A 7,455 m cable car straight from the city to the summit, then the cliff walk and the arch
The 7.5 km cable car from the city, the cliff paths at the top and the 999 steps down through the arch — the most vertical day we run, with escalators where it counts.
Vertigo. The glass walkways are optional, but the cliff paths are not.
Tianmen Mountain and the national forest park are different places, an hour apart. People book one expecting the other.
Pick-up from hotels in Yongding district only; Wulingyuan, the West Railway Station and the airport are outside the zone
Local time (GMT+8). Departures move earlier in high season to beat the cable-car queue.
Outside the zone, meet at the cable-car base on Dayong Road. On public holidays the start can move to 06:00
About 28 minutes over a 742 m rise, crossing rooftops, the railway and the valley. Sit facing in if heights bother you
The walkway is pinned to a thousand-metre cliff and disappears into cloud in wet weather. Then the glass walkway — 60 m long, 1,430 m up, shoe covers ¥5
The high point, looking down on the 99 bends of the Tongtian road. The summit runs 6–8 °C cooler than town, with wind
Simple food and snacks at the top, all pricey; bringing your own and eating on the terrace works better
Seven flights bored through the rock (¥32, own expense), emerging at the gate plaza
The highest natural arch of its kind — 131.5 m tall and 57 m wide. Walk the 999 steps to the plaza, or take the escalator
Line A goes up by cable car and down by the express link; Line B reverses it; Line C uses the express link both ways, best for vertigo or motion sickness
The finish shifts with the start time, earlier or later on holidays
The tour starts and ends in Zhangjiajie. Most travellers arrive at Zhangjiajie West Railway Station — the pick-up loop is a short taxi or metro ride from the exits, and the tour returns you in time for an evening train. If you are coming from another city, check the direct high-speed trains and their first and last departures.
Cable car and escalators remove most of the climbing, so older parents are fine. The glass walkway and the 999 steps are the two things to skip with small children or vertigo.
$82 per person on the group tour, or from $256 per vehicle for a private car with driver and guide. The group price includes the driver, guide and admission; the private price is for the whole vehicle, whatever the party size.
It runs 08:00 to 17:30 — about 9.5 hours from pick-up to drop-off, including the drive. If you are catching a train or flight the same evening, book it for after 19:00.
Hotels in Yongding district. Your driver and guide meet you there; the exact spot is confirmed the day before travel.
Tianmen Mountain ticket (¥288 combination, including both cableways and shuttles); Mandarin-speaking guide; Hotel pick-up and drop-off in Yongding district.
Mountain escalators ¥32 and glass-walkway shoe covers ¥5; Summit mini cable car ¥25.
Two days. We do not accept same-day or next-day bookings because the car, guide and admission have to be arranged in advance. Cancellation is free up to 7 days before the tour; inside that it steps to 20% (6–3 days) and 60% (2–1 days), and nothing is refunded on the day itself.
The cable car alone is worth the ticket — it runs from the city centre up over the 99 bends. Up top, the Ghost Valley and glass walkways hang over a drop that made my legs go.
乘坐世界超长索道直达山顶，穿云破雾的体验太棒了，俯瞰99弯通天大道极其壮观。山顶的鬼谷栈道和玻璃栈道既刺激又出片。
Take route A: 28 minutes of cable car straight from town, then the park shuttle up the switchbacks to Heaven's Gate square. From there it is stairs or escalators through the arch.
我们走的A线，先坐28分钟索道从市中心到山下，再坐景区交通车走盘山路到达天门洞广场，这一段可以自己爬也可以坐扶梯。
Route A is the one. The arch seen from the square below, with the stairway running up to it, is the photo everyone comes for — and it delivers.
天门山真的是非常震撼，A线上山完美体验，必须买全票乘坐扶梯上山，山顶景色优美。
