Once you arrive at West Lake, you will know
Hangzhou West Lake 3-day 2-night travel guide | Zoning strategy to avoid backtracking + precise bus routes
📍Location: World Cultural Heritage site, 5A scenic area. Most of the area around the lake is free. The attractions are divided into four lines along the lake: North, Lake Center, West, and South. A 3-day trip is perfect to split these up and avoid walking over 10 km in a single day.
Core logic: Day 1 North Line + Three Pools Mirroring the Moon (Lake Center) → Day 2 Lingyin + West Lake secret spots → Day 3 South Line/Jiuxi Longjing. Following geographical zones minimizes commute time.
⚠️Key: There is no direct subway access to the lake itself. Take the subway to the outskirts and transfer to a bus or walk. Shared bikes are prohibited on Su Causeway and Bai Causeway. During holidays, the core area has traffic restrictions; prioritize subway + lake-loop buses.
🏨Accommodation priorities
Longxiangqiao/Hubin/Fengqi Road (Top choice): Direct access via Subway Line 1, walking distance to West Lake, best for dining and subway access, 200–400 CNY. Best for first-time visitors.
Qingzhiwu/Lingyin area: Many homestays, quiet, suitable for visiting Lingyin on Day 2. Downside: Need to take a bus to get to Hubin.
Ding'an Road/Hefang Street: Near the South Line, old town area, good value.
🎫Ticket list
✅ Free all day: Broken Bridge, Bai Causeway, Su Causeway, Quyuan Fenghe, Flower Harbor Park, Gushan, Beishan Street, Yanggong Causeway, Maojiabu, Turtle Pool, Orioles Singing in the Willows, Long Bridge.
✅ Paid (buy as needed):
Three Pools Mirroring the Moon (Xiaoyingzhou): Official ferry 55 CNY, includes island admission. The only lake-center island inaccessible by land. Featured on the 1 CNY note. You can choose which pier to disembark at.
Leifeng Pagoda: 40 CNY, elevator to the top for a panoramic view of the lake.
Feilai Peak 45 CNY + Lingyin Temple incense ticket 30 CNY. Must be booked online in advance; no on-site ticket sales.
Prince Bay Park is free, Guo's Villa 10 CNY, Yue Fei Temple 25 CNY.
✅ Transportation: Lake-loop buses 51/52/4/7/WE1314, 2 CNY; lake-loop sightseeing electric carts 10 CNY per segment, 40 CNY for the full loop.
🚄 Arrival & general route
Long-distance transport
Hangzhou East Railway Station → Subway Line 1 → Longxiangqiao Exit C, 20 mins, direct to Hubin. Best option.
Hangzhou Railway Station (Chengzhan): Subway Line 1 to Ding'an Road/Longxiangqiao, closer to the South Line.
Xiaoshan Airport: Subway Line 19 to Line 1, then to Longxiangqiao.
Internal scenic area transport
Subway: Line 1 to Longxiangqiao (Hubin), Fengqi Road (Broken Bridge), Ding'an Road (Hefang Street/Leifeng Pagoda); Line 3 to Lingyin/Huanglong Cave.
Lake-loop buses: 51/52 bidirectional loop, 4, 7, WE1314, 2 CNY, covering Broken Bridge - Su Causeway - Leifeng Pagoda - Jingci Temple.
Ferries: Only use official state-run piers. Avoid roadside private boats/hand-rowed boats that overcharge. The 55 CNY leisure boat offers the best value; you can choose to disembark at Flower Harbor, Yue Temple, Zhongshan, etc., after reaching the island.
Shared bikes: Only allowed in Hubin/city outskirts; prohibited on Bai Causeway and Su Causeway.
Self-driving: Traffic restrictions (odd/even license plates) apply on weekends and holidays from 8:00 AM–5:00 PM. Do not drive into the core area; park at Huanglong Sports Center and transfer to a bus.
📅 Day 1 North Line classic + Lake Center Three Pools Mirroring the Moon (Broken Bridge - Bai Causeway - Gushan - Ferry)
Focuses on must-visit core landmarks for first-timers. Arrive at Broken Bridge by 7:00–8:00 AM to avoid tour groups.
Subway Line 1 to Longxiangqiao Exit C → Hubin Pedestrian Street → Walk to Broken Bridge.
Walk along Bai Causeway → Pinghu Qiuyue → Gushan (Zhejiang Provincial Museum, Xiling Seal Art Society, free).
Go to Zhongshan Park Pier, take the official ferry to Three Pools Mirroring the Moon. Spend 1–1.5 hours on the island to take photos at the 1 CNY note spot.
Take the boat to Flower Harbor Pier, visit Flower Harbor and Red Fish Pond.
Walk the southern section of Su Causeway (not recommended to walk the full 3 km, too tiring), just go to Yingbo Bridge/Suolan Bridge.
Afternoon: Bus/walk to Prince Bay Park (tulips in spring, maples in autumn).
Dinner: Hangzhou cuisine in Hubin/Zhiweiguan. Evening: Watch the musical fountain in Hubin (scheduled times) and enjoy the night view of Nanshan Road.
Day core: Complete the only lake-center island visit that requires a boat. No backtracking. Changing piers with the boat ticket is key to saving energy.
📅 Day 2 Lingyin Zen + West Lake Yanggong Causeway secret spots (Quyuan Fenghe - Guo's Villa - Yuhu Bay - Maojiabu)
Avoid the crowds. This is the West Line locals love most. Separating it from the core lake-loop area makes for a more comfortable day.
Early start: Subway Line 3 to Huanglong Cave Station, transfer to bus 7/103 to Lingyin Feilai Peak + Lingyin Temple.
Try to arrive before 8:00 AM to avoid traffic jams. Incense is provided for free inside the temple; don't buy expensive incense at the entrance.
If you have energy, visit Yongfu Temple/Taoguang Temple on the way; fewer people, beautiful scenery.
Lunch: Vegetarian noodles/farmhouse dishes around Lingyin.
Bus to Quyuan Fenghe (best for lotus flowers in summer) → Cycle/walk along Yanggong Causeway → Guo's Villa → Yuhu Bay → Turtle Pool.
Then to Maojiabu: Reed waterways, fewer people, wild Jiangnan charm, much quieter than the main lake.
Dinner: Maojiabu/Qingzhiwu, return to Hubin for accommodation.
Alternative: If you don't want to visit Lingyin, spend Day 2 entirely on Yanggong Causeway + Turtle Pool + hand-rowed boat.
📅 Day 3 Choose one
✅ Option A: South Line cultural route (Leifeng Pagoda - Long Bridge - Orioles Singing in the Willows - Hefang Street, recommended for beginners)
Bus to Leifeng Pagoda, climb to the top for a panoramic view of West Lake. If you don't want to buy a ticket, take photos of the pagoda from Long Bridge.
Long Bridge Park: Best spot for the reflection of Leifeng Pagoda, wait for the "Leifeng Sunset" view.
Jingci Temple (Nanping Evening Bell) → Orioles Singing in the Willows.
Afternoon: Explore Hefang Street/Southern Song Imperial Street, buy souvenirs (lotus root starch, Hangzhou fans, Longjing tea).
Subway from Ding'an Road back to Hangzhou East Railway Station for departure.
✅ Option B: Jiuxi Smoke Tree + Longjing Village tea culture (Hiking, leisure, natural scenery)
Bus 27/103 to Jiuxi, light hike through Jiuxi Eighteen Streams, step in the stream water → Jiuxi Smoke Tree → Longjing Village.
Drink tea and eat farmhouse food in the village, surrounded by tea plantations. Then hike down the lower section of Shili Langdang/take a bus down to Meijiawu.
Bus back to the city for departure.
Suitable for those who like hiking, drinking tea, and want to avoid crowded lake areas. Great experience in the rainy season/summer.
✅ Itinerary combinations
Family-friendly: Day 1 Lake-loop + Ferry, Day 2 Leifeng Pagoda South Line, Day 3 Xixi Wetland.
Photography-focused: Day 1 Early Broken Bridge + Sunset at Long Bridge, Day 2 Lingyin + Maojiabu, Day 3 Jiuxi.
From Bijie: Bijie West/Bijie Station → High-speed train to Hangzhou East, then transfer at Longxiangqiao as described above.
⚠️ Key tips to avoid pitfalls
Three Pools Mirroring the Moon can only be reached by official ferries. Roadside 150 CNY/hour private hand-rowed boats are easy to get scammed by and cannot land on the island.
Lingyin must be booked in advance. During holidays, traffic on Lingyin Road is restricted after 8:00 AM; only shuttle buses are allowed.
Shared bikes are prohibited on Su Causeway and Bai Causeway, don't waste your time. Take the sightseeing electric carts in sections to save energy.
Scenic areas have traffic restrictions and are extremely congested on weekends. Prioritize subway + bus in the core area, avoid taking taxis.
Most of West Lake is free. Only island access, pagoda climbing, and temples charge fees. Don't believe in "general admission" tickets.
Do not buy one-day tours at the station; they are basically shopping tours for silk and tea.
Leifeng Sunset, Broken Bridge at dawn, and the musical fountain are the three high-experience time slots.
For Hangzhou cuisine, prioritize restaurants in Hubin or the city center; prices are inflated along the lake. Recommended: Scallion-stuffed pancakes, Dingsheng cake, Song Sao fish soup, Dongpo pork, Longjing shrimp.