Zhangjiajie Independent Travel Club
As people's travel concepts change, more and more people will choose to travel independently or by self-driving. Gathering a few close friends and like-minded companions and joining a good independent travel club to enjoy the mountains and waters together will make for a delightful trip. Zhangjiajie independent travel: independent travel has been practiced in China for a long time, but abroad it is the main way to travel. It is no longer the exclusive domain of young people, nor is it…
As people's travel concepts change, more and more people will choose self-guided tours or self-driving trips. Gathering a few close friends and like-minded companions, joining a good self-guided tour club to enjoy the mountains and waters together, will make for a delightful journey.
Zhangjiajie self-guided tours: Self-guided travel has a long history in China, but abroad it is the primary way to travel. It is no longer the exclusive domain of young people, nor a synonym for budget travel, but has become an important travel trend. People of all ages who wish to enjoy free, in-depth, and distinctive travel will join the ranks of self-guided tourism. The tour routes arranged by tour groups cram living people onto dead itineraries—“sleep on the bus, pee off the bus, take photos at scenic spots”—and situations of being dragged into shops or even forced to buy things happen frequently. Self-guided tours avoid the widespread phenomenon in the tourism industry of “unscrupulous” guides fleecing tourists. During the trip, you can travel according to your own wishes, skip shopping, avoid added stops, and the guide won't “rush you to death.” As long as it's within the planned time, you can go when you want and rest when you want; you can linger longer at places you like and turn around and leave places you don't. This kind of happiness and freedom, “group tours” cannot provide.
Main tourist attractions in Zhangjiajie
Wulingyuan Scenic and Historic Interest Area (including Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, Tianzi Mountain, Yangjiajie, Yuanjiajie, Golden Whip Stream, Ten-Mile Gallery, Huangshizhai). There are five ticket stations: Forest Park, Tianzi Mountain, Yangjiajie, Zimugang, and Wulingyuan ticket stations. The entrance ticket is 248 RMB per person, including a 3 RMB insurance fee. Students under 24 years old with a student ID enjoy a discounted price of 134 RMB per person. Seniors over 70 with an ID card and children under 1.2 meters can enjoy free admission. This ticket is valid for two days, meaning you can enter and exit the ticket stations repeatedly within two days (the ticket has a fingerprint verification system and cannot be transferred to another person).
The Zhangjiajie Wulingyuan District Tourism Bureau announced on October 30, 2009, that with the approval of the Hunan Provincial Price Bureau, the Wulingyuan core scenic area will offer free admission to students under 24 from November 1, 2009, to March 31, 2010.
After being picked up from the city, you can take a bus from the bus station and enter through any of the above five ticket stations. Depending on your time and itinerary, you can choose any one of them as your entrance.
Routes into the scenic area from each ticket station:
1): Forest Park entrance method:
At the Zhangjiajie city bus station, take the tourist route bus from the city to Forest Park. The fare is 10 RMB, departing every 5 minutes. There are two routes: one goes through Laomuyu Tunnel (good road conditions, fast, less time), the other goes through Liangcha (many curves, slow uphill, but nice scenery). After entering the ticket station, you can visit Huangshizhai and the Golden Whip Stream sightseeing route. To go to Yuanjiajie and Tianzi Mountain, you need to take a cable car or elevator.
2): Wulingyuan entrance method:
At the Zhangjiajie city bus station, take the tourist route bus from the city to Wulingyuan. The fare is 10 RMB, departing every 5 minutes, arriving at Wulingyuan Bus Station in 50 minutes. At the bus station, take bus No. 1 or No. 2, or a taxi for 4 RMB, to the ticket station. After entering, you can take the free shuttle bus to Ten-Mile Gallery and Golden Whip Stream. To go to Tianzi Mountain and Yuanjiajie, you need to take a cable car or elevator.
3): Yangjiajie entrance method:
In Zhangjiajie city, take the tourist route bus to Tianzi Mountain, Zhonghu, or Zhuyeping. The fare is 10 RMB, departing every 20 minutes, reaching the ticket station in one hour. After entering the ticket station, to go to Yuanjiajie and Tianzi Mountain, you need to charter a car to Balipo, then hike up the mountain, passing Wulong Village, the Sky Corridor, and One Step to Heaven along the way. To go to Huangshizhai, you need to charter a car to Longfeng Temple, then walk to the Huangshizhai cable car and take it up to Huangshizhai. (This route is not recommended.)
4): Zimugang entrance method: Zhangjiajie Bus Station currently does not operate tourist route buses to Zimugang; you need to charter a car yourself. After entering, there is a free shuttle bus to Shuiraosimen and Ten-Mile Gallery. To go to Yuanjiajie and Tianzi Mountain, you need to take the Bailong Elevator or Tianzi Mountain cable car. (This route is not recommended.)
5): Tianzi Mountain entrance method:
At the Zhangjiajie city bus station, take the tourist route bus to Tianzi Mountain or Zhuyeping. The fare is 13 RMB, departing every 20 minutes, reaching the ticket station in one hour. After entering the ticket station, take the free shuttle bus to the three-way intersection and transfer. To the right, you can go to Yuanjiajie and Wulong Village; to the left, you can go to Tianzi Mountain Helong Park, Shentang Bay, and Dianjiang Terrace. If you want to watch the sunrise at Daguantai, you can stay at farmhouse inns in Dingxiangrong Village, such as Aiziyou Tribe, Qinqin Shijia, and many other inns. (Entering the mountain from here is along the Zhangsang Highway, which has improved road conditions, so the number of tourists entering from Tianzi Mountain has been increasing day by day. Although the bus ride takes a bit longer, entering from here saves one elevator or cable car ride, and you can put down your luggage before going out to play. Recommended.)
Surrounding scenic areas include Yellow Dragon Cave, Baofeng Lake, Tianmen Mountain National Forest Park, Tujia Folk Customs Park, Maoyan River Rafting, etc.
Current status of hotels and guesthouses in Zhangjiajie
Since Zhangjiajie became a prefecture-level city in 1988, its tourism industry has developed rapidly, especially hotels, which have sprung up like bamboo shoots after rain. By the end of 2008, Zhangjiajie had more than 600 hotels and guesthouses (including more than 40 star-rated hotels), with a total of nearly 50,000 beds. There are currently 4 five-star standard hotels, nearly 20 four-star standard hotels, nearly 100 three-star hotels, and four to five hundred ordinary hotels.
I. Hotel grades
Five-star hotels include Wulingyuan International Resort Hotel, Wulingyuan Qinghe Jinjiang International Hotel, Zhangjiajie Huatian Hotel, and Zhangjiajie Pigeon Flower International Hotel.
Among four-star hotels, the officially rated ones include Zhangjiajie International Hotel, Zhangjiajie Tongda International Hotel, Zhangjiajie Lantian Hotel, Zhangjiajie Xianglong International Hotel, and Zhangjiajie Xiangdian International Hotel. Unrated new hotels include Wulingyuan Tianzi International Hotel, Wulingyuan Jingxi International Hotel, Wulingyuan Expert Village Hotel, Wulingyuan Hotel Zijin Building, Wulingyuan Genli International Hotel, Wulingyuan Jintian International Hotel, Wulingyuan Baizhangxia Hotel, Wulingyuan Jianghan Villa, Zhangjiajie Minnan International Hotel, Zhangjiajie Leighton Hotel, Zhangjiajie Wulong Hotel, etc.
Three-star hotels include Zhangjiajie Nanhang Fulilai Hotel, Zhangjiajie Wuling International Hotel, Zhangjiajie Shunshilong Hotel, Zhangjiajie Fengyun Holiday Hotel, Wulingyuan Tianheng Hotel, Wulingyuan Xiangshui Hotel, Wulingyuan Feilong Hotel, Zhangjiajie Hualong Resort, Zhangjiajie Honghegu Hotel, and many new hotels that are unrated but better in scale, grade, and facilities than rated three-star ones.
II. Choice of accommodation location
Zhangjiajie hotels are mainly concentrated in three areas: Zhangjiajie city, Wulingyuan District, and the entrance to Zhangjiajie National Forest Park.
The choice of accommodation is mainly related to arrival and departure times and the travel itinerary. Generally, there are the following principles:
1. Those arriving at night or leaving early the next morning are generally advised to stay in Zhangjiajie city.
2. During the trip, it is recommended to stay in Wulingyuan, or optionally one night at Forest Park.
3. It is not recommended to stay in family inns within the scenic area. Some online travel guides now recommend staying on the mountaintop (which may be “shills” or posts by netizens who don't know the truth), such as Yuanjiajie, Yangjiajie, etc. Room rates are generally 80–120 RMB, and for completely uninformed guests, such rates can sometimes be as high as over 200 RMB, claiming to be “foreign-related tourist hotels,” but actually family inns with prices generally under 30 RMB per room, becoming a source of huge profits for certain “wild guides” who fleece tourists. Since being warned with a yellow card by UNESCO for damaging the natural landscape by building hotels on the mountain within the scenic area, all regular hotels on the mountain have been withdrawn. Regular travel agencies stopped staying within the scenic area as early as 2001 and do not recommend it.
III. Price reference:
1. Five-star hotels generally range from 450–800 RMB.
2. Four-star hotels generally range from 280–500 RMB.
3. Three-star hotels generally range from 100–300 RMB.
4. Ordinary hotels generally range from 50–120 RMB.
5. Zhangjiajie is greatly affected by May Day and National Day; during these periods, room rates change dramatically, with increases between 20% and 100%.
IV. Choice of booking method:
1. Negotiate directly at the hotel front desk: generally depends on peak and off-peak seasons and the hotel's occupancy that night, usually above 50% off.
2. Book through the internet: methods include the hotel's own website, portal websites such as Ctrip, eLong, Mango, and local hotel booking websites. Few hotels have their own websites, and generally only high-star hotels do, with relatively higher prices (because they must protect the interests of other online booking agents, so prices cannot be lower than the agreed rate). Generally not recommended. Booking through portal websites such as Ctrip, eLong, and Mango is more popular, but not many hotels have agreements with them, and prices are not low, with no room for negotiation. Booking through local hotel websites: local hotel websites are generally run by local travel agencies. Because local travel agencies have long-term cooperative relationships with hotels, any hotel can be booked, and the quoted prices are generally lower than other booking methods, with some room for concessions depending on the number of rooms and peak/off-peak seasons.
3. Booking through local friends: This method has great limitations. The price is relatively reasonable, but the price obtained will also be higher than the travel agency's long-term agreed bottom price.
Zhangjiajie self-guided tour dining choices
“Food is the first necessity of the people,” so eating is the first of the six elements of travel. How to spend less money and eat the most authentic and delicious food during the trip has become a top priority for backpackers. When traveling to Zhangjiajie, you must first try spicy food. Hunan is famous for not fearing spicy food, and Zhangjiajie ranks among the top in Hunan for eating spicy food. In fact, eating some spicy food can make you sweat and speed up metabolism. The latest research in Japan found that eating spicy food can even help with weight loss.
I. Restaurant choices:
Large and small restaurants are scattered throughout the city and scenic area of Zhangjiajie, and their target customers vary. For example, in Zhangjiajie city, there are restaurants targeting local customers or tourists. Local restaurants are mainly concentrated near Beizheng Street, including Fengyuan Hotel, Louzhonglou, Awu Restaurant, Jinmanlou, Lekoufu, Jinfuren, Wulong Village, etc., with relatively affordable prices.
Famous Hunan cuisine restaurants and national chain stores include Huogongdian, Yuloudong, Xiangli Renjia, etc., with relatively higher prices.
There are also local specialty restaurants for Sandixiaoguo (three-pot dish), including Master Hu's Sandixiaoguo, Old Wu Fish Head, Qin Zunwu Wucai Hotpot Restaurant, Little Master's Sandixiaoguo, Wuda Dried Vegetable Shop, etc. The taste is good, but the environment and hygiene are average; those who are particular about cleanliness may not be interested.
There are also restaurants specializing in Tujia cuisine and game, with relatively higher prices. They generally have two menus, one for locals and one for outsiders, such as Linye Restaurant, Fu'er Restaurant, Tujia Lou, etc.
II. Choice of dining location:
Generally, it is not recommended to dine at the accommodation hotel unless meals are included in a group tour. The principle for dining locations is to be as close as possible. For dinner, you can choose to eat at night market stalls (pay attention to price, hygiene, portion size, and value for money). For lunch, it is generally recommended to dine within the scenic area. Currently, there are fast food restaurants at the top of Huangshizhai and the top of Tianzi Mountain in the scenic area, with acceptable prices and quality, though worse when crowded in peak season. There are also some restaurants remaining near Yuanjiajie and Ten-Mile Gallery, with relatively higher prices and greater room for negotiation.
III. Specialty snacks:
Zhangjiajie is mainly known for Sandixiaoguo, but there are also some specialty snacks, available inside and outside the scenic area or in the city, including cold noodles, sweet rice wine tangyuan, kudzu root powder, ciba (glutinous rice cakes), the Couple's Radish Shop at the cinema, and the Straw Hat Noodles in the alley opposite the gate of Qifeng Market. All are snacks worth trying, cheap and tasty.
IV. Notes:
1. Hygiene: General restaurants in Zhangjiajie, especially some specialty restaurants, have average hygiene because locals are not too particular about food, but generally there won't be problems; it's just that it may not look very hygienic. Since you've come to the local area, you should integrate into it and experience the local customs and culture firsthand.
2. Price: Due to tourism-driven consumption, Zhangjiajie has relatively high prices, especially near tourist attractions where some places are outrageously expensive. There are also phenomena of two menus and kickbacks. Most hotels in Zhangjiajie city are more formal with fair prices, but hotels near the scenic area have higher prices, generally about 20% higher than in the city. If it's too high, there must be something fishy. So if there are many people, it is recommended to have the guide arrange meals.
3. When dining at night market stalls, please negotiate the price with the owner in advance. If priced by weight, pay attention to the portion. Try not to have disputes with locals to avoid unnecessary trouble and affecting your mood during the trip.
Zhangjiajie travel notes:
1. The temperature difference between the scenic area and the city is about 5 degrees. Remember to bring a jacket, but not too thick.
2. The less luggage the better, the lighter the better. It is best to bring an umbrella or rainproof clothing (you can also buy a disposable raincoat locally for a few RMB each). Because mountain weather is unpredictable. In summer, be sure to bring sunscreen and mosquito repellent. Prepare some simple medicines such as disinfectant wet wipes, shoes, Band-Aids, anti-inflammatory tablets, anti-diarrhea tablets (to prevent acclimatization), etc.; wear non-slip sports shoes, bring extra film and batteries, as they are more expensive locally.
3. Prepare a small amount of dry food (hiking is physically demanding) to satisfy hunger, bottled drinking water (to reduce high-price purchases during the trip), keep money in separate places, and if you have a nationally accepted bank card, it is best to bring it, as well as your ID card.
4. It is best to travel in a group of several people, so that car rental costs can be shared and you can look after each other.
5. After getting off at the train station, do not easily strike up conversations or believe others' words. It is best to contact the guide in advance (the guide will come to pick you up). Pay attention to safeguarding your belongings to prevent pickpocketing. Tourist cities are crowded and mixed; be especially careful!!!
6. If you have a student ID, senior ID (over 70), disability certificate, military officer certificate, or journalist certificate, don't forget to bring them before leaving, as you can enjoy corresponding discounted tickets.
In the city, Zhangjiajie city is relatively small, so taxi fares are relatively cheap. The starting fare is 3 RMB. If you want to save money, you can take the bus for 1 RMB per person.
As part of greater Xiangxi, a region inhabited by ethnic minorities, Zhangjiajie's food culture is naturally different from other places.
In Zhangjiajie city, I'll tell you what I'm familiar with. It's not very authoritative; after all, everyone has their own tastes. The first recommendation is Zhangjiajie's most down-to-earth snack—Sandixiaoguo.
Sandixiaoguo is a very convenient hot pot. The most local specialty is the dry pot (without soup). I personally think “Master Hu's Sandixiaoguo” is pretty good, economical and delicious. I suggest you eat pork intestines and walnut meat; the two can be stewed in one pot, and there will be some side dishes in it, which tastes very good! When eating, you can also order a portion of pickled radish, sour and crispy!
If you want to eat authentic Hunan cuisine, there is a Xiangli Renjia next to the bus station, which gathers the essence of Hunan cuisine. If you don't believe it, you can try it.
The Wulingyuan core scenic area of Zhangjiajie is very large, with an area of 398 square kilometers. It has the reputation of three thousand green peaks and eight hundred glassy waters. It can be said to integrate peaks, forests, caves, lakes, and waterfalls, and combine wonder, beauty, tranquility, wildness, and danger. “A scene every five steps, a new heaven every ten steps.” It is praised by Chinese and foreign tourists as “the most wonderful mountain under heaven” and “the original of Chinese landscape painting.”
If you want to visit it all, it will take about a week. To walk through the essential attractions, it generally takes three days. But taking the essence is enough. Moreover, there are many fork roads in the core scenic area, and some beautiful attractions are quite remote. Although it is a self-guided tour, hiring a guide seems to make it more reassuring, especially if you are traveling alone, at least the guide can chat with you. They can also explain the attractions along the way in more detail, so you take fewer wrong paths. Therefore, when touring the Zhangjiajie core scenic area, it is very necessary to find a reputable self-guided tour guide to help you with directions, explanations, and itinerary arrangements.
The attractions guaranteed by tour groups generally include: Huangshizhai and Tianzi Mountain, Yellow Dragon Cave, the earliest developed, most complete, and most famous attractions in Zhangjiajie. They are especially crowded in peak season. When the momentum of people overwhelms the momentum of nature, there is no talk of escaping the hustle and bustle of the city. However, it is recommended that the following attractions must be visited: Wulong Village, Tianbo Mansion, Sky Corridor, One Step to Heaven in Yangjiajie; Mihun Terrace and the World's First Bridge in Yuanjiajie; Golden Whip Stream in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park; Shentang Bay, Dianjiang Terrace, etc. in Tianzi Mountain Nature Reserve. But remember, tour groups do not go to these essential attractions, which is one of the firm reasons for self-guided tours in Zhangjiajie!
Zhangjiajie Huatian International Travel Service (official website:) is a professional tourism organization among the first batch approved by the National Tourism Administration to issue international travel agency business licenses. It is the only exemplary outstanding comprehensive tourism enterprise under the Hunan Provincial Tourism Bureau in the Zhangjiajie area.
It has many years of rich experience and strength in organizing and receiving guests from home and abroad, and has always maintained first-class service standards and a good reputation.
Zhangjiajie Huatian International Travel Service has close ties and good cooperative relationships with the tourism circles at home and abroad, as well as hotels, civil aviation, railways, and other departments in various places.
Hunan Self-Guided Tour Club's tourism industry has formed a one-stop scale, fully realizing computerized network operation management, and can provide efficient, high-quality, comfortable, and safe services for guests from home and abroad.
Zhangjiajie Huatian International Travel Service has a well-trained, strictly disciplined, experienced, knowledgeable, and enthusiastic management, sales, and translation-guide team proficient in English, Japanese, Korean, Cantonese, and other foreign languages and dialects.
Business scope of Zhangjiajie Huatian International Travel Service: soliciting and receiving foreign tourists, overseas Chinese, and compatriots from Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan for sightseeing and visiting relatives and friends on the mainland; organizing and arranging Chinese citizens to travel abroad (overseas) to visit relatives, train, and inspect, as well as visa services; organizing and receiving domestic citizens to travel to all parts of the country and domestic conferences, academic exchanges, and tourist vehicle services, etc.
“Responsible to society, responsible to the industry, responsible to guests, responsible to employees” is the corporate culture and code of conduct of Hunan Self-Guided Tour Club; we will provide perfect service to guests from home and abroad with a rigorous style, professional operation, excellent quality, reasonable prices, and eternal reputation.
“Make friends with the charm of strong people, win the market with high-grade specialty products, ensure quality with professional standardized operations,” “A team's itinerary can be imitated, but excellent quality cannot be copied,” “Every team is a priority, every guest is God,” “Win by quality, prosper together with customers!” When choosing a partner, choose the self-guided tour club; Zhangjiajie Huatian International Travel Service is your best choice!