Chinese Ethnic Minority Discovery
9-Day Zhangjiajie, Fenghuang and Guizhou Tour
This minority discovery tour gives you an opportunity to explore a beyond ordinary route to unspoiled ethnic minority areas of Guizhou, where tradition and simplicity remain intact. Combine it with Fenghuang Ancient Town's charm and Zhangjiajie's precipitous World Heritage landscape.
Tour Highlights
- Visit ethnic villages with their own unique customs and life style.
- Challenge yourself on the Glass Walkway 1,430m above the ground in Zhangjiajie.
- Witness the ‘Natural Great Wall' at newly discovered Yangjiajie.
- Experience minority culture and taste Tujia dishes in Fenghuang Ancient Town.
China Highlights, Asia Highlights, and Global Highlights collaborate to provide families and couples with personalized and stress-free experiences in diverse destinations.


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Fantastic private tour
We had an excellent trip; we did the 3 day (4 nights) tour and our guide Wendy made it an exceptional experience. She was so informative and planned our itinerary so well - even though the attractions are very busy in the summer season, Wendy made sure that we did our best to avoid the crowds. The sights are beautiful and it is absolutely worth travelling from the bigger cities. Tianmen mountain was the highlight of the trip! We are so glad we booked a private tour. Hotel was also excellent. more
Aug 2023,
Ailin C
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Beautiful scenery with and without local tourists
Another excellent 3-day section of our 3-week tailor made China Highlights tour, this time with Pan Hon (Bree). On the first day we saw the beautiful karst peaks in the Zhangilajie national park with - and completely without - local tourist crowds thanks to Bree. On the second day we did the Grand Canyon, a zip line descent over it and traversed the longest glass bridge in the world where we added an impromptu 260m bungee jump to our itinerary! Day three we ascended Tianmen mountain via the world’s longest cable car, walked on top of it and then took seven escalators and the stairs down from Heaven’s Gate before coming back via the other cable car. This way we encountered less queues and also made the ascent easier for us, especially since Bree managed to get us VIP tickets on the first and third day (for an additional Y100 per person) which meant we queued for half an hour instead of the usual two hours plus during China’s school holiday peak season. Bree is a caring, friendly, efficient, extremely flexible guide who thinks of everything and is very attentive of what her clients’ needs are. We couldn’t have wished for a better guide! Thank you Bree. more
Aug 2023,
Axel R
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Marvelous
We visited Zhangjiajie for 3 days as part of our China trip. We spent unforgettable 3 days due to our perfect guide - Lee from China Highlights. The timing was great, the food- so delicious. We saw everything as planned in the itinerary. Lee is the best guide! We had great time, unforgettable moments with the amazing nature. more
Jul 2023,
Viki B
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Rated 5 out of 5 stars
We had a wonderful time in Hunan. All sites we visited were spectacular. The Nature around Zhangjiajie is perhaps most beautiful on the Planet. The trip was prepared perfectly, and we were very lucky with the weather. Our personal guide, ToNy, was perfect: he is a very nice person, very responsive, with full head of ideas of making the trip nicer than in the itinerary. I would recommend him as a personal guide to everybody. more
May 2023,
Pawel from Warsaw
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Zhangjiajie magic
Our tour guide Tony was very friendly and enthusiastic about sharing his magical hometown. We really enjoyed our trip with him, and especially appreciated his ordering recommendations at lunch (which were all delicious), taking us to the ‘secret’ quiet spots, great photography skills and sharing facts about the local people and customs. We would recommend a trip to Zhangjiajie with China highlights and Tony to other travellers. more
Apr 2023,
Rhiannon E
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Spectacular landscapes
Our guide David from China Highlights was awesome and showed us the best spots and also some secret spots off the beaten track. He was always helpful with restaurant recommendations and make sure we have a pleasant stay. Thanks David. more
Mar 2023,
Steffen Wet
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CNY in Zhangjiajie
We are a family of four. My 10 year old twins really enjoyed the scenary and overall atmosphere in Zhangjiajie. David was very helpful and accomodating. He even took time to teach us how to make dumplings. more
Jan 2023,
Leticia D
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Great experience
We did a private tour to Zhangjiajie with China Highlights in July and had a great time! It was hot, but our tour guide Chris was awesome at making sure we went to the best places at the best times to avoid the heat and lines. He obviously knows the area inside and out! We got to see some amazing (and completely empty) parts of the park that didn’t seem to be on any other tourists radar - and they weee STUNNING. We’re so glad we did this tour! Thanks Chris!! more
Jul 2022,
clschomaker1
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Spectacular Scenery- great family trip!
Everything was so smooth and easy with them- they knew our flight had been changed (we traveled during a low season) even before we did! Everybody in our family enjoyed the stunning scenery and breathtaking/scary glass sky walks- recommend this trip for adults and families alike. Having a tour guide is best- we would have wasted a lot of time with logistics otherwise. Ann knew the best times and methods of getting around everywhere and made good recommendations on everything from food to timing. We especially appreciated that we never felt like we were being fleeced because we were tourists- nobody steering us toward overpriced junk souvenirs. We also especially enjoyed Ann’s sharing of local culture, stories, and songs (bonus: Ann has a beautiful singing voice!) more
Jun 2021,
christinajeanne
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A “Must Do” for nature lovers
It’s true what others have posted about the Chinese tourists literally pushing their way through for things, and huge queues. I’m an early riser, so I was shocked that Tony suggested we start at 10am most days; however, his logic was sound. All the Chinese tour busses are up and heading out at 730/8am and then in they are in the queues. If we had gone at that time, I would have been standing for hours for the elevator or cable cars instead of using the hotel gym or having a leisurely breakfast. more
May 2021,
MusicMandy
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DO NOT MISS Zhangjiajie
This has got to be the most beautiful place in China! It was an amazing trip! I was nervous to travel alone with two young children, but Ann made it so easy and fun! She is an excellent guide! She took us to some delicious restaurants. She even sang us some beautiful, traditional Chinese songs! more
Apr 2021,
lacallis
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Touring ZJJ with Tony !
Tony is an amazing guide! He speaks good English and is a local who shares his growing up experience in the forest and daily life with us. Thanks to his great grasp of time, we were able to tour Zhangjiajie with very little crowd and having a quiet enjoying private tour ? thank you for your friendship and see you next time! --gomell ,Singapore more
Jan 2020,
gomell
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The Most Spectacular part of our 17-day China trip
We had doubts about going to this location because generally... not big fans of landscapes and pictures and also we had quite a long whole day road to reach this place, but it turned out that it was totally worth it. These natural parks are truly amazing.We already had had high expectations about the main Zhangjiajie park and it didn't let us down at all - very unique peaks there. We were expecting this park to outshine other attractions in this area, but it came to our surprise that it didn't.For instance, Tianmen Mountain is absolutely amazing too. We understood it right after we got on the shuttle bus which goes to the top - take a look at the road itself - it is one of the most picturesque mountain road I've been to. You won't understand how huge the hole in the mountain is from the pictures - need to see it with your eyes. Also it is not only the hole itself which is beautiful there, but actually the park above the cave - and they have built some sort of scary and exciting hanging bridges on the rocks, which create even better views of the area. Also the cave near Zhangjiajie park felt like a highlight too - nor only it is absolutely huge naturally with a deep river inside, which you can move along by boat but also it is well overhauled inside with huge stairways and lights - looks like some sort of magical castle (strangely it didn't have many tourists and to us it was offered as optional - but we found it to be on par with the main parks and also a nice location to see for a change). Thanks to our lovely guide Carrie, who's got very nice and soft personality, which goes along with the mountains) She also was very kind to gift us postcards of the parks, which is good since no one prints photos anymore and now I've got something to put on the worktable. --punkloire,Moscow, Russia more
Nov 2019,
punkloire
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Amazing trip to Zhangjiajie with our guide Niki (Tan Qi)
We are halfway with our 27 days Journey to China and I think Zhangjiajie is over the top. Zhangjiajie is just amazing, from Tianzishan, the Hallelujah Mountains, Bailong Glass Elevator, Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon Glass Bridge and Baofeng Lake and of course the majestic Tianmenshan. Mt. Tianmen is just amazing, from the Cable Car Ride, Glass Walkway and Heaven’s Gate. Our local guide Niki (Tan) made our 4 days in Zhangjiajie very memorable. She picked us up at the train station, was with us everyday and checked us in at the airport for our next destination, Shanghai. Niki navigated for us the complexities of going through the sites of Zhangjiajie National Park and Mt. Tianmen. She changed our itinerary as she saw fit, so we avoid the rush hour and the tons of group tours. Our queue for every site was shortened because of her efficiency. Her English is excellent and her knowledge of Zhangjiajie is vast. She comes from the minority group of Tujia. We were able to visit the highlights of Zhangjiajie because of Niki. She introduced us to Hunan Cuisine which is very delicious, we end up requesting for lunch everyday. Niki went out of her way to book us reservations to watch Charm (Xian Xi) about the culture and traditions of the minority groups of Zhangjiajie (Tuija, Bai, Miao and Han). Niki was always looking out for us, so we won’t have any problems. I highly recommend to book your Zhangjiajie trip with China Highlights and request for Niki as your guide if she’s available . You are lucky if you can find a person who speaks English, so having a local guide will make your trip more enjoyable and trouble free. --oesca, US more
Oct 2019,
oesca
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Ann can sing too
What a lovely time we had seeing the incredible national parks with our guide Ann. So personal and caring. She even entertained us with traditional songs. Can’t say enough good things about her. Terrific guide and person. --Robert D, U.S more
Oct 2019,
Robert D
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A must for aventurers! Zhangjiajie
A must for aventurers! ZhangjiajieWe spent 4 incredible days at the mountains, visited 3 different places. Each one more impressive and amazing than the previous one!! Amber was our tour guide, she was very friendly, helpful and took great pictures of us. I would definetly book my next trip with China Highligths, congratulations for your excellent customer service and the great tour guides --Bea Damm,Mexico more
Oct 2019,
Bea Damm
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What a great 3 day trip in and around Zhangjiajie with our wonderful guide Ann from China Highlights! Ann was informative, funny and very caring making our trip memorable in so many different ways. Our trip went without a hitch but for the fog and high mountain mist. Loved Tianmem Mt cable car, the spires from Zhangjiajie National Park where the scenery inspired the movie Avatar. Ps - Ann has a great voice and sings local traditional songs. --CristinaDug more
Oct 2019,
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Suggested Itinerary
Hotel: Hotel Novotel Guiyang Downtown
Your tour guide will wait for you at the arrival hall of airport with a smile and name plate. Travel to your hotel by private van and driver.
About Guiyang:
- Guiyang is the capital city of Guizhou Province, a charming region that is full of various minority cultures. From when you land at the airport, you will find mountains everywhere, where mysterious minority people are hidden, waiting for you to discover.
Meals: breakfast, lunch at local restaurant
Hotel: Heaven Sent Dragon Hotel
Drive from Guiyang to Kaili (4 hours by car). When you arrive at Qingman Miao village, friendly villagers will hold a welcoming ceremony dressed in their traditional clothing, and greet you with home-made wine. You might have the chance to see their old way of dying fabric.
Not far from Qingman is Shiqiao Village where their method of making paper from tree bark has a history of over 1,000 years.
The greeting wine:
- To show respect, you should drink the greeting wine. The wine is home-made from rice, tastes sweet, and is low in alcohol. If you don't drink alcohol, we can arrange a non-alcoholic greeting drink, or some other way to avoid awkwardness.
Prepare for basic facilities and food:
- Starting from Kaili, you enter less-developed rural China. Hotel facilities are not as good as in developed cites, and breakfasts are very simple, Chinese-style meals. To make your stay more comfortable, we prepare bread, butter, coffee, fruit, milk, and bottled water for you.

Meals:breakfast, lunch at local restaurant
Hotel: Heaven Sent Dragon Hotel
Half an hour's drive north from Kaili is Matang Gejia Village, home to some 400 Gejia people.
The Gejia are a very special ethnic group with a small population of only about 10,000 people, living scattered among several towns and villages. It was not classified as one of the 55 minority groups by the government.
They are unique in many ways, including lifestyle, language, and costumes. They're known for singing, dancing, and making wax printings. Their costumes and headgear are all hand-made. The capes worn by their men make an imposing impression, like a general in ancient war time.
Head back to Kaili and drive south for another half an hour to Jidao Miao Village, nestled in idyllic surroundings by the mountain side and flowing river. People live in wooden stilted houses of two or three levels, with domestic animals on the ground level and people on upper levels. They are a branch of the Miao ethnic minority, and their costumes are unique as women all wear long skirts.

Meals:breakfast, lunch at local restaurant
Hotel: Zhenyuan Fucheng Hotel
Drive about 3 hours from Kaili to Zhenyuan Ancient Town, then relax yourself and enjoy limestone mountain scenery as you boat on Wuyang River.
Visit Green Dragon Cave's old architectural complex, a rare combination of Buddhism, Daoism, and Confucianism built 500 years ago.
Enjoy your free time strolling in Zhenyuan Ancient Town, where many hundreds-of-years-old buildings, folk houses, and piers are well preserved.

Meals:breakfast, lunch at local restaurant
Hotel: Phoenix Grand Hotel
About 3½ hours by road from Zhenyuan is Fenghuang Ancient Town, home to Tujia and Miao ethnic groups. Wooden tilted houses line the banks of the Tuo River. The town is secluded and tranquil by day, and it becomes a place of liveliness with bars along the river at night.
Evening suggestion:
- The night views of Fenghuang Ancient Town are particularly beautiful and attract many photographers. In your free time, it is suggested you find a café beside the Tuo River, sit down, and enjoy the night view!

Meals:breakfast, lunch at local restaurant
Hotel: Wulingyuan Hotel
Enjoy morning free time in the ancient town. A short boat ride of 10 minutes on the Tuo River is a good experience to relax, and you can also explore the small museums and former residences inside the town.
After lunch, hit the road and head for Zhangjiajie, about 4 hours away by car. After arrival at your Zhangjiajie city hotel, have a good rest.
Flexibility and early starts can help you avoid standing around:
- To avoid waiting in long lines, your Zhangjiajie guide might suggest you get up early or alter your attraction schedule. Please kindly understand and cooperate. (You might want to get an early night.)
Meals:breakfast, lunch at local restaurant
Hotel: Wulingyuan Hotel
Breakfast at a 4-star hotel at Zhangjiajie is very basic, so our guide will prepare bread, coffee, and fruit for you.
It's about 40 minutes by car to Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, a World Scenic Heritage Site since 1992. Take a cable car Tianzi Mountain and walk on the trails to admire large areas of grotesque peaks. Viewing platforms along the way allow you to see the scenery at different angles.
Lunch on the mountain is very basic, and it is suggested that you bring some snacks. Local villagers sell fruits and food along the way, which are also good to try. If you prefer, we can arrange to have lunch at a McDonald's on the mountain, and have a break in the air-conditioned building.
In the afternoon, take the public shuttle bus to Yuanjiajie Scenic Area, where recently-named Hallelujah Pillar, one of the inspirations for Avatar's floating rocks is located.
World's Tallest Outdoor Elevator Option:
- For getting back to the foot of the mountain, besides taking the cable car, there is also an option of taking Bailong Elevator, a glass elevator built on the side of a cliff, taking only 2 minutes. If you are interested, tell your tour guide in advance so that he/she can arrange to avoid long queues, which might take you 2 hours.

Meals:breakfast, lunch at local restaurant
Hotel:Best Western Grand Hotel Zhangjiajie
This area is a relatively newly discovered gem in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, with pristine beauty and fewer crowds. It's a bit of an adventure, climbing steep and narrow steps to see the breathtaking scenery. Besides taking cable cars up and down the mountain, you will need to climb for about one hour on narrow mountain paths.
Less Strenuous Option:
- If you do not want to walk so much, we recommend Gold Whip Stream for a pleasant stroll along the stream, surrounded by grotesque rocks. You might see some monkeys there. Please don't touch or scare them for safety reasons, but giving them food is ok.

Meals:breakfast, lunch at local restaurant
You will knock on ‘Heaven's Door' at Tianmen Mountain. Tianmen literally means ‘heaven's door', and the scenery of this area does match its name.
To reach Tianmen Cave (a 30-meter-high, naturally-formed hole in the mountain) you will need to ride the world's longest cable car, walk on a glass walkway suspended 1,430 meters up, and ride on a mountain road with 99 turns. And that's not all: there's still a 999-step ‘stairway to heaven' before you reach the hole.
You will get back to the city at around 2 pm in the afternoon. After which is your airport transfer for your departure flight.
Historic/ethnic recommendation:
- While on the way to the airport, if you still have time, drop by Zhangjiajie Old Courtyard, the residence of an imperial official some 1,000 years ago, with well-preserved architecture and exhibitions of Tujia ethnic minority life.
Trip Notes
Tailoring your tour
This tour is very flexible. You can extend it with an extra day to Fenghuang Ancient Town, near Zhangjiajie, where the daytime is picturesque and charming, and the night is lively; or add one more day to discover more at Zhangjiajie's national park (the entrance ticket is valid for three days). If your time is limited, shortening can also be arranged.
About Food
We have included all the meals in some destinations, because restaurant choices and cuisine choices are very limited. We will try to arrange the best available at local authentic restaurants.
About Accommodation
This tour package in Guizhou section focuses on the undeveloped minority culture. Though the carefully selected accommodations are the best available, keep your expectations low. Your Guizhou tour guide will be available during the day until after dinner to help you. He/she can provide some things, e.g. disposable slippers, so that you enjoy the most possible comfort and relaxation.
Star-rated hotels in Zhangjiajie might not be up to the standard of those in big cities like Beijing and Shanghai. The hotels we use in the tour are carefully selected based on criteria like hotel environment, location, service, and previous customer feedback.
There are some hostels in the national park, with very basic facilities. If you would like to stay in a local guesthouse, we can arrange it. In this way you can save time on transportation, avoid tourist groups, and also cut the cost.
Show Opportunity
Tianmen Fox Fairy is an outdoor musical telling an old Chinese love story, with Tianmen Mountain and its deep valleys as the backdrop. It has received good reviews on TripAdvisor. The show is on every night. If you are interested, please ask your guide to book tickets for you, at extra cost.
Local Custom
In remote areas local people are very curious, and their kids gather around travelers for photos or small gifts (you might like to bring e.g. sweets for them).
Festival in Guizhou
You may encounter minority festivals in Guizhou, please fit it in! Generally, on these days people will get together for singing, dancing or attend for bullfight with colorful dress. Lushen Festival held on Feb. 17-19 at Zhouxi county (20km from Kaili), Sister's Meal Festival held on Apr.14-16 at Shidong county (90km from Kaili), Dragon Boat Festival held on Jun.22-24 at Shidong county (90km from Kaili), for more information please consult your travel advisor.
Tour Price
Price includes:
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