Zhejiang Travel Guide 2026 - West Lake, Water Towns, Putuoshan & the Classic Loops

What's inside this guide Bucket List · Highlights · Q&A · Itineraries · Attractions · Activities · Where to Stay · Food · Getting Around · Shopping · Practical Info · Day Trips · Tips · Background · Plan Your Trip

Zhejiang Bucket Listthe lake, the towns, the sea and the peaks

Walk the West Lake of Hangzhou

The free lake of the poets - the causeways, the pagodas and the night lights of the Song capital; the gateway of every Zhejiang loop.

Sleep in a water town

Wuzhen and Xitang - the canal towns of the Grand Canal country, the night lanterns and the guesthouses of the old lanes.

Sail to Putuoshan

The sea shrine of Guanyin - the ferries from Shenjiamen and the temple incense of the 'Buddhist sea and sky'.

Ride the Qiandao Lake

The thousand-island lake of the 1959 reservoir - the cruises, the cycling and the fish-head dinners.

Climb the Yandang peaks

The Cretaceous rhyolite needles and the 200-metre Dalongqiu - the night silhouettes of Lingfeng.

Eat the four cuisines

The lake fish of Hangzhou, the tangyuan of Ningbo, the yellow wine of Shaoxing and the seafood of Wenzhou - the four schools of Zhejiang food.

Top Highlightsthe signatures of the province

No.1
West Lake, HangzhouThe broken bridge and the willows.
No.2
Qiandao LakeThe thousand islands from the air.
No.3
The water townsThe lantern canals of Wuzhen.
No.4
The sea shrineThe Nanhai Guanyin of Putuoshan.

Questions & Answerswhat travellers always ask about Zhejiang

How many days do I need in Zhejiang?

Five days cover the classic loop - Hangzhou, a water town, Shaoxing-Ningbo and Putuoshan; seven add the Qiandao Lake, the Yandang or the Zhoushan islands.

When is the best season?

September-November brings the clear, cool weather; April-May the tea picking and the blossom; the summers are hot and the winters mild.

How do I travel between the cities?

The high-speed rail links Hangzhou, Ningbo, Shaoxing and Wenzhou; the coaches reach the water towns and the Qiandao Lake; the ferries run from Ningbo and Shanghai to Zhoushan and Putuoshan.

Where does the classic loop start?

Hangzhou is the natural gateway - the West Lake and the tea hills first, then the water towns, then south through Shaoxing, Ningbo and the coast to Putuoshan.

What should I eat?

The four schools - the Hangzhou lake fish, the Ningbo tangyuan and seafood, the Shaoxing yellow wine and the Wenzhou sea harvest; the water-town snacks fill the gaps.

Is Zhejiang expensive?

The province is mid-range by Chinese standards - the hostels from RMB 34 in Shaoxing, the lake boats from RMB 20 and the meals from RMB 30 per head keep the budget honest.

Can ToursChinaTravel arrange my Zhejiang trip?

Yes - email [email protected] or message us on WhatsApp. Our team books the trains, the water-town stays, the Putuoshan ferries, the lake cruises and the hotels across the province, free of charge and without obligation.

Sample Itinerariesthe classic week and the coast road

Zhejiang Classic - Seven Days

West Lake, the water towns, the ancient cities and the sea shrine in a week. View the plan →

Day 1

Hangzhou - the West Lake circuit and the Lingyin Temple; night on the Hefang Street.

Day 2

Hangzhou - the Longjing tea villages; afternoon the coach to Wuzhen and the water-town night.

Day 3

Wuzhen by day; afternoon the coach to Xitang and the lantern night.

Day 4

Morning the coach to Shaoxing - the Lu Xun hometown and the yellow wine; afternoon the high-speed rail to Ningbo.

Day 5

Ningbo - the Tianyi Pavilion, Moon Lake and the Old Bund; the ferry booking for Putuoshan.

Day 6

The morning ferry to Putuoshan - the Nanhai Guanyin, the Puji Temple and the east-coast caves; night on the island.

Day 7

Morning the Huiji Temple cableway; afternoon the ferry back to the mainland and the return rail.

Coast & Peaks - Five Days

The lake, the islands and the Yandang peaks of the south. View the plan →

Day 1

Hangzhou - the West Lake and the canal water bus.

Day 2

The Qiandao Lake cruise and the Meifeng Peak; night in the lake town.

Day 3

The coach south to Wenzhou; afternoon the rail to the Yandangshan station.

Day 4

The Yandang - Lingfeng, Lingyan and the Dalongqiu; night the peak silhouettes.

Day 5

Morning the Sanzhepu or the Xianshengmen; afternoon the rail back through Wenzhou.

All plans are bookable end-to-end by our team — see the full day-by-day Zhejiang itineraries hub, or the day-trip pages for single-day options.

Top Attractionstickets, hours, transport & insider tips

West Lake, Hangzhou

The free lake of the poets - the Bai and Su causeways, the Leifeng Pagoda and the night lights; the gateway of the province; see the Hangzhou guide for the full picture.

Free · All day · Lake · UNESCO

View details →

Qiandao Lake

The thousand-island lake of the 1959 reservoir - the cruises, the Meifeng Peak and the 185-km cycling circuit; gate ticket RMB 120-150.

RMB 120-150 · 08:00-17:00 · Lake · Cruise

View details →

Wuzhen Water Town

The 1,300-year canal town - the East Area sights at RMB 100 and the lantern-lit West Area; the theatre festival each October.

RMB 100 · 08:00-21:00 · Water Town · Night Scene

View details →

Xitang Water Town

The town of the Yanyu Corridor and the narrow Shipi Lane - the combined ticket RMB 100 and the night boats of the rivers.

RMB 100 · 08:00-21:00 · Water Town · Corridor

View details →

Putuoshan

The sea shrine of Guanyin - the Nanhai statue, the Puji, Fayu and Huiji temples and the east-coast caves; gate ticket RMB 140-200.

RMB 140-200 · All day · Pilgrimage · Island

View details →

The Yandang Mountains

The Cretaceous peaks of Wenzhou - the Lingfeng silhouettes, the Lingyan Flying Ridge and the Dalongqiu waterfall; tickets RMB 15-80.

RMB 15-80 · 08:00-18:00 · Mountains · Waterfall

View details →

Shaoxing

The water town of Lu Xun and the yellow wine - the free hometown quarter, the Shen Garden and the East Lake; about 20 minutes from Hangzhou by rail.

From RMB 17 · 08:00-17:00 · Water Town · Culture

View details →

Ningbo & the Tianyi Pavilion

The treaty port with the oldest private library in China - the Tianyi Pavilion at RMB 30, the free Moon Lake and the Old Bund.

RMB 30 · 08:00-17:00 · Library · Port

View details →

Xixi Wetland

The city wetland of Hangzhou - the reeds, the plum villages and the dragon boats; RMB 80.

RMB 80 · 08:00-17:30 · Wetland · Nature

View details →

More in the region on the Zhejiang attractions page.

Activities & Festivalsthe festivals and the seasons

The West Lake International Fireworks

The October fireworks over the lake - the great night of the autumn season.

The Hangzhou Animation Festival

Late April-early May at the Baima Lake complex - the biggest animation fair of China.

The Wuzhen Theatre Festival

The October international theatre festival of the water town - the stages and the street plays of the canals.

The Putuoshan Incense Festivals

The 19th of the 2nd, 6th and 9th lunar months - the pilgrim tides of the sea shrine.

The Qiantang Bore

The great tidal bore of the river, best on the 18th of the eighth lunar month at Yanguan.

Where to Stayfrom the hostels to the lake resorts

Every hotel below is bookable by our team; browse the full Zhejiang hotels directory.

The Hangzhou hostels

The International Youth Hostel at 101-3 Nanshan Road from RMB 55 and the Wushan Youth Hostel from RMB 45 - the budget base of the province.

Book: Zhejiang hotels · or email [email protected]

The water-town guesthouses

The West Area guesthouses of Wuzhen from RMB 198 and the Xitang guesthouses from RMB 105 - the night on the canals.

Book: Zhejiang hotels · or email [email protected]

The Putuoshan guesthouses

The Zizhu Forest quarter rooms at RMB 500-1,000 in the high season - book early for the festivals.

Book: Zhejiang hotels · or email [email protected]

The lake resorts

The Kaiyuan Resort of the Qiandao Lake from RMB 936 and the island resorts at RMB 300-700.

Book: Zhejiang hotels · or email [email protected]

Food & Restaurantsthe four schools of Zhejiang

The Hangzhou school

The West Lake vinegar fish, the Dongpo pork and the Longjing shrimp - the Song-capital classics of the Lou Wai Lou and the Tian Xiang Lou.

The Ningbo school

The tangyuan, the red-crab and the 'smelly trio' - the port cooking of the Gangyagou and the Dongfuyuan.

The Shaoxing school

The yellow wine, the drunken chicken and the dried-plum pork - the rice-wine kitchen of the water town.

The Wenzhou school

The seafood of the coast - the fish cakes, the jellyfish and the light broths of the southern port.

Shopping & Souvenirstea, silk, wine and the crafts

Longjing tea

The spring-picked tea of the West Lake hills - buy in the villages of Longjing and Meijiawu.

Hangzhou silk

The silk of the Song capital - the Dujinsheng brocade and the China Silk City.

Shaoxing yellow wine

The Gu Yue Long Shan and the Huadiao wines of the water town - the classic gift.

Blue calico & the water-town crafts

The indigo cloth of Wuzhen and Xitang, the woodcarving of Dongyang and the fans of the old towns.

Full local-product guides live on the Zhejiang specialties page.

Getting There & Aroundthe hub of Hangzhou and the high-speed ring

By air

The hub is Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport - the provincial coaches and the high-speed rail link the whole region.

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By rail

The high-speed ring connects Hangzhou, Shaoxing, Ningbo, Wenzhou and the Yandangshan station - the fastest way across the province.

By coach

The water towns, the Qiandao Lake and the coast towns run the coach network - the Wuzhen coach at RMB 27 from Hangzhou, the Qiandao at RMB 60.

By ferry

The ferries link Ningbo and Shanghai to Zhoushan and Putuoshan - the Yadan Shan crossing at RMB 15, the Shenjiamen boats at RMB 22.

By car

The expressways circle the province - the Hangzhou-Qiandao run is 129 km, the coast road the classic drive of Zhejiang.

Day Trips From Zhejiangthe lake, the towns and the coast

West Lake & Lingyin Day Trip

The lake circuit and the temple from the Hangzhou base.

Wuzhen Day Trip

The East Area sights and the night lanterns.

Putuoshan Day Trip

The morning ferry, the temples and the statue.

Travel Tipsthings to remember

Start from Hangzhou

The high-speed rail and the coaches fan out from the capital - base the first and the last nights there.

The autumn is the season

September-November brings the clearest weather; April-May the tea and the blossom - the two windows of the province.

Book the water towns

The Wuzhen and Xitang guesthouses sell out in the season - reserve the West Area rooms and the lantern-night boats ahead.

The ferries run early

The Putuoshan boats start at 7:20 - the morning crossings beat the crowds and the sea haze.

Eat where the locals eat

The provincial specialities are cheapest at the town restaurants - the lakeside and the water-town kitchens, not the scenic gates.

Practical Informationbanks, hospitals, emergencies and local help

Zhejiang tourism hotline

The provincial tourism information line.

Phone: +86 571 96118

Hangzhou Xiaoshan airport

The airport enquiry line of the provincial hub.

Phone: +86 571 8666 1234

Zhejiang tourism bureau

The provincial tourism administration.

Phone: Not published

Background & Historythe seven mountains, one water and two fields

The geography

Zhejiang is the 'seven mountains, one water and two fields' - the Huangmaojian peak at 1,929 m, the 6,400-km coastline (the longest of China) and the more than 3,000 islands.

The cradle of the delta

The Hemudu site of 7,000 years ago, the Liangzhu jades and the Southern Song capital of Hangzhou - the province has fed the Chinese story from the beginning.

The Yue opera

The Yue opera was born in Shengxian in the early 20th century - the 'second national opera' of China, carried from Zhejiang to the whole country.

The maritime province

The 3,000 islands and the great ports - Ningbo, Zhoushan and Wenzhou - made Zhejiang the trading province of the east coast.

Plan Your Zhejiang Tripattractions, hotels, flights and specialties — all in one place

Everything on ToursChinaTravel is bookable through our team by email or WhatsApp. Here's where each part of your Zhejiang trip lives on the site.

Zhejiang Travel Guide — the province of West Lake, the water towns, the sea shrines and the tea hills

Zhejiang Bucket Listthe lake, the towns, the sea and the peaks

Walk the West Lake of Hangzhou

Sleep in a water town

Sail to Putuoshan

Ride the Qiandao Lake

Climb the Yandang peaks

Eat the four cuisines

Top Highlightsthe signatures of the province

West Lake, Hangzhou

Qiandao Lake

The water towns

The sea shrine

Questions & Answerswhat travellers always ask about Zhejiang

How many days do I need in Zhejiang?

When is the best season?

How do I travel between the cities?

Where does the classic loop start?

What should I eat?

Is Zhejiang expensive?

Can ToursChinaTravel arrange my Zhejiang trip?

Sample Itinerariesthe classic week and the coast road

Top Attractionstickets, hours, transport & insider tips

Activities & Festivalsthe festivals and the seasons

The West Lake International Fireworks

The Hangzhou Animation Festival

The Wuzhen Theatre Festival

The Putuoshan Incense Festivals

The Qiantang Bore

Where to Stayfrom the hostels to the lake resorts

The Hangzhou hostels

The water-town guesthouses

The Putuoshan guesthouses

The lake resorts

Food & Restaurantsthe four schools of Zhejiang

The Hangzhou school

The Ningbo school

The Shaoxing school

The Wenzhou school

Shopping & Souvenirstea, silk, wine and the crafts

Longjing tea

Hangzhou silk

Shaoxing yellow wine

Blue calico & the water-town crafts

Getting There & Aroundthe hub of Hangzhou and the high-speed ring

The hub is Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport - the provincial coaches and the high-speed rail link the whole region.

By rail

By coach

By ferry

By car

Day Trips From Zhejiangthe lake, the towns and the coast

Travel Tipsthings to remember

Start from Hangzhou

The autumn is the season

Book the water towns

The ferries run early

Eat where the locals eat

Practical Informationbanks, hospitals, emergencies and local help

Zhejiang tourism hotline

Hangzhou Xiaoshan airport

Zhejiang tourism bureau

Background & Historythe seven mountains, one water and two fields

The geography

The cradle of the delta

The Yue opera

The maritime province

Plan Your Zhejiang Tripattractions, hotels, flights and specialties — all in one place