Zhangjiajie & Fenghuang DIY Route Guide
There are several ways to get from Zhangjiajie to Fenghuang: By bus—two tourist coaches run directly from Zhangjiajie to Fenghuang daily, at 8:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., taking about 4 hours. Alternatively, go from Zhangjiajie to Jishou, then Jishou to Fenghuang. Buses from Zhangjiajie to Jishou run hourly starting at 7:30 a.m...
This article is compiled from the original travel notes on the "Zhangjiajie Tour Guide Network" (33519.com); it is a record of trips from earlier years. Time-sensitive information such as ticket prices, schedules, and accommodation prices is subject to the latest announcements from scenic areas and transportation authorities; the itinerary ideas and attraction introductions still have reference value.
There are several ways to get from Zhangjiajie to Fenghuang:
Bus:
There are two tourist buses per day directly from Zhangjiajie to Fenghuang. The times are 8:30 AM and 2:30 PM, with a journey of about 4 hours. Alternatively, you can choose to go from Zhangjiajie to Jishou and then from Jishou to Fenghuang. From Zhangjiajie to Jishou, there is a bus every hour starting from 7:30 AM (tourist express bus), with the last one at 7:30 PM. From Jishou to Fenghuang, buses start at 7:00 AM every half hour, with the last one at 7:30 PM.
The following train services are available daily:
1. 7265 Ordinary Slow Zhangjiajie ---- Huaihua: arrives Zhangjiajie 09:08, arrives Jishou 11:10
2. 2011 ordinary fast train Zhangjiajie---Nanning, arrives at Zhangjiajie 17:34, arrives at Jishou 19:40
3. 5380/5381 ordinary fast train Zhangjiajie-Hengyang, arrives at Zhangjiajie 17:56, arrives at Jishou 20:00
4. 2645 ordinary fast train Zhangjiajie--Guiyang, arrives at Zhangjiajie 19:20, arrives at Jishou 21:20
5. N582/N583 express Shenzhen West--Huaihua, arrives at Zhangjiajie 03:30, arrives at Jishou 6:00
6. K267 express Beijing West-----Huaihua, arrives at Zhangjiajie 10:30, arrives at Jishou 12:30
7. 1473 ordinary fast train Xiangfan-----Huaihua, arrives at Zhangjiajie 18:22, arrives at Jishou 20:20
L17/L20 temporary passenger train Beijing West------Zunyi, arrives at Zhangjiajie 20:37, arrives at Jishou 22:40
In Fenghuang, your main focus is to enjoy the tranquility and ancient simplicity there. Don't rush — stroll slowly, look carefully, and quietly take it in. Once you get there, you can forget the exhaustion and excitement of Zhangjiajie. As for what to eat and what to do in Fenghuang, wait until you get there to look for it. If you learn too much beforehand, you'll lose the novelty and that sense of mystery. In a word, in Fenghuang don't worry about anything, don't learn too much about anything — everything will be personally experienced once you arrive at that mysterious place.
Food and accommodation in the Fenghuang ancient town area are much more expensive than in the new town area. In peak season, a riverside room in the ancient town area is 100 (with air conditioning), 80 by the upstream riverside (with air conditioning), and generally 60 elsewhere (with air conditioning). Also, toothbrushes and such all cost extra, and are super expensive. But food is very cheap. Remember not to eat at those places by the river. The street where Hongqiao meets the new town area is very cheap — a hundred yuan can let 8 people eat very well. Nowadays there are many stilted houses along the Fenghuang river, and the prices are quite affordable, generally just 40 yuan per room.
If you want to take a boat ride, you can go downstream and take a private boat from Shen Congwen's grave to Peach Blossom Island. The price is generally 10 to 20 yuan. Large tour groups must have bought the full Fenghuang Eight Scenes ticket, so they naturally take the tour company's boat on the middle section of the Tuo River in the ancient town area, and there's a girl by the river singing Miao songs. The so-called Fenghuang Eight Scenes actually aren't worth going in to see.
At night, the night view along the Tuo River is absolutely a must-see. Colorful lights flicker on both banks, and the riverside is full of visitors. Many people buy flower lanterns and release them in the river — I hear making a wish is very effective. There are two bridges in the river for pedestrians to cross; one is a stone pier bridge, always with many people coming and going.
In the early morning, the riverside is at its quietest. Be sure to go before the workers cleaning the docks by the river start work, around before six o'clock. At this time the ancient town is relatively quiet, and you can experience its only moment of tranquility.
During the day, you can choose to visit Laodong Miao Village and Wulong Mountain as a one-day tour, including round-trip transport and lunch, for 80 yuan (usually 88). The guides are generally very dedicated, but Wulong Mountain isn't much to look at, especially if you've just visited Zhangjiajie. Laodong Miao Village is the most authentic Miao village in Fenghuang, still preserving much original folk custom and architecture. Actually, it's just some houses built of stone slabs and mud bricks. The houses of the rich are stone; the poor use mud bricks. Don't set too high expectations for the so-called farmhouse meal. In the afternoon there is also a Miao folk custom performance, using an interactive format, with very lively interaction with tourists and a good atmosphere.
Other places aren't much to see. You can head home, leaving by train from Jishou or from Huaihua. Fenghuang has places to book train tickets.
Notes and Precautions
For independent travel, you must pay attention to the following points:
First, women had best travel with at least one companion. Prepare some necessary medicine for colds and sprains.
Second, have a certain level of physical fitness before the trip. Traveling independently, you're bound to walk more and encounter more trouble than with a group.
Third, make a fairly detailed plan, including train times. Look online and contact a good guide in Zhangjiajie or Fenghuang in advance. Dealing with reputable online guides is reassuring; the possibility of fraud is basically ruled out. The guides I met were all quite dedicated and would not mislead or manipulate tourists, sincerely planning routes for them. The fees were also very fair.
Fourth, don't trust the so-called wildcat guides and taxi drivers at the station. They will approach you and lure tourists to Zhangjiajie or Fenghuang at extremely low prices, then take you around to various expensive paid attractions along the way.
Fifth, when going to Miao villages in Fenghuang, be sure to choose a good place. There are too many routes recommending Miao villages there, making your eyes dazzle. You should boldly bargain. Ticket management there is very irregular.