5 Days Changsha and Zhangjiajie Tour by High-speed Train
Tour Overview
Changsha is one of the most popular cities to travel to in China. This vibrant city is known for its rich history and wide variety of spicy snacks. This 5-day Hunan tour extends from Changsha to Zhangjiajie, taking you to the Hunan Provincial Museum, Orange Island Park and Yuelu Academy.
In famous Zhangjiajie, you will capture the breathtaking Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, just like in the Avatar movie, and Tianmen Mountain. You will also do some adventurous activities including walking on the Zhangjiajie Glass Bridge and conquering the 999-step Tianmen Cave.
Travel destinations: Changsha, Zhangjiajie
Suitable for: Nature Lovers, Foodies, Adventurers
Tour type: Private
Highlights of this tour:
- Discover the legendary female corpse and 180,000 artifacts at the Hunan Provincial Museum.
- Enjoy the view of Orange Island Park and learn about its connection to Chairman Mao.
- Capture the fabulous views of Huangshi Village with your camera at Zhangjiajie National Forest Park.
- Challenge yourself to walk on the longest and highest transparent glass bridge in the world.
- Take a walk on the exhilarating glass walkway at Tianmen Mountain and conquer the 999 steps of Tianmen Cave.
Day-by-day Itinerary
- Day 1: Arrival in Changsha
Welcome to Changsha, the capital city of Hunan province! Upon your arrival at Changsha Huanghua International Airport, your local driver greet you at the exit of the Arrival Hall. Then you will be transferred you to your hotel in Changsha for check-in.
The rest of the day is free for you to explore the city at your own pace. You are suggested to try some local snacks, visit nearby attractions, or just only take a stroll along the bustling streets. In addition, Changsha boasts a rich nightlife, so don't miss it.
Meal: N/A
Accommodation: in Changsha
- Day 2: Changsha City Tour to ZhangjiajieExplore Changsha's Cultural Heritage and Historical Sites
Before taking the train to Zhangjiajie, follow your guide to explore the highlight sites in Changsha city. The first scenic spot is the Hunan Provincial Museum. The museum might be hardly impressive after your visit to the museums in cities like Beijing and Xian. However, the legendary exhibition housed in this museum must be remarkable during your whole China tour: the female Corpse unearthed in the Mawangdui Han Tombs, a record-breaking discovery in the world’s embalming. Moreover, there are about 180 thousand cultural relics collected in the Hunan Provincial Museum, including bronzes, chinaware, paintings and calligraphy, art wares, and so on.
Hunan Museum Next, continue your visit to Orange Island Park, a beautiful alluvial shoal standing in the center of the Xiangjiang River. It’s popular as people enjoy the fascinating sights around there. But it was Chairman Mao Zedong, the great founder of the People’s Republic of China, and his famous poem that made it rise to fame. Chairman Mao depicted splendid scenes of Orange Island Park and Xiangjiang River in his poem, attracting endless visitors to pilgrimage.
After lunch, come to Yuelu Academy, which lies at the foot of scenic Yuelu Mountain, alongside the Xiangjiang River. It is one of the “Four Great Academies” in China with its birth dating back to 976 AD, Song Dynasty and later surviving in the successive Yuan Dynasty, Ming Dynasty, Qing Dynasty, and until today. You will visit the Lecture Room, the main teaching place and the place where major events are held, as well as the core part of the academy.
After your Changsha tour, take an evening high-speed train which rides around 3.5 hours to Zhangjiajie. Upon arrival at Zhangjiajie Train Station, the local driver will meet you at the exit gate by holding a welcome board, and transfer to local hotel for check-in.
Meal: Breakfast + Lunch
Accommodation: in Wulingyuan
Yuelu Academy - Day 3: Zhangjiajie National Forest Park TourExperience Stunning Peaks and Thrilling Glass Bridge
Welcome to our Zhangjiajie National Forest Park tour! In 1992, the park was selected as the World Natural Heritage Site. In the 4810-hectare forest, it stands about 3,000 grotesque peaks. You will visit Huangshi Village, the largest and most scenic sightseeing stand in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park. There is a Chinese saying going like “One will not find the most essence beauty of Zhangjiajie without a visit to Huangshi Village.” Surrounded by green trees between the cliffs, the top of the village is shrouded in clouds and mist all year round.
Then, move on to the eastern part of Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, Golden Whip Stream. It is one of the most beautiful sites in Zhangjiajie, named after the Golden Whip Rock it flows through. The brook is 7.5 kilometers long, lined with peaks, and along the way you will enjoy beautiful wild flowers and plants. It takes about 2 and a half to 3 hours to visit.
After the relaxing hiking, take the sightseeing bus to exit the forest park and drive around 40 minutes to Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon. Move on to challenge yourself at the longest and highest Zhangjiajie Glass Bridge in the world with a length of 536 meters. You can have a panoramic view of the Grand Canyon while walking on the transparent glass floor.
Meal: Breakfast + Lunch
Accommodation: in Zhangjiajie
Zhangjiajie Glass Bridge - Day 4: Tianzi Mountain and Yuanjiajie TourWitness Yuanjiajie's Avatar-inspired Landscape
Today’s Zhangjiajie tour takes you to Tianzi Mountain. We will take a sightseeing bus up to the mountain. You will witness rugged rocks and a forest of stone peaks. One of the spectacular sights is the sea of clouds after rain if you are lucky. After the visit, take a cable car down the mountain.
Next, go to explore Yuanjiajie, the inspiration for Hallelujah Mountain in the super famous movie Avatar. You will experience the Bailong Elevator, the highest and heaviest outdoor elevator in the world. When you step out of the elevator, a magical landscape painting will unfold in front of you. The massive quartz-sandstone pillars are just towering over you or next to you.
You will be transferred to Zhangjiajie downtown area after finishing all the activities.
Meal: Breakfast + Lunch
Accommodation: in Zhangjiajie
Bailong Elevator - the highest outdoor elevator in the world - Day 5: Zhangjiajie DepartureExplore Glass Skywalk and Conquer the 999 Steps to Tianmen Cave
Today is all about Tianmen Mountain, famous for Tianmen Cave (which means a gate to the heaven in Chinese). You will take the 7,455-meter-long cable car up to the top of Tianmen Mountain for 28 minutes, appreciating the amazing scenery and taking photos of the coiling road of 99 turns on the way.
Then, you will explore the mountain, walk on the thrilling Glass Skywalk & Ghost Valley Plank Road hanging on the cliff, and visit Tianmen Mountain Temple. The temple was built in the Tang Dynasty (618-907) and became the center of Buddhism activities in western Hunan.
Next, get to Tianmen Cave, a natural water-eroded cave with the highest elevation in the world. You can conquer the 999 steps to Tianmen Cave and enjoy the wonderful scenery from above.
At the end of the 5-day Changsha & Zhangjiajie tour, your guide and driver will transfer you to catch your departure flight. Our service will end here. Wish you a pleasant journey.
Good to Know:
In winter, in case of heavy snow or severe cold weather, Tianmen Cave and Ghost Valley Plank Road may be closed. Your guide and consultant will adjust your itinerary accordingly.
Tianmen Mountain is very close to downtown Zhangjiajie, so we put it on the last day of the tour for easy access to the airport or train station.
Meal: Breakfast
Accommodation: N/A
Tianmen Cave
