6 Days Zhangjiajie, Fenghuang and Changsha Tour

Full Itinerary Day by day

Day 1 Zhangjiajie Arrival

Welcome to Zhangjiajie! Upon your arrival, our local tour guide will meet you with a sign on which says your name at the arrival hall in the airport or train station. Then our guide and driver will transfer you directly to your hotel in Wulingyuan downtown in Zhangjiajie by our comfortable private car (non-smoking), and the guide will help you check in. The rest of today is on your own to explore this fabulous city in China.

Arrival Ideas: Zhangjiajie Hehua Airport 6 kilometers from city downtown serves flights between major domestic cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Xian, Changsha, Chengdu, Chongqing, Nanjing, Hangzhou, Guangzhou, Qingdao, etc. and some international cities like Bangkok, Osaka, etc. Besides, you can also take a normal train to Zhangjiajie Railway Station from many destinations, like Changsha (4.5-5.5 hours), Yichang (4.5-5 hours), Tongren (about 7 hours), Wuhan (10 hours), Xian (15 hours), Shanghai (20 hours), Beijing (23 hours), and so on.

Evening Idea: Xibu Street at Wulingyuan downtown is popular for a leisure walk. You can stroll at the Tujia ethnic flavored shopping pedestrian street to taste local snacks, find interesting artifacts and enjoy the beautiful night view with colorful lights.

Day 2 Zhangjiajie National Forest Park - Zhangjiajie Glass Bridge & Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon (B, L)

Today, after breakfast, you will be met by our guide and drive and then driven to start your exciting visit to Zhangjiajie National Forest Park. You will first take the cable car up to Huangshi Village to appreciate the wide forest park on its peaks. The village site has an altitude of 1080 meters, which is praised for its similar charm of pillar forest of Colorado in the USA. Enjoying the flat the wide visual environment, it is so far the largest natural viewing deck for visitors for a perfect admiration of its various rising stones and hills. Enjoy your fresh walk to visit the top famous sights including Star Picking Stand, Five Finger Peak, and so on, and find those looking like bridge piers, etc. from a distance. Take cable car to get down.

Later, change your angle to explore the famous Golden Whip Stream deep in the valley. This totally 7.5 kilometers long brook is one of the most beautiful places in the whole forest park area. You’ll explore the essential part. Take an inspiring roam along the whispering pristine water on the paved path to immerse into tranquil wonderland with fresh air, colorful blooming flowers in different seasons, lush vegetation, etc. and be prepared to encounter with some wild monkeys.

After that, take a sightseeing bus to exit the park and be driven to Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon for about 40 minutes. Now, its your bold moment to take the challenge and walk on the transparent Zhangjiajie Glass Bridge to feel like walking on the clouds, which is the world longest and highest glass-bottomed bridge so far in the whole universe, with total length of 430 meters and height of 400 meters above the deep valley. After the thrilling moment, take the elevators and enjoy the Nuokeli Slideway to the valley bottom for a cooling down and please your both eyes with the fascinating natural sceneries of the lush forest, emerald lake, various vegetation, etc. at the popular Rainbow Square, Momo Cave, the Holy Spring Lake, etc.

After the visiting, be driven for another 40 minutes back to your hotel in Wulingyuan. Have a good sleep!

About Zhangjiajie National Forest Park:

Located 32 kilometers from Zhangjiajie city, Zhangjiajie National Forest Park was the first national forest park in China, listed as UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992. It is also famous for the inspiration for the movie AVATAR, the Hallelujah Mountain. The park is known for its odd-shaped peaks and rocks, exquisite forests, tranquil water, beautiful canyons, limestone caves and breathtaking views. Different scenery presents in different seasons. In spring, all flowers on mountains blossom and mountains are luxuriantly green. In summer, the forests flourish and are strongly fragrant. In autumn, the mountain slowly turns yellow and red with a sense of poetry at this time. In winter, travelers can marvel at the evergreen trees among the snowy landscape.

Day 3 Yuanjiajie - Tianzi Mountain (B, L)

On this day, after breakfast, visit Wulingyuan to get more highlights. First take a sightseeing bus to experience Bailong Elevator, the fastest elevator and also the tallest outdoor elevator in the world. Enjoy the 1.5 minutes to be shot from the valley bottom up to the pillar peak. And then, hike amongst the multiple erupting stone columns at Yuanjiajie Scenic Area and open the mysterious “Pandora World”. During the exciting hike, get a good preparation to have an enviable look at the South Sky Pillar of around 150 meters high, the authentic prototype inspiring the “Avatar Hallelujah Mountain”; enjoy the best scenery at Enchanting Platform with tens and hundreds of beautiful stone peaks similar to a lot of nutritious bamboo shoots towering from the ground; also, closely watch the peculiar First Bridge of the World that is naturally made with an only 5-meter long stone platform linking the two peaks together to form the rare world wonder.

Then, take the sightseeing bus to visit Tianzi Mountain. Walk to He Long Park there, which is the best viewing deck to admire very closely the incredible and magnificent view of odd stone peaks standing one after another. Most appealing pictures of the four wonders of Tianzi Mountain are photographed there, including the mists and clouds, moonlight, rays of sunshine and winter snow. Also, step a little further to Tianzi Pavilion nearby to enjoy the marvelous view and terrific sightseeing of the Xihai Peak Forest from another angle of view. After that, take the cool Tianzi Mountain Cable Car down with groups of rockery hills passing by outside your glass window, and then take the sightseeing bus to exit Wulingyuan Park.

Day 4 Zhangjiajie Yellow Dragon Cave & Drive to Fenghuang (B, L)

After breakfast, your guide and driver will pick you up at your hotel. The only stop in Zhangjiajie today is Yellow Dragon Cave (or Huanglong Cave) about 20 kilometers away. This typical Karst cave site is nationally famous and praised as the most beautiful cave in the world by UNESCO Experts. Within the 100,000 square meters’ wide area of 7.6 kilometers long and 140 meters high, approximate 10,000 outstanding stalactites and stalagmites of diverse shapes, and more underground rivers, waterfalls, pools, caverns, etc. are lit very wonderful to create an extremely gorgeous underground palace, like formed with precious jades and gems.

After the visiting, your guide and driver will escort to Fenghuang Ancient Town which is about 200 kilometers from Zhangjiajie, taking 3.5 hours for driving. Upon arrival, your guide will help you check in your hotel. When night falls, every old house lights up and the whole atmosphere becomes festive, colorful and amazing. Take a relaxing walk and appreciate the fabulous night view of this ancient town. 

Day 5 Fenghuang Ancient Town & High Speed Train to Changsha (B, L)

In this morning, you’ll have a nice tour in Fenghuang Ancient Town. With over 300 years’ history, it is located on the western edge of Hunan Province and next to Guizhou Province. Praised as the most beautiful tiny town in China, it sets an example of what villages were like before the start of modernization. In the town dozens of lanes are paved with stones that run between the wooden houses built on stilts. Generations of local people have stepped on the lanes and worn them down bit by bit.

Fenghuang Ancient Town offers a totally different day views which would really bring you back to ancient time. Have a slow walk and feel the calmness and zen of this beautiful place. Take a small boat ride on the Tuojiang River passing through the most essence part of the old town (from Beimen Pier to Longevity Palace) to imagine what life was going in the past. Visit Former Residence of Shen Congwen to listen to the beautifully novel of “Border Town” which is Shen Congwen's masterpiece for its brilliant portrayal of Chinese rural life before the Communist Revolution. Enjoy more memorable time to have a look at the landmark of the ancient town - Rainbow Bridge and explore East Gate Tower, Wanming Pagoda, etc.

In the afternoon, take a high speed train for a swift journey of approximately 2.5 hours to Changsha City, and your local travel guide will greet you at the railway station. Stay overnight in Changsha.

Day 6 Changsha & Changsha Departure (B, L)

Good morning! After breakfast, your guide and driver will meet you at your hotel and then escort you to visit Hunan Provincial Museum, the largest history and art museum in Hunan Province. It has over 180,000 artifacts which feature the cultural relic excavated from the world-famous Mawangdui Han Dynasty Tomb over 2,000 years ago, the bronze wares of the Shang and Zhou Dynasties, cultural relics of Chu State, pottery and porcelain works from Various dynasties... Catch the chance to have a detailed look at the precious national treasures, like the wax statue of the complete female corpse discovered from Mawangdui Tomb, Silk Coat, the Colorful Painted Inner Coffin, Dahe Human Face Bronze Pot. From this museum, you can not only have a basic understanding of Chinese civilization along the middle reaches of the Yangtze River but also know the development of the civilization in Hunan Province as well as to appreciate the mysteries of Hunan culture.

Later, move to Orange Island Park. Also called Juzizhou, it is a place with the scenery of "snow on the river", one of the eight sceneries of ancient Xiaoxiang (Hunan). When Mao Zedong was standing at Juzizhou, he threw such a question to the vast sky - "asking the vast land, who will determine the ups and downs". He changed the process of Chinese history and showed special preference to Juzizhou. Enjoy a wonderful stroll, visit the famous massive sculpture of the "Young" Mao and see locals spending leisure time with the pleasant sightseeing here.

Then, visit Yuelu Academy at the foot of Yuelu Mountain, which is one of the four major academies in ancient China and called “one-thousand-year old academy” since it was built in 976 in Song Dynasty. Stroll at the traditional Chinese academic architectures with Chinese corridors, pavilions, courtyards, gardens, and admire artistic decorations combining in perfect. Go to China Academy Museum to watch exhibitions about the academic history and culture in China!

After the tour, you guide and driver will escort you to the airport or railway station in Changsha to catch your flight/train to your next destination or home. Tour ends!

The quotation for this trip is from $960 Per Person

1. This price is for one person, based on a group of 2 adults sharing one standard double-bed room in 4-star hotel and traveling with our private tour in low seasons.
2. This price is subject to change according your traveling season, group size, hotel class, change of activities in your itinerary and possible fluctuation of currency exchange rate. If you want a lower price, you can get more people to join you, or use economy class hotels.
3. This price is only valid to March 31, 2025.
4. Reference exchange rate of USD 1=RMB 7.00. The final quote is based on current exchange rate. It may change according to the currency fluctuation, while the RMB quotation will be remained the same.

How Our Teams Serve you at China Discovery

"Highest Standards of Quality and Honesty" is the core value of each specialized team at China Discovery.

Eveyone in our company is working hard for only one goal, which is to ensure the highest level of service, luxury, and attention to detail from the minute you begin planning your trip, to the day you return home.

1-on-1 Travel Consultant

Our travel consultants are professional, experienced and responsible, helping you from the very beginning to the end of your China trip!

After sending us an inquiry, one of our travel consultants will get back to you within 0.5~23.5 hrs. In the next few days, he/she will be working closely with you to formulate a customized tour plan, as well as providing professional suggestions based on your travel interests, time, and budget.

Beside, he/she will keep in contact with you during your entire tour in China, continually checking if everything is going well as planned.

We're working at Chengdu Bamboo International Tours, local based in Chengdu.

Local Tour Guides

Our local guide in every destination is not only very friendly, enthusiastic but also very informative and knowledgeable.

Once you arrive in the destination, the patient and punctual guides will pick you up and take you to get under skin of the city at your own pace. By in-depth discovery and explanation, they’ll show you more about the history, culture, customs and authentic local life. Throughout the journey, they're not only expert guides who take care of all the details but also fellow travelers who are dedicated to help you explore in comfort and style.

Our guides are passionate about what they do, and it shows all the way!

Local Drivers & Vehicle

Using our private transfer service makes you comfortable, relaxed and worry free all the way!

Our private service includes licensed drivers with many years’ driving experience and air-conditioned, non-smoking, clean and well-maintained cars/vans. Drivers are local, polite, friendly and helpful, taking you to your tourist sites, hotels, airport/train stations in safety. All kinds of vehicle are offered, and yours depends on the size of your group. Usually, we offer sedan cars, SUVs, business vans (MPV) and different types of buses, all with extra space for your luggage.

Our private transfer service guarantees you the highest comfort!

Comfortable & Homelike Hotels

In each destination, you’ll enjoy a comfortable stay in a great location!

The hotels we choose are based on star rating, great locations, well-equipped facilities, cozy bed, high quality service and guests’ feedbacks. Choices are a lot ranging from luxury 5 star, comfortable 4 star to budget 3 star. You could decide where to stay to best suit for your budget and likes. Generally, the hotels have both Western and Chinese breakfast with a wide choices.

If you have already got an ideal hotel, please feel free to tell our travel consultants and they'll book the hotel for you.

Have good sleep in our well-selected hotels in all the destinations of China.

Meals & Dining

We can satisfy all the dietary requirements no matter you want Chinese local food, western food, vegetarian food or muslin food.

The restaurants we will take you for lunch or dinner are all designated tourist restaurants approved by local tourist administration bureau. They have very good sanitary conditions and the food is prepared fresh and clean.

There will be some meals excluded in your itinerary as you like, and your private guide will be delighted to give you some suggestions and take you to the local restaurants to taste like Beijing Roast Duck, Xian Dumpling Dinner, Sichuan Hotpot, etc., if you are interested in local food tasting.

All the dining options will satisfy your stomach!

Check What our delighted customers are saying about our services

Hi dear Vivien,

our journey is about to end. We are on our way to Guilin airport. It has been an awesome trip indeed. Each destination was well chosen and everything went smoothly. I am super happy for my sister and me to be able to experience such a wonderful travel through the most stunning landscapes in China. Thank you for the perfect organization. And thank you for the nice gift we got in Guilin. Really appreciate it.

My sister with her fan. We also got a beautiful stamp and ink. Thank you very much!

Francesca

• 
• 
• 

Francesca‚ Germany, March 31, 2024

Hi Vivien,

just want to record our thanks to you for your good planning, coordination and arrangement for our recent holidays to Dali, Lijiang and Xianggelila. The tour guides and drivers were warm and friendly and we felt safe, and enjoyed the trip very much.

All the best to you.

Janet/Richard/Claire

Janet‚ Malaysia, March 27, 2024

Hi Phoebe,

1. Yes - questions were promptly addressed to my satisfaction. Excellent service overall.

2. The local guide is knowledgeable and has good command of English. He's also patient, considerate, and takes good care of his customers.

Hee

• 
• 
• 
• 

Hee‚ Singapore, March 27, 2024

Hi Samantha,

Sunrise was very nice and checked us in to a nice room at 8:30 am. It’s been a while since we were in Shanghai, and it is a wonderful, clean city that’s very vibrant. It has been sunny and warm the last four days.

Jordan

Jordan‚ Canada, March 26, 2024

Dear Wing Zeng,

My family and I have now arrived safely back at home in Bangkok. We had a wonderful time on the cruise, and we would like to thank you very much for assisting us on the whole process, from booking the cabins to arranging transportation from Jingzhou to Maoping port. We are very impressed with your service.

As for your questions, here is my response:

1A: Wing Zeng always responds to our emails very promptly. At the beginning when I planned to book the cruise, Wing Zeng has been very patient to respond to all my questions about the cruise itinerary and the cabin types. I am very happy with her service.

2A: With Wing Zeng's help, our tour arrangements were very smooth. Our family travel with one senior and one small child, so we were very careful about transportation to and from the port. On the day of embarkation, Wing Zeng helped us book a van transfer directly from our hotel in Jingzhou to the port, which made the embarkation process very smooth and enjoyable.

3A: Definitely. I highly recommend your service to anyone who wants to take the Yangtze cruises.

4A: I'm very satisfied with your service. Our travel consultant is very helpful and professional.

5A: It would be nice if you could give a little warning that the water level in Chongqing might be too low around this time of year. Originally, our cruise was scheduled to end at Chongqing Chaotianmen port. But because of the low water level, we had to disembark somewhere else and took a 2-hour drive to Chaotianmen. The cruise arranges the transfer smoothly and it worked out fine in the end. But if this is something that happens usually around this time of year, it would be nice to be given a little warning beforehand.

Sira

Sira‚ Thailand, March 26, 2024

Check What our customers are saying about us on Tripadvisor.com

We are one of the few China travel agencies who have kept active and received lots of feedbacks and reviews during pandemic years

Antal L

"My wife and me took a 21-day private customised tour through China organised by Wonder, China Discovery. Wonder is an ideal travel consultant. He is highly competent, absolutely professional..." read more »

Reviewed on April 14, 2024

Antal L

"My wife and me took a 21-day private customised tour through China organised by Wonder, China Discovery. Wonder is an ideal travel consultant. He is highly competent, absolutely professional..." read more »

Reviewed on April 14, 2024