Two mountains, separate tickets
Wulingyuan/National Forest Park and Tianmen Mountain are different attractions about a city transfer apart. Never assume one pass, gate or hotel serves both.
See the three-day structure →Treat the forest park and Tianmen as different trips.
The Avatar landscape is around Wulingyuan; Tianmen Mountain starts from Zhangjiajie city. The Grand Canyon, Yellow Dragon Cave and Baofeng Lake have separate entrances and tickets. These plans separate the zones and protect one flexible day from mountain weather.
GET YOUR BEARINGS
One regional map before you choose
Use Wulingyuan as the base for the National Forest Park, Grand Canyon, Yellow Dragon Cave and Baofeng Lake. Move to Zhangjiajie city for Tianmen Mountain and transport hubs; Furong and Fenghuang are separate regional extensions.
TOP SIGHTS
What to see in Zhangjiajie
Charming West Hunan Show
Charming West Hunan (魅力湘西) guide: the 4.8-rated cultural show (~¥168), what you'll see, how to book, and…
Read guide →Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon Glass Bridge
Grand Canyon guide: the 430 m glass bridge, the B-line ticket (~¥128–178), the zipline and boat, how to get…
Read guide →Zhangjiajie National Forest Park
National Forest Park guide: the Avatar Hallelujah Mountain, Yuanjiajie, Tianzi Mountain, Golden Whip Stream…
Read guide →Tianmen Mountain
Tianmen Mountain guide: the world's longest cable car, the glass walkway, Tianmen Cave's 999 steps, the A-line…
Read guide →Yellow Dragon Cave
Yellow Dragon Cave guide: the lit karst caverns (~¥118), the underground boat ride, how to get there, and…
Read guide →BEFORE YOU GO
Zhangjiajie essentials for foreign visitors
The scenery is spectacular; the mistakes are practical: wrong park, wrong gate, wrong hotel and too many fixed tickets in uncertain weather.
Reserve before the gate
The forest park uses advance reservations and visitor-flow controls. Book through a verified channel, match the passport exactly and keep the original document with you.
Hunan Government park notice →Save the exact entrance
“Zhangjiajie park” is not a usable taxi destination. Save Wulingyuan Landmark Gate (武陵源标志门), Zhangjiajie National Forest Park Ticket Station (张家界国家森林公园门票站) or the exact gate printed on your booking.
Open the forest-park guide →Stay in two bases if needed
Wulingyuan is practical for the forest park and eastern attractions. Move to Zhangjiajie city before Tianmen Mountain or an early flight/train instead of paying for repeated transfers.
See the two-base plan →Weather can close the mountain
Heavy rain, ice, wind or inspection can suspend paths, lifts and entire scenic areas. Check official notices every morning and never bypass a closed trail.
Read the official safety notice →Pack for stairs and changing weather
Wear shoes with grip, carry water, rain cover, sunscreen and a warm layer. Cableways reduce climbing but do not remove wet steps, queues or long platform walks.
Open the weather-safe plan →Protect food from macaques
Do not feed, tease or display food near wild macaques. Keep bags closed, step away calmly and follow ranger instructions rather than trying to recover an item yourself.
Open the park safety guide →Set up payment and carry cash
Use Alipay or WeChat Pay for official tickets and transport, but keep small RMB notes for rural backup. Refuse unmetered cars and unsolicited “shortcut” tickets.
Official payment guide →Download Chinese names and offline maps
Signal can weaken in valleys. Save hotel, gate and return station in Chinese, screenshot bookings and tell the hotel your expected return when hiking independently.
Inbound visitor service update →Planning information checked 10 Aug 2026. Reconfirm gate, time slot, weather, lift operation and return transport before every mountain day.