Tianmen Mountain Glass Walkways: Three Glass Paths on the Cliff Face
Short answer: Three glass walkways, often called the Tianmen Mountain skywalk, are bolted to the outer cliffs of the summit: Coiling Dragon Cliff, 100 m long, directly above the 99-bend road; the west line, 60 m long at about 1,430 m, with a glass platform jutting out from the rock; and the east line, near the top of the escalators. They are included in the ticket; you buy cloth shoe covers for CNY 5 at the entrance. The glass sections are short, each has a stone path beside it, and the valley floor is a long way below your shoes; from 13 October 2026 all three are reached on Line C.
Facts checked 13 October 2026: route and prices against the operator’s notice of 29 September 2026 and our calls to the park; on-the-ground details from visitors’ reports to October 2026.
Key facts
| Item | Figure | Checked |
|---|---|---|
| Coiling Dragon Cliff walkway (Panlong Cliff) | About 100 m long, 1.6 m wide, near the upper station of the main cableway; the 99-bend road directly below | Oct 2026 |
| West line walkway | About 60 m long at about 1,430 m above sea level, with a glass viewing platform projecting about 5 m from the cliff; about 500 m from the start of the Guigu cliff path | Oct 2026 |
| East line walkway | Similar length and height to the west line, near the exit of the escalators from Tianmen Cave | Oct 2026 |
| Cost | Included in the Tianmen Mountain ticket; shoe covers CNY 5, bought at the entrance and returned afterwards | Oct 2026, visitors’ reports |
| Glass | Much of it frosted or scuffed rather than clear; the drop is visible in outline | Oct 2026, visitors’ reports |
| Alternative | A stone path runs beside every glass section | Oct 2026 |
| Weather | Open in rain, fog and wind; closed only by park notice, for ice or high wind | 26 Sep 2026, confirmed with the park |
| Getting there from 13 October 2026 | Line C: express cable car to the cave square, escalators to the summit; the walkways are on the summit loop | 29 Sep 2026, park notice |
Where the glass starts
The last of the seven escalators lets you out of the rock onto the summit, and in front of you is a path built along the edge of the cliff, with Zhangjiajie city more than a thousand metres below. Walk towards the old cableway station and within a few minutes the path under your feet turns to glass, with the 99-bend road a long way below: Coiling Dragon Cliff, the first of three.
The three glass walkways on the summit loop
The summit paths form a loop, and if you walk the whole of it you pass all three.
Coiling Dragon Cliff (Panlong Cliff) is the longest of the three, about 100 m, 1.6 m wide, near the upper station of the main cableway. Directly below it is Tongtian Avenue, the 99-bend road, and from the glass the whole road looks like a white thread dropped down the mountainside. Our 99-bend road page has the view from here.
The west line walkway is 60 m long at about 1,430 m above sea level, about 500 m from the start of the Guigu cliff path, with a glass viewing platform that projects about 5 m out from the rock. Of the three it hugs the rock most tightly and looks furthest down the valley.
The east line walkway is near the exit of the escalators from Tianmen Cave, similar in length and height to the west line; these two were the first glass walkways on the mountain.
What it feels like
On Coiling Dragon Cliff the road is directly under your feet; on the west line the platform puts you five metres out from the rock with nothing on three sides but air and cloud. Much of the glass is frosted or scuffed rather than clear, so you see the cliff and the cloud below in outline rather than in detail: the first step is easier than people expect, and the second you take for the view. Every glass section has a stone path beside it, so you can step onto the glass for the view and back onto stone whenever you like, and change your mind halfway.
If you want time on the glass for photographs, be there before 09:00. A visitor on the west line at 08:52 on a national-holiday morning in October 2026 had the walkway to herself.
Shoe covers
Before you step onto the glass you buy a pair of cloth shoe covers for CNY 5 at the entrance and hand them back at the far end; they keep the glass clean and give your shoes grip. They are sold only at the walkway; covers bought elsewhere are not accepted.
The Guigu cliff path
The glass is a short stretch of something longer. The Guigu cliff path, on the west line, is a wooden and stone walkway fixed to the cliff for more than a kilometre, with rock on one side and air on the other, and it is the stretch where cloud fills the valley below you on a misty morning. Beyond it are the suspension bridge and Cherry Bay, then the open chairlift (CNY 25) up to Yunmeng Peak, feet hanging over the forest, to the highest point of the mountain at 1,518.6 m, which looks down on Tianmen Cave and the whole of the 99-bend road. The loop passes Tianmen Temple before it comes back to the escalators.
Weather
The walkways stay open in ordinary rain, fog and wind; the park closes them by notice only for ice or high wind, and we confirm the status the day before you go. In fog you see less distance, but cloud moving past the railings at eye level is its own picture.
Not the Glass Bridge
The Zhangjiajie Glass Bridge is a different place: a bridge across the Grand Canyon, in a separate scenic area with its own ticket, about an hour’s drive away. The Tianmen walkways are paths fixed to a cliff face on the summit of the mountain.
How to get there from 13 October 2026
From 13 October 2026 everyone comes up on Line C; the route, step by step, is on our Tianmen Cave and the 999 steps page. The loop starts where the last escalator ends, and all three walkways are on it. The day’s operating status is on our Tianmen Mountain cable car page; the whole mountain is in our Tianmen Mountain guide.
Plan your visit with us
We live in Zhangjiajie and walk this loop with guests most weeks. Tell us your dates and who is coming on our plan my trip page, and we will plan the summit loop to suit your group, glass sections included or left out. Private tours only, with an English-speaking guide and a private driver.
Walking the summit loop? Tell us your date and who is coming, and we will plan the loop with the glass sections in or out, as suits your group.
Frequently asked questions
How many glass walkways are there on Tianmen Mountain?
Three: Coiling Dragon Cliff, about 100 m long above the 99-bend road; the west line, about 60 m long at about 1,430 m; and the east line near the escalators. All three are on the summit loop.
Do I need a separate ticket for the glass walkways?
No. They are included in the Tianmen Mountain ticket. You buy cloth shoe covers for CNY 5 at the entrance and return them afterwards.
Is the glass transparent?
Much of it is frosted or scuffed rather than clear. You see the cliff and the cloud below in outline, which is why many visitors walk across without a pause.
Can I visit without walking on the glass?
Yes. A stone path runs beside every glass section, so you can see the view from the cliff path and step onto the glass only if you want to.
Are the walkways open in rain or fog?
Yes. They stay open in ordinary rain, fog and wind; the park closes them by notice only for ice or high wind, and we confirm the status the day before you go.
Can I reach the glass walkways on Line C?
Yes. From 13 October 2026 Line C takes you by express cable car to the cave square and by escalator to the summit, where the loop with all three walkways begins.
Is this the same as the Zhangjiajie Glass Bridge?
No. The Glass Bridge crosses the Grand Canyon in a separate scenic area with its own ticket. The Tianmen walkways are paths fixed to the cliff face on the summit.
Are the glass walkways safe?
They are built of tempered glass on steel supports, with railings on the outer side, and staff stand at both ends. The cloth shoe covers keep the glass clean and give your shoes grip.
Sources and data notes
- Lengths, widths, altitudes and locations of the three walkways: the park’s published material and local guides, checked October 2026. The opening date of Coiling Dragon Cliff is given differently in different sources, so we do not state it.
- Shoe covers (CNY 5, sold at the entrance only), the condition of the glass, the chairlift (CNY 25) and Yunmeng Peak (1,518.6 m): visitors’ trip reports from June to October 2026 and published guides.
- Weather policy (open in rain, fog and wind; closed by notice for ice or high wind): confirmed with the park by our team by telephone, 26 September 2026.
- Operating route from 13 October 2026: the Tianmen Mountain operator’s notice dated 29 September 2026.
- Opening arrangements change; we check them again for your travel dates.
See also: Tianmen Mountain guide · Tianmen Cave and the 999 steps · the 99-bend road · Tianmen Mountain cable car status · Zhangjiajie Glass Bridge guide · Tianmen Mountain map · 3-day Zhangjiajie private tour.