Glass Bridge, which is basically a test of whether you trust both physics and your legs. Pro tip If you don’t like spending more time in queues than on trails, get the VIP ticket. It skips the lines for elevators, cable cars, and shuttle buses.. saving up to an hour per attraction. Worth it when you realize standing in a queue here is the only view not worth photographing. Five stars because 张家界国家森林公园 is essentially nature’s IMAX in 4D.. mist, monkeys, and mild vertigo included, plus tourists everywhere waving selfie sticks like bamboo spears trying to capture the same mountain from 37 slightly different angles.

A stunning and unique park, now a popular tourist destination for those traveling to China. Everything is very clean and organized, and you'll find yourself immersed in nature, enjoying breathtaking views. Take the elevator up to the top of the sandstone peaks and enjoy the view. You have to be lucky and find a sunny day.

14-18/10/2025 Zhangjiajie Trip We set off from Hong Kong by high-speed rail. this journey was having to book high-speed rail tickets 14 days in advance on 12306 The weather didn’t cooperate—it was either rainy or overcast for all five days. For the first two days, we stayed at the Ji Hotel全季酒店 near 東門Dongmen, just a 3-minute walk from the Dongmen Gate. Through the hotel, we booked the main entrance tickets and a combo ticket for the three cable cars and one elevator (¥191 for seniors over 65 and ¥480 for one adult, plus Tianmen Mountain Route A tickets for ¥116 + ¥268). Since we entered at 7:30 a.m., there weren’t many people. We took the eco-friendly bus to the Bailong Elevator, and just as I arrived, the queue was cut off right in front of me, allowing me to be the first to enter the elevator. The weather wasn’t great, so we just wandered around casually. On the second day, we entered through the south gate and took the cable car up to 黃石寨Huangshi Village to see the peaks. Perhaps it was still early, but the mist hadn’t cleared yet, and a light drizzle was falling. We couldn’t see any peaks clearly, so we had no choice but to head back down and look for the "Monkey King." Unfortunately, even the monkeys weren’t out. Luckily, we spotted three of them just as we were about to give up. We then took a taxi to the Tianmen Mountain Hotel, dropped off our luggage, and went to explore the 72奇楼.

The national forest park is very nice it is unique in its kind. I really recommend it if you want to see nice nature. But before going there you should plan your itinerary to save time and see most of the park. I recommend taking the cable car if you only take one day to visit the park, but all tickets are for 4 days. You have buses inside that bring you everywhere but you can also walk. The negative part is that all the Paths are delimited which means you can’t really explore new places or get lost in the park.