1、 The core scenic area around West Lake (fully open for free)
Sudi Chunxiao&Baidi
The iconic long embankment of West Lake is surrounded by willows in spring, lotus flowers in full bloom in summer, and few tourists ride or stroll in the morning. The atmosphere of the lake is full of mist, and you can enjoy the scenery of the lake and mountains step by step.
Three Pools Mirroring the Moon
The small island in the center of West Lake is a filming location for one yuan RMB banknotes. Visitors need to take a boat to the island for sightseeing. On Mid Autumn Festival moonlit nights, they can enjoy 33 real and fake moons in the lake, and the night view is extremely poetic.
Leifeng Pagoda
Recreating a millennium old pagoda, climbing the pagoda offers a 360 ° panoramic view of the entire West Lake. The pagoda displays cultural relics related to the legend of the White Snake, and in the evening, the sunset shines on the pagoda, making it particularly dazzling.
Fish Viewing at the Flower Pond
A lakeside garden with hundreds of koi fish raised in the pond, paired with a peony garden and weeping willow pavilions, suitable for leisure walks and taking photos by the water.
2、 Zen inspired Ancient Temples and Tea Fragrance Secret Realm
Lingyin Temple&Feilai Peak
A millennium old Zen Buddhist temple, upon entering the mountain, one can first admire the stone carvings of Feilai Peak. The temple is surrounded by towering ancient trees and peaceful incense, offering free fragrance and blessings. The surrounding area is plain and refreshing, suitable for peaceful travel.
Faxi Temple
The internet famous prayer temple features a bright yellow courtyard wall paired with a red maple bamboo forest, with a strong incense offering for marriage and peace. The temple has a wide variety of creative and imperial styles, with fewer visitors than the Lingyin Temple.
Longjing Village&Shili Langyue Ancient Road
The core origin of West Lake Longjing, with thousands of acres of tea gardens stacked layer by layer, can be traversed by walking along the ancient road to taste the Ming Dynasty Longjing tea in a rural tea house and experience the traditional processes of tea picking and frying.
Nine Creeks in Misty Trees
Known as the Little Jiuzhai in Hangzhou, the Nine Streams and Eighteen Streams have flowing water, and the dense forests provide cool and comfortable shade. You can walk barefoot in the water, and the autumn red leaves cover the valleys, creating a serene and healing landscape.
3、 Humanistic Old Street and Wetland Scenery
Hefang Street&Southern Song Dynasty Imperial Street
The ancient commercial street left over from the Southern Song Dynasty is lined with old and famous pastry shops, snack shops, and intangible cultural heritage handicrafts along the bluestone board road. In the evening, lanterns light up with a strong ancient charm, and you can enjoy specialty snacks such as Dingdingsheng cake and osmanthus lotus root powder.
xixi national wetland park
The city is a pristine water town with crisscrossing rivers and dense reeds. You can take a rowing boat through the reed marshes, and the ancient buildings of Hongyuan are hidden deep in the wetlands. It is the filming location for "If You Are the One" and the scenery is soft and peaceful throughout the four seasons.
Xiaohezhi Street
A niche cultural and artistic old street, with white walls and black tiles and water facing residential buildings, coffee shops and handmade shops arranged in a staggered manner, with a low degree of commercialization, hiding the original fireworks atmosphere of old Hangzhou.
4、 Recommended authentic Hangzhou cuisine
Signature Hangbang Hard Dishes: West Lake Fish in Vinegar Sauce, Dongpo Braised Pork, Fried Shrimps with Longjing Tea, Sister Song's Fish Soup, Fried Bamboo Shoots
Classic Noodles in soup: Sliced Sichuan, Yellow Croaker Noodles, Steamed Sichuan with Kidney, fresh and light soup base
Street snacks in the market: scallion wrapped cypress, Dingsheng cake, osmanthus candy taro seedlings, plum blossom cake
Featured desserts and tea drinks: handmade West Lake lotus root powder, osmanthus mung bean soup, various Longjing pastries
5、 Practical travel tips
West Lake is free of charge throughout the area, with only small fees charged for boats, Leifeng Pagoda, and Santan Yinyue. It is recommended to circumnavigate the lake before 7am during holidays to avoid crowds;
Lingyin Temple requires an online reservation in advance. To enter the temple, you must first purchase a ticket to Feilaifeng. It is recommended to wear comfortable flat shoes due to the large number of mountain roads;
Parking around West Lake is tight, and priority is given to urban travel through the subway and shared bicycles connecting scenic spots;
Local cuisine tends to be sweet and refreshing. If you don't like sweets, you can inform the restaurant in advance to adjust your taste. Popular restaurants in scenic areas have low cost-effectiveness, and authentic old shops are mostly hidden in community streets and alleys;
Rainy in spring and summer, hot and humid in summer, always keep sunscreen and umbrellas on hand; The autumn red leaves of Jiuxi and the spring peach blossoms on Sudi are the best viewing seasons.
Paradise on Earth | Hangzhou West Lake Zen Tea Fragrance Panoramic Tour Guide
Hangzhou is known as the "paradise on earth". West Lake connects ten timeless scenic spots such as Su Causeway, Lei Feng Pagoda, and Three Pools with Moon Impressions. The white walls and black tiles complement the lake and mountains, embodying the poetic charm of Jiangnan with ink painting. The Lingyin Ancient Temple houses a thousand year old Zen spirit, Longjing Village and Jiuxi Smoke Trees soak in the aroma of Longjing tea in West Lake, Hefang Street preserves the fireworks of the Southern Song Dynasty market, and Xixi Wetland showcases the original ecological water town style. Fresh and elegant Hangbang cuisine, as well as various Jiangnan pastries, run through the journey. You can not only stroll through the mountains and enjoy the natural scenery, but also visit ancient temples, taste tea, and stroll through old streets, experiencing the scenery, meditation, tea culture, and authentic Jiangnan cuisine in one stop.
July 29, 2026
