One of the most common questions I see people asking about Zhangjiajie is: “Where should I stay?”. Zhangjiajie is massive, and if you pick the wrong base, you’ll easily waste 2 to 3 hours a day just commuting. After my own my 5-day trip to Zhangjiajie in China, I realized there isn’t just one “best” area. To see the mountains properly without the stress, you actually need to split your stay. Here is exactly how to choose your base and the specific hotels I recommend.
Why You Should Split Your Stay
Zhangjiajie is mainly split into two hubs: Zhangjiajie City and Wulingyuan Town. They are about an hour apart by car.
To save yourself from unnecessary commuting, I highly recommend staying one night in the city (for Tianmen Mountain, 72 Wonder Tower) and remaining days in Wulingyuan (for the National Forest Park and Grand Canyon).
How to figure out where to stay in Zhangjiajie
1. Zhangjiajie City (Yongding District)
The city is the logistical heart of the trip. If you are arriving late by flight or the High-Speed Rail, this is your best home base for the first night.
- Best for: Arriving/Departing, Tianmen Mountain (999 Steps to Heaven’s Gate), the 72 Wonder Tower, Qixing Mountain (popular for Via Ferrata)
- The Vibe: Vibrant and urban. This is where you’ll find the best nightlife and dining options and the incredible “cyberpunk” neon lights of the 72 Wonder Tower.
- The Main Perk: The Tianmen Mountain Cableway Lower Station is located right in the city center. You can literally walk from most city hotels to the cable car!
My Personal Pick: Xana Deluxe Hotel
If you are following my strategy of starting on the City Side, this hotel is the perfect base. We stayed here for our first night.
- The Location Strategy: The biggest draw here is the proximity to the Tianmen Mountain Cableway. It’s just a few minutes away, which is a massive advantage when you’re trying to catch an early morning slot for Heaven’s Gate.
- Modern Comfort (with a robot): The rooms are exactly what you want after a day of travel, very clean, modern, and comfortable. The design is contemporary, and the amenities feel high-end for the price point. A cool feature here is their robot receptionist. If you need extra water, towels, or tissues, you just call the front desk and a robot will navigate the elevators and knock on your door to deliver them. It’s a small detail, but it’s efficient and fun to see in action.
- Neighborhood Convenience: Since it’s centrally located in the city, you are surrounded by local restaurants, convenience stores, and bubble tea shops. It’s very easy to grab a quick breakfast, dinner or stock up on snacks for the next day.
- Language: There was a receptionist that spoke English well enough for daily needs.
- Foreigner-Friendly: They are fully licensed to accept international guests, so check-in with our passports was quick and seamless.
2. Wulingyuan Town
Once you’ve finished your city sights, you’ll want to move closer to the Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, also known as the Avatar Mountains. Wulingyuan is the main tourist town located near the National Forest Park. This area is quite big, and travelers usually choose to stay close to either the east or south gate of the park.
Near The East Gate
- Best for: Foodies and travellers that want everything at their doorstep.
- The Vibe: Lively and high-energy. The streets are lined with souvenir shops, countless restaurants, and massage parlors (perfect after a long day!).
- The Main Perk: It is the most convenient spot if you are also planning to visit Baofeng Lake or the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon Glass Bridge, as the bus station is right here.
- The Downside: Because it’s the most popular entrance, especially with large tour groups, the morning ticket queues can be massive.
Near the South Gate
If you want a more tranquil experience, look for a “Minsu” (a traditional family-run guesthouse) tucked into the hills near the South Gate (Forest Park Entrance).
- Best for: Nature lovers and beating the morning crowds.
- The Vibe: Quiet, scenic, and surrounded by forest sounds. It feels much more authentic and “local” compared to the neon lights of the town center. It is also suitable for those that prefer peace and quiet and a more relaxing vibe.
- The Main Perk: The South Gate is usually far less crowded than the East Gate. Staying here allows you to be one of the first people in the park at 7:00 AM, often giving you the trails all to yourself for the first hour. It is very close to two main areas of the national park, including Bailong elevator (your start point for avatar mountains) and Huangshi Village which is also where Golden Whip Steam is located.
- The Downside: A slightly longer drive to Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon Glass Bridge and Baofeng Lake.
My Personal Pick: Serenity Valley
This stay was hands-down the highlight of our entire trip. It’s located about 10 minutes from the South Gate and offers a level of service and personal care you simply won’t find in a big city hotel.
- Beyond Just a Stay: Our host was incredibly welcoming and acted as our personal travel consultant. She helped us secure our National Park tickets, and plan our itinerary depending on the number of days we had. She also took us to enter the park on the first day, ensuring we had no issues with entry and the tickets. Every morning, she even helped us with our plans based on the weather and crowd levels. Her personality and presence was very joyful and she really made us feel at home. I even got a throat ache during the trip, and when I asked her about a pharmacy, she gave me Chinese yam the next day. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), it’s highly regarded for its throat-soothing properties, I found this super sweet and kind.
- The Comfort: Don’t let the “rural” location fool you. Our room was massive, featuring a huge twin beds, a jacuzzi and even an automatic toilet. Waking up to a mountain view was the perfect “recharge” after a day of exploring. The guesthouse has around 17 rooms, and we saw a lot of foreigners staying at the hotel as well.
- The Food: The host provided a filling breakfast daily, usually bread, fresh fruit, and coffee, which was essential fuel for the long hiking days ahead. For dinner, since there aren’t many restaurants in the immediate area, you have two main options:
- Wulingyuan Town: If you follow my itinerary, you’ll usually end your park day near the East Gate. I recommend grabbing dinner or picking up food in Wulingyuan town before heading back to the guesthouse.
- Zhangjiajie City: If you want a wider variety of restaurants, it’s a 40-minute drive back into the city center.
- Getting There: We took a Didi from our Zhangjiajie City hotel directly to the guesthouse. It was a smooth 40-50 minute drive and much easier than trying to navigate local buses with luggage.
The Shortlist: Other Recommended Stays
If my personal picks are fully booked, here are the ones that were on my “shortlist” based on their location and foreigner-friendly reviews:
Zhangjiajie City (Best for your first 1-2 nights)
- Thousand Hotel: : A great mid-range alternative to Xana Deluxe. It’s located close to the cable car station, making it perfect for an early start at Tianmen Mountain.
- Hampton by Hilton Zhangjiajie Tianmen Mountain: If you prefer a familiar international brand, this is one of the top-rated spots in the city. It’s known for having excellent English-speaking staff and a great breakfast spread. And of course, it’s very close to the cable car station as well.
Wulingyuan / National Park (Best for Days 3-5)
- Manyuan Resort Hotel: Located near the East Gate, this is a beautiful luxury boutique option. Much like Serenity Valley, the staff here are famous for helping guests plan their itinerary and park routes and even help through WeChat.
- Pullman Zhangjiajie: If you’re looking for a more traditional 5-star resort experience, the Pullman is the go-to. It’s a bit more “grand” than a guesthouse and is located very close to the Wulingyuan (East Gate) entrance.
Important Tips for Booking Your Stay
Is it Foreigner-Friendly? In Mainland China, not all hotels are licensed to host international guests. To avoid any issues at check-in, I always recommend booking through Trip.com.
Check-in Essentials: When you arrive, have your Mainland Entry Permit or Passport ready. The staff will need to scan it to register your stay. It’s also a great idea to have your hotel’s name and address saved in Chinese characters on your phone to show your Didi or taxi driver in case of any confusion. It would be best to also have the phone number of the stay handy if the location is remote and you driver can’t find it!
Final Thoughts
Choosing where to stay can feel overwhelming because Zhangjiajie is so grand, but as long as you plan around the park entrances, you’ll have an amazing time.
If you’re still planning your route, don’t forget to check out my Full 5-Day Zhangjiajie Itinerary to see how to fit these stays into your trip!
