Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon

Cross the glass bridge, then walk down beside the canyon stream

By EvanFacts reviewed 4 October 2026

Why it's worth the trip

Step out onto the glass bridge and only clear glass lies between your shoes and the drop. The canyon floor is about 300 metres down, and you can see the cliffs and the tops of the trees straight below, between your feet. The bridge runs some 430 metres from rim to rim. Stop halfway. The canyon falls away on both sides, and the far rim is still more than 200 metres off.

The bridge was meant to be hard to see. Its architect, Haim Dotan, said it was designed to be “as invisible as possible – a white bridge disappearing into the clouds”. Its Chinese name, Yuntiandu, means a crossing through cloud and sky. Before you cross, look up at it from below. On a sunny day it glints, almost lost against the sky. In mist it comes and goes like a long white ribbon.

The canyon is the other half of the day, and the reason to give it more than an hour. The full route crosses the bridge, then goes down the canyon wall on steps and paths fixed to the cliff. Down on the floor the air turns cool with spray, and cliffs rise on both sides. You follow the stream past waterfalls and pools to a lake, and a boat carries you out at the end.

Don't miss

The glass lift down the cliff
Beyond the bridge, a lift with clear glass cabins drops down the canyon wall. From inside you can see the bridge hanging in the mist, and after rain the ride feels like sinking through cloud. It is optional and paid separately, and you can walk down instead.
Tianhe Waterfall
The first big waterfall on the canyon floor seems to burst straight out of the cliff, with no stream in sight above it. Cool air and spray reach you before you do, and when the sun is out there is often a rainbow. The platform below it is slippery.
The boat out across Shenquan Lake
The walk ends at Shenquan Lake, where a boat takes you over the water to the exit. After hours of stairs and spray, this is the gentlest stretch of the day.

Fitting it in

Time to give it: From Zhangjiajie city, about an hour away by road, the Grand Canyon fills most of a day. From Wulingyuan, which lies on the way, allow a long half-day. The full route over the bridge and down through the canyon takes about three and a half hours. A short route of about 1.5 kilometres goes down into the canyon first, comes back up by lift and ends on the bridge.
When to go: A bright, dry day shows the drop below the glass best. After rain the waterfalls run hardest and cloud drifts through the canyon. The cloud is lovely from the lifts, though it can hide the drop beneath the bridge. The shade and spray of the canyon floor are most welcome in summer. Avoid national holidays, when the bridge is at its busiest.
Pair it with: Huanglong Cave lies on the road back towards Wulingyuan. In this vast limestone cave you ride a boat for about 15 minutes on an underground river. Look out for the Sea-Calming Needle, a stone column 20 metres tall and only 10 centimetres across at its narrowest point. Add it only with an early start and no evening train or flight. Do not put Tianmen Mountain on the same day.
Who can skip it: If heights frighten you, think twice. The scenic area advises people with a fear of heights or a heart condition not to cross, and the canyon-only route leaves the bridge out. It also asks people with limited mobility not to go on the bridge, and wheelchairs and walking frames are not allowed on it. If you want wild nature, know that this canyon comes with slides, zip lines and lifts; for the big natural sight, see the Forest Park first.

Questions travellers ask

Is the Zhangjiajie glass bridge worth it?

Yes, if you want the thrill and will also walk the canyon below. The bridge runs about 430 metres across the canyon on a floor of clear glass about 300 metres up. The full route then takes you down to waterfalls and a stream, about three and a half hours in all. For a single photo on the glass, it is a long trip for a short moment.

Is the glass bridge in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park?

No, it is at the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon, a separate scenic area in Cili County, about an hour by road from Zhangjiajie city. It has its own ticket and entry time, and a Forest Park ticket does not cover it. Itineraries often blur the two, so check which one yours means.

Is the Zhangjiajie glass bridge scary?

For many people, yes: the whole floor is clear glass, about 300 metres above the canyon floor. Each panel is three layers of toughened glass bonded together. Before the bridge opened in 2016, people struck one with sledgehammers until it cracked, then drove a loaded car over it, and it held. The scenic area advises people with a fear of heights or a heart condition not to cross.

How long do you need at the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon?

About three and a half hours for the full route over the bridge and down through the canyon, by the scenic area's own estimate. The canyon-only route takes about three. A short route of about 1.5 kilometres dips into the canyon, comes back up by lift and ends on the bridge. With about an hour each way by road from the city, plan on most of a day from there, or a long half-day from Wulingyuan.

Glass bridge or Tianmen glass skywalk: which is better?

Choose the glass bridge for a full crossing of a canyon, about 430 metres of glass, followed by a canyon walk. Choose Tianmen for short glass sections on cliffs high on a mountain, along with the giant arch and the summit forest, 8 kilometres from the city. They are in different places. Tianmen takes a full day; the Grand Canyon takes a long half-day from Wulingyuan, or most of a day from the city.

Sources: Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon official site: visitor routesZhangjiajie Grand Canyon official site: Tianhe WaterfallXinhua: on the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon glass bridge (2021)Hunan Department of Culture and Tourism: the glass bridge is named Yuntiandu (2016)Dezeen: Haim Dotan's glass bridge opens in Zhangjiajie (2016)