5 days in Hangzhou
The balanced route: three classic lake-and-temple days plus Xixi Wetland and the Grand Canal as two distinct landscapes.
Five days is the best first-time length if you want Hangzhou to feel different from Shanghai. It keeps one complete lake day, one Buddhist-hills day, one old-city day and gives both Xixi and the Grand Canal time to breathe.
Classic West Lake
Broken Bridge → Bai Causeway → north lake → Su Causeway → official boat.
Start before 08:00, walk one coherent northern route and choose one official boat rather than completing a full lake circuit. Confirm the boat's landing shore before paying and finish around Hubin.
Lingyin and Feilai Peak
Early transfer → Buddhist carvings → temple halls → quiet hill afternoon.
Carry your passport, verify whether scenic and temple entry are separate and use the current designated bus/taxi transfer. Keep the afternoon near Lingyin rather than crossing to Xixi.
South lake and old city
Flower Harbor → Leifeng Pagoda → Wushan → Southern Song streets → Hefang.
Use the south shore in the morning, choose Leifeng only if the view is worthwhile, then move east to Wushan and descend through Hangzhou's old commercial lanes after 16:00.
Xixi Wetland by water
Early metro/bus → one wetland zone → boat → slow return.
08:30 — enter through the gate for your chosen route
Xixi has multiple entrances and boat products. Save Xixi National Wetland Park (西溪国家湿地公园) plus the exact gate. Buy only from an official desk or channel and ask whether the boat is electric, rowing, one-way or a loop.
10:00–15:00 — combine walking and one boat
Use the boat for the wetland perspective, then walk one marked section through villages, ponds and reeds. Mosquito repellent, water and sun/rain cover matter more than a long attraction list.
Late afternoon — no second major sight
Return before rush hour and keep dinner near your hotel. Xixi's value is quiet; adding Songcheng afterwards defeats the purpose.
Move: use the current metro/bus route to your selected gate; do not let a navigation app send you to the wrong side. Xixi guide →
Grand Canal and living heritage
Gongchen Bridge → canal museums → Xiaohe historic area → evening waterside.
09:30 — Gongchen Bridge
Start at Gongchen Bridge (拱宸桥) and cross on foot for the scale of the historic canal. Check museum closure days and reservations before building the morning around a specific collection.
11:00 — choose two museums, not all of them
The canal, craft, umbrella, fan and knife/scissors museums form a cluster. Pick the subjects you care about and leave time for lunch and the river itself.
16:00 — Xiaohe or an official canal cruise
Walk a preserved waterside neighbourhood, then take a cruise only if the current pier, route and return timing are clear. Finish in the north rather than racing back to another lake attraction.
Move: metro/bus north from the centre; save Gongchen Bridge (拱宸桥) and the exact museum or cruise pier. Grand Canal guide →
Why this five-day route works
- It protects the lake, temple, wetland and canal as four different experiences.
- Days 3 and 5 are easy to swap with an outdoor day when rain arrives.
- It does not force Longjing, Nine Creeks and Songcheng into an already full short visit.
- Every long transfer ends without a prepaid late-night commitment.