6 Days Shanghai Zhangjiajie Private China Tour By Flight

Nihao! Welcome to Shanghai, China’s most internationalized and vibrant city! Shanghai's long-term fusion of Eastern and Western cultures has contributed to Shanghai's unique culture. Upon your arrival at the airport/train station in Shanghai, the tour guide and driver will meet and greet you at the exit, and then escort you to the well-selected hotel in downtown Shanghai. The rest of the day is free on your own so you can have a good rest for the jet lag or explore by yourself around your hotel.

Arrival Ideas:

Travelers can go to Shanghai easily by air or high speed train. There are two airports - Shanghai Pudong International Airport and Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport operating numerous international and domestic airlines. Travelers can go to Shanghai by air from most cities in China, like Beijing, Xian, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Guilin, Kunming, Lijiang, Lhasa, and more. In addition, travelers can take high speed train to Shanghai from Beijing (4.5-6 hours), Xian (6-7.5 hours), Huangshan (2.5-3 hours), Guangzhou (7-8.5 hours), Suzhou (0.5 hour), Hangzhou (about 45 mins), Wuhan (3.5-4.5 hours), etc.

Free Time Ideas:

You are welcome to ask your tour guide for some useful tips to spend your free time based on your time and interest.

Today you will spend the whole day feeling the perfect blend of the West and East in this “Paris of the East” by visiting brilliant museums, traditional Chinese-style gardens, modern skyscrapers, and exotic architecture.

First, head to Shanghai Museum for an awe-inspiring visit to view the finest collection of art and learn about profound Chinese history. Built in the shape of an ancient bronze cooking vessel called a ding, Shanghai Museum has a round top and a square base, symbolizing “round sky, square earth”. It contains 120,000 cultural relics which showcase incredible artifacts of Chinese art throughout 5000 years’ history. Immerse yourselves in the Exhibition Hall of Bronze and Ceramic to appreciate the elaborate bronzes and exquisite artifacts. You won’t miss the chance to enjoy the top treasures - Da Ke Ding (bronze food vessel over 3000 years ago), and Bianzhong of Marquis Su of Jin (ancient musical instruments). Next, move to Yu Garden, the most celebrated classical Chinese garden hidden in the bustling Shanghai downtown area. Enjoy a leisure walk and visit the Chinese architecture, and feast your years with exquisite sculptures and carvings. Yuyuan Bazaar outside the garden is a fun place to taste some local snacks as well as buy some traditional Chinese handicrafts and artworks.

After that, you will take a stroll along Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street, where lots of well-known brands, restaurants, cafes, souvenir shops, and towering buildings stand on both sides. Continue your walk to the Bund, the top 1 place to visit on the Shanghai bucket list. Reputed as “An Exhibition of International Buildings”, the Bund is a collection of 52 buildings in various international architectural styles. Overlook the amazing skyline and skyscrapers of the Pudong Area from the Bund. The last stop today is the Shanghai Tower, the tallest building in China and the second in the world, at a height of 362 meters. Ascents up to 546 meters over the 118th floor for a breathtaking panoramic view of modern Shanghai.

This morning, your guide will meet you in the hotel lobby and escort you to a peaceful walk in the Jade Buddha Temple in bustling Shanghai, among the modern blocks and mansions. It is one of Shanghai's few active Buddhist temples with about 70 resident monks. In this Shanghai must-see attraction, you will see the largest Jade Buddha in the world and local people throng to pray for prosperity. If there is still some time, you can transfer to Tianzifang in the former French Concession area of Shanghai. It is a place to find tourist arts and crafts， appreciate the preservation of local Shikumen architecture, and watch the daily life of local Shanghai people. Then you will head to the airport for your flight to Zhangjiajie (about 2.5 hours).

Welcome to Zhangjiajie, an incredible place where you can see Avatar Hallelujah Mountain in reality! Upon your arrival in Zhangjiajie, the local guide and driver will greet you at the exit of the airport, and then escort you to your hotel in Wulingyuan Area. Enjoy some free time on your own after the hotel check-in.

After breakfast, you will have a whole day to explore Wulingyuan Scenic Area, a spectacular island of nature dominated by more than 3,000 narrow quartz sandstone pillars. First, take a sightseeing bus to Bailong Elevator that within 1.5 minutes you can go from the valley bottom up to the pillar peak. It is the fastest and as well as the tallest outdoor elevator in the world. Next, enjoy the hike into a mysterious Pandora World - Yuanjiajie, where is rightly the shooting location of “Hallelujah Mountains” in reality. Catch the chance to shoot South Sky Pillar, the landmark of Yuanjiajie, about 150 meters high vertically rising high from the deep valley, looking like a giant standing so upright under heaven. Go to the Enchanting Platform for a marvel at the unbelievable scenery with hundreds of various peaks like bamboo shoots towering from the grounds. And then enjoy the lush scenery of Natural Bonsai at Backyard Garden.

Next, take the sightseeing bus to the second tourist site - Tianzi Mountain Nature Reserve which was named after the leader of the local Tujia ethnic group - Xiang Dakun in early Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). It is a fairyland in moive Monkey King. Hike to He Long Park which has a fascinating viewing deck to appreciate the incredible and magnificent scene of peculiar stone peaks. Move to Dianjiang Terrace to overlook the West Sea Stone Forest, rugged rock rising out of a misty canyon. The last stop today is the Ten-mile Galley. You will take a small green train to explore the beautiful scenery where you will feel like get through a Chinese ink painting. After the tour, get back to your hotel for a good rest.

After breakfast, you will be transferred to the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon for the breathtaking Grand Canyon Glass Bridge experience. The Grand Canyon Glass Bridge wants to say “hello” to you and makes you yell “my god” to give a deeper impression of Zhangjiajie. Suspended between two peaks, the glass bridge is 430 meters long and 300 meters high, which is the longest and highest glass bridge in the world. Standing on the transparent glass is like floating in the air and you can have superb panoramic view of the entire Grand Canyon.

After your “tremble” on the glass bridge, move to the Baofeng Lake to do a scenic cruise to bring you back to peace. Surrounded by green trees and stone peaks of various shapes, Baofeng Lake is an idyllic place for relaxation. When leisurely cruising on the boat, you can see the reflection of the marvelous peaks and enjoy the folk songs performed by the local minority people.

After breakfast, your guide and driver will pick you up at your hotel lobby. Today, you will make a breathtaking visit to Tianmen Mountain, one of the world’s most beautiful mountains. You won’t miss the chance to experience the world’s longest cable car, walk on the glass skywalk, and pay a visit Heaven’s Door and view Avenue toward Heaven with 99 turns.

First, go to take the 30-minute cable car with 7,455 meters in length which means you’ll travel from the city of Zhangjiajie to the top of Tianmen Mountain. From the cable car you will have a perfect view of Heaven’s Door and a shocking look at the wandering Avenue toward Heaven. Next, move to Tianmen Temple where you can enjoy the typical Qing Dynasty styled Buddhist structure with verdant forest surrounding by.

Now, the challenge time is coming. Hold your breath to experience the scary walks on the cliff path hanging on the mountain. Walk on the Glass Skywalk, which is transparent glass 1430 meters above the bottomless valley, giving you a thrilling feeling like walking in the sky. Also, try the 1.6-kilometer-long Cliff-Hanging Walkway, built along the edges of the mountain’s summits. Amazing, isn’t it? After that, go down by escalator from the peak to Tianmen Cave which is also known as “Heaven’s Door”. Tianmen Cave is a natural arch between two peaks of a height of 131.5 meters, rising above the ground and closing to the sky with a lofty and towering posture. It is the highest hole of its sort in the world. (Note: Tianmen Mountain is the famous spot for Wingsuit Flying, you might have a chance to witness this unbelievable sport there.) After the memorable time, take the cable car down the mountain.

Then, it is time to end your 6-day Shanghai Zhangjiajie tour. Your guide will escort you to the airport/train station for your flight or high speed train to your next destination.

Thank you for choosing Asia Odyssey Travel for your China tour, and we are always here working for you and hope to see you again for your next trip to China/Asia.