Bailong Elevator Zhangjiajie — The World's Tallest Outdoor Lift, 326m Up to the Avatar Cliffs 2026

Q: How tall is the Bailong Elevator, and how long is the ride?

The Bailong Elevator is about 326 metres tall, mounted to a sheer cliff face, and it is the world's tallest outdoor elevator, holding three Guinness World Records. It runs at roughly 5 metres per second, so the ride from the valley floor to the top takes only about one to two minutes. There are three double-deck glass cars running side by side. The lower half travels inside a shaft cut into the rock, and once it clears the cliff the glass opens out to a full view of the pillar forest.

Q: How do you get to the Bailong Elevator, and does Zhangjiajie have a metro?

Zhangjiajie has no metro. The Bailong Elevator is deep inside Zhangjiajie National Forest Park (in the Wulingyuan area, about 33 km northeast of the city), reachable only by the park's shuttle buses, which are free once you hold a park entry ticket. From the city you take a bus, taxi or DiDi to a park gate (森林公园门 Forest Park Gate or 武陵源门 Wulingyuan Gate), buy your entry ticket, then ride the in-park shuttle to a stop near the elevator's lower station. The elevator itself is a separate ticket from park entry.

The basics

Why this lift is worth the ride

Picture this: you have spent the morning walking beside a clear stream, you tip your head back at a cliff wall rising hundreds of metres straight up, and then you spot a clear glass column running up and down, pressed flat against that cliff — the Bailong Elevator. You step in, the doors close, and in barely one to two minutes you are lifted from the forest floor and let out on a clifftop that looks down over an entire forest of stone pillars. It is the shortcut that lets an ordinary walker stand on the very same ledge as someone who just spent three hours climbing stairs.

The Bailong Elevator (百龙天梯, the "Hundred Dragons Sky Ladder") is a glass outdoor elevator mounted flush against a sheer sandstone cliff inside Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, in the Wulingyuan area. It stands about 326 metres tall — the lower half running inside a shaft cut into the rock, the upper half projecting out beyond the cliff, glazed all round for the full view. It opened to the public in 2002 and holds three Guinness World Records — the tallest outdoor elevator, the tallest double-deck sightseeing elevator, and the fastest, highest-capacity passenger lift.

What makes this more than just a "lift up the mountain" is where it takes you — the upper station opens onto the Yuanjiajie (袁家界) clifftop, home of the Avatar Hallelujah Mountain and the First Bridge Under Heaven. The lower station sits beside the end of the Golden Whip Stream (金鞭溪) on the valley floor. The elevator effectively stitches the park's two levels together — down below you walk shaded paths along the water, up top you stand on the cliffs looking out over the pillar forest.

The Bailong Elevator, Zhangjiajie — a glass lift mounted flush to a tall sandstone cliff inside the park, among the stone pillars — The Bailong Elevator — a glass column running 326 metres up the cliff, linking the valley floor with the Yuanjiajie clifftop

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Elevator ticket

~72 yuan/ride (~฿360)

Separate from park entry · charged per ride up or down

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Height

~326 metres

The world's tallest outdoor elevator

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Ride time

~1–2 minutes

Travels at about 5 metres per second

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Guinness records

3 of them

Opened 2002 · three double-deck glass cars side by side

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Takes you to

Yuanjiajie clifftop

Avatar peaks + First Bridge Under Heaven

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Location

In-park, Wulingyuan area

No metro — in-park shuttle buses

What happens on the way up

Riding up — what you see in those two minutes

The ride splits clearly into two halves — the first inside a rock shaft, the second with the glass open to the view. Knowing the order means you won't miss the photo moment.

1

Lower station — the valley floor near the Golden Whip Stream

The starting point · shuttle bus drops you here

The lower station sits on the valley floor, near the end of the Golden Whip Stream. Most people walk the stream through the morning, then catch an in-park shuttle to this spot. As you queue up to the lift, you see the cliff wall rising vertically until you have to crane your neck — and it becomes obvious why people would rather ride than climb.
2

The lower half — inside the rock shaft

A brief dark stretch · waiting to clear the cliff

For the first stretch the elevator climbs inside a shaft cut into the rock of the cliff. This part is dark and short — you see only rock walls sliding past, and many people are still settling in. But don't put your phone away yet, because in a few seconds the scene changes completely.
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The upper half — the glass opens to the pillar forest

The highlight · everyone lifts their phone at once

As the lift clears the top of the shaft and projects out beyond the cliff, the surrounding glass opens the view all at once — thousands of sandstone pillars standing in front of you. On a day with mist drifting between the peaks it looks straight out of a film. This is the moment everyone in the car raises a phone together — stand on the outer glass side, facing the cliff, for the best view.
4

Upper station — out onto the Yuanjiajie clifftop

Avatar peaks · viewpoints follow on

The doors open on top of the Yuanjiajie cliffs. A short walk brings you to the Avatar Hallelujah Mountain viewpoint (the pillar that inspired the floating scenery in the film) and to the First Bridge Under Heaven spanning a ravine. From here you can stroll on to the other clifftop viewpoints easily — no more climbing required.

Worth knowing: the Bailong Elevator wasn't built only for speed, but to move huge numbers of people up and down each day. There are three double-deck glass cars running in parallel at about 5 metres per second, so the climb from bottom to top takes only a little over a minute — what actually makes it "longer" is the queue at the bottom, not the lift itself.

Ride or walk · queues · timing

How to plan it so you ride without losing your day

🪜 Lift up, walk down — the popular play

The elevator ticket is charged per ride, with up and down paid separately, so many people choose to ride up in the morning (saving their legs) and walk down in the afternoon, or the reverse — climbing up to Yuanjiajie early while it's cool, then taking the lift down later. That way you pay for just one ride and still get a scenic walk through the forest path. If you want to climb the whole way on foot, allow about three hours, and expect continuous steep stairs — fine if you're a strong walker. If you're travelling with older relatives or small children, the lift is by far the easier answer.

The Yuanjiajie clifftop — the pillar forest that inspired the "Avatar mountains" is exactly where the Bailong Elevator lets you out

⏰ How long are the queues, and when to go

Honestly, the hardest part of the Bailong Elevator isn't the ride — it's the queue. In peak season (roughly May to October) the line for the lift can run about one to two hours, and on Chinese public holidays or especially busy mornings it can top three hours. The simplest trick is to go as early as you can — if you can be inside the park before 8 am, your odds of a short queue are far better.

The times to avoid in particular are the Chinese public holidays — Golden Week in early October, National Day on 1 October, Labour Day on 1 May, the summer school break in July and August, and Chinese New Year. If you can't avoid them, build plenty of slack into your plan, and don't leave the lift as the last thing you do in the day.

🎟️ The elevator ticket ≠ the park ticket

The thing first-timers often miss is that the elevator fare is not included in the park entry ticket. The Zhangjiajie park ticket (around 225 yuan, valid for several days via fingerprint scan) covers entry and the free in-park shuttle buses, but the Bailong Elevator, the cable cars and the little monorail at certain points are charged separately on top. Carry money set aside for this — you can pay by Alipay/WeChat scan or at the ticket counter.

If you want the full picture of how the big park ticket works, which gate to use, and how to plan two days inside, read on at our Wulingyuan guide — the "how to actually visit" page for the whole area.

Getting there

How to reach the Bailong Elevator

The elevator is deep inside Zhangjiajie National Forest Park (in the Wulingyuan area, about 33 kilometres northeast of the city). Zhangjiajie has no metro, and the lift can only be reached by the park's shuttle buses — so you enter the park first, then ride the in-park bus to a stop near the lower station.

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In-park shuttle bus

Free with a park ticket

The only way to reach the lift station · catch it from points around the park

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Taxi / DiDi to the gate

City → park gate

Get dropped at the Forest Park Gate (森林公园门) or Wulingyuan Gate, then enter

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On a tour

Full-day park tour

Most tours bundle the Golden Whip Stream + lift + Yuanjiajie into one route

Timing tip: the Bailong Elevator links two spots on different levels — down below is the Golden Whip Stream, the easiest streamside walk in the park, and up top is Zhangjiajie National Forest Park / Yuanjiajie, home of the Avatar peaks. The classic play is to walk the Golden Whip Stream in the morning, then ride the lift up to Yuanjiajie around midday. Plan the whole thing at our Zhangjiajie attractions guide.

Where to stay

Hotels in Zhangjiajie worth a look

For several days in the park, staying near the Wulingyuan gate makes coming and going easiest; if you also want to do Tianmen Mountain, base yourself in the city instead.

The 10 best hotels in Zhangjiajie

Picked across every area and budget — both near the park gate and in the city

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6 luxury hotels in Zhangjiajie

Pillar-forest views and quiet resorts — for the trip where you want one special night

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The complete Zhangjiajie guide

Where to stay, what to see, what to eat, and how to get around the city of the Avatar mountains

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Frequently asked

FAQ · the Bailong Elevator before you go

How much is a ticket for the Bailong Elevator?

The elevator ticket is separate from the park entry ticket and costs around 72 yuan one-way (about ฿360), charged per ride for going up or coming down. Many visitors take the elevator one way and walk the other (up or down) so they only pay for a single ride and get a scenic walk too. This ticket is not included in the Zhangjiajie park entry ticket (around 225 yuan, valid for several days), so you buy it on top. Prices can shift with the season, so check the day's price before you go.

How tall is the Bailong Elevator, and how long is the ride?

The Bailong Elevator is about 326 metres tall, mounted to a sheer cliff face, and it is the world's tallest outdoor elevator, holding three Guinness World Records. It runs at roughly 5 metres per second, so the ride from the valley floor to the top takes only about one to two minutes. There are three double-deck glass cars running side by side. The lower half travels inside a shaft cut into the rock, and once it clears the cliff the glass opens out to a full view of the pillar forest.

What does the Bailong Elevator connect?

The lower station sits on the valley floor near the end of the Golden Whip Stream (金鞭溪), while the upper station brings you out on top of the Yuanjiajie (袁家界) cliffs, home of the Avatar Hallelujah Mountain and the First Bridge Under Heaven (天下第一桥). In short, the elevator links the two levels of the park — down below is the shaded streamside walk, up top are the clifftop viewpoints looking down over the pillar forest. You can climb up on foot instead, but it takes about three hours and is very steep.

Are the queues for the Bailong Elevator long, and what time should I go?

In peak season (roughly May to October) the queue for the elevator can run about one to two hours, and on Chinese public holidays or busy mornings the wait can top three hours. The simplest trick is to go as early as possible — if you can be inside the park before 8 am, your chance of a short queue is much better. Another option is to use the elevator in the quieter direction: walk up to Yuanjiajie in the morning and take the elevator down in the afternoon, or the reverse. Avoid Golden Week in early October, Labour Day on 1 May and Chinese New Year, when it is busiest.

How do you get to the Bailong Elevator, and does Zhangjiajie have a metro?

Zhangjiajie has no metro. The Bailong Elevator is deep inside Zhangjiajie National Forest Park (in the Wulingyuan area, about 33 km northeast of the city), reachable only by the park's shuttle buses, which are free once you hold a park entry ticket. From the city you take a bus, taxi or DiDi to a park gate (森林公园门 Forest Park Gate or 武陵源门 Wulingyuan Gate), buy your entry ticket, then ride the in-park shuttle to a stop near the elevator's lower station. The elevator itself is a separate ticket from park entry.

Zhangjiajie National Forest Park — the Avatar mountains

Yuanjiajie, the Hallelujah Mountain and the First Bridge Under Heaven — where the lift delivers you

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Golden Whip Stream — a streamside walk through the pillars

An easy 5.7 km valley-floor walk that pairs perfectly with the Bailong Elevator

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What to eat in Zhangjiajie

Three-layer sanxiaguo, local Tujia dishes, and the fiery Hunan flavours worth trying

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