Off-season ticket prices are here: six scenic areas in Hunan adopt them together
Late autumn has arrived, and the fairy-tale snow-viewing season is not far away. As November comes, many scenic areas in China begin to apply off-season ticket prices, with generous discounts.
This autumn and winter, the scenic areas in Hunan confirmed to apply off-season ticket prices include the Wulingyuan core scenic area in Zhangjiajie, the Nanyue Hengshan scenic area, the Liuyang Daweishan scenic area, the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon scenic area, the Zhangjiajie Giant Salamander Science Museum, and the Jiangya Hot Spring. Among them, the Wulingyuan core scenic area offers a 5.5 discount on the main gate ticket. For visitors planning to go into the mountains in winter, this means spending on tickets and on transport within the park will both drop noticeably.
Wulingyuan core scenic area: a 4-day valid ticket for 136 yuan
The discount period for the Zhangjiajie core scenic area, Wulingyuan, is from December 1, 2015 to February 29, 2016. Discount method (taking a regular ticket as an example):
- 4-day valid regular ticket, original price 245 yuan per person (including 65 yuan for the eco-bus), off-season discount price 136 yuan per person.
- Huangshizhai Cableway, one way original price 65 yuan per person, discount price 40 yuan per person; round trip original price 118 yuan per person, discount price 70 yuan per person.
- Yangjiajie Cableway, one way original price 76 yuan per person, discount price 46 yuan per person.
- Shili Gallery sightseeing tram, one way original price 38 yuan per person, discount price 24 yuan per person; round trip original price 52 yuan per person, discount price 30 yuan per person.
In other words, going into the mountains in the off-season not only means a discount on the main gate ticket; several main cableways and the sightseeing tram on the mountain are also reduced at the same time, so visitors' overall spending on transfers within the park will be considerably lower than in peak season. Note that the discount tickets apply the prices announced above, and the specific ways of buying and checking tickets are subject to the arrangements of the scenic area on the day.
Giant Salamander Science Museum, Grand Canyon and Jiangya Hot Spring
The discount period for the Zhangjiajie Giant Salamander Science Museum is from December 1, 2015 to February 29, 2016. Discount method (taking a regular ticket as an example): original price 98 yuan per person, discount price 49 yuan per person.
At the same time, star-rated hotels, characteristic guesthouses and others in Wulingyuan District also offer 3 to 7 discounts on their posted prices, so winter accommodation offers both more choice and friendlier prices.
The discount period for Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon is from December 1, 2015 to February 29, 2016. Discount method: regular ticket original price 118 yuan per person, discount price 70 yuan per person (not including the artificial slide and the high-altitude zipline). In addition, since June 10, 2014, the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon scenic area has applied a free-ticket policy for primary and middle school students under 19 worldwide, which runs until December 31 this year.
The discount period for Jiangya Hot Spring is from December 1, 2015 to February 29, 2016. Discount method (taking a regular ticket as an example): original price 118 yuan per person, discount price 95 yuan per person. Soaking in a hot spring after climbing in winter is a combination many visitors choose.
Practical tips
- The scenic area uses timed, station-by-station real-name reservations; within the 4-day ticket period, each entry requires an advance reservation and entry on time, so please bring your original ID card.
- For a first visit, or when bringing elderly people and children, the East Gate (Wulingyuan landmark gate) is recommended; just outside the gate is Wulingyuan town, with plenty of food and accommodation; if you want to hike Jinbian Stream, you can choose the South Gate.
- Within the park, eco-buses link the various sections, with cableways and the Bailong Elevator as auxiliary transport requiring separate tickets; try to arrange your route as "elevator up, cableway down" to avoid retracing your steps.
- Private cars cannot be driven into the scenic area and must be parked in the car park outside the ticket gate, then visitors transfer to the scenic area eco-bus to enter.
- In winter, temperatures at the summit can drop below zero, trails may ice over, and cableways and the elevator may be temporarily suspended due to strong wind or ice; please follow the announcements of the scenic area and leave flexibility in your itinerary.
Current standards in effect
From January 1, 2025, the Wulingyuan core scenic area cancels the difference between peak and off-season, with a unified ticket of 165 yuan per person, valid for 4 consecutive days. Transport within the scenic area (eco-bus etc.) is 71 yuan, and personal accident insurance is 3 yuan, making 239 yuan for the three items together. This site treats the 3 yuan insurance as complimentary, so visitors actually pay 236 yuan. It should be explained that: 165 yuan is only the price of the ticket itself, not including scenic area transport and insurance, so there is no need to be puzzled on seeing the three figures 165, 236 and 239; they refer to different scopes.