Hangzhou
West Lake, Zen monasteries and the terraces where China's best tea grows
Hangzhou is what Chinese people mean when they talk about a beautiful city. West Lake fills the middle of it — causeways, pagodas and willow-lined banks that change completely between dawn, rain and dusk.
Beyond the lake are the Lingyin Temple, one of the great Zen monasteries of China, the Dragon Well tea terraces where Longjing is grown, and the southern terminus of the 1,400-year-old Grand Canal.
Places to see in Hangzhou
The highlights we build into almost every Hangzhou itinerary. Your own list can be longer, shorter, or somewhere else entirely.
West Lake
Causeways, pagodas and willow banks. Go at dawn, or straight after rain.
Lingyin Temple and Feilai Feng
One of China's great Zen monasteries, with 300 Buddhist figures carved into the cliff.
Longjing tea villages
Walk the Dragon Well terraces and drink the tea where it is actually grown.
Hefang Street
Silk, fans, scissors and herbal medicine on a restored Song-dynasty street.
Xixi National Wetland Park
Boat through reed channels and persimmon groves, twenty minutes from downtown.
Grand Canal night cruise
The southern end of the canal that has connected Hangzhou to Beijing since 610 AD.
Mausoleum of Yue Fei
The tomb of the Southern Song general, inside a park on the lake's north shore.
Meijiawu Tea Village
Pick and pan-fry Longjing with a village family in spring.
Southern Song Imperial Street
A reconstructed Song-dynasty lanescape of crafts and snacks.
Hangzhou Botanical Garden
Quiet themed gardens a short walk from the lake's west end.
More places in China
Tell us what you want to see in Hangzhou
We do not publish fixed packages or prices, because almost nothing about a good trip to China is fixed. Send us your dates and interests and a specialist will design an itinerary around them — with a clear, itemized quotation.
- Your own English-speaking guide and private vehicle
- Hotels chosen for location, not for commission
- Tickets and permits booked on your behalf, including timed entries
- Free revisions until the trip is right
We reply to every inquiry within one business day.