Two of China's most photographed landscapes, for completely different kinds of trip. One is a workout, the other is a holiday.
Both are limestone or sandstone landscapes of improbable peaks, both photograph beautifully, and both sit in southern China within reach of the same itineraries. That is where the similarity ends.
Zhangjiajie is vertical, physical and dramatic. Guilin and Yangshuo is horizontal, gentle and lived-in.
Three thousand quartz sandstone pillars rising up to 200 metres out of subtropical forest, made famous by Avatar. You reach them by cable car, the world’s tallest outdoor glass lift, shuttle buses and a lot of stairs. Tianmen Mountain adds a 7.5 km cableway, a cliff-edge glass walkway and 999 steps to a natural arch. The Grand Canyon has a 430-metre glass bridge hanging 300 metres above the floor.
Daily walking: 8,000–12,000 steps with real elevation. Best for: fit adults, photographers, teenagers. Not ideal for: young children, grandparents, anyone uneasy with heights — several sections are glass over a serious drop.
The Li River curves 83 km between softer, greener karst peaks — the landscape printed on the 20-yuan note. You see it from a four-hour river cruise, or from a bamboo raft on the Yulong River, or from a bicycle on a flat path through rice paddies. Two hours north are the Longji rice terraces, climbable by cable car if you prefer.
Daily walking: mostly flat, 3,000–5,000 steps. Best for: families with young children, older travellers, anyone who wants a holiday rather than an expedition. Less good for: travellers specifically seeking dramatic mountain scenery or a physical challenge.
Young family, or travelling with parents: Guilin, without hesitation. Short drives, calm water, easy walks and things small children actually enjoy.
Fit adults or teens, photography-focused: Zhangjiajie. It is one of the most spectacular places any of us have been.
Both, in three weeks: they are a short flight apart and combine naturally. Many of our guests do Zhangjiajie first while they have the energy, then unwind in Yangshuo.
Limited mobility: Guilin, and specifically the Li River cruise and a Longji cable-car visit. Zhangjiajie can be done with cable cars but there are still unavoidable stair sections.
If you have to pick one and you are travelling with children under twelve or parents over seventy, pick Guilin. It will not disappoint, and it will not exhaust anyone.
If your group is active and the photographs are what drew you to China, pick Zhangjiajie — but give it four or five days rather than two, because the park is huge and rushing it in the heat is miserable. And tell us if anyone is uneasy with heights; we re-plan those days rather than hoping for the best.
Tell us your dates, who is travelling and roughly what you want to see. Within 24 hours a China-based planner sends you a day-by-day itinerary with everything itemised — free, and with nothing to pay until you approve it.
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