Hangzhou in photos
What the city actually looks like
From West Lake, the Broken Bridge and the Su Causeway to Lingyin Temple, the Longjing tea hills and the Grand Canal — this is the atmosphere you'll really find in Hangzhou.
UNESCO-listed West Lake you can walk all day · the forested Lingyin Temple · the endless green of the Longjing tea hills · the Grand Canal at Gongchen Bridge · old Hefang Street · Xixi Wetland · and easy day trips out to the water towns of Wuzhen and Suzhou
For centuries the Chinese have said "in heaven there is paradise, on earth there is Suzhou and Hangzhou" — and honestly, one walk along West Lake (西湖), a UNESCO World Heritage site, tells you why. Start the morning strolling the lakeshore past the Broken Bridge and the Su and Bai Causeways, cycling or taking a boat out to the islands · head up into the hills to the forested Lingyin Temple (灵隐寺) · stop by the Longjing tea hills for a cup of the original green tea among the rows · wander old Hefang Street for street food in the evening · watch Leifeng Pagoda glow over the water at dusk · then cruise the Grand Canal or take an easy day trip out to Wuzhen, Suzhou or Shanghai, and Thai passport holders enter China visa-free.
From West Lake, the Broken Bridge and the Su Causeway to Lingyin Temple, the Longjing tea hills and the Grand Canal — this is the atmosphere you'll really find in Hangzhou.
The full Hangzhou travel guide is growing piece by piece · choose a tab below to start planning each part of your trip — Stay · Eat · See · Plan · Prep
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9.0West Lake · Lingyin Temple · Leifeng Pagoda · Six Harmonies Pagoda · Hefang Street · the Grand Canal · Xixi Wetland — see where everything sits so you can plan your route more easily.
Pick by budget — compare prices across all 3 sites before you book · Trip.com has the most complete China inventory
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🏙️ 5★ central
⭐ Popular
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Staying right by West Lake (Hubin) puts the water on your doorstep; Wulin Square is the central shopping district a short walk from the lake; Qianjiang New City is the modern riverfront with big new towers. Pick your area first, then choose a hotel below.
🏆💎💎💎💎💎🌐🏎️⭐🛍️⭐🎒A great trip isn't limited to one city — here are 3 destinations near Hangzhou that you can reach by high-speed rail for a day trip or an overnight stay.
Hangzhou is the capital of Zhejiang province and, for centuries, the city the Chinese have paired with Suzhou as "heaven on earth" — and its heart is West Lake, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Stroll the lakeshore past the Broken Bridge and the Su and Bai Causeways · head into the hills to the forested Lingyin Temple and the Feilai Feng carvings · sip the original green tea up in the Longjing tea hills · wander old Hefang Street for street food · watch Leifeng Pagoda glow over the water at dusk · then cruise the Grand Canal or take an easy day trip to Wuzhen, Suzhou or Shanghai.
You can visit Hangzhou on any budget — backpackers around ฿1,000–2,000/day · mid-range ฿2,500–4,500/day (excluding flights) · get into town from Xiaoshan Airport (HGH) by airport metro and bus · in town, ride the multi-line metro, which is extensive and cheap · the best times to visit are March–May and September–November, when there is less rain and the weather is mild (skip the plum-rain in June) · and don't forget to set up a VPN · eSIM · Alipay/WeChat Pay before you go.
The Wherebest team is steadily adding in-depth Hangzhou hotel reviews and travel guides — neighborhoods to stay in · sights · food · and day trips to Wuzhen and Suzhou. Start planning your trip with the full China travel guide →
Begin with the China travel guide, then take in Hangzhou one corner at a time