Natural Wonders
Zhangjiajie, Guilin and Chengdu in ten to twelve days: sandstone pillars, Li River karst and pandas, with flights that avoid wasted days.
Route: Zhangjiajie → Guilin → Chengdu
Last reviewed October 23, 2026 · schedules, prices and opening hours change — re-check before booking
Who this suits
Active travellers who want scenery over cities and can handle stairs, humidity and early starts. Not suitable for anyone with serious knee or heart problems.
What it costs
¥10,000–15,000 per person, including nine nights of mid-range hotels, two internal flights, tickets and food. International flights excluded.
Book in this order
- 1Zhangjiajie National Forest Park tickets are multi-day and passport-linked; buy the 4-day pass if you plan two park days.
- 2Tianmen Mountain needs a timed cable-car slot; book the first entry of the day to avoid queues.
- 3Book the Li River cruise one day ahead and the Zhangjiajie→Guilin flight early — the rail alternative is long.
- 4Panda Base tickets are timed; go at opening for the morning feeding.
Day by day
- 1
Arrive in Zhangjiajie
Fly into Zhangjiajie and rest — the park demands full legs.
- Sleep
- Zhangjiajie (Wulingyuan)
- Getting around
- Airport to Wulingyuan by DiDi, about 50 minutes.
- Book
- Park ticket for the next two days; hotel registration.
- Daily cost
- ¥350–600 (excl. hotel)
- 2
Zhangjiajie National Forest Park
Yuanjiajie and the Avatar Hallelujah Mountain viewpoints, the Bailong Elevator, and the Golden Whip Stream.
- Sleep
- Zhangjiajie (Wulingyuan)
- Getting around
- Park shuttle, Bailong Elevator and walking trails; allow 6–8 hours.
- Book
- Multi-day park ticket and elevator ticket; passport.
- Daily cost
- ¥500–800 (excl. hotel)
- 3
Tianmen Mountain
The long cable car and the cliff walkways — book the first slot of the day. Overnight in Zhangjiajie; the next morning’s short flight is the sane connection.
- Sleep
- Zhangjiajie (city)
- Getting around
- DiDi to Tianmen cable-car station; cable car up, shuttle down.
- Book
- First cable-car slot of the day; book the night before.
- Daily cost
- ¥600–900 (excl. hotel)
- 4
Morning flight to Guilin
Fly Zhangjiajie to Guilin (about 1.5 hours), check in, and eat rice noodles by the river. The rail route via Changsha takes most of a day.
- Sleep
- Guilin
- Getting around
- Morning flight Zhangjiajie→Guilin, about 1.5 hours; DiDi to the city.
- Book
- Book the flight — the rail route via Changsha takes most of a day.
- Daily cost
- ¥800–1,200 including flight (excl. hotel)
- 5
Li River cruise to Yangshuo
The four-hour classic float to Xingping, ending in Yangshuo.
- Sleep
- Yangshuo
- Getting around
- Four-hour Li River cruise to Yangshuo; local shuttle.
- Book
- Cruise one day ahead; confirm pier and drop-off.
- Daily cost
- ¥500–800 (excl. hotel)
- 6
Yangshuo countryside
E-bike through the karst valleys; optional Moon Hill and the Yulong River.
- Sleep
- Yangshuo
- Getting around
- E-bike through the karst valleys; optional Yulong River raft.
- Book
- E-bike rental; raft ticket on the day.
- Daily cost
- ¥300–600 (excl. hotel)
- 7
Fly to Chengdu
Morning flight Guilin→Chengdu (about 1.5 hours) — the rail alternative via Guiyang eats most of a day. Evening: your first Chengdu hotpot.
- Sleep
- Chengdu
- Getting around
- Morning flight Guilin→Chengdu, about 1.5 hours; metro from Tianfu airport.
- Book
- Flight; hotpot reservation if it is a weekend.
- Daily cost
- ¥900–1,400 including flight (excl. hotel)
- 8
Chengdu pandas and teahouses
Panda base at opening time, then People’s Park for tea and mahjong.
- Sleep
- Chengdu
- Getting around
- Metro Line 3 to the Panda Base; metro to People’s Park.
- Book
- Timed panda ticket; go at opening.
- Daily cost
- ¥400–700 (excl. hotel)
- 9
Leshan Giant Buddha
Day trip by train (about an hour) to the 71-meter Buddha at the river confluence.
- Sleep
- Chengdu
- Getting around
- High-speed train Chengdu East→Leshan, about 1 hour; bus to the Buddha.
- Book
- Train and Buddha entry; book the boat option if stairs are hard.
- Daily cost
- ¥400–700 (excl. hotel)
- 10
Departure from Chengdu
Morning market breakfast, then the airport.
- Sleep
- Departure
- Getting around
- Metro Line 10 to Shuangliu or Line 18 to Tianfu; allow 60–90 minutes.
- Book
- Leave three hours before an international flight.
- Daily cost
- ¥300–500 (excl. hotel)
If the plan does not fit
Skip Zhangjiajie
If stairs are a problem, replace Zhangjiajie with a second Guilin/Yangshuo stay. You lose the vertical peaks but gain river cycling, caves and a much gentler pace.
Add Chongqing instead of Chengdu
Chongqing’s night skyline and hotpot are a bigger urban contrast, but Chengdu’s pandas are the stronger family draw. Choose one, not both.
Destinations on this route
Zhangjiajie
Sandstone pillars and Tianmen Mountain: honest advice on the national forest park, the glass bridge and how to split your days without losing them to queues.
Best time: April–June and September–November; July–August brings heat and storms
Guilin
Experience breathtaking karst landscapes along the Li River. Explore Yangshuo and Longji Rice Terraces.
Best time: April - October
Chengdu
Home of giant pandas and Sichuan cuisine, a city that combines tradition and modernity. Enjoy hot pot, tea houses, and slow pace of life.
Best time: March - June, September - November
Read before you book
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