Day 1

Arriving at Hangzhou East Railway Station, take Metro Line 5 to North Jianguo Road. Transfer to Line 2 to Wulinmen.
3rmb
20 mins

RECOMMENDED ACCOMODATION
Wulin International City Camp

Depending on what time you arrive, choose your order of events for Day 1 and 2. Assuming you arrive in the morning, head straight for the scenic area.

Walk to Shengfu Dalou Bus Stop and take Bus 103 to Meijiawu Village.
3rmb
~1 hour

You will arrive in a village with tea shops selling the local Longjing tea.

Continue uphill along the road until you reach the hiking route into the mountain. Throughout the hike, continue going uphill whenever you can until you reach the peak of the tea plantation.

Following the path all the way down will lead you to Longjing Village.
2.5 hours

Grab a taxi back to town from here. There are buses, but the journey is long.

I suggest going to Qinghefang Pedestrian Street for a meal and to see more of the city before walking/cycling back to the hostel.

Hangzhou has a great music scene on the weekends which is worth checking out for a night out.

Day 2

Wake up and checkout but leave your things with the hostel.

Head along Yan’An Road until the road curves towards the lake. Continue along Nanshan Road which will eventually turn right towards Leifang Pagoda.
40rmb

You’ll get stunning views of West Lake from here. Continue around the lake to South Lake where you’ll find a Huagang Pier.

Take a boat across to the Three Pools Mirroring the Moon island. From here you get the famous 1rmb note scenery.
55rmb return

Take the Zhongshan Park Pier boat back and explore this section of the lake before you head back to the hostel.

——

Head back to Hangzhou East Railway Station
and get a fast train to Qiandao Lake.
70rmb
~1 hour

If you arrive in time for the City Bus, take it to Mingzhu Huayuan and then get a taxi to drop you to the hostel. If you arrive late, a taxi/Didi is your only option.
10rmb – 120rmb
1 hour – 30 mins

RECOMMENDED ACCOMODATION
Qiandao Blue Mountain Youth Hostel

Qilong Alley is a 5 minute walk away with a handful of bars, coffee shops and restaurants.

Day 3

If you look around town you should find Giant bike rental stores. If not, head to Qiandao Lake Tiandi Travel Service Co. on Yangguang Road. Walk from the hostel towards the lake and you’ll find the road.
100rmb
1 day rental
~500-1000rmb deposit

Qiandao is HUGE – 145km, to be more precise. Choose a direction and cycle in it. You’ll only experience hills every so often so the cycling is fairly leisurely.

My route: go back along Yangguang > turn onto Xin’an North and then follow the lake.

This cycle will quickly enter a forest with gorgeous lakeside and tree lined cycling paths. After 19km you will reach an impressively large bridge (Shangjiangbu).

Choose whether to turn back or continue but keep an eye on the map because you’ll need to return the same way.

After returning the bikes, head to Qiandao Hu Square. Locals set up food stalls and there are plenty of restaurant options.

Day 4

The following day, take your belongings with you and head for the Lake Boat Cruise.

Head to Nongye Yinhang Bus Stop and take Bus K012 to Dongnan Luyou Matou.
1rmb
20 mins

There are cruises that leave every hour with different route itineraries.

Translate the sign board for specifics. The main stop for the view of the thousand islands is Huangshanjian.
65rmb
4-5 hours

You spend about 1-1.5 hours at each island with either a set route or free time to explore. I highly recommend this.

After the cruise, depending on your timing, get the bus back to Xian Fuyou Baojianyuan and take the Railway Bus to the train OR get a taxi straight there.

Railway Bus departs Fuyou Baojianyuan
10rmb
30 mins