#Modern City# Hangzhou Olympic Sports Expo Center #West Lake Scenery #Great Hero Hall

Hangzhou two days one night high cost-performance travel guide.
Classic must-visit spots + hidden photo locations × local secret experiences
Spend little money, avoid crowds, take great photos, eat authentic food
Total budget per person controlled within 1000 RMB, easy and in-depth!
Itinerary overview (suitable for spontaneous weekend trips)
Best season: March-May (cherry blossoms/peach blossoms), September-November (autumn colors at West Lake)
Transportation: High-speed train/direct train to [Hangzhou East Station] (nationwide access)
Theme style: Poetic West Lake × Artistic slow life × Jiangnan local flavor
Suitable for: Couples / Best friends / Family with children / Solo travelers
🕐 Day 1: Travel through a thousand years of lakes and mountains, from Broken Bridge to the night Grand Canal
🚄 Morning: Arrive in Hangzhou, head straight to the West Lake core area
After arriving at [Hangzhou East Station]:
Take Metro Line 4 → Exit C at Longxiangqiao Station (city center)
Or take a taxi for about 25 RMB to near Hubin, store luggage at the hotel
🏨 Recommended accommodation (book in advance!):
✅ Boutique homestay near Hubin Intime | about 280 RMB/night
✅ Chain hotels like All Seasons, Atour, clean and convenient
Morning: Stroll along [Bai Causeway] + check in at [Broken Bridge Remnant Snow] + [Autumn Moon over the Calm Lake]
Free admission, walkable
Must-follow route:
Broken Bridge → Bai Causeway → Jindai Bridge → Autumn Moon over the Calm Lake → Solitary Hill (can view Xiling Seal Art Society from afar)
📸 Photo tips:
Arrive before 7:30 AM to avoid crowds and capture the Broken Bridge reflection without people
Wear Hanfu or plain long skirts to instantly become an ancient-style heroine
🍜 Lunch: Authentic Hangzhou cuisine by the lake recommended
Recommended restaurants:
✅ Zhiweiguan · Weizhuang (Solitary Hill Road branch) | good environment, authentic dishes
Must order: Dongpo pork, Longjing shrimp, West Lake vinegar fish, Beggar’s chicken
Per person: 80-100 RMB
✅ Xinfeng Snacks (Yan’an Road branch) | local fast food favorite
Beef vermicelli soup + shrimp soup dumplings = full meal for 15 RMB!
🌤 Afternoon: Take a boat tour + climb [Three Pools Mirroring the Moon] + walk [Su Causeway in Spring Dawn]
West Lake boat combo ticket: 55 RMB (includes boat ticket + island entry fee)
Get off at [Xiaoyingzhou] Island to check in at the “back of one yuan RMB” photo spot
After disembarking, walk south from the north end of Su Causeway:
Spring willows brush your face, autumn plane trees turn golden, full of romance
Can stop midway at Huagang to watch koi fish
📌 Tips: Don’t take the scenic area electric cart! Walking is freer, about 3 kilometers total.
Evening: City Balcony light show + night tour of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal
Go to [Wulinmen Wharf] before dusk to take a painted boat night tour of the canal (ticket 60 RMB)
See ancient bridge lights on both sides, listen to soft storytelling tunes, extremely gentle
Climb [City Balcony] to watch the Qianjiang New City light show for free (shows at 7:30 PM and 8:30 PM every night)
Dinner options:
✅ [Victory River Food Street] | full of local flavor, recommended Fatty’s clay pot, Xinjiang barbecue
✅ [Grandma’s Home/Green Tea] | cost-effective popular Hangzhou cuisine
🗓 Day 2: Lingyin Zen mood × Longjing tea fragrance, touch the soul of Hangzhou
🌞 Morning: Visit the thousand-year-old Lingyin Temple + Feilai Peak
Tickets: Feilai Peak 45 RMB + Lingyin Temple incense ticket 30 RMB (total 75 RMB, half price for students)
🕒 Recommended to arrive before 8:00 AM to avoid tour group peak
Must experience:
Pray at the Great Hero Hall
Photograph the stone carvings at Feilai Peak (largest Buddhist grotto in southern China)
Drink mountain spring water at the Cold Spring Pavilion
Note: Lingyin Temple does not burn large incense sticks, only three small incense sticks are allowed, environmentally friendly and solemn.
Noon: Enter the tea village—Longjing Village or Meijiawu
Take taxi or bus (about 30 minutes)
Recommended experiences:
Taste a cup of pre-Qingming Longjing tea (free tasting, don’t be fooled into buying expensive tea)
Walk the tea garden trails, take stunning photos like “walking in a painting”
Have a farmhouse lunch: native chicken pot, stir-fried bamboo shoots with cured meat, tea-flavored shrimp
💰 Average cost: about 60 RMB
Before returning in the afternoon: Artistic ending — [China National Silk Museum] or [Nanshan Road Art District]
Choice and reasons:
China National Silk Museum Free! Asia’s largest silk museum, stunning Han and Tang dynasty clothing exhibition, great for high-end photos
Nanshan Road French plane tree avenue, along the way are Hengdian Art Museum, Pan Tianshou Memorial Hall, many cafes, perfect for quiet daydreaming
🚄 Return suggestions:
Depart after 4 PM, return home at ease
Can conveniently bring back souvenirs:
✅ Zhiwei snack gift box ✅ Longjing tea (recommended to buy at official tea shops like Gongpai, Shifeng) ✅ Zhang Xiaoquan scissors (old brand)
✅ Blogger’s private tips (pitfall avoidance guide):
1. ❌ Don’t buy Longjing tea at scenic area entrances! Easy to be overcharged, better to taste and compare in Longjing Village.
2. ✅ West Lake loop is large, don’t try to finish in one day, select highlights for a more relaxed trip.
3. 🧳 Hangzhou is rainy, always carry a folding umbrella and wear non-slip shoes.
4. 📸 Photo outfit suggestions: light colors, qipao, Hanfu are most photogenic, paired with arch bridges, lake water, and willows for stunning shots.
5. 🚇 Metro + shared bike is the best combo, taxis are also affordable.
Hangzhou is a city you understand better the slower you walk.
It’s not just West Lake, but also a bowl of Pian’erchuan noodles in the morning,
and the sunlit tea fragrance on the tea hills in the afternoon.