Tianmen Mountain rises south of Zhangjiajie town. You ride a cable car 7,454 m long up from the town to a cave gateway in a cliff, which the Wulingyuan official site gives as 131.5 m high and 57 m wide. We could not open the park's own site for ticket prices and routes, so we do not state a price as fact. The sources we could read put it at about CNY 275 to 278, and the Hunan government reported that in March 2026 the express cable car to Tianmen Cave was closed for repairs and only route A was open. Read the Zhangjiajie guide for the whole area, and the China hub for entry rules. The official-site facts were read on 16 October 2026, and the page was reviewed on 17 October 2026.
Verified details
| Item | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Cable car | 7,454 m long, 1,277 m height difference, 98 cabins, 57 pylons, maximum slope 37 degrees in the middle to upper sections | Wulingyuan official site |
| Tianmen Cave | Gateway 131.5 m high, 57 m wide, more than 60 m deep. It is the only one of the mountain's four zones not on the summit | Wulingyuan official site |
| Mountain road | Called Tongtian Avenue, with 99 bends | Wulingyuan official site |
| Steps to the cave and summit walkways | The Ramada hotel in town writes that the mountain has 999 steps up to the cave and a glass walkway along the cliff | Hotel site, not the park |
| Cable car repair | 9 to 20 Mar 2026. Only round-trip route A was open. Route B and C tickets and one-way tickets 1 and 2 were not on sale. Route A tickets were sold 06:30 to 16:00 and the cable car started at 07:00 | Hunan government (park notice of 5 Mar 2026) |
| Distance from town | The official site gives 10 km in one paragraph and "only 8 km" in another | Official site, inconsistent |
| Mountain height | Main peak 1,518.6 m in the first paragraph and 1,517.9 m in the next | Official site, inconsistent |
| Cave altitude | "Over 1,260 m" in one paragraph, 1,300 m in another | Official site, inconsistent |
We did not find a ticket price or opening-hours page on the park's own site. The official Wulingyuan pages we read cover the mountain and the cable car only, with no price table.
Prices and hours from other sources, which disagree
| Source | Price | Hours | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wikivoyage, Tianmen Mountain chapter | CNY 275 (April 2025) plus CNY 3 insurance | - | Not official. Ticket includes the cable car up and down and buses |
| Wikivoyage, Zhangjiajie chapter (edited 10 Aug 2025) | CNY 278 all year (including insurance, round-trip cable car, shuttle bus) | Mar to Nov 07:30 to 16:00, Dec to Feb 08:00 to 16:30 | Not official |
| Sina Travel, 12 Oct 2026 | CNY 278 (including cable car), entry time must be reserved | - | Media, not official |
| Hunan government (March 2026 repair) | - | Route A tickets 06:30 to 16:00 | Official, but for the repair period only |
The Wikivoyage and Sina figures are close (CNY 275 to 278), but neither is the park's site, and prices may have changed after the repairs. The hours Wikivoyage lists are ticket-sale or entry times and we have not confirmed them. Wikivoyage also says the ticket does not include the paid escalator at the cave, the small cable car at the summit, or three glass-bottom walkways at CNY 5 each. We have not checked those prices with the park.
Ticket routes A, B and C
Wikivoyage says there are three ticket types. Route A takes the long cable car up from town to the summit and returns by the fast cable car and bus. Route B is the reverse. Route C uses the bus and the newer cable car both ways, on busy days or when the cable car is under repair. If you take route A, walk around the summit first and visit Tianmen Cave last, because the lift ticket works once. The old cable car from town to the summit takes about 15 minutes, while the bus plus the new cable car takes about 40 minutes, per Wikivoyage, written before the 2026 repairs. Under the Hunan government's notice, route A during the repair period meant riding the lower cable car to the middle station, taking a bus to Tianmen Cave, riding an escalator across the mountain to the summit and returning the same way. We have no information on whether the normal pattern resumed after 20 March, so ask at the ticket window or the park's booking channel before you go.
Buying tickets and getting in
Wikivoyage says you can buy ahead on Alipay and WeChat, and the counters do not take credit cards. Foreign buyers can link a credit card to the app and search for "湖南张家界天门山景区". This does not come from the park. For payments in China see the China hub. Wikivoyage also warns that it is very busy and that waits of several hours are possible on long holidays. There are several ticket sellers, so check you are using the right one. We found a site that calls itself a Tianmen Mountain booking service but is an agent company, not the park's site, so we do not link to it.
Where to stay near the cable car
Hotels in Yongding whose own sites say they are close to the cable car are Wyndham Garden (behind the cable car station) and Ramada Tianmen Mountain (at the foot of the mountain). See where to stay in Zhangjiajie for the table. For the forest park, read the Wulingyuan page.
How this page compares
We read China Highlights' Zhangjiajie guide and Travel China Guide's Zhangjiajie attraction pages on 17 October 2026. They introduce the mountain well. Neither mentioned the March 2026 cable car repair notice from the Hunan government, and we found no benchmark page that says plainly that the park's own price page was not reachable. This page keeps official facts (cable car, cave, road, repair notice) apart from the unofficial price range and says which numbers disagree on the official site itself.
Links on this page and our earnings
The buttons on this page open the providers' search pages. As of 17 October 2026 we have no registered affiliate link for Tianmen Mountain and earn nothing from them yet. We do not compare prices. Tickets from other sellers may include tours or service fees, so the price may differ from the ticket at the window.
Frequently asked questions
How much is a Tianmen Mountain ticket?
We could not confirm it on the park's own site. Wikivoyage gives CNY 275 to 278 including insurance and Sina gave CNY 278 on 12 October 2026. Neither is official, so check the ticket window or the park's booking channel.
What is the difference between routes A, B and C?
Per Wikivoyage, A goes up on the long cable car and down by the fast cable car and bus, B is the reverse, and C uses the bus and newer cable car both ways. The pattern changes during maintenance: from 9 to 20 March 2026 only route A was open, per the Hunan government.
How long is the cable car?
The official site says 7,454 m with a 1,277 m height difference and 98 cabins.
Do I have to climb 999 steps?
The Ramada hotel site writes that there are 999 steps to the cave. Wikivoyage mentions an escalator alongside the steps, partly paid, and a free underground escalator for some sections. Check on site which option is open.
What time does Tianmen Mountain open?
Wikivoyage says 07:30 to 16:00 from March to November and 08:00 to 16:30 from December to February. That is not official. In the March 2026 repair period, route A tickets sold from 06:30 to 16:00 according to the Hunan government.
Can I visit Tianmen Mountain and the forest park on the same day?
We do not recommend it. They have separate tickets, and both involve travel time and queues. See the Zhangjiajie guide and split the days.
Can I go up in bad weather?
Wikivoyage says misty or cloudy days can still be beautiful, but that is not park safety information. Ask the park directly about cable car operation in rain or strong wind.
See also
- Zhangjiajie travel guide
- Wulingyuan national forest park tickets
- Where to stay in Zhangjiajie
- China hub
Official sources and further reading
- Wulingyuan official tourism site: Tianmen Mountain
- Hunan provincial government (English): Tianmen Mountain cable car changes from 9 March 2026
- Wikivoyage: Tianmen Mountain (ticket routes and prices; not official)
- Wikivoyage: Zhangjiajie (hours and prices, last edited 2025)
- Ramada by Wyndham Zhangjiajie (hotel site: 99 bends, 999 steps, glass walkway)
- Sina Travel, 12 Oct 2026 (media, not official)
- China Highlights: Zhangjiajie Travel Guide (benchmark, read 17 Oct 2026)
- Travel China Guide: Zhangjiajie attractions (benchmark, read 17 Oct 2026)
Prices, schedules and entry rules change. Figures here are approximate as of 2026; always confirm on the official or operator page before you book. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.
