fenghuang traditional county

Day 1    (D)
Your private guide will be on time and waiting in arrivals. A comfortable private car (non-smoking) & experienced driver will transfer you to the hotel.
Accommodation: Pullman Hotel

Day 2    Zhangjiajie National Forest Park (B+L+D)
AM: Go to Gold Whip Stream for a pleasant stroll along the stream, surrounded by grotesque rocks,this place is well-known for its crystal water and fresh air. You might see some monkeys there. Please don’t touch or scare them for safety reasons, but giving them food is ok.
PM: Take Bailong Elevator up Yuanjiajie,Bailong elevator is the said to be the world's tallest full-exposure outdoor lift, tallest double-deck sightseeing elevator.Yuanjiajie is the inspiration for Hallelujah  Mountain in AVATAR , Where you will also find the aptly named First Bridge under Heaven, Lover Peaks and so on.
Continuing to Tianzi Mountain, You will have a bird’s-eye view of all the mountains and valleys of the Wuling Mountains. Visit Western Sea, Helong Park,Viewing Terrace etc.Take Tianzi cablecar down
Accommodation: Pullman Hotel

Day 3     Baofeng Lake & Tianmen Mountain (B+L+D)

AM: We head to Baofeng Lake after breakfast in the hotel, Baofeng lake is the masterpiece of nature and human beings’wisdom.It is 85 meters above the ground and attains an altitude of 585 meters, with an average depth of 72 meters. All the water is from rainfall and spring, it is pure just like a big crystal among Bao feng mountain Range.When you cruise, you can hear authentic song from Tujia minority people.You can fully understand the harmony and peace between human beings and nature.

PM: Take the longest cablecar(about 7.5 kilometes long) in the world up Tianmen Mountain, have a walk on the mountain plank road built along the face of cliffs. You will feel like walking in a fairy land when the mist is still heavy. The must-visit scenic spots are: Tianmen Cave, Glass Road, Tianme Temple and Heavenly Road.
Accommodation : Sunshine Hotel

Day 4    Furong Town & Dehang Village (B+L+D)
AM: There are a lot of to see and do in Furong Town, originally named Wangcun, Furong Town has a history of more than 2,000 years, and it an ancient town where people of the Tujia and Miao ethnic people live together.Until now, in the town, pavement laid with black flagstones and ancient domestic house (mainly Diaojiaolou) are well preserved.

PM: Drive about 1.5 hours from Furong Town to Dehang Village, Dehang means a "beautiful valley" in Miao language, In the scenic spot, streams are crossing to each other, deep valleys, spectacular waterfalls, grand mountain ranges, ancient trees and special flowers, precious birds and animals are everywhere.
Accommodation:Fenghuang Garden Hotel.

Day 5     Fenghuang Ancient City (B+L+D)
AM: Take your time as you spend a whole morning exploring this fascinating city. Hemmed in by rolling mountains and watered by a smoothly flowing river, flagstone streets, rows of traditional wooden houses built on stilts, towers, bridges everywhere, Fenghuang Ancient City is praised to be the most beautiful ancient city in china. A short boat ride of 20 minutes on the Tuo River is a good experience to relax, and you can also explore the small museums and former residences inside the town.

PM: Come back to Zhangjiajie, about 4 hours by car. Seeing you off according to your flight time, looking forward to seeing you again in Zhangjiajie.

Day 1
Greet you at the airport or train station and escort you to hotel for check in. The rest of day is free on your own or you can ask the guide for some suggestions.
Accommodation: Changsha city

Day 2    Shaoshan & Orange Island
Our guide and driver will escort you from Changsha to Shaoshan, visit Water Dripping Cave, Former Residence of Mao Zedong. Back to Changsha, then pay a visit to Orange Island, enjoy the beautiful Xiang River scenery and experience the local culture. Check in hotel for a rest.
Accommodation: Changsha

Day 3    Yue Foothill Academy & Embroidary Research
AM: After breakfast, visit Yue Foothill academy, Yue Foothill academy is one of the four Chinese ancient academies in Song Dynasty, organized in the Northern Song Dynasty Kaibao nine years (the A.D. 976 years), and has a reputation as "millennium academy" that witness the thousand years reform of education. It's a miniature of Chinese education in history.
The enjoy the Loving Youth Pavilion (Aiwanting), Hunan Embroidary Research Institute,
The Loving Youth Pavilion (Aiwanting) (30 minutes): It was built in 1792 during the Qing Dynasty. The beauty of this spot, with its blossoming peach trees, graceful willows, and flowing streams has attracted many poets and artists. Visit Hunan Embroidary Research Institute, this research institute has a collection of over 6000 pieces of the Hunan Embroidery. It has become a popular spot for foreign tourists looking for authentic, quality products.

PM: After lunch, 6 hours bus riding from Changsha to Phoenix ancient city
Accommodation: Fenghuang

Day 4    Fenghuang Ancient City
AM: Today,our guide will take you to have a leisure walking in the ancient city. Phoenix ancient city is at the western border of Hunan and by the riverside of beautiful Tuo River. Phoenix,a place that shares the name with the holy bird in ancient times. It is ancient, quiet, and secluded.

PM:Take a exhilarating drive to Zhangjiajie, about 4 hours driving.
Accommodation: Zhangjiajie

Day 5    Zhangjiajie National Forest Park
PM: After breakfast in the hotel, take the cable car up Yellow Stone Village, where you will appreciate the daunting rock columns. From the top, travelers can enjoy spectacular views of the forest with rough landscape( round trip of cablecar).

PM: Visit Golden Whip Stream (2.5 hours) in the afternoon, located in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, Golden Whip Stream covers a distance of 7.5 km from north to south, winding across mountains and valleys. The stream is limpid through the year, with many scenic spots along the way. It is famous for Jinbian Cave-which has a height of 382km and looks like a huge flying eagle. Wear good walking shoes and protection from the weather.
Option: The Charming of Western Hunan Show
Accommodation: Wulingyuan

Day 6    Zhangjiajie National Forest Park
AM: Take Bailong Elevator up Yuanjiajie, Bailong Elevator is the said to be the world's tallest full-exposure outdoor lift, tallest double-deck sightseeing elevator.Yuanjiajie is the inspiration for Hallelujah Mountain in AVATAR , Where you will also find the aptly named First Bridge under Heaven, Lover Peaks and so on.

PM: Continuing to Tianzi Mountain, You will have a bird’s-eye view of all the mountains and valleys of the Wuling Mountains. Visit Western Sea, Helong Park,Viewing Terrace etc.Take Tianzi cablecar down and check in hotel.
Accommodation: Wulingyuan

Day 7    Baofeng Lake & Sandstone Painting Museum
AM: After breaking in the hotel, we head to Baofeng Lake where is the masterpiece of nature and human beings’wisdom. Baofeng Lake is pure just like a big crystal among Bao feng mountain Range.When you cruise, you can hear authentic song from Tujia minority people,you can fully understand the harmony and peace between human beings and nature.

PM: Pay a visit to Lijunshen Sandstone painting Museum, Li Junsheng’s sandstone paintings break through the using of traditional painting materials and use nature materials by making use of the hue of natural plant creatively, are of great art and collection values.
After dinner your guide will see you off in Zhangjiaije Hehua airport.

Tips: This tour is collected all of the famous scenery in Western Hunan, designed particular for Western tourists. In this tour, you can fully enjoy the nature beauty and experience the local minority life(Tujia and Miao) in Western Hunan at the same time. Suitable for those who want to experience the true life of the minorities and don't mind the poor condition guest house in Miao village. Not recommend to photographers.

DAY 01           ZHANGJIAJIE
Arrive in Zhangjiajie in the evening, a warm welcome from your guide and transfer 40 minutes to the hotel in Wulingyuan scenic area.

DAY 02       ZHANGJIAJIE

Highlights: Tianzi Mountain/ One step to the heaven/ The Corridor in the Sky/Yuanjiajie

Breakfast in the hotel, today you will head for one of the most famous attractions in the park and the one that attracts the most tourists – The Son of Heaven Mountain (Tianzishan). You will ascend the mountain by cable-car and at the top you will be able to enjoy views of Warrior Taming Horse Rock and the Western Sea which are two of the most stunning mountain formations in the whole park and are really a pleasure to see. After visiting Tianzi Mountain you will continue on to a spot that is far less visited and can be a little difficult to find because the well surfaced paths soon disappear and the trail leads through heavy fores. arriving at the viewing point known as One Step To Heaven. Unlike the name suggests this isn’t actually just one step to heaven, but more of a metal staircase which leads to a metal viewing platform. From here you can admire 360 degree views of the surrounding peaks, a certainly unforgettable moment but one which is not accessible to all. The viewing platform isn’t recommended for those who suffer from vertigo and we suggest that for this trip you wear sturdy shoes. The Corridor in the Sky is another fantastic view point that you will pass by on the walk back from the One Step to Heaven scenic spot. If we have time, then after these spot, we can visit Yuanjiajie(the shooting place of the movie Avatar) and then take elevator down.

DAY 03             ZHANGJIAJIE

Highlights: Baofeng Lake/ Yellow Dragon Cave/ Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon 

Breakfast in the hotel, transfer to Baofeng Lake, which is the only spots famous for beautiful water in Zhangjiajie, enjoy a peaceful boat riding on the lake. Then transfer to Yellow dragon cave. It is the longest one in Asia; it is an incomparable realm of gigantic subterranean chambers, fantastic cave formations, and extraordinary features. After the cave transfer to Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon, Situated in Sanguansi, cili county Zhangjiajie city, 10 km east to Wulingyuan world natural heritage site, the canyon is a new discovered spots in Zhangjiajie, which is well-known for the fresh air and crystal waterfall, 2.5 hours to finish it.

DAY 04              ZHANGJIAJIE---DEHANG MIAO VILLAGE

Highlights: Golden whip stream (part of it) / Huangshizhai/ Dehang Miao village
 
Breakfast and check out in the morning, transfer to Zhangjiajie national forest park, enjoy a beautiful hiking along the golden whip stream. Golden Whip Stream is famous for its pristine water, its verdant mountains, its steep cliffs and its serene valley, and it was reputed as one ‘of the most beautiful valleys’ in the world. Take cable car to the top of mountain, get ready for some jaw-dropping panoramic views on your hiking advebtures Huangshizhai, there are numerous lookout points for stunning views, from which you can see nearly half of the peaks of Zhangjiajie, there is a popular saying goes like that if you don't visit Huangshizhai, you can't claim that you have come to Zhangjiajie. Transfer to Dehang Miao village and chech into a home stay Inn in Dehang.

Day 05      DEHANG---FENGHUANG

Highlights:  Dehang Miao villge---Fenghuang ancient city

Hiking along the farm road in the valley of the Miao village, experience the local life of Miao people, reach the highest waterfall---Liusha waterfall (about 3 hours). Then come back to the village and check out, transfer to 1.5 hours to Fenghuang ancient city, on the way you can enjoy the view of the world most breathtaking bridge, Aizhai tunnel to tunnel suspension bridge, that is newly completed. Walk around the beautiful ancient city, which has been standing there for over 300 years and supposed to be one of the most beautiful ancient city of China. Enjoy a boat riding on Tuo river, there’re full of stilted wood building standing on the both side of the river, then step on the second floor of Rainbow bridge to enjoy the whole scenery of the ancient city. In the evening, you can walk around the city on your own, to enjoy the most beautiful scenery of the city---night scenery, or you can choose a bar to have a drink beside the river.

Day 06     FENGHUANG--ZHANGJIAJIE

Highlights:  Fenghuang--- Tianmen Mountain

Check out in the early morning, transfer 4 hours to Tianmen Mountain, take half an hour riding on the longest cable-car in the world (about 7.5 km) directly reach the top of Tianmen mountain. Have a breathless walking along the glass plank-road against the cliff.  Tianmen cave, the natural mountain-penetrating karst cave with the highest elevation in the world, hangs on the towering cliff. There are many graceful trees, karts hillocks and medicinal herbs and plants on the mountain. (about 5 hours sightseeing activies in Tianmen Mountain). Finish the wonderful trip in western Hunan.

9 Days Zhangjiajie –Furong Town-Dehang-Fenghuang Photographic Tour

DAY 01      ZHANGJIAJIE

Fly to Zhangjiajie from ***, pickup and transfer to Zhangjiajie city, Stay in Vide Hotel for 1 night

DAY 02       ZHANGJIAJIE (B, L, D)
6AM: Breakfast in the hotel
Early morning departure to catch first cable car
4 mile walk (leveled to moderate climb)
Tianmen Mountain Photoshoot
Full Mountain Loop
Chair lift (round trip)
Lunch: restaurant close to monastery/chairlift
Glass Plank

DAY 03    ZHANGJIAJIE (B, L, D)
6AM: Breakfast

Early morning departure to catch first cable car
3 mile walk (leveled to moderate climb)
Yellowstone Mountain Photoshoot
Full Mountain Loop

 Lunch bag
4 mile walk (leveled to moderate climb)
Park Entrance photoshoot (trees, reflection, flowers, monkeys)
Golden Whip Stream walk

Elevator Experience
Sunset at Avatar Mountain 
stay in the mountain top hostel

DAY 04     ZHANGJIAJIE (B, L, D)

2 mile walk (leveled to steep climb)
Sky Farm Sunrise at 06:15
8AM: Breakfast
Tianzi Mountains
Lunch: Restaurant at the Pagoda
Cable car down the mountain
Stay in the Emperor Hotel

DAY 05      ZHANGJIAJIE  (B, L, D)
7AM: Breakfast
 Dragon Cave
 Lunch: Restaurant?
Baofeng Lake
 
Stay in the Emperor Hotel

DAY 06     ZHANGJIAJIE-FURONG TOWN  (B, L, D)

8AM: Breakfast

Drive to Hangwu Miao Village
Photoshoot with villagers (Place we were waiting for the train. Correct?)
Drive to waterfall town (Wangcun) Furong town.
stay in Wangcun Hostel for 1 night
photographing the ancient town, waterfall,

DAY 07     FURONG TOWN -DEHANG (B, L, D)

6AM: Breakfast

Sunrise at the waterfall
Drive to Dehang
Portraiture with villagers in their "habitat" (farming, carrying wood, etc.)
Photoshoot with villagers (weavers, etc.)
Villager performance

Optional - Ancient waterfall hike (3 miles hike). Scenic views of rice terraces

Dinner: 
Stay in Dehang Guxian Hostel for 1 night

DAY 08     DEHANG (B, L, D)
6AM: Breakfast
Photoshoot with villagers (kids, artisans, etc.)
 we arrange a photoshoot with our host from last time (walking down the stairs opposite to her place, … other set up shoots with kids)
Drive to Fenghuang
Stay in Fenghuang government hotel one night

Night photography in Ancient town.

DAY 09    FENGHUANG (B, L, D)
Fenghuang
Sunrise at the stepping stone bridge

Half day shoot of Ancient town + villagers
Morning market
Photograph from the bridge (2nd level)
Boat ride on the Phoenix river
After lunch drive back to Zhangjiajie, transfer to Zhangjiajie airport, service end.

DAY 01               ZHANGJIAJIE
Highlights: Arriving---Bao Feng Lake
Arrive in Zhangjiajie at 14:15pm, a warm welcome from your guide and driver, transfer 40 minutes to Baofeng Lake in Wulingyuan scenic area, enjoy a peaceful boat riding in the lake for around one hour to warming up the trip, transfer to the hotel and check in.

DAY 02               ZHANGJIAJIE

Highlights: Yuanjiajie---Tianzi mountain---Shilihualang

Breakfast in the hotel, enter into the national park by taking eco-bus, taking elevator up to Yuanjiajie scenic area, which is now famous for the shooting place of the fantastic movie---Avata. We can see the floating Avata-Hallelujah mountain, No.1 nature bridge and Mihun platform and so on. Simple lunch on the top of mountain, take the eco-bus to Tianzi Mountain, known as 'the Monarch of the Peak Forest', where is a perfect location to have a panoramic view of the nature reserve, you can enjoy He long park, western peak forest sea. Take cable car down transfer e-co bus to Shilihualang, enjoy the scenerary with mini train, finish the day around 5:00pm.

DAY 03            ZHANGJIAJIE

Highlights: Yellow Dragon Cave---- Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon 

Breakfast in the hotel, transfer to Yellow dragon cave, which is the longest one in Asia; it is an incomparable realm of gigantic subterranean chambers, fantastic cave formations, and extraordinary features. After the cave transfer to Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon, Situated in Sanguansi, cili county Zhangjiajie city, 10 km east to Wulingyuan world natural heritage site, the canyon is a new discovered spots in Zhangjiajie, which is well-known for the fresh air and crystal waterfall, 2.5 hours to finish it.

DAY 04           ZHANGJIAJIE

Highlights: Golden whip stream---- Huangshizhai
 
Breakfast and check out in the morning, transfer to Zhangjiajie national forest park, enjoy a beautiful hiking along the golden whip stream. With a length of 7.5km, Golden Whip Stream is famous for its pristine water, its verdant mountains, its steep cliffs and its serene valley, and it was reputed as one ‘of the most beautiful valleys’ in the world, walking along the stream for 2.5 hours. Take cable car to the top of mountain, get ready for some jaw-dropping panoramic views on your hiking advebtures Huangshizhai, there are numerous lookout points for stunning views, from which you can see nearly half of the peaks of Zhangjiajie, there is a popular saying goes like that if you don't visit Huangshizhai, you can't claim that you have come to Zhangjiajie. Transfer to Zhangjiajie city centre and check into hotel.

Day 05       ZHANGJIAJIE--FENGHUANG
Highlights: Tianmen Mountain---Tujia Folk park---Fairy Fox show
Check out in the morning, transfer to Tianmen Mountain, take half an hour riding on the longest cable-car in the world (about 7.5 km) directly reach the top of Tianmen mountain. Have a breathless walking along the glass plank-road against the cliff.  Tianmen cave, the natural mountain-penetrating karst cave with the highest elevation in the world, hangs on the towering cliff. There are many graceful trees, karts hillocks and medicinal herbs and plants on the mountain. (about 5 hours sightseeing activies in Tianmen Mountain). Have a visit to Tujia folk park, in which you can have a close contact to local Tujia people and have an understand of Tujia culture. In the evening after fresh up in the hotel, transfer to the out door stage, which is located at the buttom of Tianmen mountain, to enjoy one of the most beautiful show in China----the love story between a fairy fox and a woodman.

Day 06      FENGHUANG--ZHANGJIAJIE
Highlights:  Furong ancient town--- Fenghuang Ancient City
Check out from the hotel around 8:00, transfer 2 hours to Furong Ancient town, which is originally named Wangcun, it is an ancient town where Tujia minority live together.  The scenery in the town has unique bearing. Shops with trap doors are on the both sides of two-kilometer street of black flagstone. Tujia Diaojiaolou (stilted house) are set up against the slope.The simple bearing of Tujia is very charming. historic Xizhou Copper Pillar witness Tujia minority people warring time. Wangcun waterfall which is about 60 meters high and 70 meters wide is an inspiring site, visit Furong town for 1.5 hours, then transfer to Fenghuang ancient city and check into hotel, you can’t miss the night scenery of Fenghuang, which is amazing beautiful!

Day 07      FENGHUANG---ZHANGJIAJIE

Highlights: Fenghuang---Junsheng sandstone painting gallery

Check out in the morning, enjoy the morning scenery of the ancient town, take a boat riding on Tuo rive, get on the second floor of the rainbow bridge and enjoy a whole scenery of the ancient city, then transfer 3 hour to Zhangjiajie, have a visit to Junsheng Sandstone Painting gallery, enjoy the unique sandstone painting artist style, which is created by a local Tujia people named Junsheng Li, now become very famous and his painting are really popular by a lot of tourists.