Hangzhou travel guide
Paradise on Earth — where tea, poetry, and West Lake whisper through centuries
Plan your visit
Recommended stay2–3 days
Getting there1–1.5 hours by high-speed rail from Shanghai; Hangzhou East is the main hub.
Good to knowAllow half a day each for West Lake and Lingyin; Longjing tea season is spring.
Hangzhou is 'paradise on earth' by old Chinese saying — West Lake's willow banks, pagodas and causeways framed by tea hills where Longjing tea is picked by hand. One hour by rail from Shanghai, it mixes lakeside strolls, temple incense and tea-village lanes into an easy weekend.
Top sights
- West Lake loop — Walk or bike the 15-km shoreline between Broken Bridge and Su Causeway — early morning belongs to locals doing taichi.
- Lingyin Temple — One of China's largest Buddhist complexes below a cliff of ancient carved buddhas; incense haze and forest paths.
- Longjing tea village — Walk the terraced pickers' lanes, taste first-flush greens in a farmer's yard, buy direct from the source.
- Hefang Street — Qing-style snack street near the lake — try longxuceng (flaky pastry) and sugar-frosted dates.
- Xixi wetlands — Boat through reed-lined channels in the city's quiet water park — an afternoon off the crowds.
Suggested itinerary
- West Lake Day. Boat ride across West Lake, Ten Scenes walk, Leifeng Pagoda sunset
- Tea & Temples. Longjing tea plantation tour, Lingyin Temple, Feilai Feng Buddhist grottoes
- Wetlands & Water. Xixi Wetland boat maze, Song Dynasty Town, Grand Canal night cruise
Budget reference
LodgingLakeside ¥500–900; tea-hill guesthouses ¥350–700; chains ¥300–500.
FoodDishes to order: West Lake vinegar fish, Dongpo pork, beggar's chicken — ¥60–120 per head in old restaurants.
Local transportMetro ¥2–7, lake ferries ¥55–70, taxis cheap and fast outside rush hour.
TicketsLakeshore free; Lingyin ¥45 plus Feilai Peak ¥30, Xixi boat ¥80 combined.
Where to stay
West of the lake for quiet views, east side for metro and food streets.
Good to know
- Weekend lake paths jam by 10am — do the marquee walks on a weekday morning if possible.
- Buy Longjing in the village, not the airport: look for pre-Qingming picking dates on the bag.
- Orioles Singing in the Willows and other scenic name-plaques make a nice walking treasure hunt with kids.
Explore
Hangzhou travel guide