Zhangjiajie or Guilin: Which one should you visit?

When you're planning your trip, it's only a matter of time before the big question pops up: which is better, Zhangjiajie or Guilin? We're talking about two heavyweights, but the truth is that the experience is unique in each one.

Zhangjiajie is that place that blows your mind with almost unreal landscapes. Guilin, on the other hand, is much more laid-back, with rivers, gentle mountains and more of a chilled-out vibe.

In this Trip.com guide, we'll help you decide which destination is more worthwhile based on your travel plans.

⚖️ Zhangjiajie vs Guilin: a quick comparison

It's time to compare Zhangjiajie and Guilin, because the plan changes a lot here. Both require several days, yes, but the experience is completely different: one is more intense, with hikes and early starts, and the other is much more relaxed, with cycling, rivers, and peaceful landscapes.

🧭 Which is better for a first-time trip, Zhangjiajie or Guilin?

There isn't one single answer, but there is a smarter choice depending on the type of trip you have in mind.

🔵 Guilin / Yangshuo: The easiest and most balanced option

• Simple logistics: comfortable connections from Hong Kong to Guilin by bullet train
• Varied landscapes: Li River cruise + rural countryside in Yangshuo
• Relaxed plan: cycling, walks, terraces, no rush
• Most comprehensive: a blend of nature, local culture, and gastronomy
• Less wear and tear: ideal if you don't want a physically demanding trip

👉 Who it's for: first-time trip to China, multi-destination routes, relaxed travel

🟢 Zhangjiajie: The most spectacular and intense option

• Stunning visual impact: unique landscapes in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park
• Real hiking: thousands of stairs, long walks, and inclines
• Epic photos: viewpoints like Yuanjiajie Scenic Area
• Unique atmosphere: mist, vertical mountains, an almost surreal feeling
• More demanding: both physically and logistically

👉 Who it's for: trekking enthusiasts, trips focused on pure nature

🏔️ Top things to do in Zhangjiajie

If you're more into adrenaline than sitting back and watching life go by, this is the place for you. Including Zhangjiajie in your China itinerary is synonymous with vertigo, climbing very high, and staring into the void.

While this is a destination that requires you to break a sweat, it rewards you with views that look like they’ve been plucked from another planet.

🌄 Zhangjiajie National Forest Park

This is where everything makes sense. Zhangjiajie National Forest Park is huge, and moving around it is almost like changing scenery every few hours. You start in areas like Yuanjiajie Scenic Area, surrounded by those vertical rock pillars that seem to float, and little by little you climb up to viewpoints on Tianzi Mountain where the landscape opens up into an infinite sea of peaks.

Here you spend the day walking, climbing stairs, linking routes, and using internal transport like cable cars or the famous Bailong Elevator, which climbs more than 300 metres right against the cliff face. And after so much intensity, heading down to the valley and walking along the Golden Whip Stream feels almost like a necessary break.

🚡 Tianmen Mountain: cable car, Heaven's Gate, and glass skywalks

Tianmen Mountain is outside the national park, right next to the city, and it's in a league of its own. The adventure begins on the cable car itself, which is incredibly long and takes you straight up from the city centre, literally skimming over the rooftops of the houses.

Up top, the route is a mix of adrenaline and scenery. You walk along glass walkways hanging from the rock, move along the edge of cliffs, and end up in front of the famous Heaven's Gate. This is a giant natural arch accessed by a staircase of 999 steps. And to get there, you've already travelled along the road of 99 bends, a zigzag so tight it's impressive even when seen from above.

🌉 Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon: glass bridge and adrenaline

The Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon is one of those places where you know what you're coming for. It's not so much about the duration, which is short, but the feeling. You are walking on a transparent bridge suspended more than 300 metres in the air, seeing the canyon right beneath your feet.

Interestingly, although it seems like a quick activity, the impact is immediate. You take your first steps carefully, look down… and that’s when you really notice the height. It’s easy to combine with other plans for the day, but it stays etched in your memory as one of the most intense moments of the trip.

✅ Benefits of visiting Zhangjiajie

The truth is that few places in China pack so much intensity into such a small space. It’s a destination you experience, not just visit, and you can feel that from day one.

• Unique landscapes in China: vertical rock pillars in areas like Yuanjiajie that cannot be found anywhere else
• Constant hiking: routes with thousands of steps, long stretches, and real inclines for hours
• Stunning photography: elevated viewpoints, shifting mist and panoramic “sea of peaks” views
• Sense of adventure: cable cars, lifts like the Bailong and paths clinging to cliffs
• Well-prepared infrastructure: efficient internal transport to cover long distances within the park

⚠️ Downsides of Zhangjiajie

But not everything is perfect. It’s a destination that demands more than others, both physically and in terms of organisation.

• High physical demand: days of 15,000–25,000 steps with continuous stairs
• Planning required: tickets by zone, cable car queues, and timings that need to be calculated carefully
• Higher cost: park + internal transport + attractions easily add up each day
• Unpredictable weather: fog can completely obscure key viewpoints like Tianzi or Yuanjiajie
• Long distances: getting between areas can take hours, even when using transport

🌄 Top things to do in Guilin

If you fancy a trip where you can slow down the pace and enjoy yourself without rushing from one place to another, Guilin makes it very easy to convince you. It's that image of China that we all have in our heads, with rounded mountains, calm rivers and ancient landscapes.

🚢 Li River cruise: Guilin's most famous postcard view

Here is the main event. The stretch between Guilin and Yangshuo is, without exaggeration, one of the most recognisable landscapes in all of China. Cruising along the Li River is a very simple experience, but that is precisely why it works.

You spend between 4 and 4.5 hours travelling along the river as karst peaks appear on both sides, constantly changing shape. There’s nothing else to do but sit back, look around and let the scenery do the work.

🚴 Yangshuo: cycling, Yulong River and rural life

Yangshuo is where the experience becomes more active, yet without losing that sense of tranquillity. The classic thing to do here is to hire a bike and travel along the rural paths that border the Yulong River, which is much calmer than the Li.

The terrain is practically flat, so you don't need to be in shape. You'll be cycling through rice paddies, small villages, and mountains that appear on either side. It's also true that you can stop whenever you like, whether it's to take photos or grab a drink.

Plus, the town has a vibe all of its own. Well-appointed cafés, local restaurants and a lovely atmosphere for relaxing after a long day.

🌾 Longji Rice Terraces: ever-changing landscapes and local culture

If you have extra time, Longji is one of those getaways that's worth planning carefully. It's not a quick trip, as it's about 2–3 hours from Guilin, but the change of scenery is total.

The rice terraces change throughout the year: intense green in summer, golden in autumn, or even covered in snow in winter. And it’s not just the scenery. You can also visit villages of ethnic minorities like the Yao or the Zhuang and see what rural life is really like.

🐘 Guilin City: Elephant Trunk Hill and Reed Flute Cave

Guilin city isn't the highlight of the trip, but it has a couple of stops that fit in well if you plan your day. Elephant Trunk Hill is the classic photo op, a rock formation that looks like an elephant drinking from the river, and it's quite a quick visit.

Then there's the Reed Flute Cave, a cave over 180 million years old, filled with illuminated stalactites. It's a very easy excursion, perfect for a morning or afternoon before you head off to Yangshuo.

✅ Benefits of visiting Guilin

The truth is that Guilin has an advantage because it's much more flexible. It doesn't force you to do anything, and you can completely adapt the trip to your own pace.

• A relaxed plan, meaning you don't need much physical exertion
• Great variety: river, cycling, villages, rice paddies and city
• Affordable prices: eating out and getting around is pretty cheap
• Easy logistics: direct bullet train from Hong Kong or Guangzhou

⚠️ Downsides of Guilin

But of course, that ease of access also has its downsides. It’s a very popular destination, and you can certainly tell at certain times.

• Tourist areas: especially in central Yangshuo and on cruises
• Less visual impact: prettier rather than spectacular
• High season: it can get quite crowded during Chinese public holidays

🏨 Where to stay in Zhangjiajie and Guilin

The best area to stay depends on the type of trip you want to take. In Zhangjiajie, it's best to stay near the main natural attractions, while in Guilin, you can choose between the city or Yangshuo depending on the pace you're looking for.

🏔️ Best areas to stay in Zhangjiajie

There are two clear choices here: the city or the park. And each one caters to a very different type of route.

Zhangjiajie City (centre)

• Average price: £19 – £51 / night
• What's nearby: Tianmen Mountain, station, airport
• Ideal if: you're doing Tianmen Mountain or arriving late
• Key advantage: cable car departing from the centre
• Good to know: far from the park (approx. 1h by car)

Wulingyuan (park entrance)

• Average price: £26 – £77 / night
• What's nearby: Zhangjiajie National Forest Park
• Ideal if: you are going to explore the park for several days
• Vibe: restaurants, shops, plenty of nightlife
• Key advantage: you enter the park in minutes

Mountain hotels / inside the park

• Average price: £51 – £128 / night
• What's nearby: viewpoints, inland trails
• Ideal if: you're looking for views and a different experience
• Extra: crowd-free sunrises, wilder surroundings
• Good to know: access is more difficult with luggage

🌿 Best areas to stay in Guilin

Here, the approach is different. Rather than logistics, it’s all about choosing the right kind of experience.

Guilin city centre

• Average price: £21 – £60 / night
• What's nearby: Sun and Moon Pagodas, transport
• Ideal if: you're arriving by train or making a short stop
• Vibe: urban, restaurants, easy to get around
• Something to keep in mind: it's not the prettiest area in the region

Yangshuo (the star base)

• Average price: £26 – £102 / night
• What's nearby: Yulong River, cycling routes, nature
• Ideal if: you want to truly experience the landscape
• Extra: hotels with views of karst mountains
• Vibe: a mix of rural and lively

Longji Rice Terraces

• Average price: £34 – £85 / night
• What's nearby: rice paddies, traditional villages
• Ideal if: you're looking for something authentic and quiet
• Type: wooden holiday cottages
• Things to keep in mind: long journey from Guilin

🚄 Which is easier to reach, Zhangjiajie or Guilin?

If you're planning an itinerary for China and wondering how to fit in Zhangjiajie or Guilin, the answer almost always depends on transport and how much time you have.

🧳 Classic route: Xi'an – Guilin or Zhangjiajie – Hong Kong

If you're putting together the typical 2-week itinerary, Guilin fits in much better logistically.

🚄 Direct bullet train:

• Guilin – Hong Kong: 3–3.5 hrs
• Guilin – Guangzhou: 2–3.5 hrs
• Guilin – Shenzhen: 2.5–4 hrs.

How to integrate it easily:

• Xi’an – Guilin: train or flight (2–6 hrs depending on option)
• Guilin – Hong Kong: a hassle-free direct train

🚆 If you want to travel exclusively by bullet train

There’s not much doubt here: Guilin wins clearly once again.

🚄 Highly developed high-speed rail network

📍 Stations well-connected to the centre

⏱️ Reasonable travel times between key cities

However, trying to do the same thing in Zhangjiajie changes the picture quite a bit:

🚆 Beijing – Zhangjiajie: 8–12 hrs (direct trains usually take 12 hours or more)

🚆 Shanghai – Zhangjiajie: 8–9 hours minimum

✈️ If you don't mind taking internal flights

This is where Zhangjiajie starts to make sense.

• Beijing – Zhangjiajie: 2.5 hrs flight
• Shanghai – Zhangjiajie: 2–2.5 hrs flight
• Xi’an – Zhangjiajie: 1.5 hrs flight

🚗 Airport – park (Wulingyuan): 40–60 min by car

🌦️ Best time to visit Zhangjiajie and Guilin

The best time to visit Zhangjiajie and Guilin is during the spring (March to May) and autumn (September to November), when temperatures are pleasant and conditions are generally better for enjoying the scenery.

Mind you, the weather has a big impact on the experience, so let's take a closer look at that:

🟢 Best time to visit Zhangjiajie

🔵 Best time to visit Guilin

💰 Which is cheaper, Zhangjiajie or Guilin?

In general, Guilin is a more affordable destination than Zhangjiajie. Accommodation and food usually cost less, and many of its activities have lower prices or are even free.

In Zhangjiajie, the budget increases mainly due to park entrance fees and the use of cable cars, lifts, and internal transport.

📸 Which is better for photography, Zhangjiajie or Guilin?

It depends on the type of photography you're looking for. Zhangjiajie stands out for its dramatic landscapes and vertical mountains, while Guilin offers the most classic and traditional postcards of China.

💚 The best places for photography in Zhangjiajie

• Yuanjiajie, with its famous rock pillars.
• Tianzi Mountain, one of the best viewpoints in the park.
• Bailong Elevator, with views of the cliffs.
• Tianmen Mountain and Heaven's Gate.
• Glass skywalks with panoramic mountain views.

💙 The best places for photography in Guilin

• Li River cruise between Guilin and Yangshuo.
• Xingping, famous for the landscape on the 20 yuan note.
• Xianggong Hill, ideal for photographing the sunrise.
• Longji Rice Terraces.
• Yulong River and its stone bridges near Yangshuo.

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