Why Honeymoon in Hangzhou
Hangzhou offers something rare in China: a famous sight you can enjoy at walking pace. West Lake is ringed by free public paths and gardens. The best experiences cost little beyond a bike rental or a boat ticket. The whole cultural landscape is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The tea hills are the other draw. Longjing, or Dragon Well, is one of China's most prized green teas. The villages that grow it sit a short drive or a long walk from the lake. You can sit on a farmhouse terrace sipping the new harvest with nothing but tea bushes in view.
Hotels here lean toward calm. Amanfayun recreates a tea village beside the ancient Buddhist temples near Lingyin. Four Seasons Hotel Hangzhou at West Lake sits in landscaped gardens on the shore. After the energy of Beijing or Shanghai, the pace feels like a reward.
When to Go
Spring, from mid-March to April, is Hangzhou's showpiece season. Peach blossoms and willows line the Su Causeway and the first Longjing tea is picked, with the most prized leaves harvested before the Qingming festival in early April. Expect crowds on weekends.
October and November are the other high point. Osmanthus trees bloom in late September and October, perfuming the lake paths. Then the maples and ginkgoes turn color in November. Skies are generally clear and comfortable.
June brings the plum rain season, with long gray spells. July and August are hot and humid, often in the 90s Fahrenheit. Winter is chilly and damp, though a rare snowfall on the Broken Bridge is a famous local scene. As with everywhere in China, avoid Golden Week and Lunar New Year, when lakeside crowds can make walking slow.
Where to Stay
Couples tend to choose between two styles: lakeside or tea hills.
On the lake, Four Seasons Hotel Hangzhou at West Lake sits beside a quiet stretch of the western shore, with villas and gardens that make it easy to forget the city. Hotels on the eastern side near Hubin are livelier and closer to shopping and restaurants. Rooms there often face the water, with sunsets over the hills.
In the hills, Amanfayun occupies restored village houses beside Lingyin and Yongfu temples. Stone paths, tea bushes and bamboo surround the rooms. It is one of the most atmospheric Aman properties in Asia.
Banyan Tree Hangzhou sits in the Xixi Wetland, a reed-and-canal landscape northwest of the lake that suits couples wanting boats and birdlife. For a longer retreat, the bamboo-covered Moganshan hills, around an hour away by car, have mountain lodges and guesthouses.
Romantic Things to Do
Ride bikes along the Su Causeway at dawn, before tour groups arrive, then cross to the Bai Causeway and the Broken Bridge. Take a boat to Three Pools Mirroring the Moon, the small stone pagodas pictured on the back of the one yuan note.
Walk the forest path from the lake into the tea villages of Longjing or Meijiawu and stop for tea with a farming family. Visit Lingyin Temple in the morning, along with the Buddhist carvings in the cliffs of Feilai Feng opposite.
In the evening, climb Leifeng Pagoda for sunset over the water. Hire a traditional rowboat as the light fades. The rower handles the oars while you watch the hills turn blue.
Spend a day exploring the Xixi Wetland by boat or bicycle. For a change of pace, the nearby water town of Wuzhen is close enough for an overnight trip.
Getting There and Around
Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport (HGH) is about 45 to 60 minutes from the lake by car. It has domestic flights from across China and some international routes in Asia.
Most couples arrive by train. High-speed services from Shanghai Hongqiao to Hangzhou East take about an hour. Beijing is roughly five to six hours by fast train. Book on the 12306 app or through Trip.com with your passport.
Around West Lake, walking and cycling are the best ways to move. The public bike system and app-based bike rentals are everywhere. Lakeside boats run between the main landmarks. DiDi and the metro handle longer trips, including to the train stations. Traffic near the lake can be very slow on weekends, so plan to leave cars behind and go on foot.
Food and Drink
Hangzhou cooking is lighter and sweeter than the food of Beijing or Sichuan. Start with Dongpo pork, slow-braised pork belly named after the Song dynasty poet Su Dongpo, who also built the causeway that bears his name. West Lake vinegar fish, sweet and sour with a glossy sauce, is the other classic. Longjing shrimp pairs river shrimp with fresh tea leaves.
Beggar's chicken, baked in clay and lotus leaves, makes a fun shared dish for two. Look for lotus root stuffed with sticky rice as a sweet bite.
Tea is the drink here. Spend an afternoon tasting different grades of Longjing in the villages. Yellow wine from nearby Shaoxing appears at many dinners. For views, a lakeside restaurant at sunset beats any formal dining room in town.
Honeymoon Tips
Visit the lake early. By mid-morning on weekends, the causeways and Broken Bridge can feel like a holiday parade.
Buy tea directly from farmers in the Longjing villages, where you can taste before you buy. Ask about the harvest date. The earliest spring leaves cost the most.
Walk at least one section of the hill trails behind the lake. Paths linking the tea villages and temples are quiet, shaded and well signed.
Combine Hangzhou with Shanghai on the same trip, ideally staying two nights in each. If you plan to fly home from Shanghai, keep your Hangzhou stay in the middle so you are not rushing to make a long-haul flight.
Bring layers in spring and autumn. The lake can be breezy in the evening, especially on a boat.
