Hangzhou Transportation - How to Get to Hangzhou and Get Around
The traffic in Hangzhou is quite convenient and you can easily get in and around in Hangzhou.
As we know that Hangzhou is very close to Shanghai, and most people choose to fly to Shanghai and then take a 2-hour bus or 45-minutes fast train to Hangzhou which might be cheaper than flying directly to Hangzhou.
Getting to Hangzhou by Air
Hangzhou's Xiaoshan Airport is located 27 km from the city. It is one of the 10 busiest airports in China. It operates flights to China's major cities and several countries. As of 2017, Hangzhou Airport operated 62 airlines, including 31 domestic airlines, 6 regional airlines, and 25 international airlines. Read more on Hangzhou Xiaoshan Airport.
Getting to Hangzhou by Train
Hangzhou is located about one hour's train ride to Shanghai. There are frequent bullet trains between Shanghai and Hangzhou. There are 3 train stations that serve Hangzhou: Hangzhou East Railway Station, Hangzhou South Railway Station (under construction), and Hangzhou Railway Station. Most of the bullet trains depart from the Hangzhou East Railway Station. Read more on Hangzhou East Railway Station.
How to Get to Hangzhou from the Nearby Cities
Hangzhou, located on the east coast of China, is one of the major cities in the Yangtze River Delta area. Therefore, its transportation links are quite convenient. You'll find it very easy to get there from nearby cities, such as Shanghai, Suzhou, Ningbo, Nanjing, Huangshan…
Here is some useful information to help you get to Hangzhou from nearby places.
Hangzhou West Lake
From Suzhou to Hangzhou
By train: You're suggested to take a bullet or high-speed train, which is the most convenient and fastest way from Suzhou to Hangzhou, taking around 1 hour 20 minutes to 2 hours 40 minutes. They depart from Suzhou Railway Station or Suzhou North Railway Station to Hangzhou Railway Station or Hangzhou East Railway Station, from 02:29 to 18:52 every day. The fare for a 2nd class seat is around US$11–18.
By bus: It is around 170 km (106 mi) from Suzhou to Hangzhou by bus, around 2½–3 hours. From Suzhou South Bus Station / Suzhou North Square Bus Station to Hangzhou Coach Center / Hangzhou North Coach Center, there are about 15 departures from 08:00 to 19:00. The bus ticket is about US$11.
From Shanghai to Hangzhou
There are several ways for you to go from Shanghai to Hangzhou: by train, by long-distance bus, and by taxi. The most recommended way to travel from Shanghai to Hangzhou is by taking a high-speed train.
Click How to Travel from Shanghai and Hangzhou? to know the details.
From Ningbo to Hangzhou
By train: From Ningbo Railway Station, about 85 high-speed trains and bullet trains depart to Hangzhou Railway Station and Hangzhou East Railway Station per day from 06:24 to 21:27, taking around 1–1½ hours. The cost is US$9–11 for a 2nd class seat.
By bus: It's possible to take a bus from Ningbo South Bus Station to Hangzhou Coach Center / Hangzhou North Coach Center. Around 15 buses run from 07:15 to 18:50, taking about 2½–3 hours. The ticket price is US$11 per seat.
Night View of Leifeng Pagoda
From Yiwu to Hangzhou
By train: Around 92 high-speed trains, which are the fastest and most recommended to take from Yiwu to Hangzhou, depart from 07:00 to 22:47, taking from 31 minutes to 48 minutes. The ticket price of a second-class seat is around US$8.
By bus: The distance from Yiwu to Hangzhou is around 140 km (88 mi), which needs about 2 hours by bus. Every day, 40 buses travel from Yiwu Binwang Bus Station to Hangzhou South Bus Station, departing from 06:30 to 18:30, with tickets costing US$9.
By taxi: You could take a taxi. The fee is about US$150. You're recommended to confirm the price with the driver before boarding due to the long distance.
From Nanjing to Hangzhou
By train: From Nanjing Railway Station / Nanjing South Railway Station, there are 130 pairs of trains running every day; around 120 of them are fast trains. The duration of the journey in a fast train is between 1 hour and 4 hours 44 minutes. The ticket price is around US$25 to US$32 for a second-class seat.
From Huangshan to Hangzhou
By bus: Usually, travelers can take a bus from Huangshan to Hangzhou. The two most used stations in Huangshan are Huangshan Bus Station and Huangshan Taiping Bus Station, which serve departures from 08:00 to 14:50 with a journey duration of about 3 hours. The ticket price is around US$13.
By train: Now there are fast trains available from Huangshan North Railway station to Hangzhou East Railway Station. 20 high-speed trains and bullet trains run daily from 05:52 to 20:35, which take around 80 mins to 2 hours, the ticket price of a second-class seat is around US$18.
Hangzhou Longjin Tea Plantation
Getting around Hangzhou
Hangzhou enjoys very convenient transportation.
Hangzhou Metro Travel
Hangzhou Metro runs five lines, covering Hangzhou Railway Station, Hangzhou East Railway Station, West Lake, South Bus Station, Wulin Square Station (City Center), and other places. The metro network is 206 km long (128 mi) and has 120 stations, including 13 interchange stations.
Hangzhou Metro Operating Hours
The five lines have different operating hours.
- Line 1: Linping to Xianghu (06:00–22:42), Xianghu to Linping (05:54–22:50), Xiasha Jiangbing to Xianghu (05:54–22:35), and Xianghu to Xiasha Jiangbing (05:59–22:40)
- Line 2: Lingzhu to Chaoyang (06:04–22:43) and Chaoyang to Lingzhu (06:00–22:46)
- Line 4: Pengbu to Puyan (06:00–22:51) and Puyan to Pengbu (06:00–22:55)
- Line 5: Guniangqiao to Jinxing (06:00–22:30) and Jinxing to Guniangqiao (06:05–22:34)>
- Line 16: Jiuzhou Street to Lvting Road (06:10–22:33) and Lvting Road to Jiuzhou Street (06:20–22:33)
Hangzhou Metro Ticket: Card and Fare
Usually, there are three kinds of ticket cards available for travelers: single ticket, 1-day pass, and 3-day pass. The ticket fare for a single ticket is calculated according to the mileage, which varies from CN¥2–9 (US$0.2–1.2) per person.
A 1-day pass costs CN¥15 (US$2.1). Travelers can take unlimited trips within consecutive 24 hours from the first use.
A 3-day pass costs CN¥40 (US$6). With this pass, travelers can take unlimited metro rides within consecutive 72 hours from the first use.
Popular Attractions Reached by Hangzhou Metro Lines
Three Miniature Pagodas on West Lake
- West Lake: Take Line 1 and get off at Longxiangqiao Station. Walk westward or northward around 400 m (0.2 mi) to reach the West Lake core scenic spot.
- Qinghefang Pedestrian Street: You can take Line 1 and get off at Dingan Road Stop. Walk southward for approximately 10 minutes to reach the famous street.
- The Former Residence of Hu Xueyan: Take Line 5 and get off at Jiangcheng Station. Walk southwest for around 600 m (0.3 mi).
- Hangzhou Railway Station: Two lines connect this station — Line 1 and Line 5.
- Hangzhou East Railway Station: There are two lines connecting this station as well — Line 1 and Line 4.
Useful Tips for Taking Hangzhou Metro
- The logo of the Hangzhou Metro takes the subway tunnel as the primary design element and integrates the three letters "Hzm", representing "Hangzhou metro", with "m" in the center.
- Hangzhou's metro has a dedicated app, which travelers can download from app stores or from its official website to buy tickets online.
- We try to provide accurate transportation information as far as possible. However, timings and prices are subject to change depending on the situation there.
Hangzhou Public Bicycles
Public bicycles are very common vehicles in Hangzhou. Visiting West Lake or the streets and lanes there by bike is a rather pleasant, and comfortable experience.
Public bicycles are provided by the government. No matter which service point you rent a bicycle from, you can return it to another one. There are a large number of these public bicycles available, especially in the West Lake scenic area and other major tourist attractions.
Please take your ID card when you register for one. The bicycle is free for the first hour, one yuan per hour if the time exceeds one hour, 2 yuan per hour if the time exceeds 2 to 3 hours, and 3 yuan per hour if the time exceeds 3 hours.
The rental time is 6 am to 9 pm for most of the year, and from 6:30 am to 8:30 pm during winter.
