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The Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon Glass Bridge, which opened in August of 2016, officially takes the title of longest and highest glass bridge in the world.  It spans the width of the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon running 430 meters long and dangling 300 meters in the air above the river gorge.

The bridge, designed by Israeli architect Haim Dotan, consists of many large square glass tiles bound together on all sides with strips of metal that run consecutively down the middle of the bridge.  From railing to railing the bridge measures 6 meters wide and can hold up to 800 people at a time.

Currently, the bridge is restricted to a maximum of 8000 people a day, so make sure to come early during peak season to get a glimpse of this architectural marvel.  Along with its tourist drawl, the bridge will also be home to the world’s highest bungee jump and serve as a runway for fashion shows.

At the moment, the construction around the far side of the bridge is not entirely complete but looks to be finished shortly (the outer layer of the pillars on the far side of the canyon is still under construction).

When walking on the bridge you must wear special booties provided for you free of charge after purchasing your ticket.  This is to both protect the glass and keep you from slipping.  It was raining lightly when we were there and the booties provided a nice amount of grip on the glass, although if you are so inclined you can still manage to do a nice run and slide.

There is also a wooden plank walkway that runs along the side of the cliff to the bottom of the canyon.  To access the walkway you must buy a separate ticket at the ticket window.  We opted out as it cost another 100rmb to walk to the bottom of the canyon.

Our Impressions

The bridge is interesting in design and construction, but while it is cool to get to see a view down through the bridge as well as over the side and stand in the middle of the canyon, we ultimately didn’t think the experience justified the price, especially when they charge an extra 100rmb to walk down to the bottom of the canyon.

Without paying for an extra ticket to walk down the plank walkway we were able to stretch out our time on the bridge to about an hour before we were ready to head back.  To put this in perspective, we spent as much time getting there and back from Wulingyuan Village as we did actually at the Grand Canyon.

We went to check out the bridge and the grand canyon thinking there would be more things to do other than walk 400 meters across a bridge, and was sorely mistaken.  Of course, once all construction is complete and they make bungee jumping available, the area will certainly become more exciting.

Right now, especially if you are travelling on a budget, we would definitely skip the bridge in favor of spending an extra day in the Wulingyuan Scenic Area parks (unless you’re a bridge fanatic and are dying to admire the newest glass bridge).

Alternatively, there are also many glass walkways at both Tianmen Mountain and on the mountains in Wulingyuan Scenic Area to get your “walking on glass hundreds of meters up in the air” experience, for an added fee of course.

Why Go?

To experience walking on what is currently the world’s highest and longest glass bridge.

How to Get There?

1. Fly into Zhangjiajie Airport (Hehua Airport) from any of the major cities in China.

The airport is just 4km from Zhangjiajie city.

Zhangjiajie Hehua Airport sometimes comes up as Dayong Airport when you search flights. Not to worry, this is just the old name of the airport. It is still the same place.

Check the latest prices and flight times here.

2. Take a minibus to Wulingyuan Scenic Area, 40km away from Zhangjiajie City.

Minibuses wait at the bus station in Zhangjiajie City to take passengers to Wulingyuan Village.

Buses run from approximately 8:00 am – 6:00 pm and cost 10rmb.

If you can’t make it during those times or don’t want to take the bus you can take a taxi for 100rmb.  You will have to negotiate for this price, but you shouldn’t pay more than that for the trip.

Minibuses can be found to the left of the waiting area at the bus station.  If need be you can ask the lady at the ticket window and she will point you in the right direction.  You will NOT be buying a ticket at the window, simply pay the driver once you are on the bus (someone will come around asking for money).

3. Take a minibus from the Wulingyuan Bus Station to the Glass Bridge.

You will pay the driver 12rmb once you get on the bus and the ride will take approximately 30 minutes.

Where to Stay

To hike the Avatar Mountains stay in Wulingyuan Village, the town just outside of the park entrance. Filter your search in Agoda to narrow the results down to only hotels in Wulingyuan.

Check the latest prices and availability here.

Ticket Price

Peak Season: 138rmb Glass Bridge, 118rmb Plank Walkway

Off Season: 113rmb Glass Bridge, 99rmb Plank Walkway

Hours of Operation

7:30am – 5:00pm

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