Zhangjiajie National Forest Park Full-Day Tour with Private Guide

Two mountain areas and a glass elevator down a cliff in one day

A full-day private guided tour of Zhangjiajie National Forest Park covers Wulingyuan Scenic Area, Tianzi Mountain and Yuanjiajie Scenic Area, with hotel pickup, park tickets, cable car rides and the option to descend via the glass Bailong Elevator. Your guide speaks English and the tour includes water and air-conditioned transport; the Bailong Elevator descent takes 2 minutes but can require up to two hours of queuing at peak times.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Zhangjiajie National Forest Park

• Hotel pickup at 9am
• Visit Wulingyuan Scenic Area
• Take cable car up Tianzi Mountain
• Walk mountain trails on Tianzi
• Lunch at local restaurant
• Ride shuttle bus to Yuanjiajie Scenic Area
• Walk tourist trails at Yuanjiajie
• Descend mountain via cable car or Bailong Elevator
• Return to hotel or train station

The Experience

Your guide and driver pick you up at your hotel at 9am and drive you into Wulingyuan Scenic Area, where Zhangjiajie National Forest Park sits. You'll ride a cable car up Tianzi Mountain, where the landscape opens into grotesque peaks thrusting upward in all directions. Walking the mountain trails, views shift with each angle—the Wuling Mountains spread across the horizon from different vantage points. After exploring the trails, you'll have lunch at a restaurant on the mountain before heading down.

In the afternoon, a public shuttle bus takes you to Yuanjiajie Scenic Area, the area famous as the inspiration for Avatar's Hallelujah Mountain. You'll walk the tourist trails for about an hour, visiting lookout points including First Bridge under Heaven. When it's time to descend, you have two options: a cable car down, or the Bailong Elevator—a glass elevator built into the cliff face that claims to be the world's highest. The elevator ride lasts 2 minutes, though at busy times you may queue for one or two hours; if you want to take it, tell your guide in advance so they can arrange priority access. The tour ends around 5pm when you're dropped back at your hotel downtown or at the train station.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off in Zhangjiajie downtown or at the train station.
• English-speaking private guide.
• professional driver with mountain experience.
• all park tickets for Zhangjiajie National Forest Park.
• cable car rides on Tianzi Mountain.
• shuttle bus between scenic areas.
• access to the Bailong Elevator.
• bottled water.
• air-conditioned vehicles throughout the day.

Good to know

Moderate physical levelNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsNot for back problemsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Interstellar Cloud Tour

Is this one for you?Eight hours leaves room for a full exploration of both mountain areas and a leisurely pace on the trails, but not for lunch—plan to eat at the restaurant on Tianzi Mountain and pay separately. If you want to take the Bailong Elevator, mention it to your guide when you book so they can arrange priority access and avoid the peak-time queues.

Top questions

What's the difference between the cable car and the Bailong Elevator on the way down?

The Bailong Elevator is a glass elevator built on the cliff side that descends 335 meters in 2 minutes, while the cable car is a traditional descent option. Both are included in the tour price, and you can choose which one to take. At peak times the elevator can have a queue of one to two hours, so let your guide know in advance if you want to use it and they'll arrange priority access.

Does the tour include lunch?

Lunch is not included in the tour price. You'll eat at a restaurant on Tianzi Mountain, and you'll arrange and pay for that meal separately.

What time does the tour start and when does it end?

Hotel pickup happens at 9am, and the tour ends around 5pm when you're dropped back at your hotel in Zhangjiajie downtown or at the train station.

Is this tour physically demanding?

The tour involves walking mountain trails on Tianzi Mountain and Yuanjiajie Scenic Area, so you should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness. The tour is not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries, poor cardiovascular health, or pregnancy.

What's included in the tour price?

Hotel pickup and drop-off, a private English-speaking guide, a professional driver experienced in mountain roads, all park tickets and cable car rides, the shuttle bus between areas, access to the Bailong Elevator, bottled water, and air-conditioned transport are all included.

Can I choose between the cable car and the Bailong Elevator for the ascent?

You take the cable car up Tianzi Mountain. On the descent from Yuanjiajie, you can choose either the cable car down or the Bailong Elevator at no extra cost—your guide can arrange whichever option you prefer.