7 days, 6 nights · Zhangjiajie + Guilin/Yangshuo private tour · From US$1,280 per person (2 sharing) · Private guide and vehicle throughout · No shopping stops
Short answer: The sandstone pillars of Zhangjiajie and the karst peaks of the Li River at Guilin are the two landscapes of southern China most often compared with each other, and this route sees both in one trip. The first four days are based in Wulingyuan and Zhangjiajie city and cover the National Forest Park, the Grand Canyon Glass Bridge and Tianmen Mountain. On day 5 one direct high-speed train takes you to Guilin, with no change. The last two days are the Li River cruise to Yangshuo, a bamboo raft on the Yulong River, and a final morning at Xianggong Mountain above the big bend of the Li River, then a transfer to Guilin airport. Zhangjiajie Hehua Airport and Guilin Liangjiang Airport are both 240-hour visa-free transit ports, so holders of many passports can fly into one and out of the other on a through ticket without applying for a visa; the conditions are on our visa-free transit page. The route also runs in reverse, Guilin in and Zhangjiajie out, at the same price.
Prices checked 24 October 2026: fixed in Chinese yuan at current ticket, train, boat and hotel costs and our 2026 guide and vehicle rates; US dollar figures converted at the Bank of China rate on that day and rounded.
Why we built this route
Zhangjiajie and Guilin are the two landscapes most visitors to southern China want to see, and they are one direct train apart: close enough for a single week, far enough that most people only ever see one. We put Zhangjiajie first for a practical reason. Every Zhangjiajie day means climbing and stairs; the Guilin days are spent on a boat, on a raft and at viewpoints. Hard days first and easy days after is the right order for your legs. The route works in reverse too; the first days are then the easy ones and the last days the tiring ones.
Quick facts
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Duration | 7 days, 6 nights |
| Best for | First-time visitors to southern China who want both landscapes in one trip; couples, families, photographers |
| Main sights | Zhangjiajie National Forest Park (Yuanjiajie, Yangjiajie, Tianzi Mountain, Ten-Mile Gallery, Golden Whip Stream), Grand Canyon Glass Bridge, Tianmen Mountain (Line C), 4-star Li River cruise, Yulong River bamboo raft, Xianggong Mountain |
| Travel style | Zhangjiajie: private English-speaking guide and private car; direct high-speed train to Guilin, second class; Guilin: English-speaking driver-guide |
| Direction | Zhangjiajie in, Guilin out, or the reverse, at the same price |
| Optional add-ons | Longji Rice Terraces +1 day, Impression Liu Sanjie, Ruyi Peak, Fenghuang +2 days, first-class train seats, Yangshuo riverside guesthouse |
| Price from | US$1,280 per person (2 sharing) |
Who this tour is best for
- Travellers making one trip to China who want both the “Avatar mountains” and the Li River; seven days does it without rushing.
- Travellers from Singapore, Malaysia or Hong Kong with easy flights to Guilin; Guilin in and Zhangjiajie out works just as well.
- Families with parents or children: each half of the trip stays in fixed hotels, and there is only one long move, a daytime train.
- Photographers: the Forest Park day is ordered by the visibility on the day, and the Li River and Xianggong Mountain each get their own slot.
- Not for travellers with five days or fewer (see our 5-day Zhangjiajie private tour), or for anyone who cannot walk several kilometres on a flat path (Golden Whip Stream is about 6.5 km end to end, though we can shorten it).
Day by day
| Day | Morning | Afternoon | Overnight | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D1 Arrive in Zhangjiajie | Pickup at Hehua Airport or Zhangjiajie West station, private car to your Wulingyuan hotel | Free; if you arrive early, walk around Wulingyuan town and try Tujia food | Wulingyuan, 4-star, breakfast | Rest; the park starts tomorrow |
| D2 National Forest Park | Bailong Elevator up to Yuanjiajie: Hallelujah Mountain, the First Bridge Under Heaven, Mihun Platform | Eco-bus to the Yangjiajie Natural Great Wall, then Tianzi Mountain (Helong Park, Xihai stone forest); Tianzi Mountain cableway down; Ten-Mile Gallery train | Wulingyuan, 4-star, breakfast | Across the park with nothing walked twice; order adjusted to the day’s visibility |
| D3 Golden Whip Stream + Glass Bridge | Flat walk along Golden Whip Stream, 2 to 3 hours, shortened to suit your pace | 30 minutes by car to Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon: the Glass Bridge, the cliff walkway, and the Shenquan Lake boat out of the canyon | Wulingyuan, 4-star, breakfast | The park ticket is valid 4 days, so both park visits use one ticket; in rain or fog the morning can switch to Huanglong Cave (ticket CNY 121, added to your confirmation) |
| D4 Tianmen Mountain, Line C | Car to the city-side gate; fast cableway to Tianmen Cave, escalators through the mountain to the summit; Panlong Cliff glass walkway and the summit loop | Escalators back to the cave, fast cableway down to the gate; check in to a city hotel; evening free (Tianmen Fox Fairy show optional) | Zhangjiajie city, 4-star, breakfast | 4 to 6 hours in all; city hotel for the early train next morning |
| D5 Train to Guilin | Leave 06:15 for Zhangjiajie West; train D3967 departs 07:12 | Arrive Guilin North 14:13, driver-guide meets you; Elephant Trunk Hill, climb the Sun and Moon Twin Pagodas, Dongxi Lane | Guilin city, 4-star, breakfast | Runs daily, no change of train; first class is scarce, second class by default |
| D6 Li River to Yangshuo | Boat from Zhujiang Pier at about 09:35; 4-star Li River cruise, about 4 hours, lunch on board | Off at Longtou Mountain pier, Yangshuo; two-person bamboo raft on the Yulong River, about 30 minutes; evening free on West Street, or add Impression Liu Sanjie | Yangshuo, 4-star, breakfast | The boat does not return to Guilin; your car and luggage drive ahead and wait in Yangshuo |
| D7 Xianggong Mountain, departure | About 1 hour by car to the Xianggong Mountain viewpoint for the big bend of the Li River at Xingping (best on a clear morning with mist in the valley) | Transfer to Guilin Liangjiang Airport or Guilin / Guilin North station, about 1.5 hours; for Shenzhen, drop-off at Yangshuo station instead | None | Book a flight or train after 15:00 |
Small print: the order of the Forest Park day and the route on Tianmen Mountain follow the park’s operating arrangements and the weather on the day; every sight listed is visited unless weather or a park closure prevents it. Huanglong Cave on D3 is the rain-or-fog alternative. To swap in Furong Ancient Town, add Longji, or add a day, tell us when you ask for a quote. Our Zhangjiajie Glass Bridge guide and Tianmen Mountain cable car 2026 page have the detail on those two days.
Optional add-ons
| Add-on | What it is | Per person |
|---|---|---|
| Longji Rice Terraces +1 day | An extra day before D6: the long-hair show at Huangluo Red Yao village and a walk through the Ping’an terraces (shuttle both ways), with one more night in Guilin. Worth adding from April to October: flooded and mirror-like from April to June, golden in September and October. From November to March the terraces are grey, and we do not recommend it | US$160 with 2 or 4 travellers; US$135 with 6 |
| Impression Liu Sanjie | Evening of D6, the open-air show staged on the Li River at Yangshuo, zone B2 seats | US$35 |
| Ruyi Peak (with cableway) | Swap in, or add, Ruyi Peak on the edge of Yangshuo on the morning of D7 | US$50 |
| First-class train seats | Charged at the ticket face value, about CNY 204 more per person; this train has few first-class seats, so it counts only once booked | Face value |
| Yangshuo riverside guesthouse upgrade | The D6 night in a riverside guesthouse on the Yulong River or the Li River instead of the standard hotel | US$45 |
| Fenghuang +2 days | After Tianmen Mountain, go on to Furong Ancient Town and Fenghuang Ancient Town, then to Guilin via Huaihua or Changsha | Send your dates; quoted separately |
Prices by group size
Fixed prices per person, two people sharing a room, 4-star hotels with breakfast throughout.
| Group size | Per person | Vehicles and rooms |
|---|---|---|
| 2 travellers | US$1,280 | Zhangjiajie: SUV and English-speaking guide for 3 days, two transfers; second-class train; Guilin: English-speaking driver-guide for 3 days; 6 nights in 4-star hotels with breakfast; every ticket, cableway, elevator, cruise and raft listed below; PICC accident insurance; one room |
| 4 travellers | US$1,180 | As above, with a 7-seat minivan in Zhangjiajie and a 9-seat minivan plus English-speaking guide in Guilin; two rooms |
| 6 travellers | US$980 | As above, with a 9-seat minivan in Zhangjiajie and a 9-seat minivan plus English-speaking guide in Guilin; three rooms |
The price is locked in Chinese yuan; the US dollar figure is converted at the Bank of China rate on the day your itinerary is confirmed. Lunches and dinners are not included, except lunch on the Li River boat. Send us your travel month and group size and you will receive an itemised quote before you book.
Standard hotels: 3 nights in Wulingyuan, 1 night in Zhangjiajie city, 1 night in Guilin and 1 night in Yangshuo, all 4-star with breakfast. For a higher level, we send two or three options with actual prices for your dates.
What moves the final price: the season, the number of travellers, the hotel level and any add-ons. Hotel and ticket costs rise over the May Day holiday, National Day week and other Chinese public holidays.
When to go
- Mid-September to mid-November: the best time in both places, about 20°C in Zhangjiajie and 25°C in Guilin, with little rain; Longji is golden in September and October. The National Day week, 1 to 7 October, is the exception.
- April to May: second best. Zhangjiajie often has a sea of cloud after rain; the Longji terraces are flooded from April to June and look like mirrors.
- June to August: hot, wet and busy. The Li River boats run on high water, and the Forest Park often looks better after rain.
- December to March: cold, and Guilin is damp and grey; Zhangjiajie has a chance of snow and rime ice, with few visitors. We do not recommend adding Longji in these months.
Our best time to visit Zhangjiajie page goes month by month.
What is included
- Itinerary planning before departure and local support during the trip
- Zhangjiajie: private English-speaking guide for 3 days (D2 to D4), private car and driver, one airport or station pickup, one transfer to Zhangjiajie West station
- Direct high-speed train Zhangjiajie West to Guilin North, second class (D3967)
- Guilin: English-speaking driver-guide for 3 days (D5 to D7), including the Guilin station pickup and the Yangshuo to Xianggong Mountain to Guilin airport or station run
- 6 nights in 4-star hotels with breakfast, two people sharing
- Tickets and in-park transport: National Forest Park entry and eco-buses, Bailong Elevator up, Tianzi Mountain cableway down, Ten-Mile Gallery train both ways, Grand Canyon Glass Bridge with the Shenquan Lake boat, Tianmen Mountain ticket with the fast cableway and the through-mountain escalators, shoe covers for the glass walkway; the Sun and Moon Twin Pagodas climb; the 4-star Li River cruise with lunch; a two-person Yulong River bamboo raft; Xianggong Mountain entry
- Travel accident insurance underwritten by PICC, with accidental death or disability cover of up to CNY 1,000,000 per person (reduced for guests aged 70 and over; subject to the policy terms)
- No shopping stops
What is not included
- International and domestic flights, a Chinese visa where one is needed, and comprehensive travel insurance for illness, cancellation and baggage, which you should buy yourself
- Lunches and dinners, except lunch on the Li River boat
- Personal expenses and gratuities for guides and drivers
- Optional items: Longji +1 day, Impression Liu Sanjie, Ruyi Peak, the Charming Xiangxi show, the Tianmen Fox Fairy show, first-class seats, and the separate express tickets sold for the Bailong Elevator and the Tianzi Mountain cableway
- Any service or ticket not listed on your itinerary confirmation
How booking works
- Send your dates and the number of travellers. It is free, with no registration and no card.
- We reply with a day-by-day itinerary and a clear price, within 2 hours between 8:00 and 20:00 Beijing time. The reply comes from a person, usually Tian.
- A 20% deposit holds the date, paid by credit card link (the payer covers the 3% fee) or Alipay, to a licensed travel agency, licence number L-HUN-304201. Cancel 30 days or more before departure and the deposit is refunded in full.
- The balance is paid after you arrive in China, once we have met and the itinerary confirmation is signed, not before.
The full terms are on our payment, deposit and cancellation policy page. You can also reach us through the contact page.
Frequently asked questions
How do we get from Zhangjiajie to Guilin? Do we change trains?
No change. Train D3967 leaves Zhangjiajie West at 07:12 every day and runs direct to Guilin North, arriving at 14:13 (it also stops at Guilin station at 14:27). A second-class seat is CNY 342. There are no direct flights between the two cities. Tickets go on sale 14 days before departure at 16:30, and we book at that moment. The full timetable is on our Zhangjiajie to Guilin train page.
Can we do it the other way, Guilin in and Zhangjiajie out?
Yes, at the same price. The direct train in that direction leaves Guilin station at 14:38 (Guilin North 14:55) and arrives at Zhangjiajie West at 22:07, daily. Since the October 2026 timetable change it is the only direct train in that direction (12306, dates checked between 25 October and 7 November 2026).
Do we need a visa for this route?
Holders of many passports do not. Zhangjiajie Hehua Airport and Guilin Liangjiang Airport are both on the list of 240-hour visa-free transit ports. With a confirmed onward ticket to a third country or region within 240 hours, you can enter at one and leave from the other, filling in a temporary entry card on arrival. Your passport must be valid for 3 months or more. Which countries qualify, and how the 240 hours are counted, is on our visa-free transit page.
Can we travel first class on the train?
Yes. The difference is about CNY 204 per person, added to the quote at the ticket face value. This train has very few first-class seats and they sell early, so we plan on second class by default; if we get first class, we tell you at confirmation.
How do you go up Tianmen Mountain now?
From 13 October 2026 the main Tianmen Mountain cableway is closed along its whole length, and the park runs only Line C: from the city-side gate you take the fast cableway to Tianmen Cave, then the escalators through the mountain to the summit, and come down the same way. There is no bus up the 99-bend road, which suits guests who get carsick. The visit takes 4 to 6 hours, and the ticket includes the cableway and the escalators. The park has not announced a reopening date for the main cableway.
When is the Longji terraces add-on worth it?
April to October. From April to June the terraces are flooded and reflect the sky; in September and October the rice is golden. After the harvest, from November to March, they are grey-brown, and in those months we do not recommend it; that day is better spent in Yangshuo.
Is this route suitable for older parents?
Yes, with two things to say first. Golden Whip Stream is flat but about 6.5 km long; it can be shortened to suit your pace. The Yulong River raft operator sets a limit of 160 kg combined weight for the two passengers and a maximum age of 70; guests outside those limits walk along the bank instead, and we deduct the cost. The Glass Bridge has stairs, and you leave the canyon by boat. The accident insurance cover is reduced for guests aged 70 and over.
What happens if it rains?
In Zhangjiajie we change the order and go first to the places least affected by the weather; when visibility is very poor, we switch to Huanglong Cave. The Li River cruise runs in light rain, and the river in rain has its own look. If heavy rain stops the boats, the cruise moves to the next day or the ticket difference is refunded.
Plan your 7-day Zhangjiajie and Guilin tour
Send us your travel month, the number of travellers and the places you most want to see, and within 2 hours (8:00 to 20:00 Beijing time) you will have a 7-day itinerary laid out for your dates, with the price.
More Zhangjiajie private tours
- 3-day Zhangjiajie private tour, from US$500
- 5-day Zhangjiajie private tour, from US$680
- 7-day Zhangjiajie and Fenghuang private tour, from US$980