For a first West Lake walk, I'd choose one stretch and enjoy it properly. Start with Broken Bridge and Bai Causeway, continue toward Gushan, then decide whether to stop for lunch or add more. You do not have to circle the lake to have a good day in Hangzhou.

Bai Causeway (白堤), Su Causeway (苏堤) and Gushan (孤山) are part of West Lake's landscape. Use those names to distinguish the routes on your map; “walk around West Lake” is too broad to be a useful plan.

The first walk I'd put on the map

Use 断桥 for Broken Bridge and 白堤 for Bai Causeway. Begin at the bridge, walk onto the causeway toward Gushan and stop when a view or a place to sit catches your attention. Keep the lake itself as the main event, rather than turn every named sight into another appointment.

At Gushan, look at how you feel before extending the walk. You can explore the nearby streets and lakeside, find a meal or arrange your journey onward. If you want to add an indoor visit, choose one that interests you and check its own access arrangements separately.

When leaving Gushan, check the next point on the map before following a road inland. If the point of the outing is the waterfront, choose a lakeside point as the next destination. A shortcut to the next landmark can miss the stretch you wanted to walk.

I'd save 苏堤 as a deliberate second choice rather than an automatic continuation. It offers another way to experience the lake, but adding it changes the amount of walking and your eventual return route. Put the end point on the map before deciding that you will “just keep going.”

This is particularly useful for a day trip from Shanghai. One pleasant lake section, a proper meal and an unhurried return to the station make a coherent outing. Adding a tea village, a temple and a second long walk produces a different day.

Also separate a lakeside walk from a hill hike. Before adopting an attractive route drawn as a shape on a map, inspect its terrain, elevation profile and exits. Choose it because that is the walk you want, not because a playful route name makes a demanding trail sound easy.

Choose the start that fits your hotel

If you are staying in Hangzhou, check where the hotel meets the lake. A property described as “West Lake” may still require a journey to the particular shore you want. Ask the front desk for the best approach to your chosen starting point and save the Chinese name.

If you arrive by train, settle the station-to-lake transfer before deciding the first sightseeing stop. Keep luggage out of the walking plan where possible: check whether your hotel can hold it, or confirm a suitable storage arrangement for the actual station or facility you will use.

Don't spend the whole morning pursuing an imagined perfect starting point. If you are already at a useful lakeside section and the weather is pleasant, begin there. The point of the route is to make walking easier, not create another deadline.

Make the weather decision at the shore

For a clear day, bring what you normally need for an exposed walk and keep drinking water within reach. Choose breaks where you can sit down instead of planning to cross a long section without stopping. If the sun or temperature makes the outing tiring, shorten the route early.

In light rain, a short lakeside walk may still be appealing. Protect the phone and wear shoes you trust on wet paths. If the weather makes walking unpleasant, move the meal or indoor visit forward; you can return to the water when conditions improve.

I'd avoid booking an inflexible sequence of lake activities around a single weather forecast. A dinner reservation can be the day's fixed point while the walking remains adjustable. If you have a train to catch, make that the other clear boundary.

Add a boat only if it improves your day

Once at the lake, compare the current service at the actual pier with the walk you want to do. Establish the landing point, whether the ticket is one-way or return, and how you would get back from the final stop. Do that before assuming a boat will save a particular section of walking.

A named island visit and a shoreline ride may involve different services. Ask the ticket office what is included and show your intended destination on a map. If the service does not fit your route, keep the walk. A boat need not become a compulsory addition just because it appears in every photograph.

Leave lunch somewhere sensible

I'd choose lunch near where the walk is likely to end, with a backup nearby. Don't cross the city for a restaurant unless eating there is a main reason for the visit. A comfortable seat and a meal you have time to enjoy are worth keeping in the plan.

If you want tea as well, choose whether it is a lakeside break or a separate trip into the tea-growing area. They are different outings. For an overnight stay, the latter can have its own place the next day instead of being squeezed between the lake and the return train.

Use the QR-menu and dietary guide if ordering is unfamiliar. Before paying for a set menu or tea experience, confirm what is included and whether the price is for the party or each person.

Keep a simple return plan

Save your planned finish point, the route back to the hotel or station, and the departure details if you are leaving Hangzhou. If companions split up to visit different places, agree on a named meeting point rather than “back by the lake.”

For a short first visit, I'd finish with one lake section that you remember well. If everyone is still enjoying the walk, continue by choice. If you are tired, stop without treating the rest of the shoreline as unfinished business.

Compare a Hangzhou day trip with an overnight stay before deciding how much else to add.