Short answer: the green shuttle bus inside the park costs CNY 72 per person and covers unlimited rides for four consecutive days. It is not CNY 72 a ride. Visitors aged 65 and over get the entrance ticket free but still pay half for the bus: CNY 36, plus CNY 3 insurance.
The numbers
| Item | Figure | Checked |
|---|---|---|
| Shuttle bus | CNY 72 per person, unlimited rides for 4 consecutive days | 17 Aug 2026 |
| Combined ticket (entrance + bus) | CNY 236 | 17 Aug 2026 |
| Insurance | CNY 3, optional | 17 Aug 2026 |
| Children under 14 | Bus free | 17 Aug 2026 |
| Ages 14 to 18, and 60 and over | Bus half price, CNY 36 | 17 Aug 2026 |
| Ages 65 and over | Entrance free; bus CNY 36 plus CNY 3 insurance | 17 Aug 2026 |
| Operating hours (park transport page) | 07:00 to 19:00; last-bus time confirmed on the day | 17 Aug 2026 |
| Stretches you walk | Five, from 0.3 to 1.5 km | 17 Aug 2026 |
What the CNY 72 buys
Distances between the scenic areas are large, and the green shuttle buses are how visitors move between them. The bus ticket is CNY 72 per person and covers as many rides as you like for four consecutive days. Bought together with the entrance ticket it is the CNY 236 combined ticket. The CNY 165 entry-only ticket does not include the bus; the ticket we book for guests is the combined one.
The rule older travellers most often get wrong
The entrance ticket and the bus follow two different age rules:
- 60 to 64: half-price entrance, half-price bus.
- 65 and over: entrance free, but the bus is still CNY 36, plus CNY 3 insurance, CNY 39 in total.
- Under 14: entrance free and bus free.
Because the free line for the ticket is 65 and the half-price line for the bus is 60, a 70-year-old pays CNY 39 at the gate, not zero.
Main routes
- East Gate to the Tianzi Mountain cable car lower station.
- East Gate to Ten-Mile Gallery, Shuiraosimen and the Bailong Elevator lower station.
- Tianzi Mountain cable car upper station to Helong Park.
- Helong Park to Wulongzhai and Yuanjiajie.
- Yuanjiajie to the Bailong Elevator upper station.
- West Gate towards Yangjiajie.
Where the bus does not reach the door
The park’s route map marks five stretches on foot, from 0.3 to 1.5 km. Two matter most: from the Bailong Elevator upper car park to the lift entrance is about 1.1 km, and from the Yangjiajie upper stop to the cable car is about 0.9 km. If anyone in your group finds walking hard, plan those two in advance.
Queues
The park asks visitors to queue at the marked stops and let passengers off before boarding. There is no skip-the-queue ticket for the bus. The park’s own transport page says buses from Tianzi Mountain to Yuanjiajie tend to run emptier around 1 to 2 pm, and from Yuanjiajie to Tianzi Mountain around 4 pm; we plan our days around that.
Last bus
The park’s transport page gives 07:00 to 19:00, but the printed route board gives a different last-bus rule, and the two do not agree. Do not plan your way down around a last-bus time from the internet. Our local team confirms it on the day.
Travelling with older parents? Tell us the ages in your group and we will work out the tickets, the bus and the walking stretches before you go.
Frequently asked questions
Is the bus included in the entrance ticket?
Not in the CNY 165 ticket. It is included in the CNY 236 combined ticket.
Do I pay every time I board?
No. CNY 72 covers unlimited rides for four days.
Does a 70-year-old pay?
The entrance is free; the bus is CNY 36 plus CNY 3 insurance.
Sources and data notes
- Bus price: Zhangjiajie Development and Reform Commission pricing document No. 33 of 2025, in force from 1 January 2026. The document number, start date and the CNY 236 combined ticket are listed on the Wulingyuan District tourism bureau ticket page. The CNY 72 fare was the figure put to a public hearing that the commission announced on 17 April 2025. Checked 4 October 2026.
- Bus age rules (under 14 free; 14 to 18 and 60 and over half price): Zhangjiajie’s concession rules for services inside scenic areas, as reported on the Hunan provincial government’s English site.
- Older figures: guides that quote CNY 225 for entry plus bus are using the standard price from before 2026. Since 1 January 2026 the combined entry-and-bus ticket has been CNY 236.
- Routes and walking stretches: the park’s 2026 official route board.
- Emptier periods: the park’s official transport page, which does not state a season.
See also: which gate to use · Bailong Elevator guide · book Zhangjiajie tickets · Zhangjiajie tour for seniors.