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Major city · China

Hangzhou杭州

Give Hangzhou 2 nights: one full day for West Lake on foot and by boat, one for Lingyin Temple and the tea hills. Skip it on a 5-day China trip.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
CNY
Best months
Mar–May, Oct–Nov
avoid Jul–Aug (hot, humid, typhoon tail risk), Chinese New Year and the May and October Golden Weeks
Airports
HGH · PVG · SHA
Nights
2
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 7
  • East Asia ↗Every border in East Asia is a full international border, Hong Kong and Macau included: an entry permission for one never covers the next.
  • East Asia ↗Ferries between Korea, Japan and China cancel in rough seas and typhoons; keep a flight or a spare day behind every sea leg.
  • China ↗Most nationalities need a visa, a unilateral visa-free entry (the list and end dates change) or the transit exemption below. Confirm your route on the official sites before you buy a ticket.
  • China ↗Transit stay without a visa: up to 240 hours (10 days) for citizens of about 55 listed countries who pass through China to a third country or region, with a confirmed onward ticket and a stay inside the permitted area (Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei count as one area). It replaced the 144-hour rule in December 2024, which some older pages still quote. Use the transit lane at immigration, show the onward ticket, and check the current nationality list. Hong Kong and Macau count as separate regions; check whether your ticket qualifies.
  • China ↗Foreign visitors must register their address with the police within 24 hours; hotels do it at check-in with your passport. Carry the original passport at all times: hotels, trains, museums, Tiananmen Square and police checks ask for it.
  • China ↗Set up Alipay or WeChat Pay with a foreign card before you fly. QR payment is the default in shops, taxis and many stalls, and some places refuse cash or a foreign card. Carry cash as a backup.
  • China ↗Google, WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and many news sites are blocked. Use an eSIM with roaming (it routes through your home network) or install and test a VPN before you fly; VPN sites and app stores are hard to reach inside China, and only government-approved VPNs are officially permitted.

Hangzhou is Zhejiang's capital and the Southern Song dynasty's old capital, 45–60 minutes from Shanghai by high-speed rail. West Lake and its UNESCO cultural landscape are the draw, with Lingyin Temple, the Longjing tea terraces and the Grand Canal filling a second day. Two nights covers the core; three lets you add a water town or a tea-hill walk without rushing.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Hangzhou, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • CoffeeCoffee or milk tea¥15–35 (≈ US$3–5)
  • Street or quick mealNoodle soup or a rice bowl¥20–45 (≈ US$3–7)
  • Taxi, about 5 km5 km taxiMeter starts at ¥11; surcharge over 10 km.¥25–35 (≈ US$4–5)
  • Museum or sight ticketLingyin Temple entry + Feilai Feng¥75 (≈ US$11)
  • Budget bedHostel dorm bed, a night, per personCN¥80 (≈ US$12)
  • Mid-range bedMid-range double room, a night, per roomCN¥500 (≈ US$70)
  • High-end bedMid-range double room, a night, per roomCN¥1,100 (≈ US$160)

A day, not counting the bed: Budget CN¥300 (≈ US$45) · Mid CN¥650 (≈ US$95) · High CN¥1,400 (≈ US$200)

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

West Lake (UNESCO cultural landscape)Lingyin Temple and Feilai Feng carvingsLongjing (Dragon Well) tea hillsGrand Canal and Hefang Street
Airports
HGH Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport (About 30 km east of the centre; taxi 30–60 min, around ¥90. Shuttle bus to the Wulin Square area, about ¥20, roughly hourly.) · PVG Shanghai Pudong International Airport (Direct coach to Hangzhou, about 2–2.5 h, ¥100; or high-speed rail via Shanghai Hongqiao.) · SHA Shanghai Hongqiao (Adjacent to Hongqiao Railway Station: high-speed trains to Hangzhou East run frequently, about 45–60 min.)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Hangzhou: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

9°C

2°C

11 rd

Feb

11°C

4°C

12 rd

Mar

16°C

8°C

15 rd

Apr

22°C

13°C

15 rd

May

27°C

18°C

15 rd

Jun

29°C

22°C

16 rd

Jul

34°C

26°C

13 rd

Aug

33°C

25°C

13 rd

Sep

29°C

21°C

12 rd

Oct

24°C

16°C

10 rd

Nov

18°C

10°C

9 rd

Dec

11°C

4°C

9 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

The metro (13 lines, 270+ stations) is the fastest way across the city; Line 1 links the East Station, the centre and the lake's east shore. Buses are cheap (¥1–5 by type) but signed in Chinese only. Taxis start at ¥11 and are expensive by Chinese standards; drivers rarely speak English, so show the destination in Chinese characters. Shared bikes (Meituan, HelloBike, Qingju) cost ¥1–2 per ride and are the best way to circle West Lake — Alipay works for most.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Wuzhen water town

go

Door to door: 2–2.5 h

Coach from Jiubao Bus Station, about 90 min, ¥50 (≈ US$7)

Go early; the lanes fill by mid-morning. An overnight stay beats a rushed return.

Shanghaigo

Door to door: 1.5–2 h

High-speed rail from Hangzhou East to Shanghai Hongqiao, 45–60 min, from about ¥73 (≈ US$11)

Easy as a day trip, but Shanghai deserves its own nights — see the Shanghai guide.

Suzhou

overnight

Door to door: 2–2.5 h

High-speed rail from Hangzhou East, about 1.5–2 h

Classical gardens and canals; better with one night than as a return trip.

Moganshan

overnight

Door to door: 3 h+

Coach or car to Deqing, then local transport, 2–3 h total

Hill village for a cool summer night; not a day trip.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Hubin / West Lake east shore

Walk to the lake in minutes and to Longxiangqiao metro (Line 1); the most convenient base and the priciest.

Wulin Square / Wulinmen

Metro Lines 1 and 2, airport shuttle stop on Tiyuchang Road, shopping and food; 15–20 min walk to the lake.

Hangzhou East Station (Hangzhoudong)

Best for a one-night rail stop or an early departure; metro Line 1 to the lake, about 25 min.

Hefang Street / Wushan

Old-street atmosphere and Southern Song relics; walkable to the lake's south end, noisier at night.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
¥250–450 (≈ US$35–65) excl. bed
Mid
¥450–900 (≈ US$65–130) excl. bed
High
¥900 (≈ US$130)+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Mid-range double room1 × 2 nights × CN¥500CN¥1,000
Food, local transport, entries2 × 2 days × CN¥650CN¥2,600
eSIM, about a week of data2 × CN¥120CN¥240
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeCN¥384
Trip total≈ CN¥1,056 per person per day, bed includedCN¥4,224≈ US$600

2026 estimate in yuan; flights and rail passes excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Coffee or milk tea¥15–35 (≈ US$3–5)
Noodle soup or a rice bowl¥20–45 (≈ US$3–7)
Longjing tea, 50 gPrice tracks grade; buy at the tea museum or a licensed shop, not from street sellers.¥80–400 (≈ US$12–60)
5 km taxiMeter starts at ¥11; surcharge over 10 km.¥25–35 (≈ US$4–5)
West Lake boat (public ferry / small power boat)¥35–55 (≈ US$5–8)
Lingyin Temple entry + Feilai Feng¥75 (≈ US$11)

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Hangzhou is a safe, low-crime city for tourists; the real risks are summer heat and humidity, pickpockets in Golden Week crowds, unlicensed taxis at stations, and tea-shop or 'silk' sales pressure near West Lake — agree prices before you buy.
  • Golden Weeks (Chinese New Year, early May, early October) and summer weekends pack West Lake; go before 08:00 or after 17:00.
  • Taxi touts at the East Station and at lake entrances: use the marked queue or the metro instead.
  • Summer is humid and hot (30°C+ highs); June is the wettest month. Carry water and start early.
  • Some lake boats and the Grand Canal water bus stop running in the late afternoon — check the last departure before you commit.
  • Cash is rarely needed: set up Alipay or WeChat Pay before you arrive, since foreign cards can fail at small vendors.
  • Google Maps is unreliable in mainland China; use Amap or Baidu Maps and download an offline city map.

Emergency numbers

Police
110
Fire
119
Ambulance
120

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

Hangzhou杭州

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

请带我去这个地址Please take me to this address

Emergency

  • Police110
  • Fire119
  • Ambulance120

Embassy

The US and most countries run their China embassies in Beijing and consulates-general in Shanghai; Hangzhou has no major Western consulate — check your own country's list before you travel.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • HGH airport → Wulin Square area, shuttle: about ¥20 (≈ US$3), roughly 1 h
  • HGH airport → centre, taxi: about ¥90 (≈ US$13), 30–60 min
  • Hangzhou East → Shanghai Hongqiao, high-speed rail: from about ¥73 (≈ US$11), 45–60 min

Say or show

  • 你好 — Hello (nǐ hǎo)
  • 谢谢 — Thank you (xièxie)
  • 多少钱？ — How much is it? (duōshao qián)
  • 可以支付宝或刷卡吗？ — Can I pay by Alipay or card? (kěyǐ zhīfùbǎo huò shuākǎ ma)
  • 地铁站在哪里？ — Where is the metro station? (dìtiě zhàn zài nǎlǐ)
  • 请带我去这个地址 — Please take me to this address (qǐng dài wǒ qù zhège dìzhǐ)

Show drivers the destination in Chinese characters; few speak English.

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Hangzhou. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: Mar–May, Oct–Nov · avoid Jul–Aug (hot, humid, typhoon tail risk), Chinese New Year and the May and October Golden Weeks · month by month →
  2. 3 airports and 4 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 4 day-trips, door to door
  6. 6 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for HGH: last shuttle and metro times field-checked, taxi fallback, overnight rung.
  2. Four walking clusters with rescue anchors: Hubin and the lake's east shore, Lingyin and Feilai Feng, Longjing tea hills, Hefang Street and the Grand Canal.
  3. Place pages with verified cutoffs (West Lake boats, Lingyin, China National Tea Museum, Grand Canal water bus) and eat pages with last orders.
  4. Golden and hostile arrival fixtures so gates A–D can go green.

Meanwhile

Back to China

Sources