Zhangjiajie 1-day itinerary

Enter the park at the Forest Park entrance (¥225 ticket, valid 4 days) and take the Bailong Elevator — the world's tallest outdoor lift at 326 metres — straight up the cliff face to the Yuanjiajie scenic area. The quartzite sandstone pillars here inspired the floating mountains in James Cameron's Avatar. Walk the enchanting trail past the Southern Sky Column (officially renamed Avatar Hallelujah Mountain), the First Bridge Under Heaven — a natural stone arch connecting two pillars — and the Mihun Platform viewpoint. Morning mist frequently wraps the pillars, creating the genuinely ethereal floating-mountain effect that made this landscape world-famous.

Walk or take the free park shuttle to Tianzi Mountain viewpoint — a panoramic overlook where thousands of sandstone pillars stretch to the horizon like a petrified forest of skyscrapers. The Imperial Writing Brush peaks and the Fairy Scattering Flowers formation are the most striking. Take the Tianzi Mountain cable car down (¥72) to the valley floor and walk the Golden Whip Stream trail — an 8km riverside path through a jungle canyon with macaques swinging through the trees overhead. The contrast between the pillar summits above and the lush river gorge below is extraordinary.

Head to Tianmen Mountain (separate ticket ¥278) and ride the world's longest cable car — 7,455 metres spanning the city to the mountain summit over 30 breathtaking minutes. At the top, walk the glass-bottomed Skywalk clinging to the cliff face 1,430 metres above the valley floor. The views through the transparent floor are genuinely terrifying and exhilarating in equal measure. Finish at Tianmen Cave — a massive natural archway through the mountain reached by climbing 999 steep steps (the "Stairway to Heaven"). Return by cable car as the city lights of Zhangjiajie twinkle below.