Zhangjiajie Forest Park Day Tour with Gondola Ride

Walk among pillar-like peaks, ride a gondola down the mountain

A private day tour of Zhangjiajie National Forest Park combines the Avatar Hallelujah Mountain, Tianzi Mountain and Helong Park in a single itinerary, with hotel pickup, a local English or Chinese-speaking guide and all entrance fees included. The tour runs 7 to 8 hours and includes a gondola descent from the mountain. Lunch is a simple Chinese-style meal on site. Children from age 3 are welcome when accompanied by an adult.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Zhangjiajie National Forest Park

• Pick up from hotel at 8:30am
• Transfer to Zhangjiajie National Forest Park
• Explore pillar-like formations
• Take elevator to Yuanjiajie scenic area
• Visit Avatar Hallelujah Mountain
• Have Chinese-style lunch on mountain
• Shuttle to Tianzi Mountain
• Visit Helong Park and viewpoints
• Take gondola ride down mountain
• Shuttle back to tour vehicle
• Transfer back to hotel

The experience

Hotel pickup at 8:30am gets you to Zhangjiajie National Forest Park to start the day. The park's defining feature is its pillar-like rock formations: the same landscape that inspired the floating mountains in Avatar. These aren't karst terrain but the result of centuries of weathering, ice expansion in winter and vegetation growth. An elevator takes you up to the Yuanjiajie scenic area, where you stand overlooking the formations before moving on to the Avatar Hallelujah Mountain, the renamed Southern Sky Column, which holds a natural bridge.

After exploring that section, you'll have lunch (a simple Chinese-style meal served in the mountain area), then ride a shuttle bus to Tianzi Mountain. There you visit Helong Park, the west sea of rocks viewpoint and the imperial brush viewpoint before boarding a gondola for the descent. The gondola ride down is the day's final major stop before a shuttle and private vehicle transfer back to your hotel.

Your guide speaks English or Chinese and handles all the logistics: entrance fees to each site are included, transport by private vehicle is arranged, and the fixed schedule means the three main areas fit into a single afternoon without you building the day yourself. Wear comfortable shoes for the walking sections and dress for the weather, as the tour operates regardless of conditions.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup at 8:30am and return transfer by private vehicle.
• local English or Chinese-speaking guide for the full day.
• entrance fees to Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, Avatar Hallelujah Mountain, Tianzi Mountain and Helong Park.
• elevator access to Yuanjiajie scenic area.
• gondola ride down from Tianzi Mountain.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 08:30

Book up to20h before

AgesAdult (12 and older) · Child (3 to 11 years) · Under 3: can't be booked

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish and Chinese

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 12 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortPublic transport nearbyNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problems

Operated by Private China Tours

Is this one for you?Hotel pickup at 8:30am means you don't need a car or a ride arranged. The guide collects you and handles the route through three mountain areas in a single day, so the itinerary holds together without you building it.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Chinese.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (3 to 11 years). Children under 3 can't be included in the booking.

What are the pillar-like rock formations in Zhangjiajie, and why do they look that way?

Zhangjiajie's pillar-like formations are the result of physical weathering over many years, caused by expanding ice in winter and the growth of plants on the rock faces. They resemble karst terrain but formed through a different process, and they're the landscape that inspired the floating mountains in the movie Avatar.

Is the gondola ride included in this tour?

Yes, the gondola descent from Tianzi Mountain is included in the tour. You take it down after visiting Helong Park and the viewpoints on the mountain.

What's included in the lunch, and where do we eat?

Lunch is a simple Chinese-style meal served on the mountain area during the tour. The cost of lunch is not included in the tour price and is paid separately.

How does the tour start, and do I need to arrange my own transport to the park?

Hotel pickup is included at 8:30am, so you don't need to arrange transport to the park. Your guide will collect you from your hotel in Zhangjiajie and return you there at the end of the day.

What should I bring or wear for this tour?

Wear comfortable shoes for walking and dress appropriately for the weather, as the tour operates in all conditions. The tour involves walking at various elevations and an elevator ride to the Yuanjiajie scenic area.