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China: Zhangjiajie, Fenghuang, Longji and Yangshuo

9 days from Zhangjiajie to Guilin: three nights at the Wulingyuan pillars with Tianmen Mountain, two in the riverside town of Fenghuang, a night in the Longji rice terraces and two in Yangshuo on the Li River.

9 days · Zhangjiajie to Guilin · up to 12 guests

The facts

At a glance

Length
9 days, 8 nights
Start and end
Zhangjiajie to Guilin
Group size
7 to 12 guests
Longest drive
4 h on day 4No drive day is longer than 4 hours.
Activity level

Moderate

Three days of mountain walking on paved paths and stone steps, 6 to 9 km a day with lifts and cable cars doing the big climbs; Tianmen's 999 steps are optional, with escalators inside the mountain. One morning on the steep stone paths of the Longji terraces, about 3 hours, and an easy 15 km bike ride on flat lanes in Yangshuo, with a van alternative.

Meals included
8 breakfasts, 7 lunches, 2 dinners
Room of your own
+ CAD 595 (estimated price)
Season
April to May and September to October

Highlights

Why this trip

  • The Bailong lift on one of its first rides of the morning, then Yuanjiajie's sandstone pillars before the tour coaches arrive
  • Golden Whip Stream, a 7 km walk along a clear stream under the pillars, with the afternoon free
  • Tianmen Mountain on the first cable car of the day, the glass walkway on the cliff and the cave arch called Heaven's Gate
  • Fenghuang's stilt houses and stepping stones on the Tuo River at 7 am, before the day-trippers, and a boat down the river
  • The Miao villages around Shanjiang in the hills above Fenghuang, with lunch in the village
  • A night in Ping'an, a Zhuang village in the Longji rice terraces, and the terrace viewpoints in the early light
  • A raft down the Li River from Yangdi to Xingping, and the Yulong valley by bike on the last morning

What makes this trip different

  • Short drives, all published

    Every drive is listed day by day, and none is longer than 4 hours.

  • Free time is part of the plan

    Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.

  • Solo without the penalty

    A room of your own is + CAD 595 (estimated price).

Day by day

Itinerary

The longest drive is 4 h, on day 4.

HUNANGUANGXIGUIZHOULi River1234WulingyuanDays 1 to 4Zhangjiajie Forest ParkDays 2 to 3Tianmen MountainDay 4FenghuangDays 4 to 6ShanjiangDay 5GuilinDays 6 to 7Ping'an (Longji)Days 6 to 7YangdiDay 8XingpingDay 8YangshuoDays 7 to 9

Tap any stop on the map to open that day

Arrive in Zhangjiajie, settle in at Wulingyuan

Zhangjiajie Hehua airport (DYG) or Zhangjiajie West station to Wulingyuan

  • Welcome dinner
  • Stay in Wulingyuan
  • Drive about 45 min

Fly into Zhangjiajie Hehua airport (DYG), usually by a connection through Shanghai, Beijing or Guangzhou, or arrive by train at Zhangjiajie West station. A driver meets you and takes you about 45 minutes north to Wulingyuan, the small town at the park gate of the Wulingyuan scenic area, where we stay three nights. Basing ourselves here rather than in Zhangjiajie city is what lets us be in the park at opening tomorrow, minutes from the gate, before the coaches drive up from the city. The rest of the day is yours to rest after the journey.

Evening

In the early evening your See Sight Tours guide meets the group for a short briefing on the week: why the early starts, what the mountain paths are like, and how the train day works. Then we sit down to a welcome dinner of Hunan and Tujia dishes at a local restaurant, smoked pork, river fish and plenty of chili, with milder plates for anyone who prefers them.

Included

  • Pick-up at Zhangjiajie Hehua airport (DYG) or Zhangjiajie West station
  • Welcome briefing with your guide
  • Welcome dinner

Free time: Free until the evening briefing

Activity: Plan to arrive by about 4 pm to join the briefing; later arrivals are met and briefed in the morning.

  1. Zhangjiajiestart
  2. Wulingyuan3 nights
  3. Fenghuang2 nights
  4. Ping'an (Longji)1 night
  5. Yangshuo2 nights
  6. Guilinend
  • Overnight stop
  • Day trip
  • By boat or train
Print itinerary

Wildlife and weather: Spring brings mist drifting through the Zhangjiajie pillars, some rain and flooded, mirror-like terraces at Longji; autumn is clearer and the terraces turn gold for the harvest from late September. Mountain mornings are cool in both seasons, so bring a warm layer and a rain jacket.

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Get the day-by-day itinerary by email, or ask us anything about this trip. A trip planner replies the same or next business day.

Before you book

Right for you?

Good for you if you want

  • Travellers who have seen Beijing and Shanghai and want China's mountain and village landscapes
  • Walkers happy with early starts in exchange for quieter viewpoints
  • Photographers: mist on the pillars, the Tuo River at dawn, terraces in the early light
  • Solo travellers who want a small group and a fair single price

Not for you if you want

  • Step-free access: the parks, Fenghuang and Longji mean many stone steps
  • Travellers with a strong fear of heights (lifts, cable cars and cliff paths are central, though the glass walkway is optional)
  • A first trip to China wanting the Great Wall and the Terracotta Warriors
  • Late risers: three mornings start at about 6:45

Book flights after we confirm your seat.

8 nights

Where you'll stay

Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.

  • Wulingyuan3 nights
  • Fenghuang2 nights
  • Ping'an (Longji)1 night
  • Yangshuo2 nights

One price

What's in the price

Included

Accommodation

  • 8 nights: 3 in Wulingyuan near the park gate in Wulingyuan town, 2 in Fenghuang by the Tuo River, 1 in a village guesthouse in Ping'an (Longji) with private bathrooms, 2 in Yangshuo near the river
  • Central hotels of a 3-star-plus standard; Ping'an has no cars or large hotels, so we use the best guesthouse in the village
  • Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement
  • Hotels named when we confirm your dates

Transport

  • Pick-up at Zhangjiajie Hehua airport (DYG) or Zhangjiajie West station, and drop-off at Guilin Liangjiang International Airport (KWL)
  • Our own vehicle and driver for the group in Hunan and in Guangxi, including every station transfer
  • Reserved seats on the direct daytime train from Fenghuang to Guilin, about 6 hours
  • Park buses in Wulingyuan, the Bailong lift, the Tianzi Mountain cable car and the Tianmen Mountain cable car (whichever line is running)
  • The Tuo River boat in Fenghuang, the Li River raft and bikes in Yangshuo

Your guide

  • A See Sight Tours guide with the group from day 1 to day 9, including on the train
  • Licensed local guides where a site requires them, and a local cycling guide in Yangshuo
  • No shopping stops and no commission on anything you buy

Activities

  • Zhangjiajie: the Wulingyuan multi-day park ticket, Yuanjiajie, Tianzi Mountain and Golden Whip Stream
  • Tianmen Mountain with the cliff paths, the glass walkway and Tianmen Cave
  • Fenghuang: the old town walk, Shen Congwen's former residence, the Yang family ancestral hall and a Tuo River boat
  • The Miao villages around Shanjiang
  • Longji: terrace entry and the guided walk to the Ping'an viewpoints
  • Yangshuo: the Li River raft from Yangdi to Xingping, Xingping old street, the Yulong valley by bike and Moon Hill
  • All entrance fees for included sights, booked in advance

Meals

  • 8 breakfasts
  • 7 lunches: on the Yuanjiajie plateau, Tujia three-in-a-pot in Wulingyuan, Zhangjiajie city, a Miao village, a Zhuang village in Ping'an, beer fish in Xingping and a Yulong farmhouse
  • 3 dinners: a welcome dinner in Wulingyuan, a guesthouse dinner in Ping'an and a farewell dinner in Yangshuo

Not included

  • International flights to Zhangjiajie and from Guilin
  • China visa, where your passport needs one
  • Travel insurance
  • Meals not listed above, including lunch on day 6
  • Drinks
  • Tips for your guide, drivers, boatmen and porters
  • Optional activities, such as the Huangshi Village cable car, the Impression Liu Sanjie show or a cooking class
  • Porters in Ping'an
  • Extra hotel nights before or after the trip
  • Personal expenses

Extras

Room of your own
CAD 595 (estimated price)

When you can go

Dates and prices

Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.

Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.

Before you book

Booking terms

Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.

Business addresses

See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584

Guest reviews

What guests say

Reviews from guests on our day tours.

Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
google

5/5

Parminder did a great job guiding us around, giving us tips & teaching us the history of the falls. A great experience!

Jane
October 06, 2026
gyg

5/5

Good views of the surrounding area of Halifax in a comfortable minivan

Susan
October 06, 2026
gyg

5/5

June was brilliant- made good contact beforehand and really attentive and knowledgeable. Made me feel like I was special- something only experience can do. Thank you June.

Tom L
October 05, 2026
tripadvisor

5/5

Our host was very knowledgeable, friendly and even provided some humor.

MandL83
October 05, 2026
tripadvisor

5/5

Peter was a very good guide, giving us insight into the various parts of the Park, including parking lot congestion details, trail and viewing location suggestions.

Darren O
October 05, 2026
tripadvisor

5/5

Excellent morning spent with my guide Nancy. Very knowledgeable and friendly. Thoroughly enjoyed my trip

4.7/5 from 38,601 guest reviews

Good to know

Questions

What does the price include?

Eight nights in central hotels and a Longji guesthouse, 8 breakfasts, 7 lunches and 3 dinners, transfers at both ends, our own vehicle and driver, the train to Guilin, your See Sight Tours guide throughout, and every entry and ride in the day plan, including the Bailong lift, the Tianzi cable car, Tianmen Mountain, the Fenghuang boat, the Li River raft and the bikes.

How do you avoid the crowds at Zhangjiajie?

By starting early and sleeping close. We stay three nights in Wulingyuan at the park gate in the town, leave at about 6:45 and ride the Bailong lift on one of its first cars, before coaches arrive from the city mid-morning. Tianmen is done on the first cable car of the day, and Fenghuang at 7 am. We avoid the May Day and October Golden Week holidays.

Is Zhangjiajie really the Avatar mountain?

The sandstone pillars of Wulingyuan are widely said to have inspired the floating mountains in Avatar, and one pillar at Yuanjiajie was renamed Avatar Hallelujah Mountain in 2010. You walk among them on day 2 and along their base on day 3. On misty mornings the pillars really do seem to float.

Are there shopping stops?

No. We never take the group to tea, herb, jade or Miao silver showrooms, or any shop that pays commission, and your guide earns nothing on what you buy. Cheap tours in Zhangjiajie and Fenghuang often add these stops; this trip's price pays for the lifts, cable cars and sights instead.

How big is the group?

The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests, never more. That keeps everyone together in the lift and cableway queues, gets the group through stations quickly, and means meals are at one or two tables in local restaurants rather than in a banquet hall.

Who leads the trip?

A See Sight Tours guide travels with the group from the Zhangjiajie pick-up to the Guilin airport drop-off, including on the train. A local cycling guide leads the Yangshuo ride, and licensed site guides join wherever a site requires one.

How fit do I need to be?

Moderately fit. Expect 6 to 9 km of walking on the park days, much of it on steps, and about 3 hours on the steep stone paths of the Longji terraces. Lifts and cable cars do the big climbs, Tianmen's 999 steps are optional, and the bike ride is flat with a van alternative.

I am travelling solo. What will I pay?

You join the group as a full member and can choose a room of your own for a single supplement from CAD 595, shown before you request to book. Ask us about sharing with another solo traveller of the same gender if you would rather not pay it.

When is the best time to go?

April to May and September to October. Spring brings mist on the pillars, some rain and flooded, mirror-like terraces at Longji; autumn is clearer and the terraces turn gold for harvest from late September. Summer is hot, wet and crowded, and the Li River raft can stop after heavy rain.

How much does it cost and how do I book?

The small group starts from CAD 3,495 per person sharing a room, taxes included, and a private trip from CAD 6,290. Send your preferred dates as an enquiry. We check availability and provide the final quote, itinerary and booking terms before you accept. No payment is taken when you send the request.

Can we travel privately or on our own dates?

Yes. Besides the small group, the trip comes as a private trip for your party only, on a date you choose, with your own guide and vehicle. If you would rather travel independently on your own dates, ask us from the dates section and we will quote the same hotels, train and local guides.

Do I need a visa for China?

Canadians can currently visit mainland China visa-free for up to 30 days, under a policy announced to run to 31 December 2026; we check 2027 when you book. US citizens normally need a tourist visa for this route. We need your passport details at booking for park and train tickets.

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