“Visiting the Avatar Mountain in Zhangjiajie, China, is a one-of-a-kind experience that I will always cherish. It features an incredible wonder of nature of towering sandstone pillars, formed over millions of years through natural erosion.”
Hey! Did you know that the Avatar Mountain in the Hollywood blockbuster movie film actually exists? If you are familiar with the Pandora in the world of Avatar, you might already see the floating pillars in the Pandora forest. What if I told you that the Real Forest that inspired Avatar’s Pandora actually exists and can be found in Zhangjiajie China? Yes! It’s true, and not only that, but you can also see it up close as you take the tallest outdoor elevator in the world.
Truly an amazing experience indeed! What are you waiting for? Visit and explore Zhangjiajie.
About the Avatar Mountain in Zhangjiajie
Avatar Mountain is located in the central part of Zhangjiajie, China, a city in the northwestern part of the province of Hunan, China. It is home to the National Forest Park and part of the Wulingyuan Scenic Area, deemed a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992. The. The Park features a distinctive appearance of rock mountains creating an otherworldly landscape, which becomes the inspiration for the blockbuster film’s Avatar, featuring the world of Pandora. Since then, the Natural Forest Park became known to the world and renamed “Avatar.” Today, it is one of the most popular and visited tourist attractions in China.
How to get to the Avatar Mountain in Zhangjiajie, China?
Traveling to the Avatar Mountains takes about an hour from the city center of Zhangjiajie. Please note that the mountain is part of an area called Wulingyuan. Hence, your journey is going to this place.
Travel Options from the Center of Zhangjiajie:
You can take a bus in Zhangjiajie West Railway Station going to Wulingyuan, otherwise, you also have the option to take a minivan or a taxi.
From Zhangjiajie Hehua International Airport:
Take a taxi directly to the Natural Forest Park, which is about 30 kilometers away and takes about 40 to 50 minutes to ride.
Tours with transfer: For convenience, especially for those who cannot speak the local Chinese language, join a day trip from Zhangjiajie Center available at any travel agency. You can book in klook or get your guide website.
My Experience
As mentioned in my 5-Day Itinerary blog in Zhangjiajie, China, I never imagined that I would be visiting Zhangjiajie, China. Genuinely, it’s not even on my travel priority list for this year; surprisingly, a twist of fate happened. By just watching TikTok videos and reels on Facebook, suddenly, Zhangjiajie Avatar Mountain appeared on my wall. After that, my eyes and mind were blown away by its incredible natural beauty. Then, I became curious, so I read blogs to see more info and photos, which consequently convinced me that I needed to visit this place one day.
Upon seeing the Natural Forest Park, I was really stunned by the natural beauty of Pillar Rocks Mountain. Aside from that, the Bailong Elevator ride adds to the adventure experience of the Trip. I believed; it takes around 2 minutes going up the mountain. In the window, you would see the spectacular view of the narrow Pillar rocks and peaks. At the top of the mountain, we took a bus and then minor trekking until we reached the location of what inspired the World of Pandora in the Avatar movie. Overall experience was great. Although from my side, I wish I had stayed longer and wandered more of the Incredible Wonders of Zhangjiajie Natural Forest Park. The Park is huge; hence, there are a lot of places that we have not seen due to a lack of time in our tour. Nevertheless, it was a memorable journey; being able to reach the real forest of Avatar is a one-of-a-kind experience.
Places to Wander in Zhangjiajie Natural Forest Park
Ride in the Bailong Elevator
-One of the amazing things to do in Zhangjiajie is to ride in the tallest outdoor elevator in the World. The elevator experience features the magnificent view of sandstone pillars and peak of Zhangjiajie National Park.
Wander in the Zhangjiajie Forest Park
– After riding the elevator, it’s about time to roam around the natural park. This area is known for its more than 3,000 narrow sandstone pillars and peaks, many of which rise over 200 meters. It is one of the popular destinations for hikers and mountain climbers.
Check out the Hallelujah Avatar Mountain
-Inspired by the Blockbuster movie Avatar, this mountain pillar famous after the movie release, hence, become the signature of Zhangjiajie whenever people visit this place.
When is the best time to visit Zhangjiajie-Avatar Mountain?
The best time to visit Zhangjiajie is probably early Autumn from September to October. The weather in this period is cool and enjoyable. However, please note of the National Holiday from October 1-7 to avoid crowd during your visit.
If you are interested in a foggy mountain vibe that looks mysterious, visit in the month of April to June. Just be aware of the higher chances of raining during this time, hence, bring umbrella or raincoat. Holiday: Labor Day (May 1-3)
The summer holiday is a good season in Zhangjiajie from June to August, however, it is also the most months where tourist and local’s flocks in the city, hence, expect an exceedingly crowded tourist during your visit.
If you are aiming for snowy mountain vibe, visit during winter, this time the tourist is very less, and hotel prices are cheap. You can take photos alone without people in the background.
If you are curious, I visited this amazing place in September. So, all of this picture you’ve seen in this blog are capture in this month. The weather is perfect, it was slightly cool, sunny and the sky is clear.
Where to stay?
There are several hotels and resorts available in Zhangjiajei from standard, medium up to luxury experience. Plan ahead and reserve hotel near to the location. You can check booking.com or agoda.com for available hotel accommodation on your chosen dates. Otherwise, you can also check Airbnb if you are a group and would like to minimize your cost. If you are a solo traveler, hostel option is available.
Please note that the area of Wulingyuan National Forest Park is very large, featuring several trails to explore. Most visitors plan for a 2-day itinerary to fully experience the breathtaking view of Avatar Mountains. In this regard, if you are staying for two days, it is suggested to stay in the small town of Wulingyuan, which is near and takes only a short walk to the park.
As for me, since I joined a group tour, all hotels are arranged by the tour agency. I don’t have any complain with it because all the hotels we stayed are between 4-to-5-star hotel and it is really nice and comfortable.
For more details of my Zhangjiajie Trip and Suggested 5 Days 4 Nights Itinerary in Zhangjiajie from Manila, kindly check my blog article for this post.
My budget for Traveling in the Avatar Mountain Zhangjiajie
My over-all total expenses in Zhangjiajie including flight, hotels, transportation, food and tours were PHP 45,000. Please refer to my 5 days Itinerary in Zhangjiajie for more details.
For DIY (do it your own), Consider below prices of tickets if tour is only Zhangjiajie Natural Forest Park: Book only in the official websites or travel platforms.
- Zhangjiajie Entrance Fee- 248 CNY
- Bailong Elevator- 144 CNY (Up & Down)
- Tianzi Mountain Cable Car- 72 CNY (one way)
Travel Guide & Tips
Here are some guides and tips you should consider when visiting to Zhangjiajie, China.
- If first time in China and don’t know how to speak Chinese, better to join a group tour with local tour guide who can speak English. Note that most of the signboard and people in Zhangjiajie do not understand English.
- Credit Cards & Alipay Payments: Larger hotels and restaurants may accept credit cards mobile payments like WeChat Pay or Alipay but remember that most places only take cash.
- Avoid giving food to the monkey, if you do, many monkey will come to you and will think that everything you have belongs to them, so they might get your personal things, so keep that in mind! Secure your belongings.
- If you are traveling solo and DIY, better to plan carefully your itinerary, starting with the first destination you wanted to experience until to the last location in order to visit everything within the schedule you set and reserve you Bus/train ticket in case of using public transportation.
- If you are a foreigner, always keep your passport with you since it serves as a ticket for some tourist location and most of the time it will be checked and needed in your tours.
- Do not forget to bring power bank in case of phone low battery.
- Be a responsible traveler and keep each destination in Zhangjiajie clean.
- Take only memories, leave only footprints.
Essential things to bring.
- Money in Cash (RMB/Chinese Yuan)
- Bring Snacks, Water and drinks and keep it in your bag whenever you’re travelling for emergency.
- Sunscreen for summer season
- Sun glass
- Cap for head sun protection
- Jacket applicable for winter or summer
- Power bank, otherwise, bring USB cables, most tour buses have USB for charging.
So, have you been to the Avatar Mountain of Zhangjiajie, China? Please share your thoughts, I would like to know your experience.
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