1-Day West Lake Walking Tour

The West Lake is a freshwater lake divided by the Bai Causeway, Su Causeway and Yánggōng Causeway and dotted with numerous temples, pagodas, gardens, and man-made islands.

We will start our one-day walking tour from Broken Bridge (断桥) which is a very famous spot in West Lake Scenic Area. Walk across the bridge and step onto the Bai Causeway (白堤). The Bai Causeway is a 0.62-mile-long embankment with plum trees and weeping willows planted on both sides. It is especially nice in the springtime. Bordering Bai Causeway on the east, you will see Solitary Island which is also called Solitary Hill as it stands on its own in West Lake and looks rather like a hill. It forms part of the top ten West Lake Scenes – "Autumn Moon over the Calm Lake"(平湖秋月) with Bai Causeway on the autumn nights.

Continue our walking, we will get to Quyuan Park (Crooked Courtyard). The park boasts the biggest natural water supply into the West Lake and a wide range of lotus plants of various species. The lotus in full blossom in the summer is another of the top ten West Lake scenes - "Lotus Flowers in the Breezing Winding Courtyard" (曲院风荷).

The crooked courtyard links with the Yuehu Lake by Su Causeway on the east and leads to Guos'Estate on the south. On the north, it adjoins the Yue Fei Tomb, Bamboo Garden, and Hangzhou Botanical Garden. We will continue walking south to the Su Causeway. Peach, willow, magnolia, and hibiscus trees line the 2.8-kilometer-long Su Causeway and are breathtaking when spring comes, especially at dawn. It also is one of the top ten West Lake Scenes – “Su Causeway in Spring Dawn” (苏堤春晓).

Adjacent to Su Causeway is the Flower Harbor (Huagang) Park which has a pool of beautiful colored fish. The best time to visit is late spring to early summer when the park is full of blossoms. "Viewing Fish at Flower Harbor"(花港观鱼) is also one of the top ten West Lake Scenes.

Nanping Hill lies on the south bank of the West Lake. (The Su Causeway spans the West Lake from the Nanping Hill in the south) . When the bell was rung in the evening, its melodic sound reaches as far as the other shore of the West Lake. "Evening Bell Ringing at Nanping Hill"(南屏晚钟) is also one of the top ten West Lake Scenes.

Leifeng Pagoda, on the Evening Glow Hill is also situated on the southern shore of the West Lake. Regarded as one of the top ten West Lake Scenes, "Leifeng Pagoda in Evening Glow"(雷峰夕照) refers to the beautiful scenery of the pagoda bathed in the evening glow at sunset.

Walking through the Long Bridge (长桥), our west lake walking tour will end at a lakeside park - "Orioles Singing in the Willows" (柳浪闻莺) which is also one of the top ten West Lake Scenes. With its luxuriant trees along the winding bank, the park attracts birds flapping by.

After lunch, walk to Qinghefang Pedestrian Street which is a 460m long street filled with many well-preserved and time-honored shops and traditional shops things as Chinese Medicine Pharmacies and tea houses. It is a wonderful place for a stroll.

Return to your hotel after the tour.