Wulingyuan Scenic Area - Core Scenic Area of Zhangjiajie
A Wulingyuan Scenic Area (or called Wulingyuan Scenic and Historic Interest Area) tour is somewhat traveling outside the earth land. Before coming to Wulingyuan, we hold the view that mountains in the world are always fat and huge, and we could never take selfies with an entire mountain. However, things changes when it comes to Wulingyuan. The mountains there are split into countless tall, narrow and straight pillars, and you could easily find their border. Some of the pillar' top only allow several small trees to stand. If you stand tall enough, you can even easily squeeze one of the pillars and these small trees into a picture!
When James Cameron were looking for inspiration for the alien landscape of “Pandora” depicted in Avatar, he couldn’t move his eyes from these marveling finger-like projections. And finally, he brought these columns into his movie, and thus the mountains of Wulingyuan got their name “Avatar Mountains”. Pandora is far but Wulingyuan is near! Why not give yourself a chance to bring the Avatar Mountains from the film to your eyes? Contact China Discovery to tailor-make a Wulingyuan Avatar Mountain trip now!
Latest Travel News: For security considering, Oolong Village (乌龙寨) and Tianbo Mansion (天波府) in Yangjiajie are temporarily closed. There is no exact notification of the reopening date. Please keep up with the latest news updated on our website. Also, you could contact us for the latest information.
Highlights of Wulingyuan Scenic Area
Wulingyuan Scenic and Historic Interest Area is composed of four parts, including the firstly discovered and most famed Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, the most popular Yuanjiajie, the largest Tianzi Mountain Natural Reserve and the newly discovered Yangjiajie. The whole Wulingyuan Scenic Area shares one ticket and the ticket is valid for 4 days visiting after booking, meaning you are allowed to visit the four parts with one ticket in 4 days. For more details of the highlights and transportation of each area, you could check the following articles.
Warm tip: Some people also think that Wulingyuan is just another name of Zhangjiajie National Forest Park. The reason for this misunderstanding is that the park was established in 1982 while the whole Wulingyuan Scenic Area got its name in 1984. For tourists, Zhangjiajie National Forest Park is more famous than Wulingyuan Scenic Area.
Which Area of Wulingyuan to Go
| Wulingyuan Areas | Landscape | Hiking Difficulty | Crowdedness | Cable Car / Elevator | Time Needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zhangjiajie National Forest Park |  |
 |
Sometimes crowded | Yes | Half day or A Day |
| Yuanjiajie | |
|
Sometimes crowded | Yes | Half day or A Day |
| Tianzi Mountain | |
 |
Less crowded | Yes | Half day or A Day |
| Yangjiajie | |
|
Not crowded | Yes | Half day or A Day |
Important Wulingyuan Travel Information & Tips
The admission of whole Wulingyuan Scenic Area is charged for CNY 225/ person during the peak season (March to November) and CNY 144 during the off season (December to next February). Sightseeing bus CNY 60/person is included. Once you have a ticket, you could enter the tourist spot for unlimited times from either one of the five entrances during the 4 days after booking. Sightseeing buses fee is included. But you have to pay extra fee for the cable cars and elevators. To help you plan your Wulingyuan trip easier, we list some important and useful articles at below:
What to Pack
To have a more pleasant hiking tour in Wulingyuan Scenic Area, you are required to wear comfortable water-proof antiskid shoes and pack some little things into your backpack, such as your valid passport, enough cash, tissues, and so on.
Best Time to Visit
Wulingyuan is suitable to visit all year round. However, the best time is spring and autumn. Summer is also good season to go as long as you take a break to avoid the summer heat of midday sun. Heavily rainy days are not really suggested, as it is not a wise choice to walk under the trees when rains heavily.
Where to Stay
To have a good rest after the tiring hiking in the day, you are suggested to stay near Wulingyuan Scenic Area. Wulingyuan District Central area near the east gate of Wulingyuan Scenic Area is the best choice. Also, you could find multiple comfortable and budget hotels and hostels near other ticket stations.
Wulingyuan Hiking
There are countless hiking trails and routes inside the huge Wulingyuan Scenic Area. The most classic and popular routes are in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park and Yuanjiajie. The hiking in Tianzi Mountain takes more time. And the Yangjiajie hiking is the most wild and difficult.
How to Get to Wulingyuan
Wulingyuan Scenic Area is settled in Wulingyuan District of Zhangjiajie City. There are altogether 5 ticket stations (entrances) to enter Wulingyuan Scenic Area, including Forest Park Ticket Station (森林公园门票站), Wujiayu Ticket Station (吴家峪门票站), Zimugang Ticket Station (梓木岗门票站), Yangjiajie Ticket Station (杨家界门票站) and Tianzi Mountain Ticket Station (天子山门票站). You could enter from either one of the five entrances, while the mostly used entrances are Forest Park Ticket Station and Wujiayu Ticket Station. And usually driving from Zhangjiajie downtown to the closest southwest entrance (Forest Park Ticket Station) needs about 1 hour!
To get to Wulingyuan Scenic Area, you can choose to ask a taxi, which needs about CNY 100- 150. Besides, you can go to Zhangjiajie Central Bus Station (张家界中心汽车站) to catch a coach. The coaches need about CNY 10-20 and most of the coach would stop at Forest Park Ticket Station.
Warm tip: tell the taxi driver which entrance you are going to when you get on the taxi, and usually you are suggested to start your Wulingyuan tour from Forest Park Ticket Station (森林公园门票站) or Wujiayu Ticket Station (吴家裕门票站). If you still feel confused and worried about your tour, please feel free to contact us for help. We can provide convenient private car tour for you.
How to Travel around Wulingyuan
Hiking is the major way to travel around inside Wulingyuan Scenic Spot. However, to make everyone enjoy
the otherworldly scenery of Wulingyuan in ease and convenience, the scenic spot also offers
The free sightseeing buses can take you to most of the tourist attractions or the foot of some mountains inside the scenic area. There are many bus lines, and you are suggested to make a confirmation whether it is going to your destination or not when you get on.
| Cable Car / Elevator | Fees (CNY/person) | Duration | Opening Hours |
| Sightseeing Bus | Free of charge | That depends | 07:00-20:00 |
| Bailong Elevator | 65 for one-way up or down | 2 minutes | 07:00-18:00 |
| Huangshi Village Cable Car | 65 for a single way and 118 for a round journey | 6 minutes | 07:00-18:00 |
| Tianzi Mountain Cable Car | 72 for one-way up or down | 10 minutes | 07:00-17:00 |
| Yangjiajie Cable Car | 76 for one-way up or down | 5.2 minutes | 7:30-17:00 |
Notes: 1) the above info like opening hours, fee and duration may be slightly changed according to real-time situation. 2) The cable cars may be suspended in severe weather such as rainstorm, lightning, etc.
Useful Wulingyuan Scenic Area Maps
To help you know the location, transportation and attractions of Wulingyuan Scenic Area clearly, we offer some useful maps at below. You could also get more map info at Wulingyuan Map and Zhangjiajie Map.
Most Popular Wulingyuan Tours 2024/2025
Wulingyuan is a huge area that has many treasures waiting for your explore. However, it may be a little bit hard for first-timers to make perfect tours in this massive system, because it has so many entrances, trails and pillars. Find the best area to stay to travel Wulingyuan more conveniently is also challenging. Don’t worry, travel with China Discovery, and then all your problems will be solved. We will help you customize your Wulingyuan tour according to your plan, time, interests and demands. If you are interested, please feel free to contact us and tell us your needs, and we will customize a memorable tour for you!
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