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Small wooden boat passing under the arches of the covered bridge in Fenghuang
Photo: Nyx Ning · CC BY-SA 3.0

5-day private tour

5-Day Zhangjiajie and Fenghuang Tour

The classic Zhangjiajie sights over three days — the national forest park, the Grand Canyon glass bridge and Tianmen Mountain on Route C — then a private-car journey to Fenghuang Ancient Town for an evening on the Tuo River and a morning boat ride before you return.

Highlights

  • Golden Whip Stream, Yuanjiajie and Tianzi Mountain in one well-timed loop
  • The Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon Glass Bridge in the first entry slot of the day
  • Tianmen Mountain on Route C — express cable car, Tianmen Cave and cliff paths
  • Fenghuang Ancient Town (Phoenix Town) at night, with stilt houses lit along the Tuo River
  • A morning boat on the Tuo River and entry to the town's historic houses, included
Walking level
Moderate — 3–5 hours on foot with stairs, at an unhurried pace.
Best season
April–June and September–November; Fenghuang is quietest on weekdays outside Chinese holidays
Good for
Travelers with five days · Couples · Photographers · Travelers interested in Miao and Tujia towns
Where to stay
Two nights in Wulingyuan, one in Zhangjiajie city and one in a riverside hotel or guesthouse in Fenghuang.

Day-by-day itinerary

  1. 1

    Day 1: Zhangjiajie National Forest Park

    • 07:15Pickup at your Wulingyuan hotel. Enter at the South Gate in the early time slot your guide has booked.
    • 08:00Golden Whip Stream, flat and quiet in the morning (about 2.5–3.5 hours end to end).
    • 11:15Bailong Elevator up (one way) to Yuanjiajie: Hallelujah Mountain viewpoint and First Bridge Under Heaven. Lunch on the plateau.
    • 14:00Eco-bus to Tianzi Mountain for the rim viewpoints, then the Tianzi Mountain cable car down (one way).
    • 16:00Ten-Mile Gallery mini-train (one way) along the canyon floor, then back to the hotel.

    Overnight: Wulingyuan · Meals: Not included

  2. 2

    Day 2: Grand Canyon glass bridge and a free afternoon

    • 07:30Drive about 40 minutes to the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon. Entry opens at 08:00 with your timed, passport-named ticket.
    • 08:15Cross the glass bridge, then walk down through the canyon to the boat at the exit.
    • 12:00Lunch on the way back to Wulingyuan.
    • 14:00Free afternoon. Your park ticket is still valid, so your guide can take you back by eco-bus for a quiet late viewpoint if you want one.

    Overnight: Wulingyuan · Meals: Not included

  3. 3

    Day 3: Tianmen Mountain on Route C

    • 07:00Check out and drive about an hour to the Tianmen Mountain Mountain Gate. Ticket sales open at 07:30; cable cars start at 08:00.
    • 08:00Express cable car up (Route C, the only route running since 13 October 2026). The Climb Tianmen escalator up to Tianmen Cave.
    • 09:30Seven-level escalator to the summit: cliff paths and glass skywalks. Lunch at the top.
    • 13:30Down by escalator and express cable car. Check in downtown and rest.

    Overnight: Zhangjiajie city · Meals: Not included

  4. 4

    Day 4: Private car to Fenghuang Ancient Town

    • 08:30Drive to Fenghuang, about 3.5–4 hours with a break on the way. (On request, the high-speed train from Zhangjiajie West takes about an hour instead; see the FAQ.)
    • 12:30Lunch in Fenghuang and check in near the river.
    • 15:00Walk the old town with your guide: the stone lanes, the riverside and the wooden stilt houses along the Tuo River.
    • 19:00Evening along the river, when the stilt houses and bridges are lit.

    Overnight: Fenghuang Ancient Town · Meals: Not included

  5. 5

    Day 5: Tuo River boat, then back to Zhangjiajie

    • 07:30Early walk along the river before the day visitors arrive.
    • 09:00Day boat on the Tuo River and visits to the historic houses on the combo ticket.
    • 12:30Lunch, then drive back to Zhangjiajie, about 3.5–4 hours.
    • 17:00Drop-off at Zhangjiajie West Railway Station, the airport or your hotel.

    Meals: Not included

Every itinerary is a starting point. We adjust order, pace and stops to the weather, crowds and what you enjoy.

What's included

What's included

  • Private English-speaking local guide for 5 days
  • Private car and driver for all sightseeing, including Zhangjiajie to Fenghuang and back
  • National forest park ticket (4-day validity, eco-buses included)
  • Bailong Elevator (one way) and Tianzi Mountain cable car (one way)
  • Ten-Mile Gallery mini-train (one way)
  • Grand Canyon glass bridge ticket
  • Tianmen Mountain ticket, Route C (express cable car and seven-level escalator, up and down)
  • Climb Tianmen lower escalator (uphill) and glass skywalk shoe covers
  • Fenghuang day boat and historic-houses combo ticket
  • Real-name ticket booking in your passport names

Not included

  • Hotels (we book them for you on request, at the hotel's own rate)
  • Lunches and dinners
  • Flights and trains to and from Zhangjiajie
  • High-speed train tickets if you choose the train for the Fenghuang leg (we book them on request)
  • Fenghuang night cruise and other optional sites
  • Travel insurance and personal expenses

Why this route works

The first three days cover Zhangjiajie’s main sights in the order that wastes the least time. Zhangjiajie National Forest Park and the Grand Canyon glass bridge are both close to Wulingyuan, so you sleep there for two nights. The glass bridge closes in fog and wind, so it sits on day 2 with a free afternoon, which gives your guide room to swap days. Tianmen Mountain is on the city side of Zhangjiajie, so on day 3 you move to a downtown hotel, already on the road toward Fenghuang.

Fenghuang Ancient Town is a riverside town of stone lanes and wooden stilt houses on the Tuo River. Its character comes out in the evening, when the riverside is lit, and in the early morning, so the tour spends a night there instead of making a rushed day trip.

The Fenghuang leg is by private car, door to door with your bags. If you would rather take the high-speed train from Zhangjiajie West, we arrange it on request.

Local tips for this route

  • Bring a small overnight bag for Fenghuang. Lanes in the old town are stepped and narrow, and riverside guesthouses may be a walk from where the car can stop.
  • Walk the riverside early on day 5. Before the day visitors arrive, you have the lanes and bridges largely to yourself.
  • Tell us if you sleep lightly. The riverside is the liveliest part of town in the evening, so we can book a room a lane or two back from the water.
  • Carry your passport in Fenghuang too. Hotels register every foreign guest at check-in, and the boat and site tickets are booked in your names.
  • Avoid Chinese holiday weeks for Fenghuang. The old town is small, and the 1–5 May and 1–7 October holidays bring very heavy crowds.
Blue-lit arch bridge framing glowing riverside houses at night in Fenghuang
Photo: Ludger Heide, CC BY-SA 2.0
Aerial-style view of the glass bridge across the deep forested Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon
Photo: Glabb, CC BY-SA 3.0
Cluster of tall sandstone pillars covered in green vegetation on Tianzi Mountain
Photo: ICOLEF / visualtravelguide.com, CC BY-SA 4.0
Long staircase climbing between green cliffs to the Tianmen Cave arch
Photo: xiquinhosilva, CC BY 2.0

Places on this tour

Let us book your hotel

We check foreigner registration, breakfast and pickup logistics before we book — at the hotel's own rate.

Ask us to book

Frequently asked questions

How far is Fenghuang from Zhangjiajie?

By road it is about 210–250 km, roughly 3.5–4 hours by car. The high-speed train from Zhangjiajie West to Fenghuang Ancient Town station is much faster, about 51–66 minutes.

Why drive instead of taking the bullet train?

The private car takes you door to door with your luggage, and your guide stays with you the whole way. If you prefer the train, we book it on request and the price is adjusted; you then take a short shuttle or taxi from Fenghuang Ancient Town station into the old town.

Is there an entrance fee for Fenghuang?

No. The old town itself is free to enter and open all day. Some sites, the boats and the night cruise charge separately. This tour includes the day boat and historic-houses combo ticket.

Why stay overnight in Fenghuang?

Fenghuang is at its best in the evening, when the riverside is lit, and early in the morning before day visitors arrive. A day trip from Zhangjiajie would miss both.

Can I finish in Fenghuang instead of going back to Zhangjiajie?

Yes. We can drop you at Fenghuang Ancient Town station for a train onward, which shortens day 5. Ask us when you send your plans.

Is the Tianmen Mountain cable car from downtown running?

No. Since 13 October 2026 the long cable car from downtown is suspended. Route C, from the Mountain Gate by express cable car, still reaches Tianmen Cave and the summit cliff paths.

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4-Day Furong Town

Two days in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park including the quieter Yangjiajie area, Tianmen Mountain on Route C, then an evening and morning in Furong Town, the old Tujia town built on a cliff over a waterfall — private guide and car throughout.

Moderate walking

Price on request

Tell us how you like to travel. We will plan the rest.

Send your dates and interests. A local planner replies within 12 hours with a draft itinerary and a clear price — no deposit until you are happy with the plan.

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