Huamanli Boutique Wensu (Tianmenshan Cableway Station)

The cableway is a must-do, but check the weather first. If the mountain is completely hidden by cloud, you'll miss the views that make the ticket worthwhile. The 7.5 km ride gives you a bird's-eye look at the 99 Bends road and the dramatic karst cliffs, and in May mist it can feel like you're going up into another world. The trip takes about 30 minutes, from the city center to the summit, and as of May 2026 it remains the most popular way to get there. Tianmenshan Cableway is widely considered one of the world's longest and most spectacular cable car rides. For the best views, most people pick Route A, cable car up and bus down. Route B, bus up and cable car down, may have shorter morning lines. During the May 1st holiday, waits at the lower station near the city train station can go over three hours, and you need to book a specific time slot in advance using your passport. Try for a seat facing down, back toward the city, for dizzying, cinematic photos as you pass the final steep ridge.

The ride down was impressive too, with a string of escalators running through the mountain. Going up by cable car meant we could skip the daunting staircase, and we felt lucky to have that option. The ascent was nerve-racking because it's so high, but the fear disappeared when we reached the summit and saw the spectacular panoramic views. An unforgettable mix of natural scenery and engineering.

The queue is really long, but you can pay a bit extra for VIP access. The ride is the longest in the world, with great views over the city and the surrounding mountains.

The long cableway was under construction, so we had to come back the way we went up, by cable car and then seven escalators. It was very crowded.