Enshi Grand Canyon is regarded as the Karst Natural Museum, where you could explore diverse landscapes, including waterfalls, underground rivers, precipitous mountains, and caves, feeling the peace and magnificence of nature.
This guide will help you quickly discover the top things to do, the best way to explore, and the best time to visit, offering some inspiration for your trip plan.
- Location: Enshi, Hubei province, China
- Best time to visit: late April to September
- Time needed: 1 to 2 days
- Best for: trekking along cliffside walkways, karst landscapes, and viewing waterfalls
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Top Things to Do in Enshi Grand Canyon
A Stick of Incense in Enshi Grand CanyonIf you're a natural wonder seeker and enjoy outdoor walking, Enshi Grand Canyon is ideal for you to explore.
1. Witness the Queer Pillar "A Stick of Incense"
You cannot miss this incense-shaped pillar, which is the most iconic landmark and the most grotesque pillar at Enshi Grand Canyon. It is 150 meters (492 feet) tall and only 4 meters (13 feet) wide at its narrowest point. It is perfect for taking stunning photos and marveling at the magic of magnificent karst landforms.
For a better viewing experience, you're advised to visit during sunny days as the sunlight is better for photography. During rainy days, you may not be able to see the pillar clearly due to the fog.
2. Trek Along the Thrilling Precipice Plank Road
The Precipice Plank Road is one of Enshi Grand Canyon's top attractions, allowing you to feel the thrill of being suspended above the cliffs of a canyon while walking. You could also enjoy expansive photogenic points across the canyon.
3. Marvel at the Cascading Cliffside Waterfalls
The different cliffside waterfalls are some of the highlights at the bottom of the canyon, creating a spectacular and peaceful atmosphere that soothes your mind. With relatively flat roads, it is ideal for kids and the elderly to trek.
If you want to take spectacular photos with a waterfall from a different perspective, the iron suspension bridge is an ideal spot offering wider views. You also have a higher chance of seeing rainbows in the waterfall around the bridge as it is the sunniest part at the bottom of the canyon.
Enshi Grand Canyon4. Take the Canyon Cableway Through the Clouds
For families with kids and the elderly, taking a cable car ride offers a convenient way to save at least half an hour of hiking time and to conserve your energy as the remaining roads require more walking and climbing.
It is also ideal for enjoying a breathtaking panoramic view of the canyon from up to 150 meters (492 feet) above the ground. If you're lucky enough to encounter the sea of clouds, you could experience a thrilling and dreamy feeling of going through the clouds.
Other options could also help save your time and energy:
- Escalators: The nine-step escalator could save you from descending over 2,000 steps after visiting ‘A Stick of Incense', making it more knee-friendly, especially for the elderly.
- Sightseeing elevator: Located at the end of your waterfall viewing route, it could help you skip climbing more than 700 steps.
5. Savor the Local Tujia Ethnic-Style Cuisine and Snacks
Enshi Grand Canyon is perfect for light travel — there's no need to carry much food or drinks for supplies as there are plenty of affordable local snacks and dishes available.
You could try Tujia dishes, such as a sauce-flavored pancake, Hezha (ropy soybean milk with julienne vegetables), Tujia cured pork, spiced dried bean curd, and fried little potatoes (with seasonings added, such as chili powder and sesame).
How to Visit Enshi Grand Canyon
Enshi Grand Canyon is mainly divided into Seven Star Village (七星寨) for the mountain-top tour and Yunlong Crack (or Cloud Dragon Crack, 云龙地缝) for the canyon-floor tour.
- Seven Star Village: It is best known for Precipice Plank Road, strangely-shaped pines, and grotesque rocks, such as ‘A Stick of Incense'. We recommend you combine the cable car and escalators as it requires more walking and climbing. The visiting time is about 3–4 hours.
- Yunlong Crack: It is best known for waterfalls and underground rivers. It has more flat roads, which are easier to walk along and better for the elderly. The visiting time is about 1–2 hours.
Enshi Grand CanyonRecommended Tour Route
Tourist Center → take the ground cable car to Cableway Station → take the cable car up to the mountain → visit Seven Star Village along Precipice Plank Road → take the escalators down → take a shuttle bus transfer to the entrance of Yunlong Crack → visit Yunlong Crack along the hiking trail → take the sightseeing elevator up to the ground → take the ground cable car back to the Tourist Center
We recommend visiting Seven Star Village first since the cable car usually experiences more queues and it is better to get in the cable car line early.
Taking an alpenstock with you may help with your trekking experience. The whole trip would be strenuous, especially in Seven Star Village, as you still need to walk over 20,000 steps, even if you combine all of the transfer options in the canyon.
You could hire a sedan chair to relax your legs while visiting Seven Star Village. For kids under or about 6 years old, you could also ask a woman with a basket carrier to carry your kids in the basket. It is more cost-effective than a sedan chair at about half the price.
If you don't want to walk a lot in Yunlong Crack, you could backtrack after visiting the second or third waterfall. That way, you won't miss the iron suspension bridge and could also save yourself a lot of walking later on.
How Long to Spend Visiting Enshi Grand Canyon
Typically, it takes about 5–6 hours to visit Enshi Grand Canyon. You could allocate a day for visiting, which is enough combined with transportation to and from the city center.
However, for families with kids and the elderly, or if you want a slower travel pace, you could spend 2 days visiting the canyon since it would be more energy-consuming to visit the two main attractions in a day.
One-day trip: This is popular but also strenuous, being suitable for active people. You're advised to stay in the city center for more hotel options and convenient interprovincial transportation.
Two-day trip: With a slower travel pace, this is ideal for a family with kids and the elderly. We recommend staying near the canyon for convenient visiting and skipping the detour transportation, while also allowing you to enjoy the canyon's beauty and peaceful environment.
Recommended itinerary:
- Day 1: Enshi arrival
- Day 2: Enshi Grand Canyon (visit Seven Star Village)
- Day 3: Enshi Grand Canyon (visit Yunlong Crack) and departure
You could also consider extending your trip to nearby destinations, such as Chongqing, Zhangjiajie, and Fenghuang Ancient Town. Get some inspirations for combining these destinations on our 15-Day China Natural Beauty Tour with Enshi Grand Canyon.
How to Get to Enshi Grand Canyon
Enshi has both an airport and a railway station, offering relatively convenient transportation to arrive.
You could fly directly to Enshi from popular cities like Beijing and Xi'an, or take a bullet train from destinations around Enshi, such as Chongqing and Wuhan.
Popular Cities to Transfer to Enshi by Plane or Bullet Train
| By Plane | By Bullet Train | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Beijing–Enshi | 2½ hours | Chongqing–Enshi | 2½ hours |
| Shanghai–Enshi | 2½ hours | Yichang–Enshi | 2 hours |
| Xi'an–Enshi | 1½ hours | Wuhan–Enshi | 4½ hours |
| Guangzhou–Enshi | 2 hours | Chengdu–Enshi | 5 hours |
Zhangjiajie is also located near Enshi, taking about a 3-hour drive by private car or a 4-hour drive by coach (direct bullet trains or flights are unavailable).
After arriving in Enshi, you could take a private car or a taxi to Enshi Grand Canyon, which is about 1½ hours' drive from the city center. It is also possible to find a direct shuttle bus from the railway station.
Best Time to Visit Enshi Grand Canyon
The best time to visit Enshi Grand Canyon is from late April to September if you want to enjoy the most beautiful and refreshing scenery as well as stunning waterfalls at their peak flow.
Enshi Grand CanyonSpring (March to May): Spring often sees light rain making the canyon appear somewhat hazy. This makes it less ideal for outdoor walking and viewing. But late April to May is recommended as you could enjoy more vibrant sights and warmer weather.
Summer (June to August): It is the best time for avoiding the summer heat and viewing waterfalls with a fast flow. But we recommend skipping rainy days, since summer sees more rain, leading to foggy weather and slippery roads that may affect your viewing and walking experience. You may also get up early to avoid the large crowds in July and August, especially for the cable car.
Autumn (September to November): Autumn offers cooler weather and more clear days, making it perfect for outdoor excursions and photography. If you want to capture autumn colors, the best time is from October to November.
Winter (December to February): Winter is cold in the canyon as the temperature could drop to minus degrees in Celsius. However, you could admire rime and snow during snowy days, and experience fewer visitors and queues for the cable car.
Enshi Grand Canyon vs. Zhangjiajie National Forest Park
Enshi and Zhangjiajie are adjacent to each other. They are both perfect for viewing mountain scenery and enjoying Tujia ethnic experiences, but they also require more energy to explore, especially Enshi Grand Canyon.
Enshi Grand Canyon: Best from Late April to September
- Karst landscapes, featuring a spectacular canyon, caves, waterfalls, and queer peaks
- Regarded as "the most beautiful scar on earth"
- Offers great visual impact of the canyon's depth and vertical height
- Suitable for a hiking tour, offering thrilling experiences, such as trekking along cliffside walkways or the iron suspension bridge, and riding in the canyon cable car
Zhangjiajie National Forest Park: Best from May to October
- Known for the unique sandstone pillar forests landscape, which is very rare worldwide
- The Hallelujah Mountains in Avatar are inspired by Zhangjiajie's stone pillars
- With more than 3,000 grotesque stone pillars, leaving you in awe of the natural formations and the mystery of the Avatar floating mountains; best for photography
- Several well-developed visiting routes, ideal for visiting via hiking or taking eco-friendly shuttle buses or cable cars; you could also experience the Bailong Elevator, the highest outdoor elevator in the world
Zhangjiajie National Forest ParkHow to Choose Between These Two Destinations
For first-timers to China, if you want to witness one of the most iconic landscapes in the country, we recommend exploring Zhangjiajie National Forest Park. It offers a less physically demanding experience compared to Enshi Grand Canyon, being more suitable for families with kids and the elderly.
By contrast, visiting Enshi Grand Canyon requires more energy to manage the walking and climbing. If you prefer outdoor hiking activities, it could be an ideal option.
Is Enshi Grand Canyon Still Recommended If I Have Been to Zhangjiajie?
Yes. If you're fond of natural sightseeing, both destinations are worth visiting as you would see different stunning natural landscapes.