CHINA SUMMER GIRLS TRIP ITINERARY
In early 2018, someone in my yoga class told me about her family holiday to Zhangjiajie in China. I had never heard of the place before. She explained that Zhangjiajie is a national park famous for its dramatic sandstone pillars, which inspired the floating mountains in the movie Avatar.
She also told me about Tianmen Mountain and the famous glass bridge walk suspended above a deep canyon. The stories immediately caught my attention — especially because I already had a work meeting scheduled in Beijing in June.
I asked my husband if he wanted to join me in Beijing, but he was busy with work. So I invited my best friend Sariinstead. My idea was simple: I would finish my meetings in Beijing and then we would continue travelling together.
Soon after, our friend Wienny heard about the plan and decided to join us. And just like that, our China Girls’ Trip was born.
Our Girls’ Trip Itinerary
Day 0 – Beijing
Work meetings in Beijing.
Sari and Wienny arrived in Beijing on the last day of my meetings.
Day 1 – Great Wall & Zhangjiajie
Check out from the hotel in Beijing.
Visit the Great Wall at Mutianyu.
In the afternoon, we flew from Beijing to Zhangjiajie.
Day 2 – Zhangjiajie National Forest Park
Full day exploring Zhangjiajie National Forest Park — the area famous for the towering “Avatar mountains”.
Day 3 – Glass Bridge & Tianmen Mountain
Morning visit to Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon Glass Bridge.
Afternoon trip to Tianmen Mountain, including the famous glass skywalk and Tianmen Cave.
Evening flight back to Beijing.
Day 4 – Beijing
Visit the Summer Palace and do some shopping around Beijing.
Day 5 – Fly Home
Travel Tips for Visiting China
One of the main challenges of travelling in China is language. None of us spoke Mandarin, and English is not widely used outside major tourist areas.
Another thing to prepare for is the Great Firewall. Many commonly used apps are blocked in China, including:
- Google Maps
Before travelling, we downloaded several Chinese apps that helped us during the trip:
- WeChat – essential in China for communication and payments
- Baidu Maps – the Chinese alternative to Google Maps
- Baidu Translate – helpful for translating menus and signs
(Today, many travelers also install a VPN before arriving in China if they want access to Google services and social media.)
Flights and Tours
I purchased our domestic flight tickets (Beijing – Zhangjiajie return) through Expedia.
For the activities in Zhangjiajie — including entrance tickets, transportation, and a guide — I arranged everything with a local English-speaking travel agent that I found through TripAdvisor.
Using a local agent made things much easier, especially since transportation within the park can be confusing for first-time visitors.
Local Travel Agents We Used
During the trip we worked with two local guides which I found thru TripAdvisor:
Beijing Guide
Mr. Meng
Zhangjiajie Guide
Kelly
All communication was done through WeChat, and payments were made by credit card via payment links they provided.
Final Thoughts
This was a very short getaway, but it worked for us since everyone had limited vacation days.
If you are planning a trip to Zhangjiajie, I would strongly recommend spending at least 2–3 full days in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park. The park is huge, and there are many areas worth exploring beyond the main viewpoints.
Even with the language barrier and internet restrictions, travelling in China was surprisingly smooth — and Zhangjiajie turned out to be one of the most spectacular landscapes I have ever seen.
