5 days | Huangshizhai, the glass bridge, Tianmen Mountain and Fenghuang by night, all in one trip
Overview
This Zhangjiajie and Fenghuang Ancient Town 5-day highlights tour is designed for travellers with limited holiday time, covering the most classic landscapes and culture of western Hunan in five days: Zhangjiajie National Forest Park (Huangshizhai and Golden Whip Stream), the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon Glass Bridge, Yuanjiajie, Tianzi Mountain and the glass skywalk on Tianmen Mountain, with the Tianmen Fox Fairy outdoor show in the evening, before heading deep into Furong Town and Fenghuang Ancient Town for a night cruise on the Tuojiang River beneath the lights of the old town. The whole trip is by private charter with no shopping stops, a dedicated driver meets you at the airport or station, and the itinerary can be adjusted freely to suit your needs.
Highlights
Itinerary
You arrive in Zhangjiajie today and are met at the airport or high-speed rail station, then taken straight to your hotel in the city to check in. No sightseeing is scheduled on the first day, so you can rest properly after the long journey, adjust to the time and build up energy for the Zhangjiajie and Fenghuang highlights ahead.
In the morning you enter Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site, climbing Huangshizhai for a panorama of its three thousand peaks, then strolling along Golden Whip Stream to breathe the fresh air of this natural oxygen bar among the pillars. In the afternoon you continue to the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon Glass Bridge and walk across a world-class glass bridge high above the gorge, with a sheer drop beneath your feet and magnificent canyon scenery ahead, thrills and beauty in one.
A full day deep in the core scenic area of Wulingyuan. You explore Yuanjiajie to see with your own eyes the landscape that inspired the floating mountains of the film Avatar, along with the First Bridge Under Heaven, then climb Tianzi Mountain for a sweeping view over the pillar forest and seas of cloud. Towards evening you watch the large-scale outdoor show Tianmen Fox Fairy, staged in the gorge of Tianmen Mountain with music, lighting and the legends of western Hunan, an unforgettable night on the journey.
In the morning you ride the mountain cable car up Tianmen Mountain, brave the glass skywalk clinging to the cliff face and take in the wonder of Tianmen Cave. In the afternoon you stop for photos at Furong Town, the thousand-year-old town hanging above a waterfall, and towards evening reach Fenghuang Ancient Town for a night cruise along both banks of the Tuojiang River, with the lamplit stilted houses of western Hunan after dark.
The morning is a wander through the flagstone lanes of Fenghuang Ancient Town, soaking up the literary atmosphere of Shen Congwen's writing and the character of this riverside town, with the option of a photo session in Miao costume. You are then transferred to the station in time for your departure, closing the trip at an unhurried pace.
Inclusions
Quoted per trip. Tell us your dates and group size and a travel consultant will send a tailored quote within 24 hours.
The final plan and quote are confirmed by your travel consultant.
Stops
Zhangjiajie National Forest Park is a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site famed for its three thousand quartz-sandstone pillars. The itinerary climbs Huangshizhai for a panorama of the pillar forest, then follows the valley path along Golden Whip Stream, where the water is clear and the shade is cool, a refreshing walk through a natural oxygen bar.
As the saying goes, you have not been to Zhangjiajie until you have climbed Huangshizhai. It is the forest park's widest ring-shaped viewing platform, with a summit path linking several lookouts over the massed quartz-sandstone pillars, the first choice for photographing the great pillar landscape.
Yuanjiajie is one of Zhangjiajie's most representative scenic areas, home to the naturally formed First Bridge Under Heaven and the wide-open Mihuntai Lookout, where ranks of stone pillars rise in majestic array; this is the real-life inspiration for the floating mountains of the film Avatar.
Tianzi Mountain is known as the king of the pillar forests. A cable car takes you straight to the summit, where the seas of cloud and peaks of Imperial Brush Peak and the West Sea Stone Forest spread out before you; the old saying that once you know Tianzi Mountain, no other mountain will do, refers to this view.
Tianmen Mountain is Zhangjiajie's most iconic landmark, famous for the world's longest mountain cable car and the wonder of Tianmen Cave. The glass skywalk on the summit clings to the cliff face, and walking it among the mist and precipices is both visually stunning and thrilling.
Tianmen Fox Fairy is a large-scale outdoor musical staged in the gorge of Tianmen Mountain, combining lighting, music and the legends of western Hunan. The valley is the stage and the cliffs are the set, making it the most memorable night-time experience in Zhangjiajie.
Fenghuang Ancient Town is the most representative thousand-year-old town of western Hunan, with stilted houses stacked along both banks of the Tuojiang River and flagstone lanes that preserve the everyday life of the Miao and Tujia peoples. It is rustic and tranquil by day, and after dark the lights reflected on the river are especially enchanting.
A boat ride on the Tuojiang River is the classic way to experience Fenghuang Ancient Town. The wooden boat glides slowly along, giving a close-up view of the stilted houses and old town on both banks, while the reflections on the water weave the poetic scenes of Shen Congwen's Border Town.
Dress in traditional Miao costume and a silver headdress for photographs in the lanes of the old town and along the Tuojiang River. Vivid in colour and finely crafted, it is the most popular cultural experience in Fenghuang Ancient Town and a unique memory of the trip.
Related
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Five days around Xi'an: the Terracotta Army and Huaqing Palace, Mount Hua by West Peak cable car up and North Peak down, then Daci'en Temple, the City Wall, Yongxingfang, the Bell and Drum Towers and the Muslim Quarter.
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