Shanghai Hangzhou Transfer | 4 Transportation Ways between Shanghai and Hangzhou

Geographically speaking, both Shanghai and Hangzhou are coastal cities lying in the fertile Yangtze River Delta in eastern China. Shanghai is a municipality directly under the central government, while Hangzhou is the capital city of Zhengjiang Province. Currently, high speed trains and driving are the most popular ways for travelers and businessmen to transfer between two cities. Besides, Shanghai and Hangzhou are also connected by normal trains and buses/coaches. Continue to read the following passage and get detailed information about how to transfer between Shanghai and Hangzhou and plan your own Shanghai Hangzhou tour in 2024.

Shanghai Hangzhou Locations & Distance

Shanghai Location: Located on the eastern coastline of China, Shanghai borders Jiangsu Province to the north and Zhejiang to the west, and faces the East China Sea to the east. It is the most populous and largest municipality in China.

Suzhou Location: Hangzhou lies in the north part of Zhejiang province in East China. Hangzhou is about 125 km away from Suzhou and 1125 km from Beijing.

Shanghai to Hangzhou Distance: Hangzhou is situated about 144 km northwest of Shanghai, about 40 minutes ~ 1.5 hours’ high speed train travel or 2.5 hours’ drive.

1.Shanghai Hangzhou Transfer by High Speed Train (Most Efficient & Convenient Way)

● Train Time: about 40 minutes ~ 1 hour 40 minutes

● Frequency: over 120 G Trains & 30 D Trains per day

● From & To: Shanghai South & Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station 上海南&上海虹桥站 ↔ Hangzhou & Hangzhou East Railway Station 杭州&杭州东站

● Running Speed: 300 km/h -350 km/h (G Train); 200 km/h (D Train)

● Advantages: fast, convenient, comfortable, punctual, many choices of trains...

Shanghai Hangzhou Travel Map

Taking a fast high speed bullet train is the most popular and time-saving way to travel between Shanghai and Hangzhou. The high speed bullet trains between the two cities are running on the Shanghai-Hangzhou High Speed Railway. Currently, there are two kinds of high speed trains offered: G Train (高铁) and D Train (动车). Both the G Trains and D Trains can take you to Hangzhou from Shanghai and from Hangzhou to Shanghai within 1 hour 40 minutes and the quickest non-stop high speed train only takes 45 minutes to transfer you between Hangzhou East Railway Station and Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station. The G Trains run faster and tickets are a little bit more expensive than the D Trains. And some high speed bullet trains will make stops at Jiaxing(嘉兴), Haining(海宁), Yuhang(余杭), Tongxiang(桐乡), etc. en route.

Generally speaking, travelers don’t have to worry about missing high speed trains to transfer between Shanghai and Hangzhou since there are so frequent schedules. But we strongly advise you to book tickets as early as possible during the weekends, holidays, and tourism peak seasons. China Discovery is good at acquiring the latest news and booking train tickets for high speed trains between Shanghai and Hangzhou. Contact us to arrange the train and tour service for you!

Useful Links:

Shanghai to Hangzhou real-time train schedule | Hangzhou to Shanghai real-time train schedule | Shanghai Hangzhou high speed rail >>

Popular Shanghai Hangzhou Tours by High Speed Train:

☞ 5 Days Essence of Shanghai & Hangzhou Tour

Major Used High Speed Train Stations in Shanghai:

Shanghai has 4 train stations which all operate high speed trains between Shanghai and Hangzhou. Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station and Shanghai Railway Station are the two main train stations for taking high speed trains to Hangzhou.

1.Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station 上海虹桥站

Location: No.1500, Shengui Road, Minhang District, Shanghai 上海市闵行区申贵路1500号; about 20 km, 50 minutes~1 hour’s drive to the Bund; 20 km, 1 hour’s drive to Shanghai Museum; 23 km, 1 hour’s drive to Shanghai World Financial Center; 35 km, 40 minutes’ drive to Zhujiajiao Water Town; 43 km, 1 hour’s drive to Shanghai Disney Resort.

2.Shanghai Railway Station 上海站

Location: No.303, Moling Road, Jingan District, Shanghai 上海市静安区秣陵路303号;  about 50 km, 1 hour’s drive from Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG); about 6 km, 20 minutes’ drive from the Bund; almost 7 km, 20 minutes’ drive from Yu Garden; about 35 km, 40 minutes’ drive from Shanghai Disney Resort. More about Shanghai Train Stations >>

Major Used High Speed Train Stations in Hangzhou:

Hangzhou has 3 train stations in downtown area which all operate high speed trains between Shanghai and Hangzhou. Among them, Hangzhou East Railway Station and Hangzhou Railway Station are the hottest chosen ones for taking high speed trains to/from Hangzhou.

1.Hangzhou East Railway Station 杭州东站

Location: No.1 Tiancheng Road, Jianggan District, Hangzhou 杭州市江干区天城路1号; about 9 km, 0.5 hour’s drive to Hangzhou downtown; 12 km, 0.5 hour’s drive to West Lake; 13 km, 40 minutes’ drive to Lingyin Temple; 16 km, 40 minutes’ drive to Longjing Village; 28 km, 40-50 minutes’ drive to Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport.

2.Hangzhou Railway Station 杭州站

Location: No.1 Huancheng East Road, Shangcheng District, Hangzhou 浙江省杭州市上城区环城东路1号;  about 4 km, 15 minutes’ drive from Hangzhou downtown; about 5.6 km, 0.5 hour’s drive from West Lake; almost 9.6 km, 0.5 hour’s drive from Linyin Temple; about 28 km, 30-40 minutes’ drive from Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport. More about Hangzhou Train Stations >>

2.Shanghai Hangzhou Transfer by Normal Train

● Train Time: about 2-3 hours

● Frequency: about 40 trains (K & T & Z Trains) per day

● From & To: Shanghai & Shanghai South Railway Station 上海&上海南站 ↔ Hangzhou & Hangzhou South Railway Station 杭州&杭州南站

● Running Speed: 120 km/h

Meanwhile, there are dozens of normal speed trains running between Shanghai and Hangzhou. The normal trains are arranged leaving Shanghai from 04:20 ~ 20:40 each day and the opposite trains start from Hangzhou at 00:10~21:20. Due to the lower running speed, the normal train takes around 2-3 hours for a one-way trip. Because there are hundreds of faster well-equipped high speed trains provided, fewer tourists choose the normal trains.

3.Shanghai Hangzhou Transfer by Car

If you want to spend some excursion time along the way from Shanghai to Hangzhou, for example visiting Wuzhen Water Town, Xitang Water Town and Jiaxing, etc, or get rid of the trouble of changing transfers between different kinds of transportation, you are suggested to use a vehicle as a transfer between Shanghai and Hangzhou. Checking on the map, you will find Hangzhou is only about 187km from Shanghai city center. Only about 2.5 hours are needed for driving.

The biggest advantage is that you can enjoy very flexible pick-up at airports, train stations and your hotel in Shanghai and drop-off service in your hotel and places you want to visit in Hangzhou. Contact us to book a private car service >>

Popular Shanghai & Hangzhou Tour Packages:

✔ 2 Days Classic Shanghai City Tour

✔ 2 Days Picturesque Hangzhou and Xitang Water Town Tour

Shanghai to Hangzhou Driving Map (click to enlarge)

4.Shanghai to Suzhou & Suzhou to Shanghai by Bus

There are also scores of buses/coaches running between Shanghai and Hangzhou. The buses begin from Shanghai South Bus Station/Shanghai South Railway Station in Shanghai and terminate at Hangzhou East Railway Station/Hangzhou North Bus Station/Hangzhou Bus Station in Hangzhou. According to different departure and arrival stations, the bus takes about 3.5 hours.

By High Speed Train, Bus or Private Drive？

Both driving and bullet trains are very convenient for travelling between Shanghai and Hangzhou while a bus takes a longer time. Generally, high speed trains are faster, and cost you less time and money, while driving is more flexible, and gets you rid of the trouble of changing between public transportation and getting to your hotel and attractions in Hangzhou directly.

How to Plan a Shanghai Hangzhou Tour

Depending on your time and interests, you can make a 2-3 day trip to Hangzhou from Shanghai or stay more days to extend your tour to nearby water towns and the top resort destinations in Zhejiang.

Usually, tourists spend 2 days visiting the best highlights of Shanghai and uncover its traditional and modern culture. You can experience the flying speed of Maglev Train, marvel at towering modern skyscrapers, such as Shanghai World Financial Center in Lujiazui, learn amazing city development history in Shanghai Museum, enjoy western style historical architectures along the Bund, visit local cultural icons like Yu Garden, Tianzifang, City God Temple, Zhujiajiao Water Town, have fun in Shanghai Disney Resort, sample various Shanghai food and snacks, etc.

Top Recommended Shanghai Tours:

☛ 2 Days Classic Shanghai City Tour

☛ 3 Days Shanghai Past and Present Contrast Tour

Most 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 Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal. For those who would like to visit the top water towns in Zhejiang province, may choose among water towns nearby Hangzhou, such as Wuzhen Water Town, Xitang Water Town and Nanxun Old Town, etc. Or if you prefer to get rid of the hustle and bustle of city life and want a relaxing break, you may visit Hangzhou nearby resorts like Qiandao Lake, Anji Bamboo Forest and Moganshan, etc. Each destinations might take 1-2 days to explore.

Most Popular Hangzhou Tours:

☛ 2 Days Essence of Hangzhou Tour

☛ 3 Days Best Hangzhou Tour with Wuzhen Water Town

☛ 3 Days Hangzhou Highlights Tour with Qiandao Lake

After your Hangzhou tour, if time allows, you can extend a trip to Ningbo, Putuoshan, Shaoxing in Zhejiang Province or transfer to Suzhou to visit the classical gardens and visit Huangshan Mountain in Anhui, even travel farther to Beijing, Xian, Xiamen, Chengdu, Guilin, Zhangjiajie, Yunnan, Tibet and other top destinations in China.

Most Popular Shanghai Hangzhou China Tours:

☛ 5 Days Shanghai Hangzhou Suzhou Highlights Tour

☛ 9 Days East China & Mt. Huang Tour by Speed Train

☛ 8 Days Shanghai Hangzhou Beijing Highlights Tour by High Speed Train

Travel Shanghai Hangzhou with China Discovery

As a leading travel agency in China who dedicates to offering high-quality China tours, China Discovery has helped thousands of travelers enjoy their trips to Shanghai, Beijing, Xian, etc., in China. Travel with us, you can enjoy worry-free tour services as well as well-organized itineraries, even our assistance of Chinese Visa application, convenient airport/train station pick-up & drop-off and transfer between all scenic spots, knowledgeable tour guide, safe & licensed private vehicle, satisfactory accommodation and dining and so on. To fully focus on the trip itself without worry any details, you can choose from our most popular Shanghai Hangzhou tour packages or contact us to design a memorable holiday in China.

Paul & His Wife Visited the Bund, Shanghai

Our Customers visited Meijia Dock Longjing Tea Plantation, Hangzhou

Our Customers visited Tiger Hill, Suzhou

Our Tailor-made Group Tour to Mutianyu Great Wall, Beijing