A 3-Day Hangzhou Route: West Lake, Lingyin, Xixi Wetland

This three-day route runs West Lake on day one, the Lingyin temple cluster and the old commercial streets on day two, and the wetlands plus the Grand Canal lanes on day three. It is best walked outside the summer holidays and public holiday peaks.

Day 1: The West Lake Loop

1. West Lake (西湖) — free and open around the clock. Ride the loop rather than walk it; the recommended start is Broken Bridge.
2. Broken Bridge and Remaining Snow (断桥残雪) — free, open all hours, one of the Ten Scenes of West Lake. Start here and ride along Bai Causeway, then Gushan, then Su Causeway. The lake holds up in rain as well as sun.
3. Quyuan Scenic Area (曲院风荷) — free, 09:00–17:00. The ponds are planted with lotus, and summer is when it is worth the stop.
4. Three Pools Mirroring the Moon (三潭印月) — free, open all hours. The three stone pagodas standing in the water are the lake's signature image.
5. Leifeng Pagoda (雷峰塔) — 40 yuan, 08:00–17:30. The legend has it that the White Snake was trapped beneath the pagoda by Fahai, separating her from Xu Xian.
6. Taizi Bay (太子湾) — free, open all hours. A wetland park that looks good in every season and is a good place to sit and do nothing, rain or shine.

Day 2: Temples, Museums and Old Streets

1. Lingyin Temple (灵隐寺) — heavy incense traffic, with a steady stream of people coming to burn offerings and pray. The walk in is scenic in its own right. Two warnings from people who have done it: do not take a taxi, the road jams badly, and the way around it is the Lingyin express bus from Huanglong Sports Center exit B before 7am. Buy the Flying Peak ticket first at 45 yuan, then the Lingyin incense ticket at 30 yuan. Skip the eighteen-bead bracelets at the stalls outside — inside the temple they are 46 yuan a string.
2. Flying Peak (飞来峰) — 45 yuan entry, bought before the temple ticket.
3. Faxishan Temple (法喜寺) — same as Lingyin: busy with worshippers and a good walk to get there.
4. Hangzhou Museum (杭州博物馆) — covers the city's history and culture.
5. Southern Song Imperial Street (南宋御街) — a cultural commercial street.
6. Hefang Street (河坊街) — an old street done in the Jiangnan water-town style.

Worth knowing at mealtimes: West Lake vinegar fish is a common miss — sweet and fishy. Pian'erchuan noodles or crab roe noodles are the safer order.

Day 3: Wetlands and the Canal

1. China Wetland Museum (中国湿地博物馆) — exhibits on wetland ecology.
2. Xixi Wetland (西溪湿地) — a wetland landscape park.
3. Hangzhou Botanical Garden (杭州植物园) — a display garden of plant collections.
4. Xiaohe Zhi Street (小河直街) — a citywalk old lane in the Jiangnan water-town style, with flower-hairpin photo spots that photograph well.
5. Gongchen Bridge (拱宸桥) — an old Jiangnan bridge.
6. Wulin Night Market (武林夜市) — a night food market, and the natural end to the day.

If you plan to take a rowing boat on the lake, the Su Causeway to Maojiabu route runs 300 yuan per boat and avoids the crowded mid-lake lines. On where to sleep: not inside the scenic area. Guesthouses near Longxiangqiao metro station average 150 yuan per person and put you on the metro.

Both crab roe noodle shops named here — Jizhang Xing and Song Dynasty Crab Roe Noodles — sit on the first floor of Hubin Yintai in77 Zone B, about 50 metres from Longxiangqiao station exit B.

Book the temple day ahead if you are going in a holiday week, and sort your bed before you fly in.

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