Staying in Zhangjiajie and Wulingyuan, visiting Tianmen Mountain and the Avatar Mountains

 


The two main reasons to visit Zhangjiajie are the striking Tianmen Mountain (Tianmenshan) and the otherworldly Avatar Mountains (Zhangjiajie National Forest Park) — but they are about 40 kilometers apart. How can you get the best out of a visit? Where should you stay, and for how long? The best advice is: take your time. Allow more days than you think you’ll need, as the weather is unpredictable. As for where to stay, both Zhangjiajie city, at the foot of Tianmen Mountain, and the little town of Wulingyuan, near the Avatar Mountains, can serve as good bases. The high speed train station, Zhangjiajie West (Zhangjiajiexi) Station, is between the two. The ideal option is to stay in both. 

Map of the Zhangjiajie and Wulingyuan area


Dark blue line: bus route between Zhangjiajie bus station and Wulingyuan bus station.
Light blue line: bus route between Wulingyuan and the Grand Canyon/Glass Bridge entrance.

Zhangjiajie is not a very large city, but still quite sizable. It's very pleasant, but the main attraction — Tianmen Mountain — can be covered in one long day. (Maybe other hikes are also available in the area, I didn't look into it.) On the other hand, the Avatar Mountains in Wulingyuan require multiple days, and there are also other attractions in the area. In my opinion, 2 nights in Zhangjiajie and 3 nights in Wulingyuan is the minimum. The ticket to the Avatar Mountains is valid for four days, and the national park is indeed vast — you can't see every corner even within that time. I visited two areas in two days: Yuanjiajie on the first and the Tianzi Mountain on the second. The landscape is stunning, though quite similar across the mountain range, so you may not want to spend four consecutive days exploring it. For a change of scenery, the nearby Zhangjiajie Glass Bridge and Grand Canyon offer a beautiful but totally different experience. 


Searching for a viewpoint in Zhangjiajie city. I found a hill in Maps.me with a viewpoint marked so I thought I'll check it out, hoping to get a good view of Tianmen Mountain and the city. If the pagoda was open and/or the bush was cleared at some points, you would. It is still nice through the woods. 





















Tianmen Mountain, or at least parts of it, can be seen from street level as well from different points in the city. 



Small but cosy hotel room in Zhangjiajie, near the cable car lower station. 




The bus station in Zhangjiajie, not far from the cable car lower station. Buses to Wulingyuan (Avatar Mountains) depart from here. 


Bridges in Wulingyuan center. Unfortunately from the main streets there are no photos, but it's a nice and lively town. 




A traditional room used for group gathering and meat smoking at the same time, in an elegant restaurant. I didn't find my hotel and the restaurant receptionist offered to call them, and they gave a cup of tea and offered a seat here until the car arrived. 


My hotel room in Wulingyuan. 





The Suoxi River in Wulingyuan. 





On the morning I left Wulingyuan, the landscape was very misty after the night rain. It would have been nice to see the Avatar Mountains in these weather conditions too, but I already had my train ticket. That's why you have to allow more days than you think you’ll need. 




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