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For a first visit to Hangzhou, stay on Metro Line 1 near the east shore of West Lake, around Longxiang Bridge (Hubin) or one stop south at Ding'an Road. You can walk to the lake, eat and shop at night, and Line 1 runs straight to Hangzhou East Railway Station. If you arrive and leave by early or late trains with heavy bags, Wulin Square or Fengqi Road, where Line 1 meets Lines 2 and 3, is the practical alternative. Wushan Square and Hefang Street suit people who want old streets and food. The tea villages around Lingyin and Longjing are lovely for a second, slower trip but awkward for a first one.
Which area fits your trip?
| Area | Metro | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hubin / Longxiang Bridge | Line 1, Longxiang Bridge | First visit, evenings by the lake | Crowds and road closures on holidays; higher prices |
| Ding'an Road / Wushan Square / Hefang Street | Line 1, Ding'an Road; Line 7, Wushan Square | Old streets, food, the south side of the lake | Guesthouses deep in pedestrian lanes |
| Fengqi Road / Wulin Square | Lines 1 and 2 at Fengqi Road; Lines 2 and 3 at Wulin Square | Early or late trains, value, more hotel choice | No lake view; a ride to the lake each evening |
| Lingyin / Longjing / west side of the lake | No metro nearby | Tea fields, quiet, a slow second trip | Taxis for almost everything; little to do at night |
| Hangzhou East Railway Station | Lines 1, 4 and 19 | One night between trains | Far from the lake |
Hubin and Longxiang Bridge: the default
This is the stretch of the east shore where the city meets the lake. Longxiang Bridge station is the closest metro stop to West Lake; the Hubin and In77 shopping streets are right there, and you can walk out of the hotel to the lake at night. For three or four nights with West Lake and Lingyin on the list, most people who know the city suggest starting here.
The downside is crowds. Rednote posters who live in Hangzhou say that on long weekends and national holidays the queue to get into Longxiang Bridge station is long, and taxis are hard to get because the roads around the lake are closed or jammed. If your dates fall on a holiday, look one stop away.
Ding'an Road and Wushan Square: one stop south, calmer
Ding'an Road is the next stop south on Line 1. A local poster recommends it over Longxiang Bridge for exactly that reason: one stop, far fewer people, and still an easy walk or bike ride to Yongjin Park on the lake. It puts you next to the Southern Song Imperial Street, Hefang Street, Deshou Palace and Wushan, with night markets close by.
Wushan Square, on Line 7, is part of the same area. It's also the stop for the airport: Line 7 runs from Xiaoshan Airport to Wushan Square without a change.
"Staying on Hefang Street" doesn't have to mean a guesthouse at the end of a pedestrian lane. With luggage, children or older parents, choose a hotel close to Wushan Square station where a car can stop at the door.
Fengqi Road and Wulin Square: trains and value
Just north of Longxiang Bridge, the area around Fengqi Road and Wulin Square is the city's commercial centre. Fengqi Road, one stop up Line 1, is also on Line 2, and Wulin Square nearby is on Lines 2 and 3; the hotel choice is wide, and the prices are usually lower than on the lakefront. If you have an early train out of Hangzhou East, or you're arriving late with a big case, this is the area that makes life easiest.
The trade-off: you won't see the lake from here, and an evening walk by the water means going back to Hubin first.
Lingyin, Longjing and the west side of the lake
The tea villages around Longjing and Manjuelong, the guesthouses near Lingyin Temple, and the hotels along the west side of the lake are the most beautiful places to sleep in Hangzhou. Mornings among the tea terraces are quiet in a way the east shore never is.
For a first trip, though, they're hard work. There's no metro, taxis are slow on the lake roads at weekends, and there's little open in the evening. Rednote posters who've stayed everywhere around the lake say they moved out to the west side only on later trips. Book one night here at the end if you want the experience.
Near Hangzhou East Railway Station
Hangzhou East handles most high-speed trains. A hotel next to it saves time if you're in Hangzhou for one night between trains or on business. For a first visit built around West Lake, don't stay here just because it's convenient for the station: Line 1 from the lakefront to Hangzhou East is direct anyway.
Before you book
Before you pay, check these things, on a map and not just in the hotel's description:
- the hotel's real map pin, not just "West Lake" or "Hubin" in the name;
- the nearest metro station and the actual walking route to it;
- whether a car can stop at the door, which matters on lanes and on holiday road closures;
- for light sleepers, whether the room faces the street; ask for a high floor away from the road.
- whether the hotel accepts foreign guests. The NIA says hotels are responsible for registering foreign guests' accommodation and submitting the information to local public security authorities. Chain hotels do this every day; small guesthouses and short-term apartments around the lake may not, so check before paying.
West Lake is not one place. The east shore, the north shore, the Su Causeway and the west side are far apart, and Lingyin is a separate trip to the west. A hotel called "West Lake" can still be a long way from where you want to be each day.
Plan the rest of the trip
The West Lake walk works from any of the east-shore areas. If you're coming from Shanghai, the day trip or overnight guide helps decide how long to stay. Hotels in China register foreign guests by passport, so book under the name in yours. The Hangzhou city guide has the rest.
