7 Days Hunan Highlights Tour to Changsha, Zhangjiajie, Fenghuang, Changde

Hunan is blessed with some of China’s most beautiful landscapes and fecund scenery, such as the capital city Changsha, the hometown of Chairman Mao in Shaoshan, the great natural wonders of Zhangjiajie and culture of Fenghuang Old Town. This tour will take you explore all the highlights of this mysterious and attractive land.

Highlights:

  • Explore the birthplace and the former residence of Mao Zedong.
  • Walk on the Grass Bridge get the magnificent views of the Grand Canyon.
  • Immerse yourself in the most beautiful town – Fenghuang Ancient Town in China.
  • View the spectaculuar scenery of Zhangjiajie National Forest Park.

Brief Itinerary

  • Day 1: Changsha Arrival
  • Day 2: Changsha – Zhangjiajie
  • Day 3: Zhangjiajie National Forest Park
  • Day 4: Zhangjiajie
  • Day 5: Zhangjiajie – Fenghuang
  • Day 6: Fenghuang – Changde
  • Day 7: Changde – Shaoshan – Changsha

Google Map

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1 Changsha Arrival

Sightseeing and Activities:
Accommodation: Changsha
Meals:

Arrive in Changsha airport or train station, and greeted by local guide and driver. Transferred to Changsha hotel, free and easy for the rest of the time. Changsha is one of the “Top Snacks Cities” in China and try to discover Changsha snacks in the evening.

Day 2 Changsha – Zhangjiajie

Sightseeing and Activities: Tianmen Mountain
Accommodation: Zhangjiajie
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Tianmen Mountain National Forest Park in Zhangjiajie

Today we will drive to Zhangjiajie city, which is a small city located in the northwest of Hunan province, with a total population of 1.7 million. It is famous for its unique sand stone quarts peaks and mountains. Start our tour by taking an adventure to Tianmen Mountain. Tianmen literally means “heaven’s gate”, and the scenery of this area does match its name. We will ride the world’s longest cable car to get up to the mountain top, take walk on a glass walkway which is suspened 1,430 meters up, and ride on a mountain road with 99 turns. And that’s not all: there’s still a 999-step ‘stairway to heaven’ gate before you reach the hole. After the tour, transfer to hotel for check in.

Day 3 Zhangjiajie National Forest Park

Sightseeing and Activities: Tianzi Mountain, Yuanjiajie Scenic Area, Bailong Elevator
Accommodation: Zhangjiajie
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Tianzi Mountain Nature Reserve in Zhangjiajie

Today we will take a tour to Zhangjiajei National Forest Park. It’s about 40 minutes driving by car to Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, a World Scenic Heritage Site since 1992. Take a cable car up Tianzi Mountain and walk on the trails to admire large areas of grotesque peaks. Viewing platforms along the way allow you to see the scenery at different angles.

Lunch on the mountain is very basic, and it is suggested that you bring some snacks. Local villagers sell fruits and food along the way, which are also good to try. If you prefer, we can arrange to have lunch at a McDonald(at your own expense) on the mountain, and have a break in the air-conditioned building.

In the afternoon, take the public shuttle bus to Yuanjiajie Scenic Area, where recently-named Hallelujah pillar, one of the inspirations for Avatar’s floating rocks is located. We will use the Bailong Elevator to descend the montain, a glass elevator built on the side of a cliff, taking only 2 minutes. Then back to hotel for rest.

Day 4 Zhangjiajie

Sightseeing and Activities: Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon, Glass Bridge, Gold Whip Stream
Accommodation: Zhangjiajie
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon

Enjoy a morning view of the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon completed with aesthetically pleasing cliffs, caves, streams, and lakes. Take time to observe flora and fauna of this natural museum of the northern temperate zone. Slide down to the bottom of the hill where we have the opportunity to cross a half-mile glass bridge. The Glass Bridge is built between two mountains of Zhangjiajie Grand canyon, which is 375 meters long and 6 meters wide, With a height of 300 meters from bottoms.

Then take a nice walk in Gold Whip Stream for a pleasant stroll along the stream, surrounded by grotesque rocks. We might see some monkeys there. Please don’t touch or scare them for safety reasons, but giving them food is OK. Enjoy the fresh air and pure water here.

Day 5 Zhangjiajie – Fenghuang

Sightseeing and Activities: Fenghuang ancient town
Accommodation: Fenghuang
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Drive to Fenghuang city in the morning and visit Fenghuang ancient town in the afternoon. It will take about 4 hours from Zhangjiajie to Fenghuang city. A short boat ride of 10 minutes on the Tuo River is a good experience to relax, and you can also explore the small museums and former residences inside the town. The town is secluded and tranquil by day, and it becomes a place of liveliness with bars along the river open at night. We can go out to the river side for the night view in the evening.

Day 6 Fenghuang – Changde

Sightseeing and Activities: Fenghuang ancient town, Liuye lake, the Poem wall
Accommodation: Changde
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

The Poem Wall in Changde

Have a free morning to explore the old city to know more about the old town and the local people. Then drive to Changde city, located in the northwest of Hunan Province, 150 km northwest of the capital city Changsha. Changde was called Wuling and Dingzhou in ancient times. With abundant products and beautiful natural scenery, Changde is “a land of fish and rice” and an interesting place for tourists. We will take nice walk on the bank of Liuye lake. Then we will pay a visit to the Poem wall upon arrival. It is a 3 kilometer-long anti-flood dyke alongside the Yuanjiang River, which is engraved with poems, handwriting and painting and thus is listed as the longest wall with engraved arts in Guinness Record. After the tour, check in hotel in Changde.

Day 7 Changde – Shaoshan

Sightseeing and Activities: the Statue Sqaure, Former Resisence of Maozedong
Accommodation:
Meals: Breakfast

Today we will drive to Shaoshan city to visit the Statue Sqaure and former resisence of Mao Zedong. After that we will drive to Changsha airport for your flight. Service ends.

Service Included:

  • Admission fees for all of the sightseeing spots listed in the itinerary;
  • Meals as listed in the itinerary;
  • Hotels as listed in the itinerary;
  • Private English-speaking tour guide;
  • Private vehicle for transfers & sightseeing with skilled driver;
  • Service charge & government taxes;
  • Luggage transfers between airports and hotels;
  • Domestic train tickets of soft sleeper.

Service Excluded:

  • Any arrival and departure international airfares or train tickets;
  • Chinese visa fees;
  • Excess baggage charged by Airlines;
  • Single room supplement;
  • Tips to guides and drivers;
  • Personal expenses and gratuities to service staff;
  • Personal travel accident insurance;
  • All optional programs.