Questions travelers ask us

Only after you have approved your itinerary and quote. We then send a PayPal or Wise payment request for the deposit. The deposit amount and balance date are stated in your written quote and agreed before you pay. See our booking conditions.

Send us your dates (or a rough month), the number of travelers and what you would like to see through our inquiry form. We reply within 12 hours and send a day-by-day plan with a clear price within 24 hours. You adjust it until it fits, then confirm with a deposit. See how it works.

The balance date is written into your quote and agreed with you before you pay the deposit. Any PayPal or Wise fees are shown in the payment request.

The refund schedule for your trip is written into your quote and agreed before you pay; the earlier you tell us in writing, the more we can refund. Third-party costs already paid and not recoverable, such as non-refundable hotels or train tickets, are deducted. See our cancellation policy.

Each traveler's full name and passport number exactly as printed in the passport. Scenic-area tickets and trains in China are real-name, and tickets booked with wrong details may not be replaceable. Bring the same original passport on the trip.

Fog and rain are common in Zhangjiajie. Your guide will swap the order of days or routes where possible, for example moving the glass bridge to a clearer day. Bad weather alone is not a reason for a refund, but if an included attraction is officially closed and cannot be rescheduled, we refund the unused ticket according to the operator's rules.

Yes. Every tour is just your own group with your own guide and car. We never add other travelers and never stop at shops. See why private.

Three days covers the national forest park, Tianmen Mountain and the Grand Canyon glass bridge at a comfortable pace. Two days works if you skip the glass bridge; four or five let you add Furong Town or Fenghuang Ancient Town. See our itineraries and tours.

Yes. Every tour on the site is a starting point. Change the pace, swap sights, add a night on Tianzi Mountain or a trip to Fenghuang — itinerary customization is free.

No. Our tours have no shopping stops. Your time is spent on the sights in your itinerary, and on meals where you choose.

Less than you might think. The main viewpoints can be reached by elevator, cable car and eco-bus, with short paved walks, and valley trails such as Golden Whip Stream are flat. Hiking routes with thousands of steps are optional. Each tour page shows its intensity, and we adapt routes for children and seniors.

Yes. Our 4-day family and senior-friendly tour rides the lifts both ways, keeps to flat walks and builds in afternoon rest breaks. See also Zhangjiajie with kids and Zhangjiajie for seniors.

Choose Zhangjiajie National Forest Park for the sandstone pillars that made Zhangjiajie famous, and Tianmen Mountain for the cave arch, cliff paths and glass skywalks. Compare them in our Tianmen vs forest park guide.

Yes. Every tour includes an English-speaking local guide for the sightseeing days. Drivers usually speak little English, but your guide and our team handle all communication.

Yes. You can hire a private guide by the day, with or without a car, and plan the rest yourself. See private guide hire.

We send your guide's name and phone number before you travel and agree a messaging app with you. A normal phone call always works as a fallback, and some foreign apps are blocked in China, so check our internet guide.

By high-speed train to Zhangjiajie West Railway Station, often via Changsha, or by a domestic flight to Zhangjiajie Hehua International Airport (DYG), about 5 km from downtown. See how to get to Zhangjiajie.

Changsha Railway Station. Its fastest trains reach Zhangjiajie West in 1 h 45 min, while trains from Changsha South take from 2 h 52 min and cost more.

With a passport, on the official 12306 website or app (which has an English version), at station counters, or through an agent. Tickets are real-name: you show the same original passport to enter the station and to board. On our tours we buy train tickets for you.

Yes. We offer private transfers from Zhangjiajie airport and Zhangjiajie West station to city and Wulingyuan hotels, and between Changsha and Zhangjiajie. See private transfers.

No. Since 13 October 2026 the big Tianmen Mountain cable car is suspended for an upgrade, with no reopening date announced. Only Route C operates: a shuttle from the downtown lower station to the Mountain Gate, then the express cable car up and down, with escalators to the summit. See Tianmen routes A, B and C.

By the park eco-buses, which are included in the four-day ticket, plus the Bailong Elevator and cable cars, which are paid separately each way.

In Wulingyuan, the town at the national forest park's East Gate, for park days, and in Zhangjiajie city for Tianmen Mountain, late arrivals and early trains. Many travelers split their stay. See where to stay.

We book hotels on request at the hotel's own rate and check that they accept foreign guests. Hotels are not included in our tour prices unless your quote says so.

Chinese authorities have said hotels must not refuse foreign guests by claiming they lack a "foreign-related" qualification, but some small guesthouses still decline foreign passports. Book properties that confirm they accept foreigners — we check this before every booking.

In a hotel, no action is needed: the hotel registers you when you check in with your passport. If you stay in a private home, you or your host must register within 24 hours of arrival, which since 21 September 2026 can be done online nationwide.

Yes, in small guesthouses at the Tianzi Mountain entrance or on the plateau, which put you close to the viewpoints at sunrise. Travel with an overnight bag only, and confirm the guesthouse accepts foreign guests. See Tianzi Mountain stays.

Yes. Our tour prices include the scenic-area tickets listed on each tour page, and we book them in your passport names. Hotels and most meals are not included unless your quote says so.

CNY 236 for adults, valid for four days and including the park eco-buses. Lifts are extra: the Bailong Elevator is CNY 65 and the Tianzi Mountain cable car CNY 72, each one way. See ticket prices.

The adult package ticket is CNY 285 and includes the Route C express cable car up and down and the escalators. Glass skywalk shoe covers (CNY 5) and the lower escalator instead of the 999 steps (CNY 32) are extra.

Yes. The national forest park has a daily visitor cap and timed, real-name entry, and each day you re-enter on the four-day ticket needs its own reservation. The official booking channel is a Chinese-language WeChat mini program, which is why we book tickets for our travelers.

Yes. Enter with the original passport you booked with; the gates scan it. A photo or copy is not enough, and the name must match the booking exactly.

At the national forest park, children under 14 and visitors aged 65 and over enter free, and ages 60–64 pay half price, with a passport. Eco-buses and lifts are still paid; on the lifts, children ride free only if under 14 and under 1.2 m. At Tianmen Mountain, children under 14 are free including the cable car.

No. Ticket prices are the same for everyone, and foreign passports are accepted for the age-based entrance discounts at the forest park.

Sources disagree: about CNY 175 to 219 for the route that includes the bridge, depending on where you buy. The bridge closes in fog, strong wind and thunderstorms, so we keep it flexible in your plan.

Ordinary passport holders from 50 countries, including the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, France, Germany, Japan and South Korea, until 31 December 2026 for most of them. Always confirm with the Chinese embassy for your country. See our visa-free guide.

Yes, unless they use 240-hour visa-free transit. US citizens are not on the 30-day visa-free list, but they can use transit through Changsha or Zhangjiajie airport if they hold a confirmed onward ticket to a third country or region.

Citizens of 57 countries can stay up to 240 hours (10 days) if they enter and leave through designated ports with an onward ticket to a third country or region. Hunan's ports are Changsha and Zhangjiajie airports, and you may travel anywhere in Hunan. Confirm with your airline before you fly.

Not yet confirmed. For most countries the policy runs until 31 December 2026, and no extension had been announced as of 14 October 2026. Check again before booking a 2027 trip.

Yes. You can link a foreign Visa, Mastercard, JCB or Discover card to both apps and pay by QR code almost everywhere. Set them up before you travel. See our payments guide.

Generally none for payments of RMB 200 or less, and 3% above that. Your own bank may add its foreign transaction fee.

At large hotels, the airport and railway stations, often yes. At small restaurants and stalls, rarely. Link your card to a payment app and carry some cash as a backup.

Yes, a little. Cash is legal tender and cannot lawfully be refused, but small vendors may lack change and ATMs are limited outside the city. Withdraw at ATMs inside banks and check notes, as counterfeit 100-yuan notes are a known problem.

The bridge operates under strict rules: shoe covers are compulsory, only a phone and a small bag are allowed on the bridge, and it closes in fog, strong wind or thunderstorms. A 2026 video of a "collapse" was officially debunked as fake.

110 for police, 120 for an ambulance, 119 for fire and 122 for traffic accidents. English-speaking operators are not guaranteed, so on tour call your guide as well.

Wild macaques live along Golden Whip Stream and will grab food. Keep snacks zipped inside a bag, do not feed them and keep a little distance.

Yes. Hotels, real-name tickets, trains and police spot-checks all require it. If it is lost or stolen, report it at the nearest police station.

Only partly, and we cannot promise step-free access. Golden Whip Stream has no steps and is described as passable for wheelchairs, but many viewpoints, lift stations and boat landings involve steps or slopes. Tell us your needs and we check each sight before quoting.

April to June and September to November usually bring the best mix of mild weather and clear days. Avoid the Chinese national holidays (especially 1–7 October) if you can. See best time to visit.

Google, Facebook, YouTube and X are permanently blocked, and WhatsApp is widely reported not to work on Chinese networks. Install WeChat before you travel. See our internet and eSIM guide.

China's cybersecurity laws require services such as VPNs to be licensed by the Chinese government, and the UK government advises travelers to stay informed and follow Chinese law. We do not recommend or supply VPN products.

It can hide the peaks for hours, but fog and cloud are also what make Zhangjiajie's famous views. The sea of clouds is most likely early in the morning after rain. On a private tour we move days around to give you the best chance of clear views.

220 V, 50 Hz. Most sockets take type A (two flat pins) and type I (angled pins, as in Australia), and two-pin sockets also accept round-pin type C plugs. Most phone and camera chargers work at 110–240 V, so you only need a plug adapter.

Comfortable shoes with grip, a rain jacket, layers for the cooler mountain tops, a power bank and your passport. See our packing list.