Top 10 Hangzhou Attractions: What to See & Do

Hangzhou is a fantastic place to visit if you're looking for the best of everything: incredible nature, rich history, and an innovative tech culture that lets you step into the future. It's also just 1 hour from Shanghai by train. Read on to see what Hangzhou attractions await you in this world-class city.

West Lake in Hangzhou

West Lake

Admire West Lake on a sunny day

• Highlights: natural scenery, Hangzhou iconic site
• Tickets: It's free to enter the park, but specific attractions like Three Pools Mirroring the Moon Island and boat rides have additional fees.
• Suggested Time: 2-3 hours

West Lake is a natural oasis in the heart of Hangzhou, with tranquil lake waters, beautiful gardens, and picturesque pagodas. It's an excellent place to unplug and relax. You can cycle or enjoy a scenic walk around the lake, take a boat cruise of the Three Pools Mirroring the Moon island, and see lotus flowers blooming across the lake's surface during the summer.

Fei Lai Feng and Lingyin Temple

Lingyin Temple

• Highlights: impressive relics, ancient carvings
• Tickets: 45 RMB to enter Fei Lai Feng and an additional 30 RMB to enter the temple
• Suggested Time: 1-2 hours

Visit Fei Lai Feng, a 168-meter limestone peak in Hangzhou, to see some of the most impressive rock formations, carvings, and grottos in eastern China. It's also where you'll find Lingyin Temple, a large Buddhist complex that dates back to 328 C.E. that contains one of Hangzhou's most precious relics: a 25-meter-high wooden Buddha.

Wuzhen Water Town

Beautiful view of Wuzhen Water Town

• Highlights: historical Qing Dynasty architecture
• Tickets: 190 RMB for a combined ticket
• Suggested Time: 1 day

Wuzhen Water Town is a beautifully preserved Qing Dynasty-era town that's split into two. sections: the Xizha West Scenic Zone and the Dongzha East Scenic Zone. This town is over 1,300 years old and features charming water markets, shadow puppet shows, and fantastic architecture. We recommend visiting Dongzha during the day and Xizha at night, when it's fully illuminated and you can take an evening gondola ride to experience the view from the water.

Xixi National Wetland Park

Xixi National Wetland Park

• Highlights: birdwatching, hiking, and taking a boat
• Tickets: 80 RMB for adults, 40 RMB for children between 1.2 and 1.5 meters tall, and free for children under 1.2 meters
• Suggested Time: 4 hours

If you're interested in ecology and wildlife, you'll want to check out Xixi National Wetland Park. This sprawling marshland is an excellent place to spot birds like grey herons, egrets, and oriental white storks. You'll also have the opportunity to see plenty of fish, like eel and carp, as you make your way along the waterways. The foliage in Xixi National Wetland Park is something special too, including bright persimmon trees reflecting on the waters during the autumn and snow-colored reeds.

Longjing Meijiawu Tea Plantation

Longjing Tea Plantation in Hangzhou

• Highlights: tea tasting and photography
• Tickets: free, but the cost for tastings can vary
• Suggested Time: 2-2.5 hours

This 600-year-old village is flanked on every side by fragrant tea bushes producing one of the region's finest products: Longjing tea. It's a highly scenic destination with vibrant green tea terraces and picturesque stone bridges, and during the spring harvest season you can observe and even join in the process of picking the tea. We recommend visiting one of the region's many tea houses and partaking in an authentic tea ceremony, hiking through the village, and taking photographs at the stone bridges.

China National Tea Museum

• Highlights: understanding Chinese tea culture
• Tickets: free
• Suggested Time: 1-2 hours

If you're visiting Longjing Meijiawu Tea Plantation and want to learn more about China's 5,000-year-old tea culture, we highly suggest that you visit the China National Tea Museum. It's broken up into two sections: Shuangfeng and Longjing. The Shuangfeng section focuses heavily on tea culture, including historical tea sets and information on regional tea traditions. The Longjing section is more interactive, including tea-tasting opportunities and information on how Chinese tea came to be beloved by the world.

Wensan Future Technology Center

• Highlights: experiencing cutting-edge technology
• Tickets: Advance booking is required, and visits are only open to organized groups.
• Suggested Time: 1-2 hours

While many of Hangzhou's attractions focus on the region's past, Wensan Future Technology looks ahead and is the place to witness the exciting technological innovations that are happening in the city today. Immerse yourself in a work of virtual reality and holograms on "Future Street," learn about exciting new advances in robotics, and marvel at massive LED art streetscapes. You can also jump into the world of immersive video games and see how AI might transform your life and home in the next decade.

Museum of Traditional Chinese Medicine

• Highlights: learning about Chinese medicine, late Qing architecture
• Tickets: 10 RMB
• Suggested Time: 1 hour

The Museum of Traditional Chinese Medicine is a working pharmacy, a Chinese medicine museum, and an excellent example of late Qing Dynasty architecture. It was constructed in 1874 and split into 5 parts, including the Chinese Health Care Clinic, where visitors can consult medical professionals. There's also the Medicine Preparation Hall, where pharmacists create medications, and exhibition halls with thousands of medical specimens that span the ages.

Hefang Street

Hefang Street in Hangzhou

• Highlights: souvenir shopping and visiting museums
• Tickets: free
• Suggested Time: 2 hours

Hefang Street has been one of the cultural highlights of Hangzhou since the Song Dynasty and is an excellent spot to taste local street food, pick up souvenirs, and admire the architecture. You'll also find plenty of traditional Chinese apothecaries, specialty stores selling handmade fans and silk products, and impressive museums. Visit at night and enjoy Hefang Street aglow with lantern lights.

Six Harmonies Pagoda

• Highlights: panoramic views of the Qiantang River, historical relics
• Tickets: 20 RMB to enter the park and an extra 10 RMB to climb the pagoda.
• Suggested Time: 1-2 hours

Six Harmonies Pagoda is both a historical site and the best place to get an aerial view of the Qiantang River and its spectacular tidal wave. This natural phenomenon is most powerful during the Mid-Autumn Festival, and we highly recommend seeing it from above if you find yourself in Hangzhou during that time. Additionally, there are plenty of relics inside, including intricate carvings depicting ancient Chinese scenes and mythology.

Experience These Incredible Hangzhou Attractions

Regardless of what you're looking for, you're bound to find it in Hangzhou. These Hangzhou attractions range from immersive natural experiences to high-tech journeys into the future. Start planning your dream vacation today. Email trip@odynovotours.com or visit our contact page to speak with one of our travel consultants.