Hangzhou West Lake Cruise

Taking a boat sailing on the picturesque West Lake is an enjoyable and relaxing way to appreciate the beautiful scenery with its islands, causeways, temples, pagodas and ornamental planting. You can either do it in the morning to enjoy the soft sun glow shinning on its water, quietly and mellowly; or rent a boat at dusk when the sun begins to fall down with the golden lights illuminating on the lake, shimmering and sparkling.

3 Days Best Hangzhou Tour with Wuzhen Water Town

Itinerary: Wuzhen / Hangzhou
Highlights: West Lake, Wuzhen Water Town, Lingyin Temple, Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, Former Residence of Hu Xueyan, Meijiawu Longjing Tea Plantaiton

What to See on West Lake Boat

Jixian Pavilion at West Lake

Three Ponds Mirroring the Moon

Different from appreciating scenery on the bank of West Lake, you’ll enjoy the heavenly lake view in another angle, closer and closer. It is not surprised that you’ll become a part of this traditional Chinese painting and a unique scene in the photos by a professional photographer. Besides, such a great kind of way will let you immerse into the picturesque scenery of the water, Gushan Hill, Leifeng Pagoda, Bai Causeway, Su Causeway, Broken Bridge, and more sites and trees on the leisure boat and avoid more crowds on the banks. More excitingly, you can catch the rare chance to enjoy “Three Pools Mirroring the Moon” and take shore excursion to “Xiao Ying Zhou”, the largest island in the West Lake.

Why not choose the most enjoyable way to reach the inner heart of West Lake? Select your favorite boat types, routes and do now!

Most Recommended West Lake Tour Package:

☛ 2 Days Essence of Hangzhou Tour

West Lake Cruise/Boat Routes, Types & Tickets Price

Hangzhou West Lake Boat Tourist Map

The West Lake cruise area is like a bustling aquatic kingdom, offering a variety of boat options such as tour boats (island tour), tour boats (loop tour), outsourced boats, rowing boats, etc. The docks are scattered like stars across the area. Visitors can choose the most suitable boat according to your budgets and preferences.

Type 1: West Lake Tour Boat (Island Tour)

West Lake Tour Boat (Island Tour)

This type of tour boat, available as either a Leisure Boat (休闲船) or a Painted Pleasure Boat (画舫船), is the most popular choice. By boarding these boats, you can visit the Three Pools Mirroring the Moon Island (also known as Xiao Yingzhou) and experience its unique layout of “an island within a lake and a lake within an island”, which looks exactly like the Chinese character “田” (tian).

• • Ticket prices: CNY 55/pp for the Leisure Boat and CNY 70/pp for the Painted Pleasure Boat, both of which include the admission ticket to the island
• • Operating hours: 8:00 - 17:00. The last boat for boarding the island departs at 16:00, and the last boat for leaving the island departs at 17:00
• • Boarding Docks for Painted Pleasure Boats: Hangzhou Park 1 (一公园码头), Hangzhou Park 2 (二公园码头), Hangzhou Park 5 (五公园码头), Children’s Palace (少年宫码头), Temple of King Qian’s (钱王祠码头)
• • Boarding Docks for Leisure Boats: Yuewang Temple (岳庙码头), Zhongshan Park (中山公园码头), Viewing Fish at the Flower Harbor (花港码头)

Notice: No matter which dock you board from to get to the island, you can choose to disembark at any dock you like when leaving the island, without having to distinguish between the types of boats.

Recommended West Lake Tour Packages:

2 Days Hangzhou Essence Tour (Most Time-Efficient)

Itinerary: Hangzhou
Highlights: West Lake, Lingyin Temple, Meijia Dock Dragon Well Tea Village, Hu Qing Yu Tang, China Umbrella Museum

3 Days Hangzhou Suzhou Beauty Tour by High Speed Train

Itinerary: Hangzhou / Suzhou
Highlights: West Lake, Dragon Well Tea Plantations, Beijing Hangzhou Grand Canal, Lingering Garden, Suzhou No.1 Silk Factory, Tiger Hill

Type 2: West Lake Tour Boat (Loop Tour)

West Lake Tour Boat (Loop Tour)

The tour boat (loop tour) is also known as the West Lake bus boat. It travels counterclockwise around West Lake, and you can freely choose where to board and disembark. Nevertheless, the loop tour boat won’t take you to the Three Pools Mirroring the Moon Island.

• • Ticket prices: The fare between stations ranges from CNY 6~8/pp. There are a total of 10 stops on the route, and the price for a full circuit is CNY 70/pp.
• • Boarding Docks for Tour Boats (Loop Tour): Hangzhou Park 1, Hangzhou Park 5, Children’s Palace, Zhongshan Park, Hangzhou Shangri-la Hotel, Guo’s Villa, Former Residence of Du Jinsheng, Viewing Fish at the Flower Harbor, Long Bridge, Temple of King Qians

Recommended West Lake Tour Packages:

☛ 3 Days Classic Hangzhou Tour (at Leisure Pace)

Type 3: West Lake Rowing Boat & Oared Boat

Rowing Boat & Oared Boat

Rowing boats and oared boats are available at all the docks. The minimum rental period is one hour, and after that, the charge is based on half-hour increments. Tourists can negotiate the route with the boatman, and it is also possible to visit the Three Pools Mirroring the Moon Island. However, an additional admission fee of CNY 20/pp is required for the island, and the time spent on the island will be included in the boat rental time.

• • Rowing Boat: CNY 150/hour/boat. The boatman sits while rowing, and each boat can accommodate up to 6 people.
• • Oared Boat: CNY 180/hour/boat. The boatman stands while rowing, and each boat can accommodate up to 10 people.

Type 4: West Lake Outsourced Boat

West Lake Outsourced Boat

West Lake Waishi boats, which have an appearance similar to white yachts and are outsourced, cruise around the lake without docking on islands. These boats offer a stunning view of the beautiful scenery along the way, including the Bai Causeway, Broken Bridge, and Su Causeway.

• • Ticket prices: CNY 50/pp
• • Boarding Docks for Outsourced Boat: Hangzhou Park 2, Viewing Fish at the Flower Harbor, and Children’s Palace

Type 5: West Lake Luxury Painted Pleasure Boat

West Lake Luxury Painted Pleasure Boat

The two-story luxury painted pleasure boats offer a loop tour without landing on islands, making them perfect for customized group tours. With operating hours until 21:30, they are an excellent choice for night tours of West Lake. The ticket price is 90 yuan per person. The cruise dock is located at the Wupark Dock.

• • Ticket prices: CNY 90/pp
• • Boarding Docks for Outsourced Boat: Hangzhou Park 5

Type 6: West Lake Self-rowing Boat

West Lake Self-rowing Boat

To enhance the visitors' touring experience, West Lake also offers self-rowing boats, allowing tourists to enjoy the fun of rowing by themselves.

• • Price: CNY 30/half hour, with each boat accommodating up to 6 people. A deposit of CNY 200/boat is required.
• • Operating hours: 8:30 to 19:00
• • Boat Rental Docks: Bai Causeway, Changqiao Park, Viewing Fish at the Flower Harbor, and Curved Yard Lotus Breeze

West Lake Night Cruise

West Lake Night Cruise

West Lake Night Cruise

Taking a night cruise to discover West Lake is another interesting and pleasant way to savor the poetic charm of such famous splendor, especially in clear days with bright moon and stars. You will admire the peaceful lake with the stunning night lights on the banks and skeleton of the towers, pagodas, temples nearby and far on the mountain. The route passes by Bai Causeway - Peaceful Lake in Autumn Moonlight - Suti - Three Ponds Mirroring the Moon - Leifeng Pagoda - Orioles Singing in the Willows - returning to the dock, completing a full loop around the lake.

• • Piers to Board: Hangzhou Park 5 (Yinhushang Premium Loop Tour), Hangzhou Park 1 (Yinhushang Premium Loop Tour), Hangzhou Park 2 (Classic Painted Pleasure Boat Loop Tour), Children’s Palace (Classic Painted Pleasure Boat Loop Tour)
• • Time: 18:30 - 21:00 on Sunday to Thursday; 18:30 - 21:30 on Friday and Saturday
• • Boat Types: Yinhushang Premium Loop Tour, Classic Painted Pleasure Boat Loop Tour
• • Price: CNY 50/pp (Classic Painted Pleasure Boat Loop Tour); CNY 90/pp (Yinhushang Premium Loop Tour)

How to Plan a Hangzhou Tour

Usually, visitors spend 2 days around to enjoy a classic Hangzhou tour to visit the West Lake Scenic Area, including the amazing West Lake, Lingyin Temple, Longjing Tea Plantations, etc. If you want an in-depth Hangzhou tour, you can also pay another half day or so to visit Xixi National Wetland Park, one day around to Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, or one day or so to Thousand Islands Lake, etc. Check all Hangzhou Tours >>

☛ 2 Days Essence of Hangzhou Tour

☛ 3 Days Classic Hangzhou Tour Plus Tea Plantation Exploration

Also, you can spend 1 day to take a side trip to the nearby water towns like Wuzhen and Xitang in Jiaxing, 2~3 days to Putuoshan - one of the four sacred Buddhist Mountains in China, or 1 day to the popular Nanxun Old Town in Huzhou. Check more about Zhejiang Tours >>

☛ 3 Days Best Hangzhou Tour with Wuzhen Water Town

Besides, compared with just travelling Hangzhou, most of the visitors prefer to travel the metropolis Shanghai, Suzhou Gardens and Hangzhou Lakes in One Go! Such an amazing tour will take 5~6 days.

☛ 5 Days Shanghai Hangzhou Suzhou Highlights Tour

☛ 3 Days Hangzhou & Suzhou Beauty Tour by High Speed Train

☛ 4 Days Heavenly Hangzhou Suzhou Tour with Zhouzhuang Water Town

Some visitors also ride a high speed train to Huangshan to visit the world-famous Yellow Mountain. A Hangzhou Huangshan tour needs about 5 days around.

☛ 5 Days Yellow Mountain Tour from Hangzhou

Have your preferences? Please feel free to tell us your likes and let our professional travel consultants customize a personal tour for you!

Hangzhou West Lake Summer Sightseeing Our Customers visited Meijia Dock Longjing Tea Plantation, Hangzhou

Get Inspired by Real Travel Stories of Our Customers

Since 2012, we China Discovery have helped numerous customers to visit Hangzhou and surroundings. With our fully-inclusive private tour packages, all of our customers enjoyed their trips to the West Lake, Lingyin Temple, etc. Some of them kindly shared their precious photos and stories about their Hangzhou journey, just get inspired now.

"Impression Show is a must see when visiting Hangzhou…" - shared by Nguyen (Read her entire travel story: The Pursuit of Natural Beauty with the Beloved one - 14 Days Beautiful China Exploring Tour)

"This last night in Hangzhou led us to explore a different side of West Lake, vastly changing our erstwhile bland impression of the famed tourist site…" - shared by CS from Singapore (Read her entire travel story: Delightful Journey to Poetic Jiangnan Area)

Besides the wonderful travel stories, many customers who visited Hangzhou with China Discovery also send us their first-hand feedbacks about their trip, feel free to read the Hangzhou Reviews and learn what they say about their experience. If you want to start your Hangzhou tour now, don't hesitate to contact us.

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