Hangzhou rewards a route built around water and walking rather than a dense attraction list. Pair a quiet section of West Lake with a tea-growing hillside or an older street, then leave time for the city to slow the day down.
How do you plan it beyond a checklist?
Do not squeeze every place into a route. Leaving space between arrival, movement, and staying makes a journey both more comfortable and more memorable.
Sample route
Hangzhou: 2-3 nights
- Arrival and an evening lakeside walk
- West Lake at a human pace
- Tea hills and a local meal
- Canal-side streets before departure