How to Plan a Tour to Hangzhou - a Pearl of Southern Yangtze Area

Welcome to Hangzhou - Paradise on Earth

Hangzhou, one of the seven ancient capitals in China’s history, enjoys the reputation of being Paradise on Earth, along with its neighbor Suzhou. “Hang”, literally means “ship”, and refers specifically to the ship which the legendary Dayu took while taming floods 4,000 years ago, which shows how ancient Hangzhou is. West Lake in the heart of Hangzhou is a must-see, and cultural sites such as the Lingyin Temple and the Pagoda of Six Harmonies should not be missed. If you are a lover of tea and silk products, educational visits to tea plantations or silk factories can be arranged.

Hangzhou Facts

English Name: Hangzhou
Chinese name: 杭州 háng zhōu
Province: Zhejiang
Location: Southeast China
Population (city):about 11.93 million
Language: Mandarin
Zip code: 310000
Tel code: +86 (0571)
Time zone: China standard (UTC+8)
International Airports: Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport (HGH)
Railway Stations: Hangzhou Station, Hangzhou East Station, Hangzhou South Station, Hangzhou West Station, Yuhang Station

Table of Contents

Best Time to Visit Hangzhou City
Top Things to Do and See in Hangzhou
Recommended 3-Day Hangzhou Tour
How to Get there
Recommended Hangzhou Hotels

Best Time to Visit Hangzhou

Hangzhou has a subtropical monsoon climate with four distinct seasons. It is hot and humid in summer, and cold and damp in winter. Spring and autumn stand out as the most comfortable seasons to visit the area. Try to avoid national holidays as it will be crowded in popular scenic areas.

Hangzhou
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Mean Maximum Temperature ℃（℉）	8	10	15	21	26	29	34	33	28	23	17	11	21
Mean Maximum Temperature ℃（℉）	47	51	59	70	79	84	93	91	83	74	63	52	71
Mean Minimum Temperature℃（℉）	2	4	7	12	18	21	25	25	21	15	9	4	14
Mean Minimum Temperature℃（℉）	35	38	45	54	64	71	77	77	70	60	49	39	57
Rainfall amount ㎜（inch）	81	88	141	123	129	219	173	162	124	79	72	49	1438
Rainfall amount ㎜（inch）	3	3	6	5	5	9	7	6	5	3	3	2	57
Days with Rain（≥ 0.1 mm）	12	12	15	15	14	15	12	14	12	9	9	9	147
Mean Monthly Sunshine Duration hrs	102	97	116	141	165	137	213	193	144	145	129	129	1709

Top Things To Do and See in Hangzhou

West Lake, embraced on three sides by mountains, is a huge fresh water lake with an area of 6.39 sq.meters. The Lake is divided by Gushan Mountain, Baidi Causeway, Sudi Causeway and Yanggongdi Causeway, resulting in the landscape of one mountain, two pagodas, three islets and five lakes. A leisurely boat cruise on West Lake will take you into the heart of the Lake to visit the Three Pools Mirroring the Moon and the Mid-Lake Pavilion. Read more on How to Visit West Lake.

Lingyin Temple, called the Temple of Soul’s Retreat in English, was firstly built in 326 A.D. by a preacher, Huili, from India. It is one of the oldest Buddhist temples in China. The biggest wooden Sakjamuni Buddha statue in China sits in the main temple of Lingyin. Learn more about Lingyin Temple.

Fei Lai Feng, also known as the “Peak Flown from Afar”, faces Lingyin Temple and is famous for its lime rock carvings of Buddha completed in the Song and Yuan Dynasties.

Wuzhen Water Town, 80 km away from Hangzhou, is a distinctive water town with many rivers, bridges and beautiful houses from the Qing Dynasty. Wuzhen is divided into four parts, two of which are open to tourists - Dongzha (East Area) and Xizha (West Area). Dongzha maintains the original look with local residents living in the town while Xizha has been reconstructed to keep the ancient style and accommodate tourists with starred hotels and numerous shops.

Recommended Hangzhou Tours

Half Day Tour of Southern Song Dynasty Culture Private Half Day Tour in Hangzhou View More

Water Town and City Tour in Hangzhou 3-Day Private Tour in City and to Nanxun Water Town View More

Hangzhou Educational Tour 4 Days Historic Heritage and the Present Life Style View More

How to get there

Hangzhou transportation - Domestic cities to Hangzhou

Cities	Distance to Hangzhou (km)	By Air to Hangzhou	By High-Speed Railway to Hangzhou
Beijing	1591	3hrs	5hrs
Xi'an	1696	3hrs	8hrs
Shanghai	202	No direct flight	2hrs
Chengdu	2842	3hrs	14hrs
Suzhou	160	No direct flight	2hrs
Guangzhou	1251	3hrs	6-7.5hrs
Guilin	1350	2hrs 10m	8.5hrs

Recommended Hotels

Category	Hotel Name	Hotel Class	Why Recommend	Ranking on Trip Advisor
International Chain	Four Seasons Hangzhou at West Lake	5-star	A world class five star hotel with beautiful garden right next to West Lake Highly professional staff, taking care of every detail, genuinely welcoming and having a much better command of English Chinese restaurant in the hotel is a must eat	1
	Wyndham Grand Plaza Royale Hangzhou	5-star	Staff are super friendly are willing to help in every way Located at a strategic area which is close to the iconic West Lake (5 mins walk) and also near to eating places Foreign staff work at hotel to offer service in different language	2
	Hyatt Regency Hangzhou	5-star	Staff are polite efficient and anticipate ones every need Rooms are modern with good technology and furnished comfortably Facing West Lake, great to take a walk anytime	9
Best Value	Courtyard by Marriott Hangzhou Wulin	5-star	Great location near Wuli Square for shopping and eating Staff are welcoming, helpful and accommodating Great value for money	4
	Haihua Hotel Hangzhou	4-star	Good location, situated towards the Southern edge of Lijiang Old Town Comprehensive and tasty Breakfast buffet Excellent service and cosy rooms	79
	Enjoyor Hotel	3-star	Great restaurant on the 2nd floor (european) and good chinese restaurant on the 3rd floor Clean and modern rooms with great little additions like live plants and a fish bowl on the desk Walking distance to shopping areas	306
Boutique	Banyan Tree Hangzhou	5-star	Excellent service and friendly English speaking staff Walking distance to Xixi National Wetland Park & Museum Serene and peaceful scene with native plants adorning the surrounding villas, winding waterways, and cute stone bridges	21
Boutique	Amanfayun	5-star	Guest rooms are constructed from the village houses for an original China experience Food was superb and the ambiance was great Quiet and religious atmosphere near Lingyin Temple to see monks passing by	7