Zhangjiajie National Forest Park — Attraction in Luoguta

This place is unique in its landscape and large but not great in scenery. This Forest Park was created not too long ago as a tourist place as China's first forest park. It wasn't a popular place until after Avatar the movie made it famous. I find Huangshan, a much better place but if you really wish to visit this place for such scenery, I suggest you visit Tianmenshan instead which is just around 1 km away from Zhangjiajie train station in the city. It has the longest cable car ride which is included in the entrance ticket, a chairlift ride of only 25 yuan, free glass platform and hillside treks with some impressive upclose views of gorges, valley, a heavenly cave view, a large impressive Temple, some long elevator rides, a 99 turn bus ride, all for less than 300 yuan and can be done in around 6 to 7 hours. I find Tianmenshan views from the cable car and treks much better and much cheaper. This Zhangjiajie National Forest Park aka Wulingyuan including Tianzhishan, Yuanjiajie and Yuanjiajie are all overhyped and a tourist trap. The only impressive scene is the AVATAR scene but a WARNING here. No matter how much you paid to join a tour which include 1 or 2 night accommodation, park entrance ticket and a few poor meals, you will be put all together in a tour bus(at this point you are sold and your original contract will be no longer valid) and on the way, a few guides in the coach will CONvince and pressure you to pay another 580 yuan to cover all the 6 cable car rides and 2 elevator rides or 680 for all the rides plus V.I.P. no queue treatment, a lousy night show and a palace attraction visit in the city upon returning. Our bus load of over 30 people from different parts of the world all paid the V.I.P. option but ended up only using 2 cable car rides and 2 elevator rides meaning we are overcharged by around 300 yuan. To make matter worst, both days have a long visit in a souvenir and jewellery shop. At the end of the trip, I ask for refund of the unused rides money but the tour guides try to get my sympathy saying they are contracted freelance guides and also denied that the 680 yuan is supposed to cover all the rides, and also claimed that the first female guide that collected our money is nowhere to be contacted. I told them I will make sure their loss will be more than mine if they don't refund me and threatened to make a police report and spread it in baidu. Finally they refunded me 300 yuan after one whole night of psychic war. My advice is do NOT join any tour to visit this place. You can easily do it on your own in one day like most backpackers I met if you only see the highlights or 2 days if you overnight near the park entrance, many hotels there. If you must join a travel agent and wish to pay the extra for the rides, INSIST on a receipt to mention all the cable car rides and elevator rides and must refund you if unused. If they don't give you a receipt or acknowledgement for it, you encountered the same scam. My tour guide carries a flag that reads 欢乐假期 but I guess they will keep...

Spending a full day at Zhangjiajie National Forest Park—from morning all the way into the evening—was one of the most surreal and unforgettable experiences I’ve had. If you’re someone who loves nature, mountains, and feeling completely surrounded by something much bigger than yourself, this is the place.

From the moment I arrived in the morning, the air felt fresh and calming. The park is incredibly vast, and every corner offers something different—tall sandstone pillars rising through the mist, quiet forest paths, hidden waterfalls, and panoramic viewpoints that genuinely make you stop and just breathe it all in.

I started the day walking along Golden Whip Stream, and the calmness of the water combined with the towering cliffs was the perfect way to ease into the park. Midday, I took the Bailong Elevator up to Yuanjiajie, and that view? Unreal. It felt like stepping into a dream—or a movie set. It’s easy to see why Avatar used this place for inspiration. The “floating mountains” really do look like they defy gravity.

As the day went on, the clouds shifted, the lighting changed, and the park just kept transforming. By late afternoon, I was up at the Tianzi Mountain area, watching the layers of peaks fade into the distance. It was quiet, peaceful, and seriously hard to look away.

I stayed until the last possible moment. As evening settled in and the crowds thinned out, it became even more magical—like I had the park to myself. The mist returned, and everything felt still.

What I loved: – The variety: calm streams, dramatic cliffs, forest trails, and sky-high views – The fact that the park changes throughout the day—you’ll want to stay as long as possible – Even with so many people visiting, it still felt peaceful and immersive – Great mix of walking trails, shuttles, and elevators—so it’s manageable even with all the exploring

Pro Tips: – Get there early to beat the crowds and catch the morning light – Bring snacks and water—it’s a full-day kind of adventure – Don’t try to rush it—Zhangjiajie is meant to be savored slowly – Dress in layers, the weather shifts fast up in the mountains

This wasn’t just a sightseeing stop—it was an all-day experience that made me feel connected to nature in the deepest way. I left tired, full of photos, and already wanting to come back. If you’re going to do one thing in China that makes you feel like you’re on another...

Well worth a visit if you want to get away from busy cities in China! English/Australian couple touring China, we travelled to Zhangjiajie airport and got a transfer to our accommodation (Purespace) located a short walk to the Zimugang entrance to the National Park. This entrance is quieter than the main South Entrance. Tickets last 4 days from purchase, and buses take you round the park. We found that the buses work in a hop on-hop off fashion (I.e. you can’t stay on one bus all the way round). We recommend taking a photo of the Chinese spelling of the entrance / exit so that you can show park employees (very minimal English is spoken!).

We love the outdoors and hiking, and quickly learnt that you can avoid crowds of local tourists by walking deeper into the park. Our 2 day itinerary we discovered which we loved:

Day 1) From Zimugang gate, get the bus to the Bialong Elevator (don’t even bother taking it - it’s crowded and you have to pay extra!), then hop on the bus back to Golden Whip stream (the stop between Zimugang and Bialong). From here, walk along the stream until you get to a staircase on the right. This is up to Avatar mountain, a long walk but worth it! No tourists, saw lots of wildlife (including monkeys) and amazing views at the top. There are ways (buses/walking) back down but we were funnelled into the elevator which we had to pay for. It wasn’t worth it, crowded and too fast to take in scenery!

Day 2) We got to Zimugang gate at 8:45am - no tourists there! We took the bus to Golden Whip and then hopped on the bus to Ten Mile Gallery. Beautiful scenery (despite the tram running along the path for the first 1.5km!) After then, you walk up the stairs for about 2 hours until you get to a McDonalds (!) at the base of the Tianzi pavilion. We didn’t see a single person on the stairs, it was peaceful and so atmospheric. From the road at the top, we took the bus to the cable car and took that down the mountain which I highly recommend! From there we got the bus back to 10 mile gallery - Golden Whip - Zimugang.

We didn’t do the tourist spots like the Stairway to Heaven (Tianzi mountain), nor the glass bottomed bridge… and we...