Top 10 Things to Do in Zhangjiajie


Whether you're visiting Zhangjiajie for a few days or are a localite, Zhangjiajie is sure to have something new for you. Explore our guide that tells you about the best tourist places to visit and things to do in Zhangjiajie. This guide will give you an idea about the popular attractions, upcoming tourist spots, and off-beat things to do in Zhangjiajie. This makes it easy to plan weekends or long vacations in Zhangjiajie. We have compiled this cool stuff to do in Zhangjiajie keeping in mind the points of interest for families, groups, and romantic couples. Looking at the activities for adventure junkies in Zhangjiajie listed here will get the blood rushing and adrenaline pumping through your veins.

Check out free places to visit in Zhangjiajie which you can visit without spending a penny. Handpicked tours, day trips, and excursions in Zhangjiajie will make your visit comfortable. You will also find the opening and closing time, along with the time required to cover major attractions. This will help you to have a flawless plan without much hassle. We have also included eateries in Zhangjiajie recommended by locals.

1.Visit Wulingyuan Scenic Area
Wulingyuan Scnic Area is situated in Wulingyuan District of of Zhangjiajie City. northwestern of China's Hunan  Province.Covering 369 square meters. Wulingyuan Scenic Area, includes Suoxi Valley Nature Reserve, Tianzi Mountain Nature Reserve, Zhangjiajie National Forest Park , Yuanjiajie Avtar Mountain and Yangjiajie Scenic Spot, is located 32 kilometers from urban Zhangjiajie.

Wulingyuan Scenic Area in Zhangjiajie, composed of four core scenic areas, was included by UNESCO in the World Natural Heritage list in 1992. 

Travel Tips:

  • It usually takes you 1-2 days at least for visiting inside Wulingyuan Scenic Area

  • Day1:  Full day tour in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, take round trip cable cars to visit the Yellow Stone Village; and hike along the Golden Whip Stream about 3 hours.

  • Day2:  Fullday tour in Yuanjiajie-Yangjiajie and Tianzi Mountain. In the morning, take Bailong Elevator up to Yuanjiajie for 2 hours exploring and then trasnfer to visit Yangjiajie Grand Stone Wall. After lunch, take shuttle bus to have 2 hours sightseeing around the West Sea Stone Forest in Tianzi Mountain.

Wulingyuan Scenic Area


2. Explore Tianmen Mountain
Tianmen Mountain is different from Tianzi Mountain. Because Tianmen Mountain is located nearby downtown Zhangjiajie. Upon arrival at Zhangjiajie airport ,bus station or train station, Tianmen Mountain is the first one to be caught in your eyes. The landmark is also not similar between  Tianzi Mountain and Tianmen Mountain. Tianmen Mountain is famous for Tianmen Cave and the Glass Sky-walk., but Tianzi Mountain id famous for stone forest and imagine peaks.

Tianmen Mountain


3. Cross Zhangjiajie Glass Bridge
Zhangjiajie Glass Bridge, located in Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon Scenic Area and opened to public in 2016, is the longest glass bridge in the world. 

Travel Tips

  • Height & length: the glass bridge stretches 430 meters (1,410 feet) long and 6 meters (20 feet) wide, hovering over a 300-meter (984-foot) vertical drop.

  • Maximum capacity: 8,000 people each day, and 600 people at one time .

  • Highlights: a full view of the grand canyon, bungee jump and zip-lining 

  • Opening hour: 08:00AM – 17:00PM

  • Ticket price: CNY 245

Zhangjiajie Glass Bridge


4.Get a view of Fenghuang Ancient Town
After enjoying the beautiful Zhangjiajie landscape, it's time to appreciate the cultural relics of the city. One of the best things to do in Zhangjiajie is to visit Phoenix Ancient Town (Fenghuang) where Miao and Tujia Nationalities live. Home to a prestigious Chinese writer Shen Congwen (1902-1988), the town was known for his novel Border Town. The town was built in the Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911) with red sandstone walls and the streets were paved with flagstones. Tuojiang River flows through the town and there is a narrow wooden bridge across the river under the North Gate.

Walking along the river to sight-see in the town is a good option. You can visit former residences of the celebrities and appreciate ancient buildings. Boating on the Tuojiang River to view the stilted buildings on both sides is also very enjoyable.

Travel Tips

  • Transport: It is 4 hours drve from Zhangjiajie to Fenghuang Ancient Town. Usually, you need to saty one night in the town, and then drive back to Zhangjiajie or Changsha, Guilin,Huaihua,Tongren to yur next destintions.

  • Visiting Hours: half -day sight-seeing inside the town including Tuojiang River Cruise.

  • Entrance Fees; CNY 148

Fenghuang Ancient Town


5. Ride boat on Baofeng Lake
Baofeng Lake, located nearby Suoxiyu town of Wulingyuan Distrcit  attracts lots of tourists because of its beautiful natural mountains and crystal water. It is praised as the fairy-land pool in the earth. It might be a nice trip for you to visit here. You can see the scenery by boat on the lake.

Travel Tips

  • Visiting hours: 2 hours

  • Entrance Fees: CNY 121 with boat and shuttle bus inside the scenic area.

Baofeng Lake In Zhangjiajie


No.5 : Discover the mystery of Yellow Dragon Cave
Located in Suoxi Town, Wulingyuan District of Zhangjiajie,  Yellow Dragon Cave is one of the foremost scenic areas in Zhangjiajie, and was rated as one of the first 4A National 

Tourist Attractions in China. Also it has been honored as magical karst cave both in China and in the world.

Yellow Dragon Cave  is just like an underground "magical palace", featuring a wide cave, deep and secluded underground rivers, hanging waterfalls and dense stone bamboo shoots, and showing a style of its own.It lies at the eastern end of Wulingyuan Scenic Area, where tourists can find caves contained in caves, rivers hidden in caves and a large number of scenic spots scattered everywhere. 

Yellow Dragon Cave is more beautiful than the outside world. Day or night, without fear of rain or wind, all year long, you can delight in its wonderful scenery. 

Travel Tips:

  • Visiting Hours: 2-3 hours visiting, but 1 and half hiking inside the cave.

  • Entrance fees: CNY 100

Yellow Dragon Cave in Zhangjiajie


No.7: Enjoy the  Charming Xiangxi Show
At the show of ‘Charming Xiangxi', the actors all come from the local Tujia and Miao families, and their fair-sounding singing and multicolored folk finery are the highlights of the party. Performances of Xiangxi Magic and Xiangxi Ganshi (chucking corpse) add to the mysterious and thrilling luster of the show. The performance lasts for three hours, and it provides a window into the soul of the culture of Zhangjiajie.

Charming Xiangxi is the folk singing and dancing performance at night in Wulingyuan Scenic Area. It displays at the Charming Xiangxi (refers to Zhangjiajie)Theatre at night everyday. Charming Xiangxi Theatre, which is founded in 2001, is the oldest theatre in Wulingyuan Scenic Area, Zhangjiajie. After many years' development, it has become a famous tourist and cultural performance entity. 

Travel Tips:

  • Visiting Hours: 19:30-21:30 at night

  • Ticket Price: CNY 258

Charming Xiangxi Show


8. Maoyan River Rafting
As one of the top 10 Places for River Rafting in China, Maoyan River Rafting is a wonderful water sport which was first opened to tourists in 1980s., Maoyan River , 20 km west of Zhangjiajie City. is a tributary of Li River. It snakes in the 50 km long gorge, forming a scenic area famous for clear water, virid peaks, perilous cliffs, grotesque rocks, fabulous caves, hot springs, pouring waterfalls and lush trees. It not only provides an excellent waterway for whitewater rafting in rubber rafts, but also produces a string of unusual sights.



9. Know the romantic love story about a fox fairy and a woodman
The show tells a romantic love story about a fox fairy and an ordinary woodman that makes a living by chopping woods. The fox fairy is quite kind and extremely beautiful. She never hurts human before. She was forced to marry the king of the fox empire, who she does not love at all. She gradually falls in love with a kind and diligent woodman that used to save her life. So she uses her magic power to shape herself into a human. She slides into the man’s house to finish all the housework and make a delicate dinner for him every day.
The woodman finds out the truth finally and he also falls in love with her. They begin to live a happy life together. But when the other villagers know the woman is actually a fox, they can not accept it. They reject to the love story of the man and the fox because a lot of villagers and children were hunted by fox fairies, as well as the trouble made by the fox empire.
Moreover, the King of the fox empire can’t accept the betraying of the fox fairy. What about the ending? You should really go to find out yourself.

Travel Tips:

  • Opening Hours: 20:00-22:00 ( 18 Mar-30 Nov)

  • Entrance Ticket: CNY 338

  • Location: at the foot of Tianmen Mountain, Zhangjiajie City


10. Hiking in the 48-Stockade Scenic Area
The 48-Stockade Scenic Area is one of the top ten out-doors destinations in Zhangjiajie City. It is located in Guangfuqiao Town of Cili County,east of Zhangjiajie. Lying at the junction of the three counties, Cilicounty of Zhangjiajie City, Taoyuan and Shimen County of Changde City, the scenic area has an total area of 40 square kilometers. It has attracted many adventers,hikers from worldwide because of its natural scenery, Taoist culture, ancient history, rare plants and animals..
Then 48-Stockade Scenic Area includes Wulei Mountain, Xingde Mountain, Mengquan Lake, Laopeng Village, Sanwang Village, Shuangyun Village, Taiping Village,Huanghua Village.  However, it is one of the best places  in Zhangjiajie for you to have a wonderful hiking.

Travel Tips

  • Hiking hours: 1-2 days visiting

  • Entrance Ticket: CNY58