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Route at a glance
- Chengdu 2–3 nights
- Chongqing 2 nights
- Zhangjiajie 3 nights
- Furong Ancient Town 1 night
- Fenghuang Ancient Town 2 nights
Rail legs (approximate journey times)
| Leg | Approx. time | Notes | Book |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chengdu → Chongqing | about 1–1.5 hrs | Chengdu East to Chongqing (several stations); very frequent | |
| Chongqing → Zhangjiajie West | about 2–3 hrs from Chongqing East (3.5–4.5 hrs from Chongqing West/North) | Leave from Chongqing East for the fastest services | |
| Zhangjiajie West → Furongzhen | about 25 mins | On the Zhangjiajie–Jishou–Huaihua high-speed line | |
| Furongzhen → Fenghuang Gucheng | about 35–40 mins | Same line; fewer daily trains — book ahead | |
| Fenghuang Gucheng → Changsha South (onward) | about 2–2.5 hrs | Or 30 mins to Huaihua South for other connections |
✈️ Compare flights on Skyscanner. 🚄 Pre-book trains and hotels on Trip.com. Times are approximate, based on published 2026 timetables (12306, Trip.com and timetable sites). Always check live times before booking.
Day-by-day plan
- Day 1: Arrive in Chengdu (direct from London on some days, or via a hub; compare on Skyscanner). Rest, then People's Park teahouse.
- Day 2: Panda Base early morning, then Kuanzhai Alley.
- Day 3: Day trip to Leshan Giant Buddha, or stay in the city.
- Day 4: Bullet train to Chongqing. Hongyadong at night.
- Day 5: Liziba monorail, Ciqikou old town, hotpot dinner.
- Day 6: Train to Zhangjiajie West (Chongqing East is fastest), transfer to Wulingyuan.
- Day 7: National Forest Park: Yuanjiajie and Bailong Elevator.
- Day 8: Forest Park (Tianzi Mountain or Golden Whip Stream) or the Grand Canyon glass bridge.
- Day 9: Tianmen Mountain, then a short train to Furongzhen. See the waterfall lit up.
- Day 10: Morning in Furong, then train to Fenghuang Gucheng.
- Day 11: Fenghuang old town, river boat, Miao villages.
- Day 12: Train to Changsha South (or Huaihua South), then fly home via a hub.
Getting home / onward options
Go home from Changsha (Huanghua airport, CSX), which has international connections via hubs, or ride onward by high-speed train to Guangzhou/Shenzhen or Shanghai. Huaihua South has rail links in several directions. You can also do the route in reverse.
Compare hotels along the route
Compare live prices for each stop:
Chengdu
Chongqing
Zhangjiajie
Furong Ancient Town
Fenghuang Ancient Town
Seat classes
- Second class: the comfortable standard (2+3 seats) and great value for most legs.
- First class: wider 2+2 seats and a quieter carriage.
- Business class: the top tier, with deeply reclining or lie-flat seats, on some trains only.
Bullet train tips
- Book on Trip.com (English app, accepts UK cards) or the official China Railway 12306 site/app (English version available). Tickets open around 15 days ahead and popular trains sell out, especially at weekends and on holidays.
- Bring your passport: it's your ticket and ID. Foreign passports usually go through a staffed gate, not the automatic barriers.
- Arrive 45–60 minutes early. There's security screening, and big stations are huge. Boarding gates close a few minutes before departure.
- Check the station. Cities often have several (e.g. Chongqing East vs West, Beijing West vs Chaoyang).
- Luggage: there's overhead space and room at the ends of carriages, so travel fairly light. Food and hot water are available on board.
- All journey times on this page are approximate, based on published 2026 timetables. Timetables change, so confirm on 12306 or Trip.com before booking.
Destination guides on this route
Chengdu, Chongqing, Zhangjiajie, Furong Ancient Town, Fenghuang Ancient Town
China essentials for UK travellers
- Visa: according to GOV.UK (as checked in October 2026), holders of full 'British citizen' passports can currently enter mainland China visa-free for up to 30 days for tourism, business, family visits or transit, until 31 December 2026. Longer stays, or other purposes like work or study, need a visa. Your passport needs at least 6 months' validity and 2 blank pages. Rules change, so always check GOV.UK and the Chinese Embassy in the UK before you travel. Hong Kong and Macao have separate rules.
- Getting there from the UK: direct flights on Chinese airlines from London Heathrow and Gatwick to cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chengdu take roughly 10–11.5 hours, some of the shortest routes between the UK and China, often with competitive fares. Compare flights on Skyscanner to find cheap tickets with trusted airlines. Book trains, hotels and activities in China on Trip.com.
- Getting around: China's high-speed rail network is fast and affordable. Book in advance (Trip.com sells China train tickets in English), and bring your passport, which is used as your ticket ID. Domestic flights cover longer hops.
- Payments: China is largely cashless. Alipay and WeChat Pay both let you link a foreign Visa or Mastercard, so set them up before you go. Carry some cash as a backup, because many smaller vendors don't accept foreign cards directly.
- Staying connected: some apps you use at home, such as Google Maps, Gmail and WhatsApp, may not work normally in mainland China. Download offline maps (Amap or Apple Maps work well) and a translation app before you go, and tell family which app you'll use to keep in touch. International roaming or a travel eSIM bought before departure is the easiest way to get online.
- Registration: hotels register foreign guests with police automatically. If you stay privately, you must register within 24 hours (GOV.UK).
- Busy periods: avoid Chinese New Year and Golden Week (1–7 October) if you can. Trains and attractions sell out and prices rise.