3 Days Zhangjiajie 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 see 72 Qilou, a stilted architectural marvel built in a Tujia ethnic style. If it is too late, have a good rest at your hotel or explore around to seek local life.

► Dinner Suggestion:
You will want to experience the authentic flavors of Hunan cuisine at Zhai Zi Li De Bo Bo Cai, located just several minutes’ walk from both your hotel and Wulingyuan Scenic Area. The restaurant is designed to resemble a traditional Tujia house, featuring wooden stilt houses 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. While the dishes are typically spicy, you can request milder options to suit your taste. Average cost per person: CNY 70 / USD 9.

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 66 seconds, you will be whisked through the valley floor to the summit. As you step out, prepare to be awestruck by the surreal landscape that inspired Hollywood. You will 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 hiking tour in Ten-Mile Gallery in Suoxi Valley Nature Reserve, 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.

In the afternoon, we will take a boat to tour Yellow Dragon Cave, to discover splendid karst landforms. This expansive cavern system boasts a remarkable three-dimension structure, showcasing abundant karst formations, which can be well appreciated via both land and water sightseeing routes. You will be amazed by the cave’s immense scale, which measures 10 hectares (25 acres), spanning up to 7.5 kilometers (4.7 miles) in length and 140 meters (459 feet) in height. A vast reservoir, rivers, pools, waterfalls, natural stone palaces and countless corridors that connect them and ornamental stalagmites are all its spellbinding features! After the adventure, we will take the sightseeing bus to go down. Finally, our guide and driver will escort you to the airport for your departure flight.

► 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 are iconic examples of China's karst topography. While Guilin is renowned for having elegant hills more smoothly silhouetted, Zhangjiajie is for rugged cliffs and dramatic stone columns that soar skywards. 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.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch