Trip Overview
When: July 2017 (summer peak season)
Duration: 8 days
Travelers: Parent and child (family trip)
Budget: Approximately 8,000-10,000 RMB (~$1,200-1,500 USD)
Transportation: Flights + tour groups + high-speed rail
Essential Foreigner Info
Getting There: Most flights to Jiuzhaigou land at Jiuhuang Airport (九黄机场), located at 3,500m altitude. Expect dramatic mountain roads with countless hairpin turns—the famous 'Nine Turns' (九道拐) and 'Eighteen Bends' (山路十八弯) are not exaggerations. Altitude sickness is REAL even if you're from high-altitude regions—descending from 3,500m to 1,900m and back up to 4,100m in one day is brutal.
Money Matters: Most attractions accept mobile payment, but bring cash for small vendors and tips. Tour group optional activities (like Tibetan dinner shows) are expensive—negotiate or skip them.
Language: English is limited in these areas. Learn key phrases or have your tour guide help. Chinese names are ESSENTIAL for showing taxi drivers.
Transportation: The only road into Jiuzhaigou is winding and crowded. Book reliable transportation. Zhangjiajie attractions require lots of walking—4+ hours on mountain trails. The glass bridge has strict security (no cameras, only phones and small bags).
Day 1: Departure to Jiuzhaigou
We'd been planning this trip since June, but my son's school final exam kept getting postponed. Finally, we booked the tour for July 23rd—Jiuzhaigou, Huanglong, and a lavender base (天堂香谷薰衣草基地) 4-day package. After the tour, we'd break off to visit Zhangjiajie and Changsha on our own.
Our nephew drove us to Guiyang Longdongbao Airport at 4:30 PM. We grabbed some duck neck snacks (绝味鸭脖) at the terminal, then boarded our 7:41 PM flight. One hour and 14 minutes later, we landed at Jiuhuang Airport (九黄机场)—and immediately felt the altitude hit. The tour guide was wearing a winter jacket while we were in t-shirts and shorts. We rushed to the bus, and the hour-and-a-half drive to our hotel wound through those infamous mountain roads. The altitude changes—3,500m down to 1,900m—were intense.
Reality check: That first night, I barely slept. The beds were rock-hard, and the altitude made breathing difficult. Bring your own instant noodles and snacks—the hotel food was barely edible.
Day 2: Jiuzhaigou Valley
Up at 7 AM for breakfast (congee, steamed buns, and所谓的 'pickled vegetables'—thankfully we brought our own chili sauce). By 9 AM, we entered Jiuzhaigou.
Jiuzhaigou (九寨沟) is shaped like a 'Y'—the intersection point is Nuorilang Waterfall (诺日朗瀑布). We took the shuttle bus to Shuzheng Waterfall (树正瀑布), then walked to Tiger Sea (老虎海), caught a bus to Nuorilang, then to Arrow Bamboo Lake (箭竹海). We walked to Panda Lake (熊猫海), took another bus to Five Flower Lake (五花海), then to Pearl Shoal (珍珠滩).
The scenery was breathtaking—crystal-clear turquoise lakes, cascading waterfalls, dense forests. Every turn revealed another stunning view. It's no wonder Jiuzhaigou is called 'Paradise on Earth.'
We continued from Pearl Shoal to Pearl Waterfall (珍珠滩瀑布), then Mirror Sea (镜海). Back at Nuorilang, we transferred to the exit bus, reaching the gate at 4:20 PM.
Costs: Jiuzhaigou ticket: 220 RMB, Shuttle bus: 90 RMB. Total: 310 RMB (~$46 USD).
We stopped at a KFC near the entrance for ice cream and Coke—38 RMB (~$5.60 USD). Pro tip: Show your phone number for a 20% discount!
Reality check: We skipped the optional 'Tibetan King Feast' (440 RMB/$65 USD) and 'Yak Meat Meal.' Instead, we took a taxi (26 RMB/$3.80 USD) back to the hotel. Much better value.
Day 3: Huanglong
The morning brought more 'shopping opportunities' than we expected. The tour was supposed to include just one store, but we visited two (crystal shop and Tibetan medicine store) plus a 'Tibetan home visit' (selling silver jewelry) and a 'shopping mall' disguised as a restaurant. By 1 PM, we finally headed to Huanglong.
We arrived at 3:15 PM, queued for 50 minutes, and boarded the cable car at 4:05 PM. One hour of walking from the cable car station brought us to Five Color Pool (五彩池)—but by then, the sun had set, so we missed the famous five colors that appear when sunlight hits the pool.
The two-hour downhill walk back was exhausting. We exited at 7 PM.
Costs: Huanglong ticket: 200 RMB, Cable car: 80 RMB. Total: 280 RMB (~$41 USD).
Overnight at Chuanzhu Temple (川主寺).
Day 4: Departure from Jiuzhaigou
Another day, another 'shopping opportunity.' First, the Deji Meiduo风情街 (德吉美朵风情街) where they pitched silk quilts and silk bedding like a live TV shopping show. Then the Red Army Long March Memorial (红军长征纪念碑碑园), followed by a Thangka painting academy (格宗兰泽唐卡画院).
Senior alert: At the Thangka academy, a lama gave a speech, then singled out visitors for 'blessings.' One traveler from Anshun spent over 1,000 RMB on a 'blessed package' that can't be opened for 49 days. She came out crying. The psychological manipulation here is intense.
Then to the lavender base (天堂香谷薰衣草基地)—actually beautiful, with purple fields against blue sky and white clouds.
We arrived at Jiuhuang Airport by 2 PM, then endured a 5-hour wait for our 7:30 PM flight to Changsha.
Final verdict on Jiuzhaigou-Huanglong: The scenery is absolutely stunning—everywhere you look is a postcard. But the trip is EXHAUSTING. Reasons: (1) Altitude sickness, (2) Mountain roads, (3) Long distances between attractions, (4) Crowds and long queues, (5) Terrible food, (6) Hidden tour 'pitfalls' everywhere. The saying holds: 'You'll regret coming, but you'd regret more not coming.'
Day 5: Changsha Arrival
Landed at Changsha Airport (长沙机场) at 9:30 PM. Took the airport bus (60 minutes) to the Vienna Hotel (维也纳酒店) near the railway station. Check-in and showers by 11:30 PM—straight to sleep.
Day 6: Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon & Glass Bridge
Up at 6 AM, met the tour group at 7 AM. Five hours later, we arrived at Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon (张家界大峡谷).
The Glass Bridge (张家界大玻璃桥), opened in October 2016, is impressive. Security is tighter than airport screening—no cameras allowed, only phones, water, and small bags. We walked onto the bridge, and my legs were shaking! The canyon depths are vertigo-inducing. Not for the faint-hearted.
Beyond the bridge is the 'Heavenly Hanging Walkway' (天悬栈道)—the name says it all: high and winding. After that, we took an elevator (35 RMB/$5 USD, not actually to the valley bottom as advertised) for 20 minutes, then hiked 2 hours along the valley floor to the dock. Ten minutes on the boat, then 10 minutes more walking to the exit.
That evening, we watched 'Charming Xiangxi' (魅力湘西), a performance directed by Feng Xiaogang with Liu Huan. The knife-throwing act was heart-pounding. 270 RMB (~$40 USD)—absolutely worth it. Back to the hotel at 11:30 PM.
Day 7: Tianmen Mountain
Departed at 7 AM, arrived at Tianmen Mountain (天门山) at 8:30 AM. We took Route A: cable car up, bus down.
The 28-minute cable car ride to the upper station was spectacular. We passed Li Na Villa (李娜别墅)—no, not the tennis player, the singer! Then to the Western Glass Skywalk (玻璃栈道), 5 RMB (~$0.70 USD) for shoe covers. After yesterday's glass bridge, this was nothing—but it's actually HIGHER than the bridge, so arguably more terrifying.
We spotted tourists hugging the cliff face, too scared to step on the glass—just like the viral videos.
Next: Ghost Valley Trail (鬼谷栈道), Suspension Bridge, Ghost Valley Cave (鬼谷洞), and Wishing Cave (求儿洞), then Tianmen Mountain Temple (天门山寺). A 10-minute cable car took us to Cloud Dream Summit (云梦仙顶).
From there, we hiked to 'Tianmen Waterfall' (天门翻水), then took 7 sections of escalators (each 60 meters) down to Tianmen Cave (天门洞)—a massive natural arch. Through the cave, another 5 escalator sections or the famous 999 steps to the plaza. We took the escalators.
Then two bus rides through the legendary 99 Bends (九十九道拐) back to the mountain entrance. Departed for Changsha at 3:30 PM, arrived 5 hours later.
Zhangjiajie tips: Zhangjiajie is much more walkable than Jiuzhaigou-Huanglong. The cable cars and escalators save tons of walking. After the previous days' ordeal, Tianmen Mountain felt easy. The Grand Canyon requires about 4 hours of walking, but the valley floor is flat, cool, and pleasant.
Day 8: Changsha Free Exploration
Started our final day with Orange Island (橘子洲) scenic area, then explored Taiping Old Street (太平老街) and Tianxin Park (天心公园).
We sampled Changsha's famous snacks: stinky tofu (臭豆腐), sugar-fried rice balls (糖油粑粑), crayfish (小龙虾), and fish rice noodles (鱼粉). The weather was scorching!
That afternoon, we visited Huangxing Road Walking Street (黄兴南路步行街). More snacks: Wu's pork trotters (伍氏猪脚), Wuhan Sanxian Doubai (武汉三鲜豆皮), Black Classic Stinky Tofu (黑色经典臭豆腐), and Mei Gan Cai Rou Bing (梅干菜扣肉饼).
At 3:52 PM, we boarded the high-speed rail (G2123) from Changsha South Station (长沙南站) back to Guiyang. Three and a half hours later, we arrived home.
Epilogue: An unforgettable 8-day journey through four destinations. Jiuzhaigou and Huanglong delivered jaw-dropping natural beauty but at the cost of physical exhaustion and tour group manipulation. Zhangjiajie offered thrilling adventures (that glass bridge!) and easier navigation. Changsha rewarded us with incredible food. Would I do it again? In a heartbeat—but with better preparation and lower expectations for tour groups.