City guide · Shanghai & Jiangnan
Hangzhou gives you West Lake, Longjing tea hills and a slower east-China rail stop.
Region
Shanghai & Jiangnan
Best time
Go in spring if Longjing is a priority.
How long
Give Hangzhou three days for lakeside and tea-hill time.
Our guides
17 articles
Why Hangzhou
Drawn from our own Hangzhou guides. Each point links the article it comes from.
Sit beside West Lake with a causeway, Longjing tea and a named view.
From our guide: Hangzhou West Lake: Causeways, Tea and Poets' ViewsVisit Longjing tea hills and see the hand-roasting craft.
From our guide: West Lake Longjing: Hand Roast and Longwu Tea HillsEat Hangbangcai dishes such as Dongpo pork as a deliberate sit-down meal.
From our guide: Hangzhou Dongpo Pork: Where to Eat the Braised BellyTake high-speed rail from Shanghai Hongqiao or Shanghai Station to Hangzhou East; many G-services take under an hour.
From our guide: Shanghai to Hangzhou Train 2026: HSR Stations, 12306, TimesFly into Hangzhou Xiaoshan Airport or arrive by rail.
From our guide: Hangzhou Suzhou Private Tour 2027: Independent or Private Guided Sample RouteCentral Hangzhou. Base in central Hangzhou for the rail-corridor arrival.
From our guide: Beijing Hangzhou Private Tour 2027: Independent or Private Guided Sample RouteSouthern West Lake or Hefang Street. Stay here if your mornings begin around the lake’s southern perimeter.
From our guide: Shanghai to Hangzhou Train 2026: HSR Stations, 12306, TimesShanghai. Pair Hangzhou with Shanghai for a soft landing followed by West Lake and tea hills.
From our guide: Shanghai Hangzhou Private Tour 2027: Independent or Private Guided Sample RouteSuzhou. Pair Hangzhou with Suzhou for contrasting lake and tea-hill landscapes, gardens and canal quarters.
From our guide: Hangzhou Suzhou Private Tour 2027: Independent or Private Guided Sample RouteHuangshan. Pair Hangzhou with Huangshan when you want a mountain-focused extension.
From our guide: Huangshan (Yellow Mountain) Private Tour 2027: Sample Routes via Hangzhou
A sit-down meal · On your own, planned by us
Skin-on pork belly, braised slowly and served in its sauce. Keep this as a sit-down meal in a Hangzhou day, with the menu and allergens checked at the table.
Independent or Private Guided
Quoted by group size
Ask about this experience
A tea pause · On your own, planned by us
Walk a lane in Longwu or Meijiawu and sit for West Lake Longjing. Watching a hand roast depends on the maker and what is working that day; access is confirmed before the proposal.
Independent or Private Guided
Quoted by group size
Ask about this experience7 days · Shanghai · Hangzhou · Suzhou
Per person · reference price for 2027 trips, 2 sharing · excl. international flights
7 days · Hangzhou · Wuzhen · Huangshan
Per person · reference price for 2027 trips, 2 sharing · excl. international flights
Per person · reference price for 2 travelers sharing · international flights not included. Your final price depends on hotels, car arrangements and what you ask for — usually a little above this, sometimes more. Reference prices for 2027 trips.
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