4 Days Zhangjiajie & Furong Classic Tour

Welcome to choose this Zhangjiajie hiking tour! Upon arrival, meet your guide at the airport or train station exit holding a board with your name on it. After a warm greeting, the guide will escort you to the hotel and help you with check-in.

If time allows, we will take you to view the 72 Tujia Stilted Buildings, also called 72 Qilou, one of the most well-known landmarks in downtown Zhangjiajie. 72 does not refer to the specific number of buildings, but rather a traditional Chinese symbolic expression, representing an innumerable number. With a height of 109.9 meters (360.6 feet), it has been listed in the Guinness World Record as the world’s tallest Tujia stilted complex. Here, apart from admiring the structures with exquisite carvings, you can also savor Tujia folk culture performances from time to time and immerse yourself in a grand bonfire party after dark. But if it is too late, have a good rest at your hotel or explore around to seek local life on your own.

► Dinner Suggestion:
Want to experience the authentic flavors of Hunan cuisine when you are in Zhangjiajie? Zhai Zi Li De Bo Bo Cai (Charming Western Hunan branch), just about a five-minute walk from your hotel, is your priority. The restaurant is designed to resemble a traditional Tujia house, featuring wooden stilt structures and vintage tableware that exude a historical charm. Hunan cuisine is one of China's Eight Great Cuisines, known for its rich history spanning over two thousand years. Dishes here are rich, with sought-after Chinese cured bacon, fish, and native chicken. While Hunan cuisine is typically spicy, you can request milder options to suit your taste. The average cost per person is CNY 70 / USD 10.

Today, we will first ascend to Yuanjiajie Scenic Area via the Bailong Elevator. The elevator is veritably an engineering marvel, built against a cliff side with a staggering 326-meter (1,070-foot) vertical height. In mere 88 seconds, you will be whisked through the valley floor to the summit. As you step out, the surreal landscape that inspired Hollywood will shock you. Come face-to-face with the world-famous Avatar Hallelujah Mountain, whose towering presence, especially when mist-shrouded, is a testament to nature’s artistry. Nearby, marvel at the First Bridge under the Sun, a natural arch bridging two colossal peaks and another sight that exemplifies Zhangjiajie’s otherworldly beauty. Then, take the eco-car of the scenic area to Tianzi Mountain and appreciate more natural wonders. Discover marvelous features on the cliff sides like splendid waterfalls, the precarious Immortal Bridge, rock gates, and karst caves, as well as view soaring stone pillars and peaks jutting from lush greenery. If a sea of clouds envelops the mountain, which happens from time to time, you will feel like right in an ethereal fairyland.

Descend by the cable car and continue to meander along Golden Whip Stream, named after the Golden Whip Peak known for its prominent whip-like shape. What makes this stream special is its crystal-clear water and the magic that seems to make it able to flow ceaselessly, even after a long drought. Your experienced guide will lead you along pristine trails, passing by mountains with rugged surface carpeted by ancient trees, and encountering birds, fish and other animals in the forests. The journey will be capped off with a leisurely tour in Ten-Mile Gallery by round-trip sightseeing train, considered to represent the essence of the scenic area. This winding path is flanked by lush vegetation, wildflowers and grotesque rock formations, resembling a living landscape scroll. Along the way, meet well-preserved ancient residences of the Ming and Qing Dynasties (1368 - 1911), monuments, karst caves and ancient strongholds, which offer a blend of natural beauty and cultural heritage.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch

In the morning, we will start today's Zhangjiajie hiking adventure to the Grand Canyon. The highlight of your journey is the world-renown Glass Bridge, the highest and longest of its kind, over the canyon. On the bridge, you will not only test your mettle but also enjoy the breathtaking panoramic views from below. Afterwards, go down into the valley for a 2 to 3 hours' hiking to explore the canyon’s hidden wonders up close. As we traverse the canyon, you will be mesmerized by waterfalls and springs dotting the landscape. Tread on a plank road for optimal sightseeing along a crystalline stream that winds through the valley, where you will immerse in lush vegetation and observe wild animals to a chorus of birdsong.

After lunch, we will transfer around 1.5 hours to the 2,000-plus-year-old Furong Ancient Town, also known as a “Millennium Town Hanging on a Waterfall”. The town, formerly named Wang Village, was renamed Furong Town after a Chinese namesake movie made here went viral across the country. After entering the town, follow the guide to walk along the old flagstone street flanked by characteristic Tujia wooden residences. Check out a folk museum at the street corner, housing the Xizhou Bronze Pillar, which is regarded as a sacred relic recording the history of the local Tujia people. Then we will wind our way through the Tuwang Bridge, where the local Tusi King used to stop for a rest and admire views, and turn to the pier walkway to see the iconic waterfall cascading over a cliff in the center of Furong Town. The nearby Tusi King's Palace offers the best site for viewing the panorama of the town, including the stilted buildings, the big waterfall, and the Youshui River under it. It is interesting to know that the Tusi King paid tribute to the imperial court lots of local golden nanmu wood, which was transported through the Youshui River during the construction of Chinese Forbidden City, which you might have visited in Beijing. After a culturally enriching afternoon, we’ll return to downtown Zhangjiajie, check into a local hotel, and rest up for tomorrow’s adventures.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch

After breakfast, in the company of your guide, embark on a tour of Tianmen Mountain by round-trip cableway, which offers spectacular mountain scenery and thrilling experiential entertainment as well. To reach the mountaintop, we will first take the world’s longest mountain cableway, around 30 minutes, at the downtown lower station. Along the way, you can overlook Zhangjiajie’s unique cityscape, idyllic scenery and karst landform. Then follow your expert guide to appreciate those major attractions on the mountaintop, such as the most quintessential cliffside Glass Skywalk, a perfect place for adrenaline seekers. On sunny days, the reflections of blue sky and white clouds cover the entire walkway, making people feel as if stepping on clouds in the air; in cloudy weather, the skywalk looms in the fog, adding a mystery and beauty to itself. There is also the ancient Tianmen Temple, built in the Tang Dynasty (618 -907), where you can admire the Buddhist bone relics from Nepal. After taking a 7-level downhill escalator, prepare to be blown away by the prestigious Tianmen Cave, the world’s highest natural hole through the mountain. All year round, there are clouds and mists or glowing rays coming out of the hole, as if behind it live immortals. Legend has it that the Cave is the gateway to the celestial realm, and those who are brave enough to pass through it will be granted eternal life. Next, you can either walk down the 999-step Heavenly Stairway to Tianmen Cave Square or take a short escalator at your own cost of CNY 32 (USD 4.5). Here, let’s take the express cableway down the mountain.

► Friendly Reminder:
The temperature difference between the top and the bottom of the mountain is large and the weather on the mountain is changeable, so it is best to take a lightweight waterproof coat. It is also necessary to wear a pair of comfortable hiking shoes as the mountaintop visit requires a lot of walking.

Your 4 days Zhangjiajie tour comes to an end, and the guide and driver will escort you to the airport or train station according to your schedule. Hope you had a good trip with us!

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch

► Have Your Tour Customized to Meet More of China’s Karst Beauties:
If you ask international tourists about their favorite natural landscapes in China, two places often top the list: Zhangjiajie and Guilin, both of which are iconic examples of China's karst topography. While Zhangjiajie is famous for rugged cliffs and dramatic stone columns that soar skywards, Guilin is for having elegant hills more smoothly silhouetted. There is a direct high-speed train that links Zhangjiajie and Guilin, which makes it easy to transfer from one city to another. If you are interested in further exploration, feel free to contact us and we will be glad to extend and customize your tour.