Fifteen things to do in Hangzhou around West Lake
West Lake (Xi Hu) lies on the western edge of the city, with hills on three sides and the downtown on the east shore. The shore is free to walk. You pay only for specific sights and for boats. That makes it easy to mix free hours on the causeways with one or two paid stops.
The ideas below are different activities, not fifteen separate tickets. Several sit at the same place. Ideas 1 to 7 are on the lake itself, 8 to 13 add boats, a pagoda, a temple and tea, and 14 and 15 are the Xixi Wetland and an evening on the water. If you only want to see the lake from a boat, start with the West Lake boat rides.
Ideas 1 to 7: on the lake itself
Free, flat and best done on foot.
1. Walk the Hubin lakeshore
Hubin is the city side of the lake on the east shore. The waterfront promenade is open to everyone and there is no ticket for the lake as a whole. Longxiangqiao on Metro Line 1 is the usual way in. A full loop of the lake is about 15 km, so most visitors walk only a part of it.
2. Su Causeway (Su Di)
The Su Causeway runs north to south across the lake. It was raised from material dredged out of the lake under the poet and official Su Dongpo, and the historical account counts six bridges along it. It is free. Do not count on cycling along the causeways.
3. Bai Causeway and the Broken Bridge (Bai Di, Duan Qiao)
The Broken Bridge stands at the east end of the Bai Causeway. The name does not mean a ruin, you can walk across it. The causeway is linked with the poet Bai Juyi, though the building history of today's causeway is debated. Early morning is the quieter time.
4. Lotus at Quyuan Fenghe
This garden stands near the northern end of the Su Causeway and is known for lotus in summer. Early flowers can appear from mid-June. The main bloom falls between mid-July and mid-August, so treat the timing as a range and not a promise.
5. Pinghu Qiuyue
The name means autumn moon over a calm lake. The scene belongs to the northern part of the main lake near Gushan. Come on a clear evening in autumn, and do not expect a full moon on any particular date.
6. Huagang Guanyu
Fish at the Flower Harbour is a garden on the western side of the lake, with ponds and pavilions. It is a calm stop after the busier east shore.
7. Liulang Wenying
Orioles singing in the willows is a willow park on the lakeshore. It works well as a rest between the Hubin promenade and the southern sights. More on all of these scenes is on the Ten Scenes page.
Our picks: things to do around the lake
Our take: the private tour covers the main sights in a day. The tea tasting is a short stop, and Xixi adds a boat through the wetland.
Hand-picked tours, booked through GetYourGuide. Prices are indicative starting prices in US dollars (as of October 2026). Tap a tour for live availability and the current price in your currency.
Full-day private West Lake highlights tour
- English-speaking guide
- Entry tickets
- Lunch
Lingyin and Feilai Feng, a boat on the lake, Leifeng and Hefang Street, with lunch; the price is per person.
Check availability →
Meijiawu Longjing tea picking and tasting
- English-speaking tea instructors
- Tea tasting
- Tea tin to take home
Two hours in the tea village with English-speaking tea instructors; you get there on your own.
Check availability →
Xixi Wetland entry ticket and boat
- Entry to the paid core areas
- Shared electric boat
Entry to the paid core areas with a shared electric boat between the inner piers.
Check availability →Hangzhou tours and West Lake experiences
Boat trips, tea village visits and day trips around the lake, with live prices and availability.
Ideas 8 to 13: boats, a pagoda, a temple and tea
These are the stops with tickets, reservations or opening hours.
8. Boat to Xiaoyingzhou
A tourist boat takes you to Xiaoyingzhou, the island with the Three Pools Mirroring the Moon. A standard boat costs CNY 55 per person and an electric or luxury boat CNY 70, each with a return trip. The island fee is CNY 20 on top. Children between 1.2 and 1.5 m pay half. Tickets are sold from 08:00 until 16:30 from 1 September to 15 November, and until 16:00 from 16 November to 15 February.
9. Leifeng Pagoda
The pagoda stands on a hill on the south shore. The adult ticket is CNY 40 in 2026. It is the setting of the legend of the White Snake. See the Leifeng Pagoda page for hours and the story.
10. Lingyin Temple and Feilai Feng
Entry is free since 1 December 2025, but you must reserve online, and foreign visitors can use a passport. Book at least 1 day and at most 7 days ahead. The grounds are open 07:30 to 17:30, with the last entry at 17:00. The Lingyin Temple page explains the steps.
11. Longjing village and tea
Longjing (Dragon Well) is the best known green tea of Hangzhou, grown on terraces in the hills west of the lake. Spring picking before the Qingming festival is the prized harvest. In 2026 picking was under way by 23 March. The Longjing tea page covers the villages.
12. Meijiawu and a tea experience
In this tea village, visitors can join picking, roasting and tasting activities. There is no fixed price, and you should not walk into fields on your own. Ask at a tea house or book a visit.
13. China National Tea Museum
The museum has two sites: Shuangfeng at 88 Longjing Road and the Longjing campus at 268 Wengjiashan. Entry is free, and opening hours are about 09:00 to 16:30. It closes one weekday, Monday or Tuesday, so check the day before you go.
Ideas 14 and 15: beyond the shore and after dark
One needs a metro ride, the other needs an evening.
14. Xixi Wetland
Xixi lies outside the direct lakeshore route. Entry is CNY 80, and the ticket with a boat ride is CNY 140 at the regular 2026 prices. Metro Line 3 stops at Xixi Wetland South, and Line 19 at Xixi Wetland North. Opening hours are 08:30 to 17:30, so check the current hours before you go.
15. An evening on the lake: show or fountain
These are two different events. The stage show is a ticketed performance with a standard adult price of CNY 380. The music fountain can be watched from the public shore near Lakeside Park No. 3. From 12 October 2026 to 14 April 2027 there is one fountain show daily at 19:30. Details are on the West Lake show page.
Costs at a glance
Adult prices in CNY for 2026.
| Idea | Cost | Needs a reservation |
|---|---|---|
| Lakeshore, causeways, Broken Bridge | Free | No |
| Boat to Xiaoyingzhou | CNY 55 or 70, plus CNY 20 island fee | – |
| Leifeng Pagoda | CNY 40 | – |
| Lingyin Temple and Feilai Feng | CNY 0 | Yes, online |
| Xixi Wetland | CNY 80, with boat CNY 140 | – |
| West Lake stage show | From CNY 380 | Tickets needed |
| Music fountain | Viewed from the shore | – |
For most first visits, combine ideas 1 to 3 on foot in the morning, take the boat to Xiaoyingzhou (8), and finish at Leifeng Pagoda (9) or the fountain (15). Keep Lingyin and the tea villages for a second day.
Plan the rest of your trip
Pages that go deeper on the ideas above.
Things to do in Hangzhou: frequently asked questions
What are the best things to do in Hangzhou?
The lakeshore walk, the Su and Bai causeways, a boat to Xiaoyingzhou and Leifeng Pagoda are the core of a first visit. Lingyin Temple and a tea village fill a second day.
Is West Lake free?
Walking the shore and the causeways costs nothing. You pay for boats, Leifeng Pagoda, Xixi and the stage show. There is no single ticket for the lake.
How many days do I need?
One day covers the lake and one pagoda. Two days let you add Lingyin, a tea village and an evening. Xixi needs its own half day.
Can I swim in West Lake?
No. Swimming in natural waters, including West Lake, is prohibited for safety and protection reasons.
Is this the official West Lake website?
No. This is an independent travel guide. It is not run by the West Lake Scenic Area, the city of Hangzhou or any tour operator.