7 days in Hangzhou
A complete first week: lake, temples, wetlands, canal, tea valleys and enough flexibility for rain, heat and the places you want to revisit.
Seven days is not a seven-day race around West Lake. It adds two coherent south-west routes—tea hills and Song-dynasty entertainment—and leaves the final day useful as a weather swap, museum day or slow departure.
Classic West Lake
Broken Bridge → Bai Causeway → north lake → Su Causeway → boat.
Start early and follow one lake edge. Confirm an official boat's destination before paying and finish near Hubin without scheduling a fixed show you cannot move.
Lingyin and Feilai Peak
Early transfer → rock carvings → temple halls → hill viewpoint or tea.
Bring the original passport, check current entry procedures and follow designated traffic transfers. Keep the whole day west of the lake and choose only one extra viewpoint.
South lake and old city
Flower Harbor → Leifeng Pagoda → Wushan → Southern Song quarter → Hefang.
Use the south lake in the morning and the old commercial streets after the day cools. Hangzhou Museum or Wushan is the indoor/outdoor choice if weather changes.
Xixi Wetland
Chosen gate → official boat → one marked wetland walk → early return.
Save the exact Xixi gate and clarify the boat type, route and final stop. Carry repellent and weather cover; use the wetland as a quiet nature day, not a backdrop between two other attractions.
Grand Canal and craft museums
Gongchen Bridge → two museums → waterside neighbourhood → optional cruise.
Check museum closure days, then pick two collections instead of collecting buildings. Walk the canal, Xiaohe or Dadou Road and board only an official cruise with a clearly understood landing point.
Longjing, Nine Creeks and Songcheng
Longjing Village → Nine Creeks → Liuhe area → optional evening show.
08:30 — Longjing before group lunches
Use a bus or DiDi to Longjing Village (龙井村) and walk a marked tea-field route. A tasting can be enjoyable, but ask the price per 50 g first and never feel obliged to buy after an unsolicited invitation.
11:30 — Nine Creeks downhill
Continue only on a route confirmed open and suitable for the weather. Paths can be wet and mobile signal uneven; carry water, shoes with grip and the Chinese name for Nine Creeks (九溪十八涧).
Late afternoon — Liuhe or rest; evening Songcheng only if pre-booked
Choose Liuhe Pagoda if energy, visibility and opening time work. Songcheng is an entertainment park, not an ancient neighbourhood; book the exact Romance of Song show time and seat through a verified channel, or return to the city for a quiet night.
Move: these south-west stops follow one direction; do not return to Hubin between them. Longjing guide · Songcheng guide →
Slow Hangzhou or weather swap
Hangzhou Museum → Dama Lane market → favourite lake shore → departure preparation.
Morning — choose the missing context
If earlier plans ran normally, use Hangzhou Museum and the Southern Song Imperial Street for city history, then see a real morning market around Dama Lane. Check opening days before leaving.
Afternoon — repeat, rest or swap
Revisit a favourite lakeside section, buy tea from a transparent marked-price shop or move one rain-affected outdoor day here. This flexibility is more valuable than a distant day trip added only to fill the calendar.
Evening — prepare the correct departure
Check whether you leave from Hangzhou East, another rail station or HGH, verify terminal and passport name, then book enough transfer time. Do not assume “Hangzhou Station” and “Hangzhou East” are interchangeable.
Best use: swap Day 7 with Xixi, the hills or Nine Creeks when weather changes; keep all fixed bookings visible in one calendar.
The seven-day advantage
- Weather: Day 7 absorbs rain, extreme heat, boat suspensions or a closed hill path.
- Transport: each day stays on one side of the lake or in one outer district.
- Reservations: lock passport-linked or timed entries first; leave free walks movable.
- Tea: ask for unit price, origin and sealed label before buying; a tasting creates no obligation.
- Departure: verify HGH, station name and terminal before the final day.