Hangzhou itinerary: 1 to 3 days
Plans for one to three days in Hangzhou, day by day: West Lake, Lingyin Temple, Leifeng Pagoda and Yue Fei Temple first, then the Botanical Garden, Jingci Temple, the Tiger Spring and Liuhe Pagoda, and the China National Tea Museum, Longjing Village and Qiandao Lake as you add days. Every stop has a typical visit length.
How long do you have?
Map: 3 days
Hangzhou in 1 day
Day 1
Lingyin Temple
One of China's largest Buddhist temples, founded in 328 CE, with grand halls and rock carvings on Feilai Feng hill beside it.
Yue Fei Temple
Temple and tomb of the Song dynasty general Yue Fei on the north shore of West Lake, with statues and a courtyard of kneeling figures.
Leifeng Pagoda
Five-storey pagoda on Sunset Hill by the south shore, rebuilt in 2002 with a lift, giving views over West Lake.
West Lake
Freshwater lake at the heart of Hangzhou with causeways, bridges, pagodas and gardens, listed by UNESCO as a cultural landscape.
Hangzhou in 2 days
Day 1
Lingyin Temple
One of China's largest Buddhist temples, founded in 328 CE, with grand halls and rock carvings on Feilai Feng hill beside it.
Hangzhou Botanical Garden
Large garden of themed plant collections in the hills north of West Lake, with wooded walks and spring and autumn displays.
Yue Fei Temple
Temple and tomb of the Song dynasty general Yue Fei on the north shore of West Lake, with statues and a courtyard of kneeling figures.
West Lake
Freshwater lake at the heart of Hangzhou with causeways, bridges, pagodas and gardens, listed by UNESCO as a cultural landscape.
Day 2
Leifeng Pagoda
Five-storey pagoda on Sunset Hill by the south shore, rebuilt in 2002 with a lift, giving views over West Lake.
Jingci Temple
Large Buddhist temple on the south shore of West Lake, with a bell rung 108 times on New Year's Eve.
Dreaming of the Tiger Spring
Park around a spring in the hills southwest of West Lake, known for its tea brewed with spring water and a Buddhist temple.
Liuhe Pagoda
Pagoda on the Qiantang River, first built in 970, once a guide for ships and a place to watch the tidal bore.
Hangzhou in 3 days
Day 1
Lingyin Temple
One of China's largest Buddhist temples, founded in 328 CE, with grand halls and rock carvings on Feilai Feng hill beside it.
Hangzhou Botanical Garden
Large garden of themed plant collections in the hills north of West Lake, with wooded walks and spring and autumn displays.
China National Tea Museum
Museum in the tea hills near Longjing village on the history and culture of Chinese tea, with gardens and tastings.
Longjing Village
Village in the hills southwest of West Lake famous for Longjing (Dragon Well) green tea, with tea fields and tea houses.
Day 2
Yue Fei Temple
Temple and tomb of the Song dynasty general Yue Fei on the north shore of West Lake, with statues and a courtyard of kneeling figures.
West Lake
Freshwater lake at the heart of Hangzhou with causeways, bridges, pagodas and gardens, listed by UNESCO as a cultural landscape.
Leifeng Pagoda
Five-storey pagoda on Sunset Hill by the south shore, rebuilt in 2002 with a lift, giving views over West Lake.
Jingci Temple
Large Buddhist temple on the south shore of West Lake, with a bell rung 108 times on New Year's Eve.
Dreaming of the Tiger Spring
Park around a spring in the hills southwest of West Lake, known for its tea brewed with spring water and a Buddhist temple.
Day 3
Qiandao Lake
Large reservoir of the 1950s with more than a thousand islands, 130 km west of the city, usually visited as a day trip.
Watch: Hangzhou
A one-minute look at the plan: every stop, day by day, with the map.
When to go to Hangzhou
April and May and September to November are the best seasons for walking around West Lake, with mild weather, tea harvests in spring and osmanthus in autumn. June brings plum rains, July and August are hot and humid, and winter is cool and damp, with occasional snow on the lake. China's public holidays, especially the first week of October and the Lunar New Year, fill the lakeside.
Plan the rest of your trip
- Where to stay: hotels in Hangzhou on Booking.com or Trip.com
- Skip-the-line tickets: museums and sights in Hangzhou on Tiqets
- Tours and day trips: things to do in Hangzhou on GetYourGuide
- From the airport: a private transfer in Hangzhou with Kiwitaxi
- Data on arrival: an eSIM for China from Airalo
Some of these are affiliate links: we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Tips for Hangzhou
- West Lake is free to walk around, and the most scenic parts, such as the Su Causeway and Broken Bridge, are best walked or cycled early in the morning.
- Lingyin Temple sells separate tickets for the grounds and for the temple halls; the Feilai Feng rock carvings are in the same area.
- Go to the temples in the morning; Lingyin and Jingci are crowded at weekends and during public holidays.
- Qiandao Lake, about 130 km west of the city, needs a full day by high-speed train and bus or car; it does not fit with other sights.
- Carry your passport for tickets and trains, and a payment app or cash; Hangzhou is the home of Alipay, and most places expect mobile payment.
Make it your own
Open the guide in Andiamo Places to see every stop on a map with walking directions, move places between days, check opening hours for your dates, and add your own finds. After the trip, your photos become a journal and, if you like, a printed photo book.
Guides are made with the help of AI and public sources such as Wikipedia, and may contain errors. Opening hours and prices change, so check before you go. Spotted a wrong photo, a pin in the wrong place, a missing stop or a better one? Write to andiamotravelapp@gmail.com: the e-mail opens with this guide filled in.
Photo credits
- China National Tea Museum: Fredlyfish4, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Dreaming of the Tiger Spring: Sh1019, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Hangzhou Botanical Garden: Xalixsa, CC BY 3.0
- Jingci Temple: Tyg728, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Leifeng Pagoda: kanegen, CC BY 2.0
- Lingyin Temple: Tyg728, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Liuhe Pagoda: Zhangzhugang, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Longjing Village: SS, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Qiandao Lake: ZHart, CC BY 3.0
- West Lake: Takashishin, CC BY 4.0
- Yue Fei Temple: This illustration was made by Peter Potrowl . Please credit this with : © Peter Potrowl in the immediate vicinity of the image. A link to my website sitemai.eu , CC BY 3.0
Opening hours change; check before you go. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
