East Gate Route B — Zhangjiajie National Forest Park (via Bailong Elevator / Shuiraosimen / Ten-Mile Gallery)

Also entering via the East Gate (the Wulingyuan landmark gate), this route heads for the Bailong Elevator, Shuiraosimen and the Ten-Mile Gallery. Take the park shuttle to Shuiraosimen, then the Bailong Elevator about 2 minutes straight up to Yuanjiajie — one of the quicker ways up; finish at the Ten-Mile Gallery mini-train. About 20–30 minutes by car; direct city–scenic buses run from Zhangjiajie West Station. Private cars park outside the gate and switch to the park shuttle.

East Gate B and East Gate A use the same gate — the Wulingyuan landmark gate. Cars park in the same lot outside the ticket gate and the entrance is the same; the difference is which way you head once inside. Take the park shuttle first to Shuiraosimen, then change to the Bailong Elevator. The lift takes about 2 minutes to reach Yuanjiajie, the fastest up-and-over connection of the five entrances and one that saves most of the climbing. From Yuanjiajie you can carry on to Yangjiajie or Tianzishan depending on the time and energy you have left. For the way back, head to the Ten-Mile Gallery and leave the valley on the sightseeing mini-train. The mini-train is ticketed separately from park admission, and it makes a natural finish to the day without doubling back. The ticket is valid for 4 days with unlimited re-entry from any gate, so there is no need to cram everything into one day — you can come back through a different gate the next morning. Getting here is the same as for East Gate A: about 20–30 minutes by car from the Zhangjiajie West toll gate, direct city–scenic buses from Zhangjiajie West Station, and private cars parked outside the gate with a switch to the park shuttle. If your trip runs two days or more, the other East Gate route (Tianzishan Cableway direction) pairs well with this one: ride up this way on day one, then enter through the same East Gate on day two and head for the Tianzishan Cableway instead — same lodging, same car park, both routes used. To cut the climb to a minimum, start with this route.