8-Day 7-Night Western Hunan Premier Tour: Zhangjiajie Peaks, Furong Waterfall Town & Fenghuang Ancient Town All-in-One

• Tour Agency: DIANDA TRAVEL

• Tour Code: DT-CT-012

• Tour Type: Private Custom Tour (flexible travel dates and group size)

• Destinations: Zhangjiajie

• Core Route Features: Avatar quartz sandstone floating peak forests, Tianmen Mountain cloud-end cliff wonderland, Grand Canyon high-altitude glass wonders, million-year karst underground caves, immersive Tujia live-action performances, and dual ancient town culture.

• Core Landmarks: Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, Tianmen Mountain, Grand Canyon, Huanglong Cave, 72 Qilou, Furong Town, and Fenghuang Ancient Town.

Tour Overview & Introduction

The "Wuling Peak Seeking" custom roaming tour seamlessly connects multiple western Hunan secret spots, including Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, Tianmen Mountain, the Grand Canyon, Huanglong Cave, and 72 Qilou. It blends quartz sandstone peak forest wonders, Tianmen cloud-end magnificent views, high-altitude canyon scenery, karst cave secrets, and rich Tujia folk customs, fully covering both natural wonders and ethnic culture with zero mandatory transport or accommodation bundling, offering a pure sightseeing custom model with higher freedom.

The journey goes deep into the hinterland of Wuling in western Hunan, stepping into Zhangjiajie National Forest Park to explore the Avatar floating mountain prototype, Qiankun Column, and view the shocking peak forest panorama. Watch the live-action performance "Tianmen Fox Fairy" to experience romantic Tujia folk customs. Ascend Tianmen Mountain to explore the Tianmen Cave and high-altitude glass skywalks, head to the Grand Canyon to check out the "Cloud-Passing" glass bridge web-famous landscape, and experience the Tujia night market hustle and bustle at 72 Qilou. Venture deep into Huanglong Cave to explore million-year underground cave wonders, and visit Furong Town and Fenghuang Ancient Town for an immersive experience of the night scenery and market life of two millennium-old towns. The trip provides exclusively attraction-visiting support services while allowing travelers to freely combine transportation, accommodation, and dining, making it ideal for photography capture, outdoor leisure, family travel, and international visitors as a flexible western Hunan peak custom tour route.

Three Core Highlights

• Wuling Peak Forest Wonderland Exploration: Step into Zhangjiajie National Forest Park to witness the unique quartz sandstone floating peak forest landform. Immerse yourself in the Avatar-style landscape scroll. Head to Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon to encounter picturesque scenery. Check out the web-famous Cloud-Passing Glass Bridge.

• Tianmen Cloud-End Canyon Tour: Ascend Tianmen Mountain to explore the natural Tianmen Cave and walk along high-altitude skywalks overlooking mountain ranges. Watch the "Tianmen Fox Fairy" live-action landscape performance to closely experience Tujia folk legends and western Hunan local customs. Enjoy a night tour of 72 Qilou to experience the brilliantly lit Tujia cultural district and take in day-and-night mountain scenery.

• Scenery and Ancient Town Exploration: Step into Furong Town and Fenghuang Ancient Town, two millennium-old towns, to deeply experience western Hunan riverside market life and ancient town cultural styles. Unlock a dual immersive experience of alpine peaks and millennium-old water towns.

Itinerary at a Glance

Detailed Daily Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival in Zhangjiajie | Airport/Station Pickup & Hotel Transfer

• Itinerary Arrangement: Welcome to fairyland Zhangjiajie! Our driver will greet you at the airport or train station exit and transfer you to your hotel for check-in and rest. After settling down, enjoy free time to stroll through downtown commercial districts and experience western Hunan town atmosphere to relieve travel fatigue.

• Transportation Notes:

  1. Flights: Zhangjiajie Hehua International Airport operates multiple international routes with direct flights from Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, etc., as well as domestic direct flights from Shanghai, Beijing, Xi'an, Chengdu, Chongqing, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, and more.

  2. Trains: Zhangjiajie West Station features strong high-speed rail network accessibility, offering direct access to popular domestic tourist cities such as Shanghai, Beijing, Xi'an, Chengdu, Chongqing, and Guangzhou.

• Dining: Includes breakfast; lunch and dinner are not included.

• Recommended Local Specialties: Tujia Sanxianguo (three-pot stew), Haozy baba (mugwort rice cakes).

• Accommodation: Metropolo Hotel, Downtown Zhangjiajie.

• Tour Intensity: Relaxed & Leisurely.

Day 2: Cloud-End Wonderland & Fox Fairy Night Banquet | Tianmen Mountain + Fox Fairy Live-Action Show

• Daytime: Tianmen Mountain In the morning, head to Tianmen Mountain, renowned as the "No. 1 Sacred Mountain in Western Hunan," with its main peak Yunmeng Fairy Summit standing at 1,517.9 meters above sea level. It features the world's longest alpine passenger cableway (7,455 meters long) running straight from the city center to the summit, offering panoramic views of the 99-bend Tongtian Avenue winding mountain highway like a silver snake around cliffs. On the western route of the summit, check out the web-famous cliffside glass skywalk and the 1,600-meter Ghost Valley Skywalk, suspended 1,400 meters above vertical cliffs with deep abysses below and walking on clouds when sea of clouds surges—thrilling yet aesthetic. Hike to the natural cave, Tianmen Cave, a massive mountain-spanning cave 131.5 meters high, and climb the 999-step Blessing Heavenly Ladder to reach the cave entrance. During rainy seasons, the natural wonder of "Tianmen Spitting Mist" frequently appears as mountain mists surge out of the cave entrance, creating a fairy-like atmosphere. The route features fully covered mountain-crossing escalators, Tianmen Mountain Temple, and the Yunmeng Fairy Summit panoramic observation deck with smooth moving lines and no backtracking.

• Evening: Tianmen Fox Fairy Performance After resting and dining in the evening, head to the canyon live-action theater to watch the landscape live-action show "Tianmen Fox Fairy". Using Mount Tianmen as a natural giant stage, real landscape elements blend with lighting and shadow effects to perform a heart-stirring Tujia love legend, immersing viewers in original Tujia folk customs and experiencing the unique landscape performing arts charm of western Hunan. Return to the hotel for rest after the performance.

• Dining: Includes breakfast; lunch and dinner are not included.

• Recommended Local Specialties: Blood duck, beef hot pot with pounded skin.

• Accommodation: Metropolo Hotel, Downtown Zhangjiajie.

• Tour Intensity: Moderate Exercise.

Day 3: Wulingyuan Full-Day In-Depth Tour | National Forest Park

• Morning: Shili Gallery, Bailong Elevator, Yuanjiajie It is recommended to gather and depart from the downtown hotel between 7:00 AM and 9:00 AM, entering from the eastern gate of the scenic area and taking the B-line to tour the Shili Gallery (Ten-Mile Gallery). Scenery accompanies you every step along the ten-mile gallery, where you can take a sightseeing mini-train to admire the scenery, checking out classic anthropomorphic mountain stone landscapes such as the Herb-Gathering Old Man, Heaven-Supporting Tower, Index Finger Peak, Monkey Garden, and Peach Garden, with landscapes looking like a painting at every step. After the tour, take the scenic shuttle bus directly to the lower station of the Bailong Elevator, riding the web-famous sky-high Bailong Elevator upward. Relying on an ultra-high vertical drop of 335 meters, it takes only 88 seconds to reach the peak forest summit directly, overlooking the entire magnificent peak forest panorama. Next, delve deep into the core scenic area, Yuanjiajie, to check out the Avatar movie filming location—Qiankun Column, also known as the prototype landscape of Hallelujah Floating Mountains. A full 1.5 hours of ample sightseeing time is reserved to successively explore unique peak forest wonders like the Enchanting Platform, Turtle Asking Heaven, and First Bridge Under Heaven. If encountering rainy or misty weather, mountains are shrouded in clouds and mists with peaks appearing and disappearing vaguely, feeling just like being in the ethereal fairyland Pandora secret spot.

• Afternoon: Yangjiajie, Tianzi Mountain After lunch, take a sightseeing bus to the peak wall wonder of Zhangjiajie, Yangjiajie, to view the Golden Phoenix Spreading Wings and Rooster Head, experiencing a billion-year natural Great Wall. Take a sightseeing bus to Tianzi Mountain (about a 25-minute drive) to tour Yubi Peak, Fairy Scattering Flowers, Xihai Stone Forest, Dianjiangtai, and Helong Park, ascending Tianzi Pavilion to view the full landscape of the Tianzi Mountain scenic area. After the tour, take a sightseeing bus back to exit from the eastern gate.

• Dining: Includes breakfast; lunch and dinner are not included.

• Recommended Local Specialties: Rock ear stewed native chicken, Tujia cured meat.

• Accommodation: Metropolo Hotel, Downtown Zhangjiajie.

• Tour Intensity: Moderate Exercise.

Day 4: Peak Forest Oxygen Bar & Night Tour of Tujia Lights | (Huangshizhai, Jinbianxi + 72 Qilou)

• Daytime: Huangshizhai, Jinbianxi It is recommended to gather at the hotel between 7:00 AM and 9:00 AM to enter the National Forest Park and head to Huangshizhai, known for the saying "If you don't visit Huangshizhai, your trip to Zhangjiajie is in vain". Take the cable car up to the summit observation deck, stroll around the stronghold to panoramic views of the overlapping quartz sandstone peak forests, and admire landscapes like Five-Finger Peak, Plucking Star Platform, and Liuqi Pavilion with aligned mountains and wide open views. After touring, take a sightseeing bus to Jinbianxi (Golden Whip Stream) and stroll along the canyon stream path. Known as one of the most beautiful canyons in the world, it features babbling stream water and towering ancient trees, passing iconic landscapes like Eagle Protecting Whip and Master and Disciples Fetching Scriptures, traversing a natural large oxygen bar to enjoy peaceful and cozy mountain forest time. Exit the scenic area after the tour; the afternoon is free time to stroll through downtown commercial districts and experience city market life.

• Night: 72 Qilou After dinner, head to 72 Qilou to check out the magnificent Tujia stilt-house architectural complex. Buildings are staggered layer by layer along the mountain, and as night falls, tens of thousands of lights illuminate together, making lit pavilions and halls echo each other to create an immersive experience of Tujia architectural aesthetics and western Hunan night market hustle and bustle atmosphere—perfect for taking photos. Return to the hotel for rest after the visit.

• Dining: Includes breakfast; lunch and dinner are not included.

• Recommended Local Specialties: Giant salamander, sugar-oil rice cakes.

• Accommodation: Metropolo Hotel, Downtown Zhangjiajie.

• Tour Intensity: Moderate Exercise.

Day 5: High-Altitude Canyon Wonder & Underground Cave Secret | Grand Canyon + Huanglong Cave

• Morning: Grand Canyon It is recommended to gather at the hotel between 7:00 AM and 9:00 AM to rush to the Grand Canyon scenic area and check out the web-famous Cloud-Passing Glass Bridge renowned across the internet. The fully transparent glass bridge deck spans across deep canyons, high-suspended among mountain ranges with an extremely large suspended span. Beneath your feet lie deep and precipitous canyon ravines surrounded by continuous exotic peaks and lush vegetation. Walking on the bridge, you can overlook the magnificent scenery of the canyon from the air, and when clouds and mists drift past, it feels like walking on clouds with thrilling shock and full atmosphere. In addition to the glass bridge, you can stroll along canyon paths to enjoy gurgling canyon streams and cascading waterfalls, surrounded by valley greenness to breathe fresh mountain air and immerse yourself in the primitive and beautiful canyon landform of the Grand Canyon. Rest and enjoy lunch after playing.

• Afternoon: Huanglong Cave After lunch, head to Huanglong Cave to explore the large karst underground cave sculpted over millions of years. The cave has a grand volume with winding and zigzagging corridors and a comfortable constant temperature inside. Diverse stalagmites, stone pillars, and stone curtains slowly grow through millions of years of dripping water deposition. Under lighting rendering, lighting and shadows change inside the cave to create a fantastic and magnificent scene. Sequentially tour core landmark landscapes like the Dragon Palace Hall and Needle for Sea Calming, where giant stone pillars stand majestically and grand halls possess imposing momentum with view changes at every step, allowing you to experience nature's masterful creation magic and immerse yourself in the unique dreamlike wonder of the underground secret spot. Return to the hotel for rest after the tour.

• Dining: Includes breakfast; lunch and dinner are not included.

• Recommended Local Specialties: Tujia blood tofu, kudzu root powder.

• Accommodation: Metropolo Hotel, Downtown Zhangjiajie.

• Tour Intensity: Moderate Exercise.

Day 6: Waterfall Ancient Town—Furong Town

• Morning: Take a vehicle in the morning to Furong Town, renowned as the "millennium ancient town hanging on a waterfall". The ancient town is built along cliff sides with Tujia stilt houses suspended layer by layer over vertical cliffs, and a 60-meter-high two-tier grand waterfall runs through the town, forming a unique waterfall ancient town wonder in China. Step into the ancient town and stroll along the five-li bluestone street polished through a millennium, where the bluestone ancient road winds undulatingly and roadside shops feature Liu Xiaoqing Rice Tofu Shop and Tujia silver craft workshops, feeling a rich market atmosphere. Head to the Tusi Imperial Palace to ascend high platforms and overlook panoramic views of the town and Yuanshui River scenery, reading the historical background of former Tusi culture. Visit the waterfall observation deck to admire the grand and magnificent Furong Town Grand Waterfall, where water flows roar and water mist fills the air during flood seasons, and you can even walk through the water curtain path behind the waterfall to closely experience the cool shock of flying waterfalls. Leisurely stroll through Baitang Hall and Xizhou Bronze Pillar Garden in the afternoon to learn about the long history and folk customs of the Tujia ethnic group. Taste local Tujia characteristic flavors for lunch. By evening, ancient town lights light up sequentially, where warm lighting and surging waterfalls echo each other, with flowing light washing over cliff stilt houses, creating a full night view atmosphere perfect for taking photos.

• Dining: Includes breakfast; lunch and dinner are not included.

• Recommended Local Specialties: Western Hunan pickled vegetables, iron-plate barbecue.

• Accommodation: 3-star or higher hotel in Furong Town.

• Tour Intensity: Relaxed & Leisurely.

Day 7: Tuojiang Misty Rain & Border Town Scenery | Fenghuang Ancient Town

• Morning: Depart from Furong Town in the early morning and take a vehicle to Fenghuang Ancient Town, a millennium-old town born along the Tuojiang River, surrounded by green mountains and encircled by river waters, with connected groups of century-old Tujia stilt houses along both banks displaying a poetic border town scroll. Stroll through ancient town streets in the daytime, step across primitive bluestone roads, check out Hongqiao Wind and Rain Tower, and climb the tower to overlook the entire Tuojiang River scenery. Walk across the Tuojiang Jumping Rocks, stepping on stone piers to cross the river surface and listen to the murmuring river water under your feet. Stroll through Dongzheng Street ancient alleys, shuttling between old residential courtyards and cultural and creative shops to feel the quiet market humanity of the ancient town, or choose to experience Tuojiang boating, taking a black-awning boat to drift slowly downriver and watch stilt houses on both banks glide backward slowly with river breezes brushing your face, feeling like wandering inside an ink-wash painting. Enjoy free strolls in the afternoon to taste Miao ethnic specialty snacks and slowly experience the leisurely rhythm of the ancient town. When night falls, tens of thousands of lights in the ancient town illuminate completely, warm yellow lights cover stilt houses, reflections ripple on the Tuojiang River surface, and thousands of family lights sway with water waves to create a dazzling and moving night view, walking along the river to immerse yourself in the border town night charm unique to western Hunan.

• Dining: Includes breakfast; lunch and dinner are not included.

• Recommended Local Specialties: Shrimp cakes, original sticky milk tea.

• Accommodation: 3-star or higher hotel in Fenghuang Ancient Town.

• Tour Intensity: Relaxed & Leisurely.

Day 8: Departure from Zhangjiajie | Airport/Station Drop-off Service

• Daytime: After breakfast, this wonderful journey concludes. Our staff will transfer you to the airport or train station for your onward destination. If you wish to extend your trip to explore more Chinese destinations such as Tibet, Yunnan, Guilin, or Harbin, please contact us to arrange it for you. Finally, thank you sincerely for choosing Dianda Travel to explore China with us. We look forward to welcoming you again in the future. Have a safe journey!

What's Included

• Hotel: Provides basic room type twin rooms or standard rooms (natural single rooms/king beds are not guaranteed; breakfast is not included for children without a bed). If a single male or female traveler joins and there are other single same-sex travelers willing to share a room, the travel agency will assist in arranging room sharing; if sharing fails, a single room supplement must be paid.

• Meals: Includes meals listed in the itinerary (hotel breakfast included); other unincluded main meals are self-paid, and the guide will assist with recommendations.

• Guide Service: Licensed bilingual (Chinese & English) custom tour guides throughout the journey, providing exclusive local commentary for each segment, and planning optimal commuting routes and off-peak travel schedules.

• Attraction Admission Tickets: First-entry admission tickets for all listed attractions in the itinerary, cable cars, sightseeing cars, and basic performance tickets are fully included.

• Local Transfer Transportation: Private vehicle / tourist bus for round-trip transfers between scenic spots in all cities throughout the trip (short local urban transfers only; cross-city high-speed rail and long-distance transportation tickets are not included), including driver, fuel fees, parking fees, and scenic area mountain entry fees.

• Itinerary Planning: Pre-trip exclusive itinerary fine-tuning, attraction route optimization, reasonable driving duration arrangement, and niche check-in spot recommendations.

• Itinerary Coordination: Full-journey attraction reservations, staggered off-peak scenic tour arrangements, and show seat coordination.

What's Not Included

1. Meals: All main meals are self-paid; the guide can recommend local specialty restaurants.

2. Personal Expenses: Scenic area cultural & creative products, snacks and drinks, self-funded characteristic upgraded projects.

3. China Visa Application Fees: At your own expense.

4. Single Room Supplements, Luggage Storage, Hotel Laundry, Scenic Audio Guide Rentals, etc.: At your own expense.

5. Tipping for Tour Guides and Drivers: At your own expense.

6. Extra Expenses Caused by Force Majeure & Price Differences from Temporary Itinerary Changes: At your own expense.

Frequently Asked Questions

• How to book a private tour?

  • Step 1: Choose a route and consult for free: Pick your favorite tour route and inform us of your travel dates, number of companions, and personalized preferences. No payment is required at this stage.

  • Step 2: Professional custom plan: Within 0.5 to 24 hours, our dedicated travel consultant will contact you to tailor an exclusive itinerary and provide professional travel advice.

  • Step 3: Confirm itinerary and pay deposit: If you are satisfied with the plan, you can complete the booking and pay a deposit to lock in all travel service resources including vehicles, guides, and hotels.

  • Step 4: Seamless communication throughout: You can contact your dedicated consultant at any time before the trip to adjust the itinerary, ask questions, or make special requests.

• How to extend your China trip? The above itinerary is just an example, and most travelers choose this route. If you wish to extend your trip, please choose a private custom tour and simply tell us your favorite destinations and desired activities. Our professional travel consultants will redesign the itinerary for you and your team at the best price.

• Tour Transportation You will travel to various scenic spots in the city via private vehicle. The vehicles we choose are spacious, comfortable, and equipped with air conditioning, driven by experienced drivers. For transportation between cities, we typically choose domestic flights (economy class) or high-speed rail (second class, usually under 6 hours). Local guides and drivers will meet you at the airport/train station and escort you to your hotel.

Custom Tour Accommodation Standards

Stay in selected hotels throughout the entire journey: the first five days are spent at Metropolo Hotel in downtown Zhangjiajie, and the last two days are spent at 3-star or higher hotels in Furong Town and Fenghuang Ancient Town respectively. Room facilities are well-equipped with 24-hour hot water, independent air conditioning, and high-speed stable WiFi coverage. Multiple scenic room types allow you to look out the window to enjoy mountain views. The front desk is equipped with English reception services, offering complete software and hardware support to fully meet the comfortable accommodation needs of private high-end custom groups.

Itinerary Suitability Description

• Crowd Suitability: Elderly / family groups can adjust long-distance bus segmented stops for rest, shorten long-distance items, and increase leisure sightseeing experiences; outdoor enthusiasts can increase hiking duration.

• Duration Extension: Can add visits to Luoyang, Dunhuang, Yunnan, Qingdao, and other destinations as needed, with corresponding cross-city transportation duration and transfer plans added synchronously.

• Dietary Suitability: Advance notice of vegetarian, halal, allergy, or other dietary requirements allows the guide to plan and recommend corresponding dining districts in advance, with rest stop recommendations along long-distance drives.