The Grand Canyon of Zhangjiajie
The Grand Canyon of Zhangjiajie
4
7:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Monday
7:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Tuesday
7:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday
7:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Thursday
7:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Friday
7:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday
7:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday
7:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Admission tickets
from
AU$86.21
Full view
Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.
Top ways to experience The Grand Canyon of Zhangjiajie
The area
Address
Best nearby
We rank these restaurants and attractions by balancing reviews from our members with how close they are to this location.
Attractions
3 within 10 kms
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
We perform checks on reviews.
Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
Learn more about our review moderation.
4.0
373 reviews
Excellent
180
Very good
119
Average
51
Poor
17
Terrible
6
RachA1972
London, United Kingdom34 contributions
Nov 2019
We arrived at this attraction on the way back to the airport. We arrived at the entrance and joined a queue of a couple of hundred people. Nobody knew what was happening or how long we would be stood there for. After an hour and a half of waiting the doors finally opened and we were allowed in.
The bridge was a glass bridge. There is an area along the side where those who cannot face walking the glass bridge can walk. Then there was a further walk (or pay extra for elevators, zip lines and slides) of about 2 hours that bought you back to the start where the driver was waiting.
The bridge was a glass bridge. There is an area along the side where those who cannot face walking the glass bridge can walk. Then there was a further walk (or pay extra for elevators, zip lines and slides) of about 2 hours that bought you back to the start where the driver was waiting.
Written 17 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Michael
Beijing, China29 contributions
Oct 2023 • Family
You will be surprised with this advice but the best time to visit the Grand Canyon is cloudy weather after rain. The only drawback is slippery steps down the rocks. They are made of wood and steep. Then take a boat to get to the beginning of the plank road along the artificial lake. Full of green and water. Sometimes you will go under the rocks, sometimes over the lake. Enjoy beautiful waterfalls, crystal clear drops on leaves and extremely great nature around you. Do not worry about the clouds and wet roads.
Written 28 December 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
André K
Hefei, China279 contributions
Mar 2023 • Couples
This is a must visit if you enjoy nature and adventure. The natural beauty is stunning. Walking on the glass cliff walk way and crossing the glass bridge is exciting. Hiking the Golden Whip stream is so awesome and relaxing.
Written 5 April 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
wilsonhocw
Singapore, Singapore2,605 contributions
Mar 2024 • Friends
Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon is famous for its Zhangjiajie Glass Bridge which is the world's longest and highest glass bridge.
Spectacular views on both sides of the Grand Canyon from the Zhangjiajie Glass Bridge.
Visit on Monday, 11 March 2024
Spectacular views on both sides of the Grand Canyon from the Zhangjiajie Glass Bridge.
Visit on Monday, 11 March 2024
Written 17 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ClaireLi
Beijing, China27 contributions
Oct 2018 • Couples
We walked on the world’s highest glass bridge, but weren’t not scared as imagined. It was just a place to take some pictures. It’s enough to spend half hour or one hour at most there.
Written 11 January 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Peter W
Beijing, China26 contributions
Oct 2018 • Couples
an architectural and engineering marvel! But it is always crowded. The other side of the bridge was under repair, plus the crowd, the experience is just so-so.
Written 27 December 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
zincis
Västerås, Sweden202 contributions
Nov 2011 • Friends
Zhangjiajie Grand canyon was one of the best scenic places we visited in Zhangjiajie and I hope you will read this review in spite of my bad English (I guess it maybe is better than Google Translate anyway).
When I was planning our trip to Zhangjiajie I had never heard of Grand Canyon of Zhangjiajie. When in China I talked to a friend of mine who had visited Zjj a couple of weeks earlier and her local guide had took her to that place. My friend had LOVED Grand Canyon and recommended it to us sincerely. But she had no map to show us where it was.
So when we went to Zjj November 2011 we decided to take a look on Grand Canyon. We asked about it at our hotel (Pullman) but the few English-speaking staff members didn’t know what we meant. After visiting ZJJ National Park we bought a photo-book there and in that book there was a photo of Grand Canyon and text in English and Chinese. We showed it at the hotel and they could point out the place on tourist map (which was on Chinese). We decided to visit Grand Canyon and Baofeng Lake on the same day and got advice at the hotel to take a taxi for whole day (200 yuan). We did it and it was very convenient.
We went to Grand Canyon in the morning; the driver helped us to the entrance and surprisingly found an English-speaking person there. We got a little guide-book in English and a personal guide (included in price) - a very nice girl who went with us whole way (about 2-3 hours). She couldn’t speak English but somehow we could communicate anyway.
Canyon walk includes stairs (mostly down), plain walk, a kind of toboggan-ride (without sled, you ride on your back) and a lovely boat-trip. Very nice walk, beautiful sights, almost no tourists – just we and the nature.
Actually you don’t need a guide, you cannot get lost. But “our” girl was so cute, she pointed out best sights, showed interesting plants and birds, told (showed) us how to use some historical instruments exposed along the walk, sang Chinese songs for us and appreciated our singing of Latvian and Swedish songs. It was really a very, very pleasant experience and I can highly recommend enjoying it before this amazing place gets over-exploited like Baofeng lake.
You cannot find Grand canyon on tourist map in English http://www.chinatouristmaps.com/travel/hunan/zhangjiajie/zhangjiajie-attrations-location.html, but on Chinese map http://www.cn-zjj.com/guide/map2.htm it is on right upper corner. If you look on the two roads parallel to the right edge of the map and the river parallel to the roads - the place is where the river is joining the roads. I cannot find it on Google maps and do not have coords either, not so easy with maps of China. Don't hesitate to contact me if you want more information.
When I was planning our trip to Zhangjiajie I had never heard of Grand Canyon of Zhangjiajie. When in China I talked to a friend of mine who had visited Zjj a couple of weeks earlier and her local guide had took her to that place. My friend had LOVED Grand Canyon and recommended it to us sincerely. But she had no map to show us where it was.
So when we went to Zjj November 2011 we decided to take a look on Grand Canyon. We asked about it at our hotel (Pullman) but the few English-speaking staff members didn’t know what we meant. After visiting ZJJ National Park we bought a photo-book there and in that book there was a photo of Grand Canyon and text in English and Chinese. We showed it at the hotel and they could point out the place on tourist map (which was on Chinese). We decided to visit Grand Canyon and Baofeng Lake on the same day and got advice at the hotel to take a taxi for whole day (200 yuan). We did it and it was very convenient.
We went to Grand Canyon in the morning; the driver helped us to the entrance and surprisingly found an English-speaking person there. We got a little guide-book in English and a personal guide (included in price) - a very nice girl who went with us whole way (about 2-3 hours). She couldn’t speak English but somehow we could communicate anyway.
Canyon walk includes stairs (mostly down), plain walk, a kind of toboggan-ride (without sled, you ride on your back) and a lovely boat-trip. Very nice walk, beautiful sights, almost no tourists – just we and the nature.
Actually you don’t need a guide, you cannot get lost. But “our” girl was so cute, she pointed out best sights, showed interesting plants and birds, told (showed) us how to use some historical instruments exposed along the walk, sang Chinese songs for us and appreciated our singing of Latvian and Swedish songs. It was really a very, very pleasant experience and I can highly recommend enjoying it before this amazing place gets over-exploited like Baofeng lake.
You cannot find Grand canyon on tourist map in English http://www.chinatouristmaps.com/travel/hunan/zhangjiajie/zhangjiajie-attrations-location.html, but on Chinese map http://www.cn-zjj.com/guide/map2.htm it is on right upper corner. If you look on the two roads parallel to the right edge of the map and the river parallel to the roads - the place is where the river is joining the roads. I cannot find it on Google maps and do not have coords either, not so easy with maps of China. Don't hesitate to contact me if you want more information.
Written 20 January 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
sprabs
Toronto, Canada55 contributions
Aug 2016 • Couples
As of 20-Aug-2016, the longest suspension glass bridge is open for visitors and dont worry if you are non-Chinese, this review should help you understand how to get to Grand Canyon and visit glass bridge without any issues.
First of all a little bit about us, we only had two days in Wulingyuan which we had kept for National Park, based on other reviews we had decided not to spend time in Grand Canyon, but given the fact that glass bridge had opened we just wanted to see it and come out.
Since it is opened on experimental basis, there are a bunch of entry restrictions on bridge (take reservations, only so many people at a time, only so many in a given day), so you want to reach this place as early as possible and possible on weekends to avoid reservation sell-outs. We went here on a weekday and were exiting this place by 9am !
How to reach :
If you are at Zhangjiajie, you need to head to bus station which is right next to railway station. There are two bus stations, one is local (will have single/double digit numbered routes), while the one that you are looking for is suburban (no numbered routes, It is right behind McD). Once there, ask for bus to Wulingyuan (woolin-yuan 武陵源), last bus heads out at 7pm or 8pm. You are looking to get off at last stop (about 30 mins ride).
Wulingyuan bus terminal is inconspicuously located next to a hotel, if you spot a security scanner inside a glass building with Chinese signs on it, you are looking at the right thing. At Wulingyuan bus terminal, ask for bus to Grand Canyon (大峡谷, it helps to scroll down these on piece of paper). This will take less than half an hour, again you are looking to get off at last bus stop. Once off, just follow the crowd to ticketing area, at ticketing area, you have to get in shortest line for lanes marked as "B", or ones that have neither A nor B markings. B ticket roughly stands for bridge ticket and you will purchase 2 tickets per person, total costing around 250 yuan, that will allow you entry to grand canyon park and the bridge. As of this review, 'bridge only' ticket option is not present. They do want all members of group to be physically present with their photo IDs while buying tickets, so make sure all your folks are nearby (& say not in restrooms) & preferably carrying passports.
What to expect:
After ticketing, you take an escalator down to entry area, DSLRs and selfie sticks are not allowed and have to be kept at luggage counter (on same level, complimentary). I have seen people smuggle their selfie sticks in, so am not sure how strict they are about this process. Mobile phones are ok. Hand held digicams are allowed but I did not specifically ask.
Once inside, you have to wear mandatory sock over your shoes, wait in line for bridge to be free (in mornings, we barely got 10min waiting) and that's it ! In front of you is newest attraction of Zhangjiajie, a 430m long suspended glass bridge.
The glass was demonstrated to be strong in online videos, so if you feel like jumping, go for it ! If you are looking for a glass pane to yourself, sections deeper into the canyon are relatively less crowded and have better views.
There are two steel platforms below the glass that were not open for public yet which will provide base for folks to do worlds longest bungee jump.
Some suggestions for photos include 'sleeping in air' (lie down on panel, taken from high with canyon view in backdrop), 'sitting/hanging on ledge' (use the steel ledges below to take sitting or hanging illusion from top).
After crossing the bridge, you can continue to rest of the Grand Canyon park (minimum 3 hours of walk/escalators). We simply took a U turn and came back to same end of bridge from where we started.
After exiting the park, wait simply retrace your steps back, public bus run every half an hour or so but dont wait if no people are around.
First of all a little bit about us, we only had two days in Wulingyuan which we had kept for National Park, based on other reviews we had decided not to spend time in Grand Canyon, but given the fact that glass bridge had opened we just wanted to see it and come out.
Since it is opened on experimental basis, there are a bunch of entry restrictions on bridge (take reservations, only so many people at a time, only so many in a given day), so you want to reach this place as early as possible and possible on weekends to avoid reservation sell-outs. We went here on a weekday and were exiting this place by 9am !
How to reach :
If you are at Zhangjiajie, you need to head to bus station which is right next to railway station. There are two bus stations, one is local (will have single/double digit numbered routes), while the one that you are looking for is suburban (no numbered routes, It is right behind McD). Once there, ask for bus to Wulingyuan (woolin-yuan 武陵源), last bus heads out at 7pm or 8pm. You are looking to get off at last stop (about 30 mins ride).
Wulingyuan bus terminal is inconspicuously located next to a hotel, if you spot a security scanner inside a glass building with Chinese signs on it, you are looking at the right thing. At Wulingyuan bus terminal, ask for bus to Grand Canyon (大峡谷, it helps to scroll down these on piece of paper). This will take less than half an hour, again you are looking to get off at last bus stop. Once off, just follow the crowd to ticketing area, at ticketing area, you have to get in shortest line for lanes marked as "B", or ones that have neither A nor B markings. B ticket roughly stands for bridge ticket and you will purchase 2 tickets per person, total costing around 250 yuan, that will allow you entry to grand canyon park and the bridge. As of this review, 'bridge only' ticket option is not present. They do want all members of group to be physically present with their photo IDs while buying tickets, so make sure all your folks are nearby (& say not in restrooms) & preferably carrying passports.
What to expect:
After ticketing, you take an escalator down to entry area, DSLRs and selfie sticks are not allowed and have to be kept at luggage counter (on same level, complimentary). I have seen people smuggle their selfie sticks in, so am not sure how strict they are about this process. Mobile phones are ok. Hand held digicams are allowed but I did not specifically ask.
Once inside, you have to wear mandatory sock over your shoes, wait in line for bridge to be free (in mornings, we barely got 10min waiting) and that's it ! In front of you is newest attraction of Zhangjiajie, a 430m long suspended glass bridge.
The glass was demonstrated to be strong in online videos, so if you feel like jumping, go for it ! If you are looking for a glass pane to yourself, sections deeper into the canyon are relatively less crowded and have better views.
There are two steel platforms below the glass that were not open for public yet which will provide base for folks to do worlds longest bungee jump.
Some suggestions for photos include 'sleeping in air' (lie down on panel, taken from high with canyon view in backdrop), 'sitting/hanging on ledge' (use the steel ledges below to take sitting or hanging illusion from top).
After crossing the bridge, you can continue to rest of the Grand Canyon park (minimum 3 hours of walk/escalators). We simply took a U turn and came back to same end of bridge from where we started.
After exiting the park, wait simply retrace your steps back, public bus run every half an hour or so but dont wait if no people are around.
Written 11 September 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Christina C
Coquitlam, Canada6,336 contributions
Feb 2017 • Couples
The Grand Canyon of Zhangjiajie has many great attractions. I don’t understand why Trip Advisor doesn’t break them down so people can write more detail about each of the attractions.
On a mainly sunny day in February we went to explore this Grand Canyon, we started from the top to bottom.
1) The longest glass bridge in the world didn't have many visitors in February. It was a good time to go. No big bags were allowed and you need to wear shoe cover. They are still building the observation deck at the other side of the bridge; more steps for you to conquer, if you what a challenge.
2) There's a long staircase called "A Strip of Sky". It is like a crack between two mountains, maybe a thousand steps (it felt like that many, if not , its close to a thousand). I never knew walking down stairs can be that hard.
3) Rocky Slide Track, is a two parts long concrete slide, you have to sit on a piece of canvas-like material to slide down. It was fun, but not fast enough.
4) Canyon Trail: it was around 25 minute walk, just like Johnston Canyon in the Banff National Park. Get your camera ready for the hanging over cliffs, waterfalls and the lush green forest and running stream.
5) last but not least is the boat ride. This is the only activity that you can sit down.
We are glad we went, although it was a physically strenuous day, but worth it, go while you still can and while you're still young.
Happy Travelling!
On a mainly sunny day in February we went to explore this Grand Canyon, we started from the top to bottom.
1) The longest glass bridge in the world didn't have many visitors in February. It was a good time to go. No big bags were allowed and you need to wear shoe cover. They are still building the observation deck at the other side of the bridge; more steps for you to conquer, if you what a challenge.
2) There's a long staircase called "A Strip of Sky". It is like a crack between two mountains, maybe a thousand steps (it felt like that many, if not , its close to a thousand). I never knew walking down stairs can be that hard.
3) Rocky Slide Track, is a two parts long concrete slide, you have to sit on a piece of canvas-like material to slide down. It was fun, but not fast enough.
4) Canyon Trail: it was around 25 minute walk, just like Johnston Canyon in the Banff National Park. Get your camera ready for the hanging over cliffs, waterfalls and the lush green forest and running stream.
5) last but not least is the boat ride. This is the only activity that you can sit down.
We are glad we went, although it was a physically strenuous day, but worth it, go while you still can and while you're still young.
Happy Travelling!
Written 29 April 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
mysurp
Sandnes, Norway98 contributions
Aug 2016 • Couples
We visited on 30th of August 2016
The canyon and the glass bridge are two different attractions which require two different tickets. From the main entrance you can enter either and the canyon area can be entered from the other end of the bridge.
The grand canyon is an older attraction area which somebody has decided needed more visitors. As such a large glass bridge was built over it. We were lucky to visit during the short time window when the bridge was open to the public. On itself the bridge is a fun architectural attraction. It's a neat idea that technically is well done. The huge problem here is everything else here.
When we visited we had some trouble. We visited by ourselves and took the bus from Zhangjiajie City via Wulingyuan. When we arrived at the main entrance the parking lot was a very uneven dirt field with a very rough concrete stairway leading off. By following the crowds we arrived at a rather new building which doesn't offer a lot of information but which is clearly the main entrance to the park. There were a lot of informational signs in Chinese, though the only English signs we could find were for the ticket office, toilettes and the entrance. We got our tickets for the glass bridge and the canyon.
Our preliminary research had shown us that the canyon is entered from the south end of the park and exited from the north end where the return buses leave from.
At the exit from the main entrance building towards the glass bridge our tickets were checked and we had to walk through a metal detector which was turned off. We were then stopped by someone who could only speak Chinese who was rather sternly pointing at my camera bag and then pointing to the other side of the building. After slowly trying to communicate with two of the guards using the phone to translate we finally understood that my camera couldn't be brought in due to metal. They rather furiously kept pointing to the backside of the entrance ticket where it in Chinese supposedly said that cameras were forbidden.
As there was no information whatsoever regarding this in any other language than Chinese to be found anywhere, the complete lack of any way to store the camera safely and the fact that getting the camera back would involve being very lucky and finding a taxi to take us back from the exit area or spend a good 2 hours walking in the hot sun I was rather unhappy to surrender my camera. Especially as my camera was contained in a padded bag. Even worse was the fact that the guards were quit happy to let women with huge purses decorated with heavy chains and other metal accessories walk straight past them. One woman dropping one of those bags would have easily broken a normal glass window, but that was not an issue because the rules on the ticket only said camera.
Naturally I decided to get very stubborn and asked them to call an English speaking superior. Someone made a call and we were told to wait as someone would be there in a few minutes. A good 15 minutes later I was given a phone and the person on the other end introduced themselves as "General Manager of the Grand Canyon Scenic Area". He had good English skills and calmly listened as I as politely as I could explained the predicament we were in, how a padded camera bag secured fastened to my belt couldn't in any scenario pose any larger threat to the glass floor of the bridge than the huge metal accessories attacked to half the fashion purses carried in and that the extreme lack of information and lack of any way to safely store and quickly retrieve the camera existed. He said he understood my case and asked to speak to the guards. We were then very quickly dismissed and allowed to enter.
The bridge only allows 800 people at once, and you have to wear a special cover on your shoes. The view from the bridge is very decent in the southern direction as it overlooks the untouched area of the canyon. The view directly below and to the north is full of trash and some ongoing construction. The only way to describe it is as sad.
After exiting the bridge on the eastern side and entering the grand canyon area we had to walk through what can only be compared to a trash dump. Torn and rusty metal fences, broken and rough concrete. Hordes of locals selling obscenely unhygienic and horribly smelling food and worst of all the trash. The huge piles of trash everywhere. There are 300 meters or so of elevation of stairs before you reach the bottom of the canyon and every single crevice, cliff or area where it's possible to toss some trash there just happens to be a pile of trash. It's a horrible climb on slippery wooden stairs squeezed in between rocks and concrete and trash all the while the locals are showing random objects into your face for you to buy.
After reaching the bottom there's more construction going on and a lot more trash. 100 meters or so from the stairs there was a toilet just next to the path. You can't miss it as it smelled worse than death and there was trash and feces surrounding it.
As you continue walking it does get a bit better. There are a few signs here and there denoting a "special spot" in the canyon and several areas with benches for resting. Sadly smoking is so prevalent around these you'll want to quickly move on.
There's a short zipline you can pay for in the canyon but it's only around 50 meters or so long so if there's a queue I'd advice skipping it.
During the walk through the canyon we saw more trash than anything else, though we were lucky enough to witness a wild Chinese tourist climbing outside the fences off path to rip out some of the prettier but seemingly rarer flowers found in the canyon. Besides the 3 he had pulled up by the root we only managed to spot a single flower growing on a cliff. Did the guards even bat an eyelid when he walked past carrying the flowers? Not a chance.
At the end of the canyon walkway you'll have to board a small boat for a quick trip over a lake on the river until you get to the exit area. As the boat docked and we exited it felt rather fitting that, as if to say goodbye in it's own way, we were faced with a huge pile of trash we had to walk around to exit up the stairs.
A long pathway through some ongoing construction and a few stalls selling something resembling food and we were finally at the exit.
To surmise this could be a very nice area for a day visit if it was given a major overhaul and cleanup. It's not a difficult hike in any regards, but the extreme volume of trash and half started construction work makes it a horrible experience.
If you're in the area and the glass bridge is open it could be worth a visit just to see the bridge and then skip the entire canyon. Just make sure to leave anything you think might cause you problems in the security checkpoint. Unless you feel lucky as the staff were extremely random in how they performed their duty and over half the backpacks carried through weren't even given a single glance.
The canyon and the glass bridge are two different attractions which require two different tickets. From the main entrance you can enter either and the canyon area can be entered from the other end of the bridge.
The grand canyon is an older attraction area which somebody has decided needed more visitors. As such a large glass bridge was built over it. We were lucky to visit during the short time window when the bridge was open to the public. On itself the bridge is a fun architectural attraction. It's a neat idea that technically is well done. The huge problem here is everything else here.
When we visited we had some trouble. We visited by ourselves and took the bus from Zhangjiajie City via Wulingyuan. When we arrived at the main entrance the parking lot was a very uneven dirt field with a very rough concrete stairway leading off. By following the crowds we arrived at a rather new building which doesn't offer a lot of information but which is clearly the main entrance to the park. There were a lot of informational signs in Chinese, though the only English signs we could find were for the ticket office, toilettes and the entrance. We got our tickets for the glass bridge and the canyon.
Our preliminary research had shown us that the canyon is entered from the south end of the park and exited from the north end where the return buses leave from.
At the exit from the main entrance building towards the glass bridge our tickets were checked and we had to walk through a metal detector which was turned off. We were then stopped by someone who could only speak Chinese who was rather sternly pointing at my camera bag and then pointing to the other side of the building. After slowly trying to communicate with two of the guards using the phone to translate we finally understood that my camera couldn't be brought in due to metal. They rather furiously kept pointing to the backside of the entrance ticket where it in Chinese supposedly said that cameras were forbidden.
As there was no information whatsoever regarding this in any other language than Chinese to be found anywhere, the complete lack of any way to store the camera safely and the fact that getting the camera back would involve being very lucky and finding a taxi to take us back from the exit area or spend a good 2 hours walking in the hot sun I was rather unhappy to surrender my camera. Especially as my camera was contained in a padded bag. Even worse was the fact that the guards were quit happy to let women with huge purses decorated with heavy chains and other metal accessories walk straight past them. One woman dropping one of those bags would have easily broken a normal glass window, but that was not an issue because the rules on the ticket only said camera.
Naturally I decided to get very stubborn and asked them to call an English speaking superior. Someone made a call and we were told to wait as someone would be there in a few minutes. A good 15 minutes later I was given a phone and the person on the other end introduced themselves as "General Manager of the Grand Canyon Scenic Area". He had good English skills and calmly listened as I as politely as I could explained the predicament we were in, how a padded camera bag secured fastened to my belt couldn't in any scenario pose any larger threat to the glass floor of the bridge than the huge metal accessories attacked to half the fashion purses carried in and that the extreme lack of information and lack of any way to safely store and quickly retrieve the camera existed. He said he understood my case and asked to speak to the guards. We were then very quickly dismissed and allowed to enter.
The bridge only allows 800 people at once, and you have to wear a special cover on your shoes. The view from the bridge is very decent in the southern direction as it overlooks the untouched area of the canyon. The view directly below and to the north is full of trash and some ongoing construction. The only way to describe it is as sad.
After exiting the bridge on the eastern side and entering the grand canyon area we had to walk through what can only be compared to a trash dump. Torn and rusty metal fences, broken and rough concrete. Hordes of locals selling obscenely unhygienic and horribly smelling food and worst of all the trash. The huge piles of trash everywhere. There are 300 meters or so of elevation of stairs before you reach the bottom of the canyon and every single crevice, cliff or area where it's possible to toss some trash there just happens to be a pile of trash. It's a horrible climb on slippery wooden stairs squeezed in between rocks and concrete and trash all the while the locals are showing random objects into your face for you to buy.
After reaching the bottom there's more construction going on and a lot more trash. 100 meters or so from the stairs there was a toilet just next to the path. You can't miss it as it smelled worse than death and there was trash and feces surrounding it.
As you continue walking it does get a bit better. There are a few signs here and there denoting a "special spot" in the canyon and several areas with benches for resting. Sadly smoking is so prevalent around these you'll want to quickly move on.
There's a short zipline you can pay for in the canyon but it's only around 50 meters or so long so if there's a queue I'd advice skipping it.
During the walk through the canyon we saw more trash than anything else, though we were lucky enough to witness a wild Chinese tourist climbing outside the fences off path to rip out some of the prettier but seemingly rarer flowers found in the canyon. Besides the 3 he had pulled up by the root we only managed to spot a single flower growing on a cliff. Did the guards even bat an eyelid when he walked past carrying the flowers? Not a chance.
At the end of the canyon walkway you'll have to board a small boat for a quick trip over a lake on the river until you get to the exit area. As the boat docked and we exited it felt rather fitting that, as if to say goodbye in it's own way, we were faced with a huge pile of trash we had to walk around to exit up the stairs.
A long pathway through some ongoing construction and a few stalls selling something resembling food and we were finally at the exit.
To surmise this could be a very nice area for a day visit if it was given a major overhaul and cleanup. It's not a difficult hike in any regards, but the extreme volume of trash and half started construction work makes it a horrible experience.
If you're in the area and the glass bridge is open it could be worth a visit just to see the bridge and then skip the entire canyon. Just make sure to leave anything you think might cause you problems in the security checkpoint. Unless you feel lucky as the staff were extremely random in how they performed their duty and over half the backpacks carried through weren't even given a single glance.
Written 18 September 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Unsure with the virus conditions there in China. Even though the whole area is open, I would be careful now. This was at the top of our trip.
Written 22 March 2020
For only glass bridge tickets, we have to go in the afternoon? Or is it possible to do it in the morning? Please share your experience if you did in the afternoon
Written 23 November 2019
There are 3 types of tickets - maximum pax on the bridge is 600.
Each ticket is spelled the number of hours of visit.
Tickets are normally booked online official website or travel agency. I will provide you the opening hours April - November 7.30am to 5.30pm..... December - March = 8am-4pm. (all dependant & where the weather permits).
You can buy discounted tickets on the spot, because they will verify via your passports & I.D. (students, seniors or children).
Answer : if you wish to go in the morning, you should Ony buy the "B" tickets at 219 Yuan (these payments are for the Canyon+Bridge entrance) - . We visited in the afternoon, paying 138 yuan for 40 minutes & specifically for the Glass Bridge Only. Notice, there are time allocated to the tickets... Hope these helps
Written 30 November 2019
Boa noite! Como faco para chegar ate a ponte? Zhangjiajie seria o lugar mais perto para ficar? Estou meia perdida no roteiro da viagem, ajudem please :) Alguem tem contato de empresa de turismo que faca o passeio? Muito obrigada!!
Written 10 May 2019
Bom dia, fechei os passeios no hostel que eu fiquei, pois na cidade há várias agências, porém, ninguém fala inglês e tem extrema má vontade em ajudar. Os preços praticados no hostel eram os mesmos das agências.
Written 10 May 2019
How much time should I invest to see all the attractions?
Written 19 March 2019
I agree threefold days. There is so so much to see. Depend8ng on you condition, three s a lot of walking.
Written 23 November 2019
What items are you allowed to take on the bridge with you please?
Written 21 January 2019
You can bring anything. But they will give you a cover for your shoes, that you must wear when you are walking in the bridge
Written 10 February 2019
when does it open, or will it be shut completely. ?
Written 15 October 2018
The afternoon hours are crowded. So we chose the morning.
Written 23 November 2019
I heard that the Grand Canyon is closed, is that correct? is it currently opened? because I will be there in October
Written 18 September 2018
It was closed long back... We went in April 2018 and was able to visit.
Written 18 September 2018
We are planning to go to Zhangjiajie in November. what is the weather and is it still very crowded at that time of the year??
Please advise. Thanks
Written 9 September 2018
November is winter in China but in the mountain area of Zhangjiajie it is usually dry but cooler. I do not think there is any time in China that will not be crowded with bus tours. We had a saying in New Zealand years ago "Don't leave home till you have seen New Zealand" and I think the Chinese people are doing just that in China.
Written 10 September 2018
Hi,ada yang boleh menolong saya,di mana saya boleh membeli tiket grand canyon saat tiba di zhangjiajie nanti pada bulan september 2018 ini?
Adakah alternatif lain selain booking online?
Karena saya melihat booking online sudah tidak ada lagi tiket.
Written 30 August 2018
Hello. I'm traveling to Zhangjiajie end of this month and definitely want to visit this glass bridge. Can anyone help me to reach there by public bus services . Is it possible to visit the national park and glass bridge within 2 days?
How long it will take to reach there from the Zhangjiajie railway station ?
Is it the glass bridge attraction still available for public ?
Best way to buy the tickets / any online sites ?
Thanks in advace
Written 19 June 2018
Hi , National Forest Park and Glass Bridge are possible in two days , Visit Glass Bridge on second day evening for 3.30 p.m. session.
as I know Book online facilities unavailable for foreigners , if you can contact Kelly or Chris for ticket booking that would be very easy.
Bus service is near by Railway Station , just walking distance , Zhangjiajie to WulingYuan(Forest Park) 1 hour , WulingYuan to Glass Bridge 45 minutes
Written 19 June 2018
Showing results 1-10 of 25
Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing