Hangzhou 杭州 5D4N
Hello! Sharing my itinerary for my 2 weeks in China, and started off with Hangzhou
We arrived at Hangzhou in the late evening, so we just checked in to our hotel and called it a night! We stayed at 🏨 臻庭酒店(杭州西湖湖滨龙翔桥地铁站店) - located next to West Lake and the Hubin malls! The rooms were clean and spacious, and I loved that they provided laundry services - they literally help you to wash, and send back the clean and dry clothes back to your room once done! You don’t have to wait around for your clothes anymore! Do take note that they don’t wash undergarments and socks for this service, but you can do it at your own convenience anytime. Another thing to take note is that due to its location, there is traffic control regulations in place, and it may be hard to get the didi to pick you up / drop you off at the hotel. You can ask the staff to help you, or just set the location to the next nearest drop off place! Would definitely recommend to stay here!
Day 2
It was a PH, so we decided to avoid the west lake on this day! Went to the Hubin mall, got 周四晚, and it is one of my fav milk tea cause they have peach gum topping! Loved it so much that I got it another time in Nanjing too! Walked to 集贤亭 which was next to the Hubin Mall and it was pretty much packed! Took some pictures and left.
Lunch: 老吴家·老杭州菜·川菜(西湖湖滨店) (Rating: 3/5)
Dishes were pretty meh so wouldn’t recommend!
After lunch we took a didi to 天目里, a pretty cool lifestyle mall! There were so many local brands, and I loved that it was pet friendly! We had coffee at 📍 SAANCI山池咖啡(天目里店) and the coffee was pretty good! Ordered a pear americano and it was so refreshing!!
Dinner: We had a reservation at 宫宴 (check out of my other post for more details!)
Day 3
The start of our west lake exploration! I split the west lake into 2 days so that it wouldn’t be so tiring.
Didi to 柳浪闻莺 （东门） and boy there was a queue to take photos there. I wasn’t interested in taking photos of myself so I just took photos of the place and left! Do go early if you want to have great shots with the place.
Took the boat at 西湖游船-钱王祠码头 towards 三潭印月! They have discounted prices for elderly/children so do bring your passports along for discounted price! The boat ride was pretty short, around 10mins to reach 三潭印月! The boat ticket includes a round trip ticket, and you can take a boat to any other part of west lake!
三潭印月Route: 九曲桥 - 三潭印月御碑亭 - 我心相印亭 - 花港观鱼方向出岛码头
花港观鱼 Route: 鱼池古迹 - 林徽因纪念碑 - 蒋 庄古井 - 揖湖 - 滨湖长廊 - 花港观鱼牡丹园 - 湖畔居(花港店) (they have the fish tanks here, but it ain’t as nice as the other place in day 4!) - 金光穿洞 - 绾波亭 - 花港观鱼 (in the middle, next to 魏庐) - 印影亭 - 红鱼池 - out via 西门
From there we walked towards 乌龟潭
乌龟潭 Route: 舒云亭 - 雪舫 (a lot of steps for these 2 places!) - 于忠肃公祠 - out via 于谦墓
We only explored partially as we were tired and it was time for lunch! Took a didi to Green Tea Restaurant we didn’t get a seat on the boat as you would have to wait, so we just took the next available table in the main hall!
Food was not too bad, but the lotus soup was pretty meh! Not too bad for the quality and price!
Afterwards, we took a didi to explore 浴鹄湾
浴鹄湾 Route: 霁虹桥 - 浚源桥 - 羡鹄亭 - Exit towards 太子湾公园
太子湾公园 Route: 凉亭 - 小教堂 - 九曜飞樱 - 九溪瀑布 (we didn’t intend to go there but the washroom was there 🤣 had to hike up for it!) - 清婉亭 - 大风车 (holland vibes) - 迎宾亭(南山路)
From 太子湾公园, we walked to 雷峰塔 (around 10-15mins by walk!) the roads were really jammed so no point to take a didi, it’s faster by walking!
Paid the entrance fee to head up, (discounted tickets available too!) and you def have to take pictures and videos while going up the escalators!
I walked up the pagoda, but I think the views were alright, nothing too spectacular!
Afterwards, we walked towards 长桥公园, where you can a good shot of the bridge and 雷峰塔!
Went back to the hotel to rest in the afternoon, and went to 📍 巴奴毛肚火锅(杭州湖滨in77店) the service was really good! Provided wipes, rubber bands and all like HDL! They had really interesting vegetables that you wouldn’t be able to find in Singapore!
Day 4
Exploring west lake part 2!
We took the shuttle bus near Hubin area / next to 音乐喷泉
You just need to scan the QR codes on the seat infront of you, and select your drop off point! They will calculate the amount required for the no of pax!
We took from 三公园 to 跨虹桥, total of CNY 120 for 2 pax! You can also choose to do a whole tour of west lake on the shuttle bus!
From there we walked to 曲院风荷 to explore!
曲院风荷 Route: 风荷区 - 迎薰阁 - 徽风 - 蓼汀廊 - ⭐️莲遇花园餐厅 (THE PLACE TO TAKE PHOTOS WITH THE FISHIES!) ⭐️ free entry, but it’s also a restro! I got an ice cream after taking photos there! Loved that there wasn’t a lot of people when we were there around 11am! - 南宋御酒文化坊 - 曲院风荷碑 - out via 玉带桥
From there, we walked towards 西泠桥 and 西湖最美转角 pretty crowded so we took the shuttle bus across 百提 and 断桥残雪! For the shuttle bus you can just flag down any of them and they’ll stop if there are seats! The bus driver does provide explanations of the attractions along the way too!
We grabbed lunch at 📍 外婆家(西湖断桥店)
Do use the WeChat 小程序 to reserve a slot as they are really popular! We had to wait around 15 mins for our table, but turnover was really fast! Food was really good and portions were huge too! They have a few branches so do check it out!
Took the shuttle from 断桥残雪 back to our hotel (三公园) to rest before we headed out for dinner again!
We went to 📍 泮芳春煎饺·米其林餐厅(中山南路店) which was located outside 清河坊步行街
Food was really good!!! And so cheap?? It was $4 for the a bowl of noodles, 4 pan fried dumplings and a bowl of wonton soup! 🥺🥺
We walked around 清河坊步行街, but there wasn’t much as it was pretty touristy/commercialised. But one thing that they do great is that they light up the place so prettily at night!!
Do look out for 猫的天空之城概念书店 when you are in China! They sell a lot of souvenirs, and their magnets are so cute!! They have a lot of magnets based on the city they are in, and we always bought something from in each city we went!
And that pretty much sums up our trip in Hangzhou! Basically we were only there for 3 full days as we travelled out to Hengdian early morning on the 5th day!
West lake is really nice and worth to explore, but do split them up into segments and your legs will thank you! There were also options to take boats around the west lake, but I think I still preferred to walk around and take photos!
Next up, Hengdian!
During my trip to Hangzhou, I found that splitting the visit to West Lake over multiple days really enhanced my experience. The lake's extensive scenic spots, like 三潭印月 (Three Pools Mirroring the Moon) and 花港观鱼 (Flower Harbor Fish Viewing), each offer unique views and photo opportunities that are best savored at a relaxed pace. Booking the boat ride from Western Lake boat docks is not only picturesque but also budget-friendly with discounts for seniors and children when you bring your passport — a tip worth remembering! One of my favorite experiences was visiting 天目里, a trendy lifestyle mall famed for its pet-friendly atmosphere and local brands. Enjoying a refreshing pear americano at SAANCI 山池咖啡 made for a perfect coffee break. For food lovers, local hotspots like 巴奴毛肚火锅 serve intriguing dishes with ingredients uncommon outside China, which truly broadened my culinary horizons. I also appreciated the efficient laundry service at 臻庭酒店 near West Lake, which was a thoughtful convenience for longer trips. Navigating Hangzhou is quite convenient with didi rides and the West Lake shuttle bus system. The QR-coded shuttle bus seats that calculate fares per passenger simplify getting around, especially around popular tourist areas like 音乐喷泉 and 百提. For those interested in cultural immersion, exploring 清河坊步行街 in the evening reveals beautiful lighting and quaint shops such as 猫的天空之城概念书店 selling city-themed souvenirs like adorable magnets. In summary, Hangzhou beautifully blends natural scenery, history, and modern lifestyle. Taking time to explore the lake in segments and utilizing local transport options ensures an enjoyable and stress-free journey. Don’t miss out on local delicacies, the vibrant coffee scene, and the charming shopping experiences that make Hangzhou unforgettable.
