How to Plan a Beijing and Zhangjiajie Tour

Before you study the transportation between Beijing and Zhangjiajie, you may wonder why putting Beijing and Zhangjiajie in one trip? The answers are clear. Beijing is the most important gateway city to China with many international flights running to everyday. That means once you enter China and you can easily access to Zhangjiajie within several hours. Beijing is a melting pot of global power, ancient culture and modern energy. Walk on the Great Wall of China, experience the rich history of an ancient culture, and feel the energy an power of one of the fastest developing areas in the world. AND THEN, transfer to Zhangjiajie, a totally different nature wonderland with peculiar sandstone pillars and peaks and outdoor paradise fulled with thrilling activities and challenge. Huge contrast for your Beijing Zhangjiajie travel, isn’t it?

Now, it is time to check the latest transportation guide to know how to get from Beijing to Zhangjiajie Latest and which is the most convenient way for the transfer. Keep reading!

If your time in China is limited and you want to see both cultural heritages and natural scenery, a tour covering Beijing and Zhangjiajie can be a great option.

Here, we've detailed all the information you need to know to plan a Beijing and Zhangjiajie tour.

How to Get from Beijing to Zhangjiajie

Beijing is situated at the northern tip of the roughly triangular North China Plain, while Zhangjiajie is located at the northwest of Hunan Province. To see them on a map, Zhangjiajie is located at the southwest of Beijing, about 1557 kilometers (967 miles) away. There are direct flights and train running from Beijing to Zhangjiajie. Travelers can take a flight to Zhangjiajie within 3 hours, however, the train from Beijing to Zhangjiajie is quite long, which needs about 23-26.5 hours. Check the following detailed location & transfer map to get quick information to travel from Beijing to Zhangjiajie.

By airplane (recommended): There are daily direct flights from Beijing to Zhangjiajie, taking about 3 hours. As flights are generally in the evening, you can enjoy a full day in Beijing and the following day in Zhangjiajie.

By train: No direct bullet trains travel between Beijing and Zhangjiajie, just normal overnight trains, which take 23–26 hours. A way to save several hours on the train, albeit more hassle, is to take a connecting train in Changsha, a bigger city close to Zhangjiajie.

How Many Days to Spend in Beijing and Zhangjiajie

We recommend you spend 3 to 4 days in Beijing to visit the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven, the Summer Palace, and the hutongs. See our sample itinerary for reference.

If this is not your first time in Beijing, we have some exclusive experiences allowing you to have an in-depth understanding of the city.

Itinerary of a Beijing and Zhangjiajie Tour

Day 1: Beijing arrival
Day 2: The Forbidden City and a hutongs tour
Day 3: The Great Wall at Mutianyu and the Temple of Heaven
Day 4: The Summer Palace and a flight from Beijing to Zhangjiajie
Day 5: Zhangjiajie National Forest Park: Yuanjiajie and Tianzi Mountain
Day 6: Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon Glass Bridge and Baofeng Lake
Day 7: Tianmen Mountain and Zhangjiajie departure

In Zhangjiajie, you can stay for 2–4 days to visit the highlights there, such as Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, Tianmen Mountain, and Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon Glass Bridge. See one of our Zhangjiajie sample itineraries for inspiration.

How to Plan your Beijing Zhangjiajie Travel?

To combine Beijing and Zhangjiajie in one trip, you need to spend about 6 days to 8 days.

You need 2 or 3 full days to explore the best highlights of Beijing, including Tian’anmen Square, Forbidden City, Great Wall, Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace, Hutongs, etc. If you have more days, you can go for an in-depth Great Wall hiking or explore more hidden attractions in the city.

Zhangjiajie is a scenic paradise with over 3000 narrow sandstone pillars and peaks, many over 200 meters high. There are many stunning tourist attractions scattered in and around Zhangjiajie City. It is a good idea to spend about 2 to 3 days in the north of Zhangjiajie City, about 30~40 kilometers away. Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, Yuanjiajie and Tianzi Mountain are usually combined into a two-day itinerary. Furthermore, Yellow Dragon Cave, Baofeng Lake and Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon & Glass Bridge can be visited in one day. To travel in-depth with a visit to Tianmen Mountain, it will take another day, forming 5 days’ itinerary.