Mengdong River Rafting Day Tour (Summer Pick)

► This is a guided tour by eco-friendly public transport. If you need a private car, feel free to contact our travel consultants to arrange it for you.
► Route: Zhangjiajie → Mengdong River → Furong Ancient Town → Zhangjiajie

Why you should check it out:
1. Mongdong River rafting is especially suitable for summer. The temperature is 20 to 35℃ from June to October, which is the best time for rafting.
2. Rafting is the right choice for couples or families seeing cool and exciting activities.
3. Deeply experience the centuries-old Furong Ancient Town in Western Hunan.

You are advised to arrive in Zhangjiajie one day before and stay overnight in the downtown area. This morning, our guide will pick you up from your own-booked hotel and escort you to the Mengdong River.

There is no direct bus from Zhangjiajie to Mengdong River. Our guide will help you hire a local car or taxi to take you to the upstream rafting port of the Mengdong River in 1.5 hours.

The Mengdong River Scenic Area is located in Yongshun County, 80 km (50 mi) southwest of Zhangjiajie. The popular rafting activity is mainly carried out on the Sihe River, a tributary of the Mengdong River, with a total length of 47 km (29 mi). It is one of the only two 4-star rafting routes in China due to its exceptional route and scenery.

The Mengdong River has turbulent currents, with a winding course, big river slopes and many shoals, which make rafting along the river refreshing and thrilling. The best part is from the Hani Palace to the Niulu River, which is about 17 km (11 mi) long. It takes 2.5 to 3 hours to drift and popular among tourists every summer.

► Rafting Route: Hani Palace Toursit Center → Triangular Rock → Cloak Shoal → Leigong Shoal → Fishing Platform → Thirteen Waves → Nietu Waterfall → Jumping Rock → Yama Shoal → Gate of Hell → Luoshuikeng Waterfall → Mengsi Gorge → Coin Hole → Wooden Horse Shoal → Long Pond → Niulu River

Put on the life jacket and get on the raft from the Hani Palace, you’ll start the thrilling tour, drifting down the ancient riverway into a deep canyon. The scenery on both sides of the river is like a picture scroll that unfolds as you move on. The lush primeval forests, steep cliffs, giant rocks, and waterfalls can be seen everywhere. Along the way, you will make 155 turns and pass 133 shoals. In the thrilling splashing, you may be able to find a completely relaxed self that you've been missing for a long time. Reaching the downstream, you can enjoy the calm river, peculiar karst caves, and cute wild monkeys.

Disembark around 13:00. The Tourist Center at the port has showers and changing rooms where you can take half an hour to shower and change into dry clothes you've brought.

4 Tips for Mengdong River Rafting:
1. You'd better not wear expensive clothes to go rafting. Wear comfortable and quick-drying clothes. Do not wear high heels. Sandals or slippers are recommended. Your clothes will inevitably get wet, so it's best to have a raincoat and a change of clothes.
2. Except for bottled drinking water, it is advisable not to carry other items on the raft, especially documents and valuables such as mobile phones, cameras, watches, jewelry, and cash. If you insist on taking your phone with you, make sure you have a waterproof bag and keep it safe during rafting to avoid water or falling into the river.
3. Rafting is a high-risk tour, so please think carefully according to your own situation.  People with heart disease, hypertension, mental illness, dementia, and disabilities, pregnant women, people over 60 years old, children under 1.2 meters (3.9 ft), and people who are drunk are not allowed to take part in rafting.
4. Pay attention to safety all the way. Carefully read the safety tips and correctly wear the life jacket before you start. Follow the orders of the drift guide, hold on to the safety rope, and do not do any dangerous actions during rafting.

The end of the rafting is the Niulu River, half an hour's drive from the Furong Ancient Town. Our guide will accompany you on a tour there by chartered car.
► Tip: If we're lucky to come across a bus from Yongshun to Wangcun (Furong Ancient Town), the guide could accompany you to take the bus if you like.

Upon arrival, you can have a self-paid lunch at a local restaurant and try the specialty Rice Tofu. After lunch break, the guide will lead you to start exploring this typical western Hunan town.

The Furong Town, known as the ‘Ancient Town Hanging on the Waterfall’, has been a local water and land transportation hub and a prosperous trading port since ancient times. Let’s walk along the Five-mile Flagstone Street, browse the interesting souvenir shops, and visit the Folk Museum to see the local historical relics. Most importantly, don't miss watching the iconic Big Waterfall of Furong Town from the observation deck. Here you can see the ancient town surrounded by water on three sides, with waterfalls running through the middle, and a cluster of ancient stilted houses of the local Tujia people.

Late in the afternoon, our guide will accompany you to hire a car to reach the Furong Town Railway Station in 10 minutes, and there we’ll take a high speed train from the Furong Ancient Town to Zhangjiajie. The train Nos. G6358 and G688 are recommended.

Facts of High Speed Train No. G6358 or G688 for Your Reference
► Departure: 16:45 or 20:11 from Furong Town Railway Station
► Arrival: 17:08 or 20:34 at Zhangjiajie West Railway Station
► Duration: 23 minutes

This tour will end at the Zhangjiajie West Railway Station. Ask our guide for advice if you need to get to your hotel or transfer to other vehicles to leave Zhangjiajie.

If you want to spend a night in the Furong Ancient Town, you can tell our travel consultants in advance. It is recommended to choose a hostel with good view, where you can enjoy the beautiful night scenery of the ancient town. The next day, you can take a train to Zhangjiajie or Fenghuang Ancient Town according to your travel plan.

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