Hangzhou Complete Guide

Hangzhou is the kind of city that Chinese people have praised for over a thousand years — there's an old saying, "Above there is heaven, below there are Suzhou and Hangzhou." Most foreign visitors come for one reason: West Lake (西湖, Xī Hú), a UNESCO World Heritage site that's essentially a giant landscaped lake ringed by pagodas, causeways, and tea hills. But the city is more than the lake. You also get one of China's most important Buddhist temples, working tea villages where Longjing (Dragon Well) green tea is grown, and a quiet wetland park that few tourists bother with. This guide covers what to see, what to eat, how to get here from Shanghai or Suzhou, where to stay, and how to fit it into two or three days.

Hangzhou Overview: What to Expect

Hangzhou is the capital of Zhejiang Province, about 175 km southwest of Shanghai. It's a wealthy, modern city — this is the home of Alibaba — but the historic core around West Lake stays low-key and green by design. Tall buildings aren't allowed near the lake, which keeps the classic scenery intact.

For most travelers, two to three days is the right length. One full day for West Lake, one for Lingyin Temple plus a tea village, and an optional third day for Xixi Wetland or day trips. The lake area is walkable and flat, which makes Hangzhou one of the more relaxed major Chinese cities to explore on foot or by bike.

The best times to visit are spring (March-May) and autumn (September-November), when the weather is mild and the gardens are at their best. Summers are hot and humid, and the lakeside gets crowded with domestic tourists; winters are cold and damp but quiet, and a light snow over the lake is genuinely worth seeing if you catch it.

Getting to Hangzhou

From Shanghai (the most common route)

The Shanghai-Hangzhou high-speed train (高铁, gāotiě) is the easiest day-trip or transfer route in eastern China. Trains run constantly from both Shanghai Hongqiao and Shanghai station, and the fastest take about 45-60 minutes to reach Hangzhou East (杭州东站, Hángzhōu Dōngzhàn). Second-class fares run roughly ¥73-90. Because trains depart every few minutes during the day, you don't need to commit to an exact time far in advance, though seats on weekend mornings can sell out.

You can book through the official 12306 platform or an English-language reseller. Booking in advance through Trip Com Train is convenient if you'd rather avoid setting up the official app, though it adds a small service fee. Either way, bring your passport — it's your ticket and your ID at the gate.

From Suzhou

High-speed trains from Suzhou to Hangzhou East take roughly 1.5-2 hours depending on the service, with fares around ¥90-150. Hangzhou pairs naturally with Suzhou and Shanghai as part of the classic Jiangnan water-town circuit.

By air

Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport (HGH) has direct flights from several Asian hubs and a growing number of long-haul routes. From the airport, the metro and airport buses connect to the city center in about 45-60 minutes. For most travelers already in eastern China, though, the train is faster and simpler than flying.

Getting around the city

Hangzhou's metro is clean, cheap, and signed in English. Line 1 connects Hangzhou East station toward the city center. For the lake itself, walking and the city's public bike-share system are the best options. Didi (China's main ride-hailing app) works well for everything else. For mapping metro routes and building a day-by-day plan offline, the WaysChina app has offline metro maps and a built-in trip planner.

West Lake: The Heart of Hangzhou

West Lake isn't a single attraction — it's a 6.5 km² lake surrounded by a collection of gardens, temples, causeways, and viewpoints, most of which are free to enter. You could spend half a day or two full days here depending on your pace. The whole area is a UNESCO World Heritage site, recognized for the way Chinese culture has shaped this landscape over centuries of poetry and painting.

Here's how to approach it without trying to see everything:

• The causeways: The Bai Causeway (白堤) and Su Causeway (苏堤) are tree-lined walkways crossing the lake. Walking or biking the Su Causeway in the early morning, before the crowds, is the best way to experience the lake.
• Leifeng Pagoda (雷峰塔): A reconstructed pagoda on the south shore with an elevator inside and panoramic views over the water. There's a small admission fee (around ¥40). It's tied to the famous folk legend of the White Snake.
• Three Pools Mirroring the Moon (三潭印月): A small island in the lake, reached by boat, featuring the three stone pagodas you'll recognize from the back of the ¥1 note.
• Broken Bridge (断桥): Despite the name, it isn't broken. It's the most photographed spot on the lake, especially under snow.

A boat ride across the lake is the classic experience and worth the modest cost. You can take the larger public ferries or hire a small wooden boat with an oarsman. Tickets for boat tours and the island can be booked on the spot or in advance through Klook if you want to skip the ticket queue on busy days.

Lingyin Temple

About 4 km west of the lake sits Lingyin Temple (灵隐寺, Língyǐn Sì), the "Temple of the Soul's Retreat" — one of the oldest and most significant Buddhist temples in China, founded over 1,600 years ago. It's still an active monastery, with monks, incense smoke, and a steady flow of worshippers alongside tourists.

The highlight on the way in is the Feilai Feng (飞来峰, "Peak That Flew Here") — a limestone hillside carved with over 300 Buddhist statues and grottoes dating back nearly a thousand years. Walking the path beneath these weathered carvings, with a stream running alongside, is one of the quieter pleasures of a Hangzhou visit.

Admission works in two layers: a fee for the surrounding scenic area (around ¥45) plus a separate ticket for the temple itself (around ¥30). Go in the morning to avoid the heaviest crowds and the afternoon tour groups.

Longjing Tea Village

Hangzhou is the home of Longjing (龙井, Lóngjǐng), or "Dragon Well" tea — arguably China's most famous green tea. The tea grows on the hills southwest of West Lake, and several villages in the area let you walk among the terraced tea fields, watch leaves being hand-roasted, and drink tea fresh from where it's grown.

The two best-known villages are Longjing Village itself and Meijiawu (梅家坞), a more spread-out valley of tea houses and farmhouses. Both are a short taxi or Didi ride from the lake. You can sit at a farmer's tea house, order a cup of the local green tea, and spend an hour looking out over the rows of tea bushes climbing the hillsides.

The peak harvest is in early spring (late March to early April); tea picked before the Qingming festival is the most prized and most expensive. A guided tea-tasting or picking experience can be booked through platforms like Getyourguide, which is a good option if you want someone to explain the grades and brewing properly.

If you're interested in the broader ritual side of all this, our guide to the Chinese tea ceremony explains the customs you'll encounter at a proper tea house.

Xixi National Wetland Park

Xixi Wetland (西溪湿地, Xīxī Shīdì) is a large protected wetland on the western edge of the city — a network of waterways, ponds, fishing islands, and reed marshes. It's the antidote to a crowded West Lake. You explore it on foot along boardwalks or by electric boat through the channels.

It's quieter and feels more rural, with persimmon trees, egrets, and old village houses. It became more widely known after appearing in a Feng Xiaogang film, but it still doesn't draw the volume of crowds the lake does. Allow half a day. Admission is around ¥80, with separate boat fares. It's worth it if you have a third day or simply want a break from the city pace.

What to Eat in Hangzhou

Hangzhou cuisine (杭帮菜, Háng bāng cài) is on the sweeter, lighter side compared to spicier regional cooking, and it makes heavy use of freshwater fish, river shrimp, bamboo, and — of course — tea. A few dishes to look for:

• West Lake Vinegar Fish (西湖醋鱼): Freshwater fish in a sweet-and-sour sauce. The signature local dish, though it's divisive — some find it delicate, others find it bland. Worth trying once.
• Dongpo Pork (东坡肉): Cubes of pork belly braised slowly in soy sauce and wine until they melt. Named after the poet-governor Su Dongpo. One of the most reliably delicious things you'll eat here.
• Longjing Shrimp (龙井虾仁): Small river shrimp stir-fried with fresh Longjing tea leaves. Subtle and very local.
• Beggar's Chicken (叫化鸡): A whole chicken wrapped in lotus leaves and clay, then baked. Often needs to be ordered ahead.
• Pian'er Chuan noodles (片儿川): A cheap, hearty noodle soup with pork, bamboo shoots, and pickled greens — good for a quick lunch.

The historic Hefang Street (河坊街) pedestrian area near the lake is a good spot for snacks and a sense of old Hangzhou, though it's touristy. For sit-down meals, the restaurant chain Grandma's Kitchen (外婆家) is a local institution — affordable, busy, and reliably good. If you have dietary restrictions, our vegetarian and vegan guide and how to order food with zero Chinese cover the practical side.

Where to Stay

The single most important decision is whether to stay near West Lake or near the train station / business districts. For a short leisure trip, stay near the lake — being able to walk out to the water at sunrise is the whole point.

• Around West Lake (especially the eastern and southern shores): Ranges from heritage luxury resorts to mid-range hotels and boutique stays. You pay a premium for the location, but you save time and get the best of the city on your doorstep.
• Wushan / Hefang Street area: Walkable to the lake and the old town, with more mid-range and budget options.
• Near Hangzhou East station: Convenient for early trains or a one-night stopover, but far from the scenery and not worth it for a leisure trip.

You'll find the widest selection of lakeside hotels on Booking Com Hotel, and booking ahead is wise during spring and autumn weekends when the good lake-view rooms fill up. Whatever you book, remember that all hotels in China register foreign guests with the police at check-in — see booking hotels and registration rules for what to expect.

Suggested Itineraries

Two days

• Day 1 — West Lake: Start early on the Su Causeway, rent a bike or take a boat to the central island, see Leifeng Pagoda in the afternoon, and finish with dinner near Hefang Street.
• Day 2 — Temple & tea: Lingyin Temple and Feilai Feng in the morning, then a tea house lunch and afternoon in Longjing or Meijiawu village.

Three days

Add a half-day at Xixi Wetland, or use the third day as a day trip to Suzhou (about 1.5-2 hours by train) to combine two of the Jiangnan classics. If you're building a longer eastern-China route, our Jiangnan water towns route connects Shanghai, Hangzhou, and Suzhou into one trip.

Day Trips and Onward Travel

Shanghai is the obvious pairing — 45-60 minutes by high-speed train makes Hangzhou an easy day trip from Shanghai, or vice versa. If you're based in Shanghai, see Shanghai day trips for how to structure it. Suzhou, famous for its classical gardens, is also within easy train reach and pairs beautifully with Hangzhou's lake scenery.

Practical Tips Before You Go

• Set up Alipay or WeChat Pay before arriving — you'll need them for bikes, small shops, boat tickets, and most everything else.
• Carry your passport; it's required for train travel, hotel check-in, and entry to some attractions.
• Download an offline map and translation app in advance.
• Wear comfortable shoes — you'll walk a lot around the lake.
• Attraction prices and opening hours change seasonally, so check the latest before you go. For West Lake's World Heritage status and background, the UNESCO World Heritage listing is the authoritative reference.

The Bottom Line

Hangzhou rewards a slower pace. The mistake most visitors make is treating West Lake as a checklist of named viewpoints; the better approach is to give yourself an unhurried morning to walk or cycle the causeways before the crowds arrive, then spend the rest of your time on the temple and tea hills. Two days covers the essentials, three lets you breathe. Set up your payment apps, book lakeside lodging early for spring and autumn, and let the train do the heavy lifting between here, Shanghai, and Suzhou. It's one of the easiest and most pleasant introductions to eastern China you can have.

Related Reading

• Shanghai Complete Guide
• Suzhou Garden City Guide
• Jiangnan Water Towns Route
• Chinese Tea Ceremony
• High-Speed Train Complete Guide

Last updated: June 2026