Yuanjiajie: tickets, hours and how to visit
The Avatar Hallelujah Mountain viewpoint; go before 9:00 or the platforms are solid people.
Yuanjiajie at a glance
The Avatar Hallelujah Mountain viewpoint; go before 9:00 or the platforms are solid people. Plan on half a day here, plus half an hour either side for entry, security and parking.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tickets | Included in the Wulingyuan core area ticket, CNY 228 for four days. |
| Opening hours | Park 07:00–18:00. The BaiLong elevator runs 07:00–19:00. |
| Time needed | Half a day; 3 hours on the viewpoints plus 90 minutes of transport inside the park. |
| City | Zhangjiajie, China |
What to see
Three things carry this sight. If you are short on time, do them in this order.
- The Hallelujah Mountain viewpointthe Avatar pillar, best before 09:00
- The First Bridge Under Heavena natural stone arch you walk across
- BaiLong elevator326 m glass lift up the cliff face, queues 40 minutes at peak
Tickets and booking
How the ticket works, and what foreigners usually get wrong.
Before you buy
- Price. Included in the Wulingyuan core area ticket, CNY 228 for four days.
- Booking. The Avatar viewpoint is a 20-minute walk from the elevator and everyone goes there first, so by 09:30 the platform is a queue for a photograph. Go up at 07:00, walk the opposite direction to First Bridge first, and come back to the viewpoint at 15:00 when the groups have moved on.
- Payment. Most Chinese sights take WeChat Pay or Alipay only. Cash works at staffed windows but not at self-service machines; a licensed guide can pay on your behalf and settle with you at the end of the day.
Getting there and when to go
Enter at the Forest Park gate or Wulingyuan gate, then a 30-minute shuttle plus the elevator. Cars cannot enter the park; the gate is as far as a driver goes.
Park 07:00–18:00. The BaiLong elevator runs 07:00–19:00.. The first hour after opening is the quietest — tour groups arrive around 09:30. Late afternoon gives better light but the main viewpoints start clearing people out, so shoot early if that is your priority.
Public transport reaches Yuanjiajie, but connections and waiting times add up. With luggage, older travellers, or two sights in one day, a car and driver removes the guesswork.
The one thing that goes wrong
Zhangjiajie local note
- The Avatar viewpoint is a 20-minute walk from the elevator and everyone goes there first, so by 09:30 the platform is a queue for a photograph. Go up at 07:00, walk the opposite direction to First Bridge first, and come back to the viewpoint at 15:00 when the groups have moved on.
Pairing Yuanjiajie with
These are usually on the same day or the same trip.
Yuanjiajie: questions travellers ask
Do I need the elevator?
How many days for Zhangjiajie?
How booking works — three steps, itinerary before price
No deposit to get a plan, and nothing is locked in before you agree.
Send the brief
Dates, party size, how you arrive and what you want to see around Yuanjiajie.
Get a route and a price
We order the stops by location and traffic, then quote per car per day with fuel, tolls and the driver included.
Confirm and travel
Only after you accept the route and the price do we assign the car and guide.
