Hangzhou 杭州
Hangzhou is the classical lake city of China — a 2,000-year-old poetic capital wrapped around West Lake (西湖), with tea hills, Buddhist temples and causeways straight out of a Song-dynasty painting. Come for a slow lakeside day, Longjing tea in the hills, and some of the country's best braised and steamed cooking — it is an easy, green, hugely rewarding 2–3 day stop on the Shanghai high-speed line.
Sights in Hangzhou
West Lake 西湖
Su Causeway 苏堤
Lingyin Temple 灵隐寺
Leifeng Pagoda 雷峰塔
Three Pools Mirroring the Moon 三潭印月
Temple of Yue Fei 岳王庙
Hupao Spring (Dreaming of Tiger Spring) 虎跑梦泉
China National Tea Museum 中国茶叶博物馆
Nine Creeks and Eighteen Gullies 九溪十八涧
Xixi National Wetland Park 西溪国家湿地公园
Hefang Street 河坊街
Chenghuang Pavilion (Wushan) 城隍阁
China National Silk Museum 中国丝绸博物馆
Zhejiang Provincial Museum 浙江省博物馆
Gongchen Bridge and the Grand Canal 拱宸桥
Six Harmonies Pagoda 六和塔
Qianjiang New City and City Balcony 城市阳台
Wuzhen Water Town 乌镇
Xitang Water Town 西塘
Moganshan 莫干山
Shaoxing Old Town 绍兴
Qiandao Lake (Thousand Island Lake) 千岛湖
Longjing Tea Village 龙井村
Prices are approximate and hours change. Sights without a page haven't been checked yet.
Where to stay
West Lake & Hubin 西湖·湖滨
You step out of the hotel onto the lakeside promenade, boat piers, and the biggest concentration of restaurants and shops, with Metro Line 1 at 龙翔桥.
Good for: First-timers, walkers, dawn lake strolls
Wulin Square 武林广场
The traditional downtown core with big malls, the Grand Canal a short walk north and the Line 1/2 interchange at 凤起路 nearby.
Good for: Shoppers, transit convenience, business travellers
Hefang Street & Wushan 河坊街·吴山
A Qing-style pedestrian quarter of snack stalls, tea houses and traditional pharmacies, five minutes' walk from 吴山广场 and close to 杭州站 (城站).
Good for: Street food, budget stays, old-town atmosphere
Getting there
Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport 杭州萧山国际机场
Metro Line 19 to Xihu Wenhua Guangchang, then Line 1 to Longxiangqiao by West Lake: about 55 min, ¥7. Taxi 50–70 min, around ¥100.
Hangzhou East Railway Station 杭州东站
The main high-speed hub: Shanghai Hongqiao in 45–60 min, plus Beijing, Huangshan and most other services. Served by Metro Lines 1, 4, 6 and 19. It is vast — arrive 45 minutes early and use the upper departure level.
Hangzhou Railway Station (Chengzhan) 杭州站（城站）
The old central station, about 2 km from West Lake on Metro Line 1; handles some high-speed trains and is far more convenient than East for lake-area hotels.
Hangzhou West Railway Station 杭州西站
Opened in 2022 for high-speed lines toward Huangshan, Hefei and Huzhou; on Metro Lines 3 and 19, but it sits far northwest of the city — check which station your ticket names.
Getting around
Metro (地铁)
Crossing the city fast — Line 1 for the lake's east shore and both central stations, Line 4 for Qianjiang New City, Line 19 for the airport.
Scan the Alipay or WeChat 'transport' QR at the gates; buy single-journey tickets from the machines (English available) if your phone is not set up. Trains stop around 22:30–23:00.
Taxi / Didi
Evenings, luggage, hillside tea villages and temple trips where metro doesn't reach.
Didi in English inside the Alipay mini-app works well; drivers rarely speak English, so have the Chinese address on screen. Avoid hailing near West Lake on weekend afternoons — the ring road jams.
Shared bike
The best way to circle West Lake, ride the Su Causeway and reach 龙井 tea villages.
Hellobike (哈啰), Meituan and Qingju bikes unlock via Alipay/WeChat; park only in marked zones or you may be fined. Roads around the lake are hilly on the west side.
City bus
Scenic routes to 灵隐寺, 龙井村 and 九溪 that the metro does not serve.
Tourist 'Y' lines loop the lake; pay by transport QR, transit card or exact change. Buses fill up fast on sunny weekends.
Boat
Crossing West Lake to 三潭印月 islet, or the Grand Canal water bus toward 拱宸桥.
Buy lake tickets at the official 湖滨 or 花港 piers; hand-rowed boats (摇橹船) cost more but go to quieter corners — agree the price and duration first.
Good to know
- Alipay accepts Visa, Mastercard, JCB, Discover and Diners cards. Payments under ¥200 carry no Alipay service fee; payments of ¥200 or more carry a 3% fee. Verify your passport in the app to raise limits. Source
- A travel eSIM or home SIM on roaming reaches Google, WhatsApp and Instagram without a VPN; a Chinese SIM or hotel Wi-Fi does not. Keep your home SIM active for SMS codes. Source
- Do West Lake at dawn. The Su Causeway (苏堤) and Bai Causeway (白堤) are empty and misty from 6–8am and shoulder-to-shoulder by 10am on weekends — bikes are far faster than the crowds.
- Lingyin Temple (灵隐寺) needs two tickets: the Feilai Peak scenic-area entry first, then a separate temple admission inside. Buy both at the gate, go early, and take bus Y1/7 as the metro does not reach it.
- Everything is paid by phone. Link a foreign Visa/Mastercard to Alipay or WeChat Pay before arrival; many stalls, temples and ticket machines no longer handle cash smoothly.
- Buying Longjing tea: skip touts offering 'free tasting' on the road to 龙井村 and buy from farmhouses in 梅家坞 or a state-run tea shop. Real pre-Qingming (明前) leaves run well over ¥1,000 per 500g — anything at ¥100 is not that tea.
- Book high-speed rail seats on the 12306 app or Trip.com a few days ahead, especially Friday evenings and holidays. Your passport is your ticket — use the staffed lane at the gate, since foreign passports often fail the auto-scanner.
- Tipping is not expected anywhere; a service charge only appears in top hotel restaurants. Restaurant queues peak 11:30–13:00 and 17:30–19:00 — go at 11:00 or after 13:30.
What to eat in Hangzhou
西湖醋鱼
xīhú cù yú
West Lake vinegar fish · Whole grass carp poached then glazed with sweet-sour vinegar sauce; the signature dish of 楼外楼 — ask for fewer bones.
东坡肉
dōngpō ròu
Dongpo braised pork belly · Cube of belly braised for hours in Shaoxing wine and soy until it collapses; named after poet Su Dongpo.
龙井虾仁
lóngjǐng xiārén
Longjing tea shrimp · River shrimp stir-fried with fresh Longjing tea leaves and a little tea liquor; delicate and faintly bitter.
叫花鸡
jiàohuā jī
Beggar's chicken · Whole chicken wrapped in lotus leaves and clay, baked and cracked open at the table; order ahead, it takes time.
片儿川
piàn er chuān
Pian'erchuan noodles · Hangzhou's everyday noodle soup with pork slices, bamboo shoots and pickled greens — cheap, savoury, everywhere.
干炸响铃
gān zhà xiǎng líng
Crisp fried bean-curd rolls · Thin tofu skin rolled and deep-fried until it 'rings' when bitten; dip in sweet-sour sauce. Fully vegetarian.
葱包桧
cōng bāo guì
Scallion-wrapped griddle roll · Street snack: spring onion and a strip of fried dough pressed flat in a crepe and brushed with sweet bean sauce.
定胜糕
dìngshèng gāo
Dingsheng rice cake · Pink steamed rice-flour cake with red bean paste, said to have been given to Song armies heading to war.
Weather by season
| Months | Day | Night | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar-May | 20 °C | 11 °C | Mild and green, tea picking in early April, but frequent drizzle and grey skies — pack a light rain jacket. |
| Jun-Aug | 33 °C | 25 °C | Hot, sticky and often 38°C+; the mid-June to mid-July plum rains bring heavy downpours. Sightsee at dawn and after 5pm. |
| Sep-Nov | 24 °C | 15 °C | The best window: clear, dry, cool evenings and sweet osmanthus blossom in October; book hotels ahead for the National Day week. |
| Dec-Feb | 9 °C | 2 °C | Damp raw cold that seeps indoors; hotels are heated but many sights are outdoors. Snow on the causeways is rare but spectacular. |
Typical averages, not a forecast.
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time to visit Hangzhou?
Late March–May (tea season, flowers, mild) and September–November (crisp, osmanthus in October)
Which sights in Hangzhou should I book in advance?
Lingyin Temple, Leifeng Pagoda, Temple of Yue Fei, Hupao Spring (Dreaming of Tiger Spring), Xixi National Wetland Park, China National Silk Museum, Zhejiang Provincial Museum, Six Harmonies Pagoda, Wuzhen Water Town, Moganshan, Shaoxing Old Town, Qiandao Lake (Thousand Island Lake).
Which airports serve Hangzhou?
Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport (HGH).
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