How to Get from Beijing to Zhangjiajie

Dear Travelers

Plan your Zhangjiajie Tour? About 1,500 km southeast of Beijing, Zhangjiajie is a rising star with its picturesque and unique sandstone formations, empowered by the American film - Avatar, has attracted a consistent flow of tourists each year ever since.

If you're already in Beijing,  you may wonder how to get from Beijing to Zhangjiajie?  By train or Flight? We are here ready to present you the multiple choices which you may use to match your specific travel request.

Before getting to know how to get from Beijing to Zhangjiajie, we'd like to remind you the fact that basically Zhangjiajie has two meanings - 1.  Zhangjaijie City proper 2. Zhangjiajie Scenic Area.

Now the newly added artificial thriller - Zhangjiajie Glass Bottom Bridge is situated 50km east of the core of Zhangjiajie Scenic Area. It spans 430 meters over a 300-meter-deep valley between two cliffs of Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon.

Its Cableway （just close to Zhangjiajie Railwaty Station) is claimed as one of the "longest passenger cableway of high mountains in the world", with a total length of 7,455 meters and ascent of 1,279 meters. A 100-meter-long Glass Skywalk clings around a cliff on Tianmen Mountain, attracting lots of tourists who are looking for adventures.

So  talking about how to get from Beijing to Zhangjiajie,  we actually have to answer two questions - How to get from Beijing to Zhangjiajie City proper and then how to get from Zhangjiajie City proper to Zhangjiajie Scenic Area ( Wulinyuan and Zhangjiajie Glass Bottom Bridge). They are roughly 30 km  apart.

Now let's first about the first question - How to get from Beijing to Zhangjiajie City proper?

How to get from Beijing to Zhangjiajie City proper ( Tianmen Mountain)

If time allows, plus you are able to grab a ticket, it is an interesting experience to travel by train.  The cable car station for Tianmen Mountain and Glass Skywalk is just a breeze from the train station.

High demand makes little space for ticket discounts. Unless you are pressed for time, direct flight  is not a good choice due to the exorbitant prices.

Then you need to change for the local long-distance bus bringing you to your destination - Zhangjiajie since there is no railway line between the two cities. The bus takes about 5 hours ( approx. 90 yuan).

Changsha is well known for its sights related to Mao Zedong Mao ( Dec 26, 1893 – Sept 9, 1976), a Chinese Communist revolutionary and the founding father of the People's Republic of China.  At Zhangjiajie Airport, you either choose to transit and fly for Zhangjiajie or connect a local long-distance bus for Zhangjiajie.

How to get from Zhangjiajie City proper to Zhangjiajie Scenic Area ( Wulinyuan and Zhangjiajie Glass Bottom Bridge)

No matter you arrive at Zhangjiajie City proper by flight or train,  directly from Beijing or via Changsha, the best way to go from Zhangjiajie City to Zhangjiajie Scenic Area (Wulingyuan or Zhangjiajie Glass Bottom Bridge ) is to take a local bus.

The bus station is known as Zhangjiajie Central Passenger Bus Station, just on the left side of the square in front of Zhangjiajie Railway Station. So if you arrive at Zhangjiajie by train or bus, you can easily walk to the bus station bound for Zhangjiajie Scenic Area: 20 yuan and 50 minutes.

If you are going to experience Glass Bottom Bridge, you need to hop on another bus at Zhangjiajie Scenic Area and leave for Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon: 15 yuan and 40 minutes.

There is no direct bus line connecting Zhangjiajie Airport and Zhangjiajie Scenic Area. Instead, you should take a cab or bus going from Zhangjiajie Hehua International Airport to Zhangjiajie Central Passenger Station and then get on a bus for Zhangjiajie Scenic Area and Glass Bottom Bridge.

Tip: Hassle-free Zhangjiajie Guided Tours

If you don’t want to go the do-it-yourself route and prefer the hassle-free escorted tours, here are some options for guided tours to Zhangjiajie:

Further Readings