Give Fairy Mountain a full day from Chongqing for a slower outing in the grassland and woods. Choose the season for the scenery you want, then use the little train to link the main stops.

Fairy Mountain National Forest Park仙女山国家森林公园
Xiannvshan visitor centre武隆喀斯特旅游区游客中心（仙女山游客中心）
Wulong South Railway Station武隆南站
Map · Transport

Choose Fairy Mountain for a slower day outdoors

Choose the forest park for meadow walks and cooler summer air. Families can use the sightseeing train to keep walks short. The Three Natural Bridges offer a separate gorge walk beneath huge stone arches.

These three places have different roles:

Place What you go there for
Fairy Mountain National Forest Park (仙女山国家森林公园) Meadows, forest paths and the little train, uphill from town.
Xiannüshan town visitor centre (仙女山游客接待中心) The transfer hub for buses to the forest park and other Wulong sights.
Three Natural Bridges (天生三桥) A separate gorge walk beneath three stone arches.

Pick the right season for your trip

Visitors walking on a grassy slope beside woodland at Fairy Mountain
Grass and woodland in Fairy Mountain National Forest Park, photographed in April 2007.Photo by kingwill
Season Best reason to come
Spring New leaves, meadow walks and kite flying. Early March can still have snow and grass that has not turned green.
Summer Green meadows and cooler air than central Chongqing. Mix open grassland with shaded forest paths.
Autumn Woodland colour and views across the rolling road. Use clear spells for the open scenery.
Winter Snow-covered grass and trees when snow falls, plus seasonal skiing and snow play.

Choose summer if your main goal is a broad green meadow backed by dark forest. Spring and autumn suit walks among the trees. For snow photos, plan around conditions on the mountain.

Tickets and timing

Allow three to four hours for the little train loop, meadow walks and the wavy-road photo stop. From central Chongqing, this fills a day once you add the station journey and road transfers.

Adult park entry costs CNY 50 (≈ USD 7.5 ). The optional sightseeing train costs CNY 25 (≈ USD 3.7 ) per person, making CNY 75 (≈ USD 11 ) per adult for entry and the ride. Rail tickets and the buses up the mountain are extra.

To arrange admission before arrival, book a Fairy Mountain admission ticket on Trip.com. Add the sightseeing train separately if you want the ride.

Plan the main route around the train's listed hours of 08:30–16:30. A morning start gives you more time to stop and walk. Allow longer for woodland activities or a snow session.

How to get there from Chongqing

The glass pyramid of the Wulong Karst visitor centre and its forecourt in Xiannüshan town
Photo by Hugo LUC

The route uses high-speed rail followed by two road legs:

  1. Take an early train from Chongqing East (重庆东) to Wulong South (武隆南). The ride takes about 40–60 minutes, depending on the service.
  2. At Wulong South, take the tourist bus uphill to the Xiannüshan town visitor centre (仙女山游客接待中心).
  3. Change to the Fairy Mountain park bus. Continue into the forest park to Mutizi visitor centre (木梯子游客中心), where the meadow route begins.

Use the Chongqing intercity train guide for station access and rail booking. Include your hotel-to-station journey when choosing the morning departure.

If arriving by car, use 木梯子游客中心 as the destination for the meadow outing. From its parking area, continue on foot or by sightseeing train.

The little train and meadow route

The little train runs on park roads through grassland and woods. Its main loop is Mutizi visitor centre → Grassland stop → Horse-Riding Ground stop → Mutizi visitor centre.

Start at Mutizi visitor centre

Board at 木梯子游客中心 for a visit with shorter walks. If forest walking is the main attraction, take the boardwalk from Mutizi towards the meadow instead. This gives you time among the trees before the open grassland.

Relax at the Grassland stop

Get off at 大草原站. Walk beyond the arrival area towards the tree line for a wider view of the meadow. This is the stop for a picnic, family photos and time watching grazing animals. Allow more time here if you want a gentle visit.

Photograph the wavy road

Continue to the Horse-Riding Ground stop (跑马场站), then walk back towards the meadow. The road rises and falls between grass and trees, creating the view called 波浪公路 or 最美公路.

Choose a roadside position that shows several rises in the road. Photograph the little train as it passes, then return to the stop for the ride back to Mutizi.

Tree Top Walk and Forest Eye

Tree Top Walk (树顶漫步) has raised paths through the woods and the Forest Eye lookout. It costs a separate CNY 69 (≈ USD 10 ) per person per visit and sits away from the meadow train loop. Choose it when you want more forest time and can extend the visit beyond the main route.

Rain and mist

A bent tree in misty woodland at Fairy Mountain
Photo by Z Zhang

Light mist suits close views of the forest and the train among the trees. On a rainy or misty visit, keep walks short and use the train between stops.

Dense fog can hide the long meadow view and the rises in the road. If staying overnight, use the clearest half-day for broad landscape photos. Spend the mistier part of the visit among nearby trees.

Winter snow play and skiing

When snow covers the meadow, the grassland and forest offer a photo-and-play outing without a ski session.

For ski practice, go to Fairy Mountain's ski area (仙女山国际滑雪场). Snow tubes and organised snow play are another choice at the snow-play area (戏雪乐园). These winter activities are separate from the meadow loop; give them a half-day of their own.

For a trip built around skiing, choose the date from the park operator's seasonal opening and snow notices.

Where to stay: town or inside the park?

Stay near the town visitor centre on Yinxing Avenue (银杏大道) for meals and transfers to the Three Natural Bridges. Choose a stay inside the forest park for more woodland time in the early morning or evening.

To see both the park and the Three Natural Bridges, spend one night in Xiannüshan town. Give each place a half-day and use the town visitor centre between them. The Wulong two-day guide covers the bridge route and further gorge or cave choices.

Practical tips for your return trip

When boarding the park bus, ask the driver or staff where the last return bus towards town leaves and at what time. Use that departure to plan your park visit. Allow for the town-to-Wulong South leg when choosing the return train to Chongqing.

Sources & updates