Hangzhou Solo
Safe, Easy to Navigate & Less Lonely Than You Think

This is the best thing to do alone in Hangzhou — walk the edge of West Lake along the Su Causeway and the Bai Causeway, past arched bridges, willow trees and waterside pavilions. You set the entire pace, with nobody to wait for, stopping to rest wherever you like. The area is safe and busy all day and into the evening, which makes it ideal for walking solo, and the lakeside lights give it a whole new mood after dark.

The loop around West Lake is bigger than it looks, so if you do not want to walk it all, a shared bike is the best tool for a solo traveller — docks (Hellobike and others) are all over the city. Scan the QR code through Alipay or WeChat, unlock, and ride. It costs very little, and you can pedal along the lakeside, stopping for photos wherever you fancy. It is the most freeing, enjoyable way to see West Lake when you are on your own.

Worried about feeling lonely on a solo trip? In Hangzhou the most effective fix is to stay at a social hostel like Desti Youth Park Hostel, which has a bar, a lounge and live music, so people talk easily — it is where solo travellers gather. It is a five-minute walk to a West Lake boat pier and sits right on metro Line 5 at Chentangqiao station. You get affordable lodging and built-in company in one.

Hangzhou is the home of Longjing (龙井 / Dragon Well) tea, and sitting alone with a pot of it is one of the most pleasant things you can do here — pick a tea house by the lake or up in Longjing village, order a pot, and read a book, watch the hills, or simply let the afternoon drift by. You do not need company to enjoy it. It is the slow moment that makes solo travellers fall for this city.

If you want to meet people and understand the tea more deeply at the same time, a half-day Longjing tea tour is a great move for a solo traveller — you walk the tea fields with other travellers, and a guide takes you through tasting and how the tea is made. Plenty end up sharing dinner afterwards. And if you want to go further afield, a day tour to Suzhou (the classical-garden city, around 1.5 hours by high-speed rail) is another good option when you are travelling alone.

Lingyin Temple is one of the oldest and most beautiful Buddhist temples in China, set among forested hills west of the city. Beside it is Feilai Feng, a peak with centuries-old Buddhist figures carved into the rock face. It is wonderfully calm to explore alone — allow half a day. Being a forest temple, it is shaded and cool, perfect if you want to step away from the busier lakefront and have some time to yourself.

Hefang Street and the Qinghefang quarter form an old pedestrian street in the centre of town, lined with timber houses, tea shops, historic Chinese pharmacies and single-portion snacks. It is easy to wander alone, trying snacks as you go and picking up Longjing tea and souvenirs to take home. It is busy and safe, and it is somewhere a solo traveller can happily graze and people-watch into the evening.

Honestly, Hangzhou's famous dishes — Dongpo pork and West Lake sweet-and-sour fish — are best for sharing, since they come as a plate, and a solo diner will not finish them. But the city is full of food that suits eating alone: pian'er chuan (片儿川, a noodle soup with fish and bamboo shoots that is a single bowl), dumplings, noodles and single-portion snacks along Hefang Street. Many places have small tables or counter seating, and eating alone is completely normal here — nobody looks twice.

Hangzhou is a genuine cafe city — well-designed coffee shops are scattered all over, by the lake, in the old quarters and in the malls. Sitting in a cafe alone here is completely ordinary. Many have Wi-Fi and power sockets, which makes them ideal if you want to work, read, or just rest your legs after a day walking the lake. Order one coffee and you can stay all afternoon, with nobody rushing you.

The single tool that makes Hangzhou easiest to do solo is the metro. Signs and announcements are in English at every station, the network is large and comprehensive, and fares start at ¥2 (~฿10) by distance. Line 1 runs from West Lake (Longxiangqiao) out to Hangzhou East railway station. You can hop on any line and explore a new neighbourhood alone, safely. Buy a single-journey ticket at the machine, or just tap to pay with Alipay or WeChat — no Chinese required.