West Lake
First-timersAround the lake, near the metro.
Hangzhou city guide
Things To Do In Hangzhou
West Lake, with its causeways, pagodas and willows, tea plantations in the hills around it, and the city Marco Polo called the finest in the world. An hour from Shanghai.
11
Hostels in the city
8.6
Average, from 2,000 reviews
2011
West Lake joins UNESCO
1 h
To Shanghai
Longjing
The famous tea
Heaven on earth
A Chinese saying goes: above there is heaven, below there are Suzhou and Hangzhou. Hangzhou was the capital of the Southern Song dynasty, and its West Lake, framed by hills, temples and pagodas, has inspired Chinese poets and painters for a thousand years. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The hills around the lake are covered in tea plantations growing Longjing, dragon well tea, one of China's most famous.
Hangzhou is an hour from Shanghai by high-speed train. Two days is right.
Where to stay
Around West Lake, especially on its eastern shore near Hubin, puts you within walking distance of the lake and the metro. Hefang Street, in the old town, has traditional shops and cheaper guesthouses. The hills west of the lake, around Longjing and Lingyin, are quieter, among tea plantations.
Hefang Street
Old townThe historic street.
Longjing
QuietAmong the tea plantations.
Orange labels are neighbourhoods, dots are the 11 top-rated hostels. Map data from OpenStreetMap contributors.
Things to do
Things to do in Hangzhou
Hangzhou, a former imperial capital, is built around West Lake, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2011 and one of China's most celebrated landscapes, painted and written about for over a thousand years.
Walk or cycle around West Lake, about fifteen kilometres, along the Su and Bai causeways lined with willows and peach trees, past pagodas, gardens and teahouses. Take a boat to the islands, including Three Pools Mirroring the Moon, shown on the one-yuan note.
Lingyin Temple, one of the largest Buddhist temples in China, sits in a forested valley with hundreds of Buddhist rock carvings at Feilai Feng. Leifeng Pagoda, rebuilt, has views over the lake.
The Longjing villages, in the hills west of the lake, grow Longjing, Dragon Well tea, China's most famous green tea; drink it at a farmhouse among the plantations, especially in spring at the harvest.
Hefang Street, in the old town, has traditional shops and snacks. Wuzhen, an hour away, is a canal water town.
Free things
Free things to do in Hangzhou
West Lake and its causeways are free, and so are many of the gardens and parks around it. Cycling around the lake costs only the bike hire.
The tea villages are free to walk through, and Hefang Street is free to wander.
Food and drink
Eating and drinking in Hangzhou
Hangzhou cuisine is light and delicate. Dongpo pork, slow-braised pork belly named after the poet Su Dongpo, West Lake vinegar fish, and Longjing shrimp, cooked with tea leaves, are the classics. Beggar's chicken, baked in clay, is another.
Longjing tea is drunk everywhere. A meal is €5 to €15.
Nightlife
Going out in Hangzhou
Hangzhou is relaxed at night: lakeside walks, the West Lake musical fountain, and bars around Nanshan Road and Shuguang Road.
A beer is €3 to €6.
Getting around
Getting around Hangzhou
Hangzhou East station has high-speed trains to Shanghai in about an hour and to Suzhou. Xiaoshan Airport is about 40 minutes by metro.
The metro covers the city, and public bicycles and Didi are cheap. Buses reach Lingyin and the tea villages.
Costs
What Hangzhou costs
Hangzhou is mid-priced. Dorms start around €12 and a careful day is €30 to €45.
West Lake is free; Lingyin Temple and Feilai Feng charge a combined few euros, and Leifeng Pagoda about €5. A boat on the lake is a few euros.
The currency is the yuan (CNY), at roughly 8 yuan to the euro; prices here are euro equivalents. Almost everyone pays by phone: set up Alipay or WeChat Pay with a foreign card before you arrive, and carry some cash as a backup.
Safety
Staying safe in Hangzhou
Hangzhou is very safe.
West Lake is very crowded on public holidays; go early on weekdays. Google, WhatsApp and Instagram are blocked; use an eSIM with international roaming, and Amap or Baidu Maps for directions. Carry your passport: it is needed for trains, hotels and many sights, which are booked by real name.
Many nationalities can now enter China visa-free for up to 30 days, under a scheme extended to the end of 2026, and 240-hour visa-free transit covers many more; check the rules for your passport before you travel.
Emergency: 110 police, 120 ambulance, 119 fire.
Day trips from Hangzhou
A water town, a thousand islands and tea villages.
Wuzhen
A canal water town.
Qiandao Lake
A lake with a thousand islands.
Longjing villages
Tea plantations.
What's on
What is on while you are there
The Qiantang River tidal bore is at its biggest around the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Around the Mid-Autumn Festival
Qiantang tidal bore
Qiantang River
A huge tidal wave up the river.
1–7 October
Golden Week
West Lake
Extremely crowded.
Hostels
Where to stay in Hangzhou
The top-rated places to stay in Hangzhou right now, live from Hostelworld.
Hangzhou Hofang International Youth Hostel
Dorms from €9 a night
See dates and book
Hangzhou Desti Youth Park Hostel West Lake
Dorms from €13 a night
See dates and book
Sustainable
Lemon Hotel West Lake
See dates and book
Onederz Youth Hotel (HangZhou West Lake)
Dorms from €9 a night
See dates and book
Hangzhou Jianzhi Erqi Youth Hostel Xihu Branch
Dorms from €9 a night
See dates and book
Memory Travel Hotel (West Lake)
Dorms from €6 a night
See dates and book
Hangzhou Wulin International City Camps Hostel
Dorms from €8 a night
See dates and book
Sustainable
The EverHome Collective
Dorms from €11 a night
See dates and book
Sustainable
Enne's Home
See dates and book
Lemon Hotel Fengqi Road
See dates and book
Sustainable
Platform One Hostel
Dorms from €11 a night
See dates and book
When to go
March to May and September to November. Summers are hot. Avoid Golden Week (1–7 October) and Chinese New Year if you can, when the whole country travels.
Jan
Cold
Feb
New Year
Mar
Tea picking
Apr
Excellent
May
Good
Jun
Rainy
Jul
Hot
Aug
Hot
Sep
Tidal bore
Oct
Golden Week crowds
Nov
Good
Dec
Cold
Bar height is temperature. Colour is how busy it gets:
quiet
busy
peak
Average highs.
What your trip will cost
Pick how you travel. Per person per night, in euros.
Prices are in yuan locally; these are euro equivalents.
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- Beds—
- Food and drink—
- Getting around—
- Doing things—
Hangzhou travel questions
The ones we get asked most.
Is West Lake free?
Yes, and so are the causeways and many gardens.
When is the tea harvest?
In spring, from March to April.
How do I get there?
By high-speed train from Shanghai, about an hour.
What should I eat?
Dongpo pork and Longjing shrimp.
How many days do you need?
Two.
When is the best time to visit?
March to May and September to November.
Can I cycle around the lake?
Yes, about 15 km, with public bicycles.
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