Tianmen Mountain National Forest Park — Complete Guide

At a Glance

Admission + cable car (combo)	¥278 / Klook ¥218
+ glass skywalk (with shoe covers)	+¥50
All-in (incl. 99-bend coach)	¥398 / Klook ¥318
Opening hours	Apr–Oct 08:00–17:30 / Nov–Mar 08:30–17:00
Location	Yongding District, Zhangjiajie — 15 min from town
Time needed	Full day, 6–7 hours
Elevation	1,518 m

1. What Tianmen Mountain is

In Yongding District, Zhangjiajie (Hunan), only 8 km from the city centre. Designated a forest park in 1992 and catapulted to global fame in 2009 by the wingsuit fly-through of the Heaven's Gate cave. Elevation 1,518 m, with a flat trapezoidal summit that resembles a "heaven's gate."

The headline feature: "the world's longest passenger cableway" — 7,455 m, ferrying you straight from the city centre to the summit in 30 minutes. The ride alone is a world-class experience, with sweeping views of Zhangjiajie city and the 99-bend mountain road below.

2. Top 6 must-see sights

1. Tianmen Mountain Cableway — 7,455 m, the world's longest passenger cable car; 30 min from town to summit.
2. Glass Skywalk — 1.6 m wide, 60 m long, 60 m up the cliff; transparent glass floor.
3. Tianmen Cave (Heaven's Gate) — natural through-mountain karst arch, 131.5 m high, 57 m wide. Look up at the sky from inside.
4. 99-Bend Road — 10.77 km of road with 99 hairpins; ~30-min drive.
5. Guigu Walkway — 1,400 m of cliff-edge boardwalk.
6. Yunmeng Xianding — Tianmen Mountain's highest point, 1,518 m.

3. Suggested 1-day route

There are two ways up Tianmen:

• Route A (recommended): cable car up + 99-bend coach down;
• Route B: 99-bend up + cable car down.

Detailed 1-day plan

1. 08:00 entry — board the world's longest cable car for the 30-min ride up;
2. 08:30–09:30 — Yunmeng summit + summit temple;
3. 09:30–10:30 — Guigu cliff walkway (1,400 m);
4. 10:30–11:00 — glass skywalk (skip if afraid of heights);
5. 11:00–13:00 — summit restaurant lunch;
6. 13:00–14:30 — escalators down to Tianmen Cave;
7. 14:30–15:30 — Tianmen Cave viewing + photos;
8. 15:30–16:30 — 99-bend coach down;
9. 16:30 exit.

4. Ticket comparison

Combo	Includes	Face value	Klook
Base combo	Admission + cable car + escalator	¥278	¥218
+ glass skywalk	+ shoe covers	¥328	¥268
All-in	+ 99-bend coach	¥398	¥318
Child 1.0–1.4 m	Base	¥139	¥110

5. Best time to visit

• April–May, September–October: most comfortable weather.
• Late September to early October: peak summit autumn colour (red leaves + snow caps).
• Avoid: June–September thunderstorms (closures); Spring Festival packed; December–February snow can stop the cable car.
• Best window each day: 08:00 first cable car (least busy).

6. Glass Skywalk details

Built in 2010: 1.6 m wide, 60 m long, 60 m above the cliff. Glass is 4.5 cm thick and rated for 8 tonnes — perfectly safe.

Experience:

• Shoe covers compulsory (to protect the glass);
• No camera bags allowed;
• Acrophobics can take the parallel concrete path;
• Best photos after 10:00 when sun hits the glass for great reflections.

7. How to get there / back

• Flight: direct flights to Zhangjiajie Hehua Airport from Changsha, Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen;
• HSR: Changsha South → Zhangjiajie West, ~3 hours;
• City to Tianmen: metro / bus / taxi, 15 min to the cable car ticket office.

8. How to save money

• Pre-book on Klook: ¥60 off the base combo;
• Skip the glass skywalk if you're acrophobic;
• Children under 1.0 m free;
• 1.0–1.4 m half price;
• 60+ half price.

9. Practical tips

• Bring: ID / passport, warm jacket (cold at the top), grippy shoes, rain jacket;
• Not allowed: outside food, glass containers, pets, selfie sticks;
• Height limit: glass skywalk 1.0 m+;
• Toilets: 5+ on the summit;
• Motion sickness: the 99-bend road is a workout — bring tablets;
• Cable car closures: high winds / thunderstorms close it; the 99-bend road is the back-up.

10. Why book through us

• ¥60–80 cheaper than the gate;
• Scan-and-enter;
• Voucher valid 6 months;
• Free cancellation up to 72 hours ahead.

From ¥218 · Book on Klook now →