2 Day in Zhangjiajie Avatar World And Tianmen Mountain Tour

Zhangjiajie is the place that inspired the floating mountains in Avatar and it lives up to it. Riding the Bailong elevator up the cliff face and then walking among those towering sandstone pillars in the mist felt like stepping into the film. Two days covered the Avatar World pillars and Tianmen Mountain. Pace was intense but worth it.

The glass skywalk on Tianmen Mountain genuinely tested my nerves, walking on a transparent ledge bolted to a cliff hundreds of metres up. The cable car ride to the top is the longest I have ever been on and gives incredible views the whole way. Our guide handled the timed entry tickets which would have been a nightmare alone.

Two days was efficient. Day one in the Avatar park among the famous pillars, day two on Tianmen with the 99-bend road, the cable car and the cliff walkways. Heaven's Gate cave is something else. Private guide meant no waiting around for a group and we could chase the best weather windows for clear views.

Misty days actually made the Avatar mountains more atmospheric, the pillars appearing and disappearing in the clouds. The glass walkway on Tianmen was the thrill of the trip. Lots of walking and stairs over the two days so come with decent shoes. Guide was upbeat and took great photos for us.

Spectacular scenery, the karst pillars really are like nothing else. Be warned the parks are huge and very popular, so even with a private guide there are crowds at the famous viewpoints and the cable car queue. Two intense days. Tianmen's glass skywalk and the cliff road were the highlights for me.