HANGZHOU
Where the City Slows into Nature
A quiet lake, green tea hills, hidden temples and trails disappearing into bamboo forests. Hangzhou is a city where nature is never far away.
WHY HANGZHOU
Come for West Lake. Stay for everything beyond it.
West Lake may be Hangzhou’s most famous sight, but the city becomes even more interesting when you wander beyond the water. Tea villages climb into the hills, forest trails connect old temples, and small neighborhoods sit quietly between the city and the mountains.
Spend a morning beside the lake, have lunch in a tea village, hike through bamboo and tea fields in the afternoon, and finish the day over a bowl of local noodles. Hangzhou is a place that rewards slowing down.
3-4 DAYS
Ideal stay
MAR–MAY · SEP–NOV
Best time to visit
TEA · HIKING
Best for
Slow Down by West Lake
Walk beside the water, cross old causeways and discover gardens, temples and quiet corners away from the busiest viewpoints.
Walk Through the Tea Hills
Leave the city behind and follow trails through Longjing’s tea fields, bamboo forests and small villages hidden among the hills.
Discover Tea Culture
Visit a tea village, learn how Longjing tea is grown and made, and sit down for a cup surrounded by the landscape where it comes from.
Taste Hangzhou
From noodles and traditional Hangzhou dishes to small village restaurants and modern cafés, food is another reason to slow down here.
START WITH AN IDEA
Three Days in Hangzhou
A three-day journey from West Lake and ancient temples to tea-covered hills, local neighborhoods and the digital life shaping modern Hangzhou.
DAY 1 · West Lake & the Soul of Hangzhou
West Lake → Beishan Road → Historic Sites & Gardens → Local Food → Sunset by the Lake
Begin with the place that has shaped Hangzhou’s identity for centuries — West Lake. Rather than rushing between famous viewpoints, spend the day exploring it slowly on foot.
Walk beneath the trees along Beishan Road, discover historic buildings, gardens and quiet corners beside the water, and stop for a local lunch along the way. As evening approaches, find a peaceful spot by the lake and watch the landscape soften in the fading light.
DAY 2 · Tea Hills, Temples & Hidden Trails
Lingyin Area → Temple & Forest Walk → Longjing / Yangmeiling → Tea Fields → Tea Experience
Leave the lakeside behind and head into Hangzhou’s green hills. Begin among the temples and forest paths around Lingyin, where Buddhist culture has been part of the landscape for more than a thousand years.
Later, continue towards the tea villages around Longjing and Yangmeiling. Walk between tea fields and bamboo-covered hills, stop for lunch in a village, and learn how Longjing tea is grown and made.
Finish the afternoon with a cup of tea surrounded by the landscape it came from.
DAY 3 · Everyday Hangzhou & Digital China
Local Market → Neighborhood Life → Local Lunch → E-commerce / Digital Experience → Modern Hangzhou
Spend your final day discovering a side of Hangzhou that looks very different from West Lake. Start in a local market or neighborhood, where breakfast stalls, small shops and everyday routines reveal how the city actually lives.
In the afternoon, explore another side of Hangzhou — one of the cities at the heart of China’s digital economy and e-commerce culture. Depending on your interests and what is available during your visit, discover how livestream shopping, e-commerce, mobile services and new technologies have become part of everyday life and business in China.
It’s a completely different Hangzhou from the tea fields — and that contrast is exactly what makes the city interesting.
CONTINUE YOUR JOURNEY
Where to Go After Hangzhou
Hangzhou can be the beginning of a slower journey into southeastern China.
LISHUI&SONGYANG
LISHUI & SONGYANG
Mountains, Villages & Rural China
Travel south from Hangzhou and the landscape gradually becomes greener, quieter and more rural. Lishui is surrounded by mountains, rivers, rice fields and villages, offering a very different rhythm from China’s major cities.
Songyang is one of the most interesting places to slow down. Traditional villages are scattered across the mountains, connected by winding roads and walking trails. Old houses, ancestral halls and small farms remain part of everyday life rather than simply existing as tourist attractions.
In recent years, thoughtful architecture and small creative projects have also appeared among these old villages — libraries, cafés and beautifully restored spaces that bring new life without completely erasing what was there before.
2-4 DAYS
Ideal stay
Villages · Nature · Photography
Best for
YIWU
Where China Meets the World
Yiwu may not look like a typical tourist destination — and that is exactly what makes it interesting.
Known around the world for its enormous wholesale markets, this small city in Zhejiang has become one of the most fascinating windows into how everyday products made in China travel to almost every corner of the world.
Step inside the Yiwu International Trade Market and you’ll find what feels like an entire city of products: toys, jewelry, decorations, stationery, household goods and thousands of things you probably never knew had their own specialist shops. Walking through it is less like visiting a shopping mall and more like seeing part of the machinery behind global trade.
But Yiwu is also surprisingly international. Traders and business owners from different parts of the world have built communities here, bringing with them restaurants, languages and cultures that you might not expect to find in a city of this size.
1-2 DAYS
Ideal stay
Markets · Trade · Contemporary China
Best for
YIWU
WUYUAN&WANGXIANGU
WUYUAN & WANGXIANGU
Ancient Villages & Mountain Valleys
Continue west into Jiangxi and discover a landscape of old villages, whitewashed houses, farmland and forest-covered mountains.
Wuyuan is especially beautiful when explored beyond a single famous viewpoint. Traditional villages sit between hills and fields, connected by country roads that make the journey between places part of the experience itself.
Continue towards Wangxiangu for a completely different landscape, where traditional-style buildings climb dramatically along a steep mountain valley. Stay into the evening and watch the valley transform as the lights come on
2-4 DAYS
Ideal stay
Villages · Photography · Mountains
Best for
WHAT WE CAN ARRANGE FOR YOU
AS MUCH — OR AS LITTLE — AS YOU NEED.
Private Car & Driver
From airport transfers to full-day private transportation and multi-city journeys, we can arrange reliable private vehicles and drivers based on your group size and itinerary.
Private Guides
Explore with experienced local guides. English- and Spanish-speaking guides can be arranged, with other languages available upon request.
Airport VIP Service
Make your arrival or departure easier with VIP airport assistance, including meet-and-assist services and support through airport procedures where available.
Tailor-Made Itinerary Planning
Tell us where you want to go—or simply what you love. We can connect destinations, transportation, experiences and free time into a journey designed around you.
Restaurant Reservations
From local neighborhood restaurants to fine dining and special-occasion meals, we can recommend and reserve restaurants that fit your tastes and itinerary.
High-Speed Rail VIP & Station Assistance
We can help arrange high-speed rail tickets, VIP station services where available, and private transfers between your hotel and the railway station.
Tickets & Experiences
We can arrange attraction tickets and selected local experiences, from cultural activities and food experiences to outdoor adventures.
Hotels & Special Stays
We can recommend and arrange hotels, boutique stays and characterful local accommodation based on your budget and travel style.
On-Trip Support
Plans sometimes change. If you need help during your journey, we can assist with arrangements, communication and unexpected changes along the way.