Hangzhou travel guide

There are many ways to get in and out of Hangzhou, and its transport network is very developed.

Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport is located to the east of the city, 27 km from the urban centre. Airport buses run from the Wulinmen civil aviation ticket office and Hangzhou East Railway Station, with a bus every 15 to 30 minutes. The first bus departs at 7:30 and the fare is ¥20. A taxi costs about ¥100.

Hangzhou is a railway hub in Zhejiang, with trains south to Guangzhou and north to Xi'an and Beijing. Hangzhou has three main railway stations: Hangzhou Station (Chengzhan), Hangzhou West Station and Hangzhou East Station.

Chengzhan Railway Station (城站火车站) is close to the city centre. From Chengzhan, it takes only about 10 minutes by car to reach the West Lake shore.

Hangzhou East Railway Station (火车东站) is a high-speed rail passenger station with trains to Shanghai, Kunming, Ningbo and other cities across the country. It is quite far from the city centre, but it is directly connected by metro, so transport is very convenient.

Hangzhou West Railway Station (杭州西站) officially opened in 2022. It currently offers high-speed and bullet train services to major cities including Beijing, Xi'an, Wuhan, Nanjing, Chongqing and Guangzhou.

To meet the needs of travellers who want to take their own cars on trips to other cities, Beijing has launched a “self-drive car transport train” running between Beijing and Hangzhou in both directions. The round-trip fare for car transport starts at around ¥3,000.

Don't forget to bring an umbrella when travelling in Hangzhou.

Shanghai residents visiting Hangzhou can now apply for a Hangzhou Park IC annual card, which is convenient and good value.

Street parking fees in Hangzhou depend on the zone and the length of stay. Parking zones are divided into core, first-tier and second-tier areas. During the day, the first hour costs ¥5, ¥3 and ¥2 respectively, and each additional hour costs ¥6, ¥4 and ¥3. At night, a flat rate of ¥5 per hour applies. In the West Lake Scenic Area, parking costs ¥10 per hour during the day and ¥5 per hour at night. Fees are higher on public holidays.

Since the opening of Hangzhou Xinke Station (杭州新客站), Hangzhou East Station mainly handles trains that pass through, while all departing trains leave from Xinke. Hangzhou Xinke Station has three levels: underground, ground and elevated. The underground level is a car park for taxis and private cars picking up passengers, with 150 spaces each. The ground level consists of a concourse and a plaza, serving as the pick-up area for coaches and pedestrians.

Trains from Shanghai to Hangzhou are very convenient. If you take a train to Hangzhou Chengzhan Station, you will step out directly onto West Lake Avenue, whereas Hangzhou East is much farther away. Many Shanghai visitors travel to Hangzhou on weekends, so it is best to buy your return ticket in advance; otherwise, you may have to stand for the whole journey.

The Shanghai–Hangzhou and Shanghai–Nanjing expressways make road travel to Hangzhou very fast. As long as you check the direction of your destination, you won't confuse the departure and stopping points, since they run in the same direction.

Free shuttle buses run from Hangzhou Railway Station to the corresponding long-distance bus stations.

Waterway transport in Hangzhou mainly consists of cruises on the Grand Canal from Suzhou to Hangzhou. These usually run overnight, departing in the evening and arriving the next morning, with stops in Suzhou and Wuxi. There is also a route on the Qiantang River. Both services generally operate only in summer and during the peak tourist season.

Canal cruises: The “Tiantang” and “Longjing” cruise ships operated by Hangzhou Grand Canal Tourism run daily, departing for Suzhou at 17:30 and for Wuxi at 18:00. Both arrive at 7:00 the next day. Fares range from ¥70 to ¥150. Tickets can be bought on the spot, and except on public holidays and weekends, return tickets can also be booked in advance.

Qiantang River cruises: Hangzhou Qiantang River Tourism offers three tour routes: the Qiantang River night cruise, the 24-hour Fuchun River cruise, and a day trip covering the Qiantang River, Fuchun River, Guanshan and a farmhouse restaurant.

The West Lake Tunnel is now open. The western passage allows vehicles to travel from the Huancheng West Road entrance straight to Nanshan Road. On the eastern passage, southbound-to-northbound vehicles can enter from Jiefang Road, pass under the lake and reach Huancheng West Road. The tunnel has a height limit of 3 metres.

The Starbucks in West Lake Tiandi has excellent surroundings, and Zhiwei Restaurant (知味馆) on Yang Causeway has a lovely setting. After trying Hangzhou's famous dishes, those who would rather not walk can take an electric sightseeing car around the lake for a full circuit. It costs ¥40 per person per hour, saving time and energy, and makes a good choice.

For trips to nearby districts and counties such as Fuyang, Tonglu and Lin'an, you can also choose products from the Hangzhou Tourist Transfer Centre. It offers day trips to nearby areas, travel information consultation, and transfer services.

Stops: Wulin Square (East Runway), Yan'an Xincun, Fengqi Road, Shaonian Palace, Broken Bridge, Ge Hill, Xinxin Hotel, Yue Temple, Hangzhou Flower Garden, Dingjia Hill Scenic Area, Air Force Sanatorium, Yuhu Bay, Su Causeway, Jingsi, Changqiao (Nanshan Road), Wansongling Junction (Nanshan Road), Qingbo Gate (Nanshan Road), West Lake Avenue, Hubin (Yan'an Road), Shengli Theatre, Yan'an Xincun, Wulin Square (East Runway).

This route does not run every month. It usually operates only during the peak tourist season, from July to October.

Tourist shuttle buses and suburban buses operate from 6:00 to 18:00, while city buses run from 6:00 to 22:00. Holiday sightseeing shuttles run only on weekends and public holidays.

1. Only Route 8 (Gulou–Desheng Village), Route 228 (Hangzhou East Station–Wulin Gate), Route 251 (Railway Station–Gongzhen Bridge) and Route 208 operate after 22:00. These are all overnight buses, running every 30 minutes.

2. Almost all city buses in Hangzhou are self-service, including air-conditioned ones. Board at the front door and alight at the rear door. Have enough small change ready before boarding, as drivers do not give change.

Hangzhou bus fares range from ¥2 to ¥5, and all buses are air-conditioned. Routes beginning with “B” are express buses, with fares of ¥3 to ¥4. Routes beginning with “Y” are tourist shuttle routes that pass by many of Hangzhou's main attractions.

West Lake New South Line is 3.5 km long and divided into five sections: Yi Gongyuan, Yongjin Gate, Liulang Wenying, Xueshi Bridge and Changqiao. It has 18 historic and cultural sites in total. It runs daily from 8:00 to 17:30, and visitors can ride electric sightseeing cars along the southern lakeside route. There are three types of tickets:

1. Full Lake Circuit: Travels clockwise around the lake in one direction. The fare is ¥40, and with this ticket, passengers may get off at any stop and get back on up to four times.

2. Shuttle Round Trip: The fare is ¥10. Shuttle cars run on three sections: Shaonian Palace Sluice to Xiling Bridge, Kuahong Bridge to the front of Leifeng Pagoda, and Gongyuan to Tang Yunzhi Art Museum. Passengers may get on and off twice within each section.

3. Charter Tour: ¥10 per half hour.

The lake's electric sightseeing cars come in four sizes, seating 4, 8, 11 and 14 passengers. They travel at about 10 km per hour, allowing visitors to take in the lake and mountain scenery at a leisurely pace.

Hangzhou Metro currently has Lines 1–10, 16 and 19 open. Chengzhan Station, Hangzhou East Station and Yuhang High-Speed Railway Station are all directly served by metro. The Longxiangqiao, Fengqi Road and Ding'an Road stations on Line 1 are close to the busy Hubin shopping district and are the most convenient interchange stations for sightseeing around West Lake.

Standard taxis have a starting distance of 3 km and a flagfall of ¥13. For distances of 3 to 10 km, the rate is ¥2.5 per km. Night fares are 30% higher.

Hangzhou has many public bicycle rental points. You can apply for a public bicycle rental card (Z-card), which lets you pick up a bike at one point and return it at another, making it very convenient. Cards can be obtained at most staffed rental points in the West Lake Scenic Area, or at bus centre hubs such as Longxiangqiao, Wushan Square and Shaonian Palace.

Renting a bicycle to tour West Lake is a wise choice, as it is both convenient and eco-friendly. There are also many privately run bicycle rental shops along the lake, typically charging ¥10 per hour, and prices are negotiable.

Water buses also run along the canal within Hangzhou, with stops including Genshan Wharf, Wulinmen, Xinyifang and Gongchen Bridge. Other leisure routes include a night cruise on the Qiantang River and a trip to the ancient town of Tangqi.

1. Most Hangzhou taxis change shifts around 4 to 5 p.m., and drivers may refuse passengers during this time, so it can be hard to hail a cab then.

2. Hangzhou urban GPS-dispatched taxi booking hotline: 0571-28811111 (valid citywide). Taxi complaints hotline: 96520.

3. During major holidays, odd-even plate restrictions apply, and it is difficult to hail a taxi before 7:00 or after 22:00.

You can rent an electric bike to ride around West Lake, which feels relatively effortless. Current rules require that the bike be returned to where it was rented. Recommended route: Bai Causeway → Su Causeway → Yang Causeway → Beishan Road. The full loop takes 3 to 3.5 hours and takes in several different types of West Lake scenery.

For out-of-town visitors who enjoy touring by car, Hangzhou has car rental companies offering rental services. Prices vary by vehicle model and rental period, and there is a wide range of options.

Zhejiang cuisine is renowned for fresh ingredients, meticulous preparation, and excellent color, aroma, taste, and presentation. It is one of China's Eight Great Cuisines. Its specialties include quick-frying, stir-frying, deep-frying, sautéing, braising, stewing, roasting, steaming, red-braising, and pan-frying, and it relies mainly on meat, fish, poultry, and bamboo shoots.

In recent years Hangzhou has earned the nickname “culinary desert,” and its famous dishes Longjing Shrimp and West Lake Sweet and Sour Fish have come in for a lot of teasing. In fact, West Lake Sweet and Sour Fish is prepared with great care, yet very few restaurants today can make it well. Longjing Shrimp, meanwhile, depends heavily on ingredient quality; if the shrimp is even slightly past its best, it is hard to eat.

Hangzhou is also famous for its snacks. When you visit, be sure to try these treats: cat's ear noodles (maoerduo), stinky tofu, chilled drunken white shrimp, honey-glazed lotus root, West Lake beef soup, West Lake snow glutinous rice cake (xue niangao), Pianerchuan noodles, lotus flower pastry, Song Sao fish soup, Qianlong fish head, stir-fried shrimp and eel noodles, crab roe noodles, pork liver noodles, Luhui (芦荟), yellow croaker noodles, beef and glass noodle soup, shrimp wontons, duck blood soup, doughnuts, red bean soup, xiaolongbao steamed buns, Houkou steamed buns, and braised tofu in marinade.

Hangzhou's teahouses are as ubiquitous as historic sites, and Hangzhou's Longjing tea is first-rate, which is why “Tasting Longjing Tea” is a signature experience here. You should definitely drink tea while in Hangzhou, though you don't necessarily have to go to Longjing; each teahouse has its own character.

Hotels and guesthouses are spread all around West Lake. Rooms are usually easy to find on weekdays but tight on weekends, so it is best to book at least two days ahead. It makes sense to stay as close to West Lake as possible, though the nearer you are to the lake, the higher the room rates. Standard rooms at ordinary Hangzhou hotels generally cost ¥200–400. The Hangzhou International Youth Hostel is also very popular, and many foreign visitors choose to stay there.

Youke Youth Hostel, Qingyu Inn, Xihu Boke Ju, Jiangnanyi Xinyu International Youth Hostel, Nanshan Road International Youth Hostel and Backpacker Hostel are all good choices. Prices generally range from ¥50–150.

The guesthouses at Gongshang University, the Provincial Youth League Academy, Zhejiang University of Science and Technology, Zhejiang University Yuquan Campus, Zhejiang University Xixi Hotel and Hangzhou Dianzi University are also worth considering. Prices generally range from ¥100–150.

Yan'an Road and Jiefang Road are Hangzhou's busiest commercial streets, and Wulin Square is the city centre. To buy Hangzhou handicrafts and local specialties, visit the Jingdezhen Comprehensive Store on Yan'an Road, the Antiques Store on Jiaogong Road, or the Tourist Handicraft Products Mall on Guangfu Road.

The most atmospheric way to experience Hangzhou at night is to take a boat out on West Lake to the island at its centre, where costumed performances and welcome ceremonies await. Song Dynasty Town and Huanglong Cave both offer period-style night tours and Yue opera performances. For a more relaxed evening, the teahouses, bars and night markets each have their own character and suit different kinds of visitors. If you are interested, you can also see Zhang Yimou's *Impression · West Lake* (tickets ¥220). It may not match the romance you have imagined, but it gives a taste of Zhang Yimou's "Impression" series. In addition, a free musical fountain show runs along the West Lake shoreline every evening, and many people sit on the benches to wait for it to begin.