Conquering Tianmen Mountain (A Complete Guide)
📍Zhang Jia Jie • Tianmen Mountain
If the mountain won't come to me, I'll go to the mountain
Zhangjiajie - Heaven on Earth, Tianmen Mountain - Where the Heart Leads
🌈Highlights: Route A ticket recommended for an easier journey
✅1. Route: Tianmen Mountain Cable Car entrance (8-person cable car) 👉 Yunmeng Peak 👉 West Ring Trail 👉 East Ring Trail 👉 Mountain-crossing elevator down 👉 Tianmen Cave 👉 Tianmen Square 👉 Fuyuan Walkway 👉 Cable car (28-person) down 👉 Eco-bus back to cable car entrance.
✅2. Mountain-top routes consist of east and west rings
🔸West Ring: Lingxiao Platform—West Glass Walkway-Guigu Walkway—Suspension Bridge—Guigu Cave View-Tianmen Temple (about 2.8 km)
🔸East Ring: Wood and Stone Love-South Tianmen View-East Glass Walkway—Yuhu Peak-North Tianmen View—Sky Corridor—Mountain-crossing elevator upper station (about 3.7 km)
✅3. Must-visit spots: Yunmeng Peak, Guigu Walkway, Glass Walkway, Suspension Bridge, Tianmen Temple, South Tianmen View, Yuhu Peak, North Tianmen View, Tianmen Cave, 999 Steps
🎟️Tickets: Tianmen Mountain admission 💰CNY 278 🎫Three options (A, B, C) - all include access to all attractions but differ in transportation methods: A = cable car up/bus down, B = bus up/cable car down, C = bus both ways (not recommended as you'll need to backtrack)
①Discounted price: 50% off admission and transportation fees for:
- Ages 14-17 (inclusive)
- Ages 60-64 (inclusive)
- Full-time students (undergraduate and below)
Must present valid ID
②Special price: Free admission and 50% off transportation fees for:
- Children under 14
- Seniors 65 and above
- Persons with disabilities
- Active military personnel
- Retired military officers
Must present valid ID
③Free admission for children under 1.2m
🕐️Opening hours: 06:30-16:00
💗Additional tips:
⚠️1. Self-driving visitors can park at the cable car lower station parking lot, CNY 10 for vehicles under 20 seats and CNY 20 for larger vehicles per 12 hours.
⚠️2. Luggage storage available at cable car lower station: CNY 10 for large items (exceeding 1.2m or 15 kg), CNY 5 for small items.
⚠️3. Three restaurants in the scenic area: Cherry Bay (mountain top), Tianmen Waterfall, and Yunmeng Peak. Snacks and fast food available at Tianmen Cave Square rest area.
⚠️4. Three optional paid attractions: Glass Walkway 💰CNY 5 (shoe covers free, ignore shoe cover vendors), Mountain-top Forest Sightseeing Cable Car 💰CNY 25, Escalator next to 999 Steps 💰CNY 32.
⚠️5. 🏠Accommodation recommended near the cable car station (numerous hotels/guesthouses available). Convenient walking distance to cable car entrance after breakfast. I stayed at Sidamingzhu Aesthetic Inn, which is close to Tianmen Mountain entrance and offers free airport/station pickup and drop-off service.