Tianmen Mount National Park

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.

DAY 1 - ZHANGJIAJIE ARRIVAL
Upon arrival at the airport you will be met by a guide and transferred to the hotel in Wulingyuan area. 

DAY 2 - ZHANGJIAJIE 
You will need to get up early for today’s trip where you will be transferred to the main entrance of Zhangjiajie (about 30km/20miles from the hotel). You will start off by visiting the Yellow Stone Village (which reaches 1048 metres in height), from which you will be able to discover the first treasure of Zhangjiajie and one of the most famous in the region - The Five Fingers Peak.
Don’t be put off the by the crowds which may greet you upon arrival. It is possible to find areas of the park which are hidden away from the megaphones, the red-capped groups of local tourists posing for endless photos in strange stances whilst always holding their hand in the ‘V for victory’ shape, which is not just particular to the Chinese but all across Asia and something which you should see as humorous.
As the local tourists don’t tend to spend too long at each spot you will quickly be able to admire in peace the phenomenal spectacular of the largest concentration of karst rock formations in the world. The peaks shoot up from the thick vegetation which covers around 90% of the park like sword blades. A few waterfalls and limestone caves here and there really finish off this picturesque scene as clouds roll in to give the impression that the mountain peaks are floating in the air. Even though the weather can be a little more unpredictable in the winter months, the dusting of snow on the mountain peaks only adds to the park’s natural beauty.
Keen gardeners will be in their element, with a few thousand different species to be found in the park alone including the extremely rare lobster flower (literal translation) which changes colour several times a day.
Lunch will be in a restaurant near the main entrance which serves a number of local specialities. Hunan makes up one of the 8 main types of Chinese cuisine: Xiangcai or chilli is often the base to most dishes, so make sure that you make it well known if you do not like your food hot. It is said that the locals love spicy food so much that when they travel, no matter where they go or what they eat, their food has to be accompanied by chillies that are spicy enough to have come directly from the fires of hell!
Your day will continue with a stroll along the Golden Whip Stream, giving you another angle from which you can view the amazing karst peaks. From here they appear to shoot up into the sky like giant natural skyscrapers. Adored by the Chinese, the peaks have been given a number of different poetic names, including the tallest which stands at 400 metres and is known as the Magical Eagle Protecting the Whip.
The water in the stream is clear, the air pure and the site very well maintained. It is a real treat for those who have been stuck in China’s megacities for the first leg of their tour. The wildlife in the park is extremely varied and you may be lucky enough to spot a panther, a bear or a pangolin (an anteater like mammal) all of which inhabit the 350km2 national park. You may even stumble upon groups of monkeys which some (misadvised or well-intentioned) tourists like to feed, but we urge you to not follow their counterproductive example and leave the animals well alone!
You walk will last around 2 hours and will end at the Suoxi Valley Nature Reserve, from where you will be able to take either a tourist tram or go on foot to the Ten Mile Gallery.
You will head back to Wulingyuan where you will spend the night.

DAY 3 - ZHANGJIAJIE 
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 the Son of Heaven 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 forest (don’t worry – your local tour guide knows the way and will help you through this section) 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 incredible mixture and variety of treatments which makes up what we know as Chinese medicine is fascinating and almost endless, but two of the most famous, and which are still very popular today, are acupuncture and pharmacotherapy. The medicinal plants in this region are very well known and you will see a number of small stands selling a variety of traditional types of medication such as ginseng root, small flasks of snake venom and a number of other types of Chinese medicine. You will get the chance to meet with a local ‘doctor’ and your guide will give you an insight into this ancient Chinese ritual.
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. This tranquil spot is a perfect place to take part in a spot of self-contemplation, and enjoy a well-deserved picnic lunch which we will have here, depending on the weather.
The west part of the Hunan province is well known for having been, like its neighbouring provinces of Guangdong and Hubei, rife with bandits. This region is home to numerous caves that gave refuge to local criminals, as opposed to other parts of China where they were normally used for religious purposes. We will take you to an old wooden house on the mountain top which belonged to a legendary bandit who made this region his home. Today visitors to the house can dress up in bandit costumes and pose for photographs.
Your day will end on a high point with a trip to the scenic spot at the Tianbo Mansions which are reached by a suspended wooden footbridge. It’s from here that you get the strongest impression yet of being on the top of a mountain peak. You will descend from the top by taking the Bailong Panoramic Elevator which offers stunning views over the entire National Park.
You will be transferred back to the town of Zhangjiajie, which is close by to Day 4’s last stop.

DAY 4 - ZHANGJIAJIE - TIANMENSHAN DEPARTURE 
An early morning rise will be followed by a trip to another major attraction in the region: Heavenly Door Mountain orTianmenshan which we will ascend by way of cable-car. The mountain is still a part of the Wulingyuan national park but it is of a different type to the scenery we have already seen. Unlike the other mountains, Tianmenshan is not really a peak, but rather a whole collection of karst formations that altogether are much more imposing. The journey up to the top lasts around 20 minutes and the views from the cable-car are spectacular. The surrounding rock formations are truly stunning and the mountain itself is almost like a natural cathedral. The top of the formation is over 1500 metres and dominates the whole of this region.
Afterwards you will take a stroll through Guigu Plank road along the well sign posted path which includes a section of around 60 metres that has been turned into a glass bottomed walkway! The walk is at the top of an 800 metre sheer drop off the edge of a cliff and you will be provided with a pair of “special shoes” which are distributed to visitors, especially those who come in a pair of high heels (you'll find it's so common to see some ladies wearing high heel shoes climbing mountains here......).
You will spot an endless number of red ribbons tied to the branches of nearby trees on which visitors write famous proverbs, declarations of their undying love and other good luck messages. The belief is that because they are so high up and close to the sky, their messages to the Gods will have a better chance of getting there.
Tianmenshan attracts a growing number of visitors who come in search of an adrenaline rush in the form of extreme sports. Famous visitors include the French ‘Spiderman’ Alain Robert, who in 2007 climbed 200 metres up a sheer cliff face, and the American base- jumper Jeb Corliss, who in October 2011 took part in the world’s first Wingsuit Championship, jumping from the highest point of 800 metres. More recently, French ‘Rollerman’ Jean-Yves Blondeau took on the endless bends, hurtling down from the top of Tianmenshan at more than 100 km per hour.
There're so much you can explore in Tianmen Mountain, it takes 5 hours to cover it.

Finish the pleasant Avatar world trip!