Tianmen Mountain - Experience the world’s longest cable car experience
Last Update:6th October 2020
What is Tianmen Mountain?
Standing 8 kilometers from Zhangjiajie City, Tianmen Mountain was named after Tianmen Cave which formed in 263. The mountain is 1,517.9 meters tall with the cave at the cliff with a latitude of more than 1,260 meters.
- Chinese Name: Tianmenshan (天门山)
- Area: 2 x square kilometers
- Things to do there: Photography, Winding Mountain Road, Hiking, Climbing
- Who visits: Photographers, Hikers, Adventure enthusiasts
- Time required: 3 – 5 x Hours

Best time to visit Tianmen Mountain
The best time to visit Tianmen Mountain is from April to October as it is not too hot or too cold during this period of time. April and October is the two best months to visit Tianmen Mountain. For it opens at 08:00am and closes at 17:00pm, it is impossible to enjoy the sunrise and the sunset in the area.
How to get to Tianmen Mountain
As Tianmen Mountain is getting more and more popular among tourists, there are several buses to the area. Therefore, there are several options.
- Rent a car from Zhangjiajie airport, Zhangjiajie Train Station or Zhangjiajie Bus Station to the mountain. This is the quickest and most direct option.
- Take Bus 4, Bus 5 and Bus 10 to the lower station of the cableway of Tianmen Mountain in Guanliping (官黎坪) from Zhangjiajie Bus Station. It takes a 10 minutes drive there.
- Take Bus 6 and Bus 5 to the lower station of the cable-way of Tianmen Mountain in Guanliping from Zhangjiajie Train Station. It takes a 5 minutes drive there. Or you could walk there from the railway station.
- Take Bus 4, Bus 5 and Bus 6 to the lower station of the cable-way of Tianmen Mountain in Guanliping from Zhangjiajie airport.
Additional Tianmen Mountain Travel Advice
- Opening hours: 08:00 – 17:00
- As at 6th October 2020, entrance pricing to Tianmen Mountain is 258 CNY per adult; Children under 1.3m (1.3m included) are free of charge; Children between 6 years old (6 years old included) and 18 years old (18 years old not included) are charged 130 CNY per person; The elder between 60 years old (60 years old included) and 70 years old (70 years old not included) are charged 130 CNY per person; The elder above 70 years old (70 years old included) are charged 92 CNY per person. Please note that the admission fee mentioned above includes the admission to the area, and one round-trip transportation up and down the hill. The transportation includes one-way cable car and one-way transportation on the road. The one-way transportation on the road includes the escalator from the Tianmen Cave to the top of the mountain. The transportation included in the admission fee mentioned above excludes sightseeing cable car for the forest on the top of the mountain and the escalator to the Heaven Gate (天门) in the Tianmen Cave.
- As at 6th October 2020, the admission to the one-way sightseeing cable car for the forest on the top of the mountain is 25 CNY per adult; Children under 1.2m (1.2m included) are free of charge; Children between 6 years old (6 years old included) and 18 years old (18 years old not included) are charged 15 CNY per person for one-way trip; The elder above 60 years old (60 years old included) are charged 15 CNY per person for one-way trip; 40 CNY per adult for round trip; Children under 1.2m (1.2m included) are free of charge; Children between 6 years old (6 years old included) and 18 years old (18 years old not included) are charged 24 CNY per person for round trip; The elder above 60 years old (60 years old included) are charged 24 CNY per person for round trip.
- As at 6th October 2020, the admission to the one-way escalator to the Heaven Gate in the Tianmen Cave 32 CNY per adult; Children under 1.2m (1.2m included) are free of charge; Children between 6 years old (6 years old included) and 18 years old (18 years old not included) are charged 20 CNY per person for one-way trip; The elder above 60 years old (60 years old included) are charged 20 CNY per person for one-way trip.
- The routes for the top of the mountain are divided into Route West and Route East.
- Route West (from north to south): Cableway Upper Station – Lingxiao Viewpoint (凌霄台) – Route West of the Glass Skyway – Yihong Pass (倚虹关) – North Section of Guigu Plank Road (鬼谷栈道北段) – Guigu Bingpan (鬼谷兵盘) – Yefu Cangbao (野拂藏宝) – South Section of Guigu Plank Road (鬼谷栈道南段) – Suspension Bridge – View Guigu Cave (观鬼谷洞)- Baihe (捭阖) – Cave for Praying for Being Pregnant (求儿洞) – Cherry Bay (樱桃湾) – Tianmen Mountain Temple (天门山寺)- Take a cable car to Yunmeng Dingding Viewpoint(云梦仙顶) or continue to visit the Route East from south to north – Upper Station of Escalator Through the Mountain.
- Route East (from north to south): Cableway Upper Station – Diaosuo Shenyu (吊索神峪) – Garden of Davidia involucrata – Bonsai District of Stone Forest (盆景石区)- Tianmen Fanshui (天门翻水,the Upper Station of Escalator Through the Mountain) – North Viewpoint for Overlooking Tianmen Cave (北俯视天门) – Lingquan Spring (灵泉) – Happy Forest (快活林) – Yuhu Peak (玉壶峰)- Zuiyun Pavilion (醉云亭) – Kouyun Pass (扣云关) – Xianyuan (仙源)- Route East of Glass Skywalk – North Viewpoint for Overlooking Tianmen Cave (南俯视天门) – Route East of Plank Road – Wood and Stone Love (木石之恋, an old tree grows on a huge rock)- Cherry Bay – Tianmen Mountain Temple – Take a cable car on the top to Yunmeng Dingding Viewpoint or continue to visit Route West from north to south – Upper Station of Escalator Through the Mountain.
- Compared to the Route East, Route West is more amazing! If you have enough time, you can take the two routes.
- If you take Route A, you will take a cable car up to the top of the mountain. And your tour starts from the Upper Station of Cableway (from north to south). If you take Route B, you will take the Escalator Through the Mountain from Tianmen Cave to the top of the mountain. And your tour starts from Upper Station of Escalator Through the Mountain (from south to north).
- If you do not have enough time, it is recommended you take Route A but not Route East. When visiting the Tianmen Mountain Temple, you can take the Peak Forest Cable Car (hanging chair lift, 25 yuan/person for one-way trip ) to Yunmeng Xianding Viewpoint and then take a 30 minutes walk to Upper Station of Escalator Through the Mountain.
- In winter, only the top of the mountain is open to the public and tourists can only take a cable car up and down the mountain. Tianmen Cave will be closed for less than 20 days in winter.
- Escalator Through the Mountain is divided into two sections. The escalator of the upper section from the top of the mountain to the entrance of Tianmen Cave is free of charge. From Tianmenkou to Dongqian Square (an alternative way of Shangtianti, which is more labor-saving and does not need to take 999 steps) is a fee of RMB 32/person for one way.
- Since May 1, 2016, the policy of the time-phased visiting Tianmen Mountian has taken into effect. One hour is one time period. The earliest time period is 06:30-8:00, then 8:00-9:00, and so on, the latest is 15:00-16:00. The time period for ticket checking is shown on the tickets. You need to check into the area during this period. Therefore, it is recommended that you should queue up half an hour in advance of the time shown on the ticket in order to enter the scenic area within the specific time period.
- For the latest pricing information, please contact us via email (info@wendyweitours.com)