TL;DR. Spend a Hangzhou weekend with West Lake as the spine: walk the causeways at dawn, take one boat to Three Pools Mirroring the Moon, and save Leifeng Pagoda for sunset[35]. Give Lingyin Temple an early-morning slot on the other day before the 10 AM crush[34].
Around the dinner: put the Michelin meal on the evening you've done West Lake, then keep the next day light — tea country (Meijiawu), Hefang Street, or Xixi Wetland[38]. If you'd rather a big-ticket evening, Zhang Yimou's lake show at the 21:10 seating slots in nicely after an early dinner[37].
Logistics: 45 min by high-speed rail from Shanghai (passport works as ID)[24][25]; set up Alipay + WeChat Pay before you go[31]; early June is warm and showery[26].
The weekend, sequenced
Both well-regarded patterns anchor each day on one marquee sight and exploit the early-morning quiet window[33]. The version below front-loads West Lake on Day 1 so the special dinner lands that evening and Day 2 stays unhurried[38].
Day 1 — West Lake, then the dinner
- Before 7:30 AM — Start at Broken Bridge for empty, misty photos, then walk Bai Causeway → Gushan Hill → Su Causeway[35]. The core gets busy from late morning, so the dawn start is the whole trick[36].
- Midday — Boat to Three Pools Mirroring the Moon, the boat-only "island within a lake"[3]. CNY 55–70 including island admission, last island boat 16:00[4].
- Late afternoon — Leifeng Pagoda at sunset (elevators inside; open to 20:00 May–Oct)[10][35].
- Evening — The Michelin dinner (picked separately). A lakeside stroll or the free Third Park music fountain is a natural lead-in[39].
Day 2 — Lingyin early, then your pick
- 7:00–9:00 AM — Lingyin Temple & Feilai Feng grottoes while the halls are still quiet and misty; by 10 AM they're packed[34]. Budget 2–3 hours[9]. Reserve a real-name slot online a day ahead — required since the scenic area went free[8].
- Afternoon — Choose one: Meijiawu tea valley (pick & pan-roast your own Longjing)[16], the Hefang Street old quarter[14], or a boat through Xixi Wetland[19].
West Lake itself
West Lake's signature views are codified as the Ten Scenes, names inscribed by the Kangxi Emperor in 1699[1]. Two causeways frame the water: Su Causeway (2.8 km, six bridges, built by the poet Su Dongpo and ranked top of the ten scenes) and Bai Causeway, whose north end holds Broken Bridge and runs ~20 min to Gushan island[2]. On a tight visit, prioritise Su Causeway plus the boat to Three Pools, padded with lakeside walking[5].
How to cover it: the classic on-foot circuit links Broken Bridge → Gushan → boat to Three Pools → Orioles Singing in the Willows → Leifeng Pagoda → Su Causeway → Yuewang Temple[7]. To circle the perimeter, the 12–15 km cycling loop takes 2–3 hours via HelloBike (works through Alipay, English interface) or the public Diing bikes (first 60 min free) — but Bai Causeway and the Hubin walking street ban cycling and Su Causeway forces dismounts on busy weekends, so bike the perimeter, walk the causeways, take one boat hop[6].
Beyond the lake — sights & what they cost
| Site | 2026 price | Hours | Time needed | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lingyin Temple & Feilai Feng | Scenic area free; temple RMB 30[8] | 7:30–17:30 (last entry 17:00)[8] | 2–3 hr[9] | Carved cliff Buddhas; real-name booking required[8] |
| Leifeng Pagoda | RMB 40 (half-price students / 70+)[10] | To 20:00 May–Oct[10] | ~1 hr | Elevators inside; best at sunset[35] |
| Six Harmonies Pagoda | RMB 20 + RMB 10 to climb[11] | ~7:00–17:30[11] | 1–2 hr | Overlooks the Qiantang River |
| Liangzhu Ancient City (UNESCO) | ~RMB 60–80 + RMB 20 shuttle[12] | 9:00–17:00, closed Mon[12] | 3–4 hr[13] | ~40 min out (Metro Line 2 + shuttle); only if you have a full day[13] |
| Hefang / Qinghefang Street | Free[14] | 24h; shops 10:00–22:00[14] | 1–2 hr | 1,800 m of medicine halls, silk, snacks; best after dark[14] |
| China National Tea Museum | Free[15] | 8:30–16:30 winter, closed Mon[15] | 1–1.5 hr | Set in the Longjing tea fields[15] |
Tea country & nature
Meijiawu tea valley
Quieter and broader than famous Longjing Village. Farmers let you pick tea for ¥50–100 (30–60 min), then pan-roast and taste it[16]. Picking season runs late March–early November[20].
Shili Langdang hike
Jiuxi → Longjing Village → Shili Langdang ridge → Yunqi Bamboo Path: 350–470 m gain through tea gardens, lake panoramas and bamboo forest[17]. It threads the same hills as the broader West Lake circle trail[18].
Beigao Peak
Hike free via the Lingyin back-door bamboo route, or cable car (¥30 up / ¥20 down) to a viewing platform with unobstructed West Lake and city views[21].
Xixi National Wetland
~11 km² of waterways with 200+ bird species; the boat ride is the headline. Best in spring/autumn[19].
Evenings
Impression West Lake
Zhang Yimou's outdoor spectacle on Yuehu Lake, performers seeming to walk on water from a stage set 3 cm below the surface[40]. Sells out — book ahead; the 21:10 seating pairs with an early dinner[37].
Grand Canal night cruise
Past lit bridges and old streets (lighting by Roger Narboni), with onboard Longjing tea; a longer 2.5-hr Canal + Qiantang River cruise leaves 18:30 daily[41].
Wushan Night Market
Hangzhou's biggest night market near West Lake — scallion-oil pancakes, skewers, dumplings[42].
Teahouses & bars
Qingteng (Green Vine), one of the oldest teahouses, pairs a Jiangnan garden with an all-you-can-eat snack buffet[43]. Nightlife clusters on Nanshan Lu, the West Lake bar street[45].
Free spectacles: the West Lake Music Fountain (7pm & 8pm nightly) and the Qianjiang New Town light show — 700,000 LEDs across 30 towers, Tue/Fri/Sat[46].
Practical logistics (2026)
| Topic | What to know |
|---|---|
| Getting there | 270+ high-speed trains/day from Shanghai Hongqiao, 45 min–1 hr (fastest 32 min), 2nd class CNY 47–120[24]. Your passport is a valid ID to buy and board[25]. |
| Visa | The 240-hour (10-day) visa-free transit covers nationals of ~55 countries (US, UK, most of the EU, Japan, Korea, Australia) and free movement across 24 provinces incl. Shanghai & Zhejiang — needs a valid passport and an onward ticket to a third country with confirmed seats/dates[48][49]. Shanghai Pudong/Hongqiao and Hangzhou Xiaoshan are explicitly listed entry ports[50][23][22]. |
| When to go | Early June is warm and wet — highs near 33°C with frequent light rain[26], but an off-season lull between peaks; locals rate dry, cool autumn best[27]. |
| Getting around | 12 metro lines, 262 stations as of 2026[28]. Line 7 and the Line 19 Airport Express link Xiaoshan Airport to the centre and rail stations; sightseeing buses 51/52 loop West Lake[29]. |
| Where to stay | Hubin / Longxiangqiao on West Lake's east side for first-timers (lake access + metro + food); Wulin Square / Fengqi Road for better-value city hotels[30]. |
| Paying | Alipay and WeChat Pay both take foreign Visa/Mastercard (and JCB on WeChat) directly in 2026 — just a passport and home-country number, no Chinese bank or SIM[31][51][52]. Transactions under ~200 RMB are fee-free, ~3% above[53]. Set up both (merchants show only one QR type) and keep cash as a fallback; prepaid/virtual cards are often rejected[32]. |