Zhangjiajie in 4 Days: Pillars, Bridge and Tianmen

Meet the driver at Zhangjiajie Airport and transfer directly to the hotel. After check-in, keep the rest of the day free to recover from the journey. An optional local evening production can add regional music, costume and storytelling to the first night; tickets are paid separately, so the choice remains entirely yours.

Explore Zhangjiajie National Forest Park within the wider UNESCO-listed Wulingyuan landscape. Follow panoramic paths through quartz-sandstone pillars and wooded ravines associated with the visual inspiration for Pandora in Avatar. Ride the 326-metre Bailong Elevator, which Guinness World Records lists as the tallest outdoor elevator, to reach the upper area. Continue across a series of viewpoints and walking trails, pausing for lunch during the excursion before returning to the hotel.

Visit Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon and cross its 430-metre glass bridge high above the gorge. Weather permitting, an optional zipline or canyon boat trip can add another view of the cliffs and water. Continue to Yellow Dragon Cave, also called Huanglong Cave, and follow the underground route through limestone halls, stalactites and stalagmites. The visit includes a sightseeing-boat section, followed by the scheduled lunch and return to the hotel.

Travel up Tianmen Mountain by cableway and continue through the summit landscape. Walk beside the cliffs, step onto a glass walkway when conditions allow, and see Tianmen Cave, the natural arch known as Heaven's Gate. After completing the excursion, meet the vehicle for the transfer to Zhangjiajie Airport and your onward flight.