West Lake skyline in Hangzhou

Photo: Windmemories · Source · CC BY-SA 4.0

Itinerary · 2 days

Hangzhou 2 Days: West Lake, Lingyin and Tea

A first-trip Hangzhou route that gives West Lake one directional day and combines Lingyin with the tea landscape without an unnecessary citywide loop.

  1. 1

    Day 1

    5 stops

    1. Broken Bridge and the north shore
      Start before the tour groups and use Broken Bridge as an orientation point, not a photo queue. Walk west along Bai Causeway toward Solitary Hill; the changing skyline and borrowed scenery matter more than completing the whole lake perimeter.

      Beishan Street, Xihu District, Hangzhou

      Photo: Windmemories · Source · CC BY-SA 4.0

    2. 1.8km

      About 24 min

    3. Solitary Hill and Zhongshan Park
      Pause around Solitary Hill for lake views, historic gardens and the option of a focused museum stop. Do not add every nearby pavilion; keep energy for the south shore and choose a boat only if visibility and queues are good.

      3 Gushan Road, Xihu District, Hangzhou

      Photo: User:CatOnMars · Source · CC BY-SA 4.0

    4. 2.6km scenic route

      About 35–45 min

    5. Flower Harbor and Su Causeway
      Use Flower Harbor as the south-shore anchor and walk only the Su Causeway section that suits your stamina. On hot or wet days, shorten this exposed leg rather than rushing the museum that follows.

      Yanggong Causeway, Xihu District, Hangzhou

      Photo: David Stanley from Nanaimo, Canada · Source · CC BY 2.0

    6. 1.9km

      About 26 min

    7. China National Silk Museum
      Choose the textile-history spine and one current exhibition. The museum gives useful context for silk technology and dress, but gallery availability changes, so check the live official programme before building a visit around one named show.

      73-1 Yuhuangshan Road, Xihu District, Hangzhou

      Photo: Siyuwj · Source · CC BY-SA 4.0

    8. 3.5km

      About 12 min

  2. 2

    Day 2

    3 stops

    1. Lingyin–Feilai Peak Scenic Area
      Use the official free reservation system, arrive early and read the grottoes before entering Lingyin Temple. The scenic-area reservation and temple circulation are related but not interchangeable; follow the live gate notice and keep worship spaces quiet.

      1 Fayun Lane, Xihu District, Hangzhou

      Photo: Tyg728 · Source · CC BY-SA 4.0

    2. 4.1km

      About 10 min

    3. China National Tea Museum, Shuangfeng
      Use the museum to understand processing, regional tea families and brewing before shopping. Confirm which campus and galleries are open: the Shuangfeng and Longjing sites are separate, and a generic map result can send you to the wrong entrance.

      88 Longjing Road, Xihu District, Hangzhou

      Photo: Fredlyfish4 · Source · CC BY-SA 4.0

    4. 3.2km

      About 10 min

    5. Longjing Village

      Attraction

      Longjing Village

      Walk a short signed tea-field section, then choose one tasting only after asking the tea's origin, grade, harvest period and price before brewing. The village is a working community, not a free photo studio; avoid entering fields or private courtyards without permission.

      Longjing Village, Xihu District, Hangzhou

      Photo: Peter K Burian · Source · CC BY-SA 4.0