Zhangjiajie is located in the northwestern part of Hunan province. It is 829.2 km away from Guilin by the Expressway. Guilin is located in the northeast of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China, situated on the west bank of the Li River, and bordering Hunan to the north. It is about 829km away from Guilin to Zhangjiajie by the Expressway.
How to get to Zhangjiajie from Guilin? It is a little torturous travelling from Guilin to Zhangjiajie, for there is no direct bus or trains, and direct flight between the two places is quite limited.
How to get to Zhangjiajie from Guilin by train? There is no direct train between Guilin and Zhangjiajie, but you can change trains or buses via other cities, like Changsha or Liuzhou.
►Option 1: Guilin-Changsha-Zhangjiajie
Take a high-speed train from Guilin to Changsha first, then transfer to a coach or train from Changsha to Zhangjiajie upon your arrival in Changsha. This route is the most convenient of all routes and the most popular route depart from Guilin.
Depart | Arrive | First Train | Last Train | Frequency | Duration |
Guilin North | Changsha South | 08:14 | 18:07 | About 30 mins | 3h30mins |
The coach from Changsha to Zhangjiajie departs from Changsha Lituo Bus Station, Changsha West Bus Station, Changsha East Bus Station or Changzhutan Bus Station(长株潭汽车站, near to Changsha Train Station) and it takes about 4 hours to take you there. Among them, Changsha Lituo Bus Station is near the South Railway Station. It is only a few minutes walk after exiting the station. There are direct buses leaving for Zhangjiajie at 11:40, 13:00, 14:10, 15:10, 16:20. It takes about 4 hours to reach Zhangjiajie Central Bus Station.
If you prefer to take train, there are a couple of trains from Changsha to Zhangjiajie. There are 7 trains start from Changsha Railway Station to Zhangjiajie Railway Station from 4:30 to 22:15. You can check the train schedule in advance and decide which one you want to catch. It takes 5 to 6 hours from Changsha to Zhangjiajie by train.
►Option 2: Guilin-Liuzhou-Zhangjiajie
Take a coach/ bullet train (takes one hour) from Guilin to Liuzhou(柳州) first, then transfer to a overnight train with sleeping berth to arrive at Zhangjiajie.
Depart | Arrive | First Train | Last Train | Frequency | Duration |
Guilin | Liuzhou | 07:01 | 20:29 | About 30 mins | 1h20mins |
Once you change on the overnight sleep train from Liuzhou to Zhangjiajie, as they are not highspeed trains, it will take 11-12 hours to reach Zhangjiajie. But all the trains leaving for Zhanajiajie from Liuzhou are overnight train, so you can sleep on the train and when you wake up, you will arrive in Zhangjiajie. Below is the train table for Liujiang to Zhangjiajie.
Depart | Arrive | No. | Departure Time | Arrive Time | Durtaion |
Liuzhou | Zhangjiajie | K748 | 21:03 | 08:10( Next Day) | 11h7mins |
K1474 | 21:20 | 08:53 Next Day) | 11h33mins | ||
T282 | 23:33 | 10:04( Next Day) | 10h31mins |
How to get to Zhangjiajie from Guilin by air? There is only one direct flight (CZ6892) between Guilin and Zhangjiajie. It takes off at 13:45 from Guilin Liangjiang Airport and lands at 14:45 in Zhangjiajie Hehua Airport. But the flight is not available every day. It will increase flights during high tourist season, such as July and August. Therefore, you need to check its availability in advance and make a Plan B in case of the canceling.
The closest domestic airport is Zhangjiajie Hehua Airport (IATA: DYG; ICAO: ZGDY; formerly named Dayong Airport). So far(May, 2019), there are direct flights connecting Zhangjiejia with Beijing, Chengdu, Xi'an, Changzhou, Shanghai, Changsha, Guangzhou, Qingdao, Shenyang, Shenzhen, Xi'an, Zhuhai, Chongqing, Tianjin, Nanjing, Hangzhou, Shijiazhuang only.
If there is no direct flight from your departure city, you may fly to Changsha City first, then transfer from Changsha to Zhangjiajie by bus(about 4 hours) or by train(about 4-5 hours).