Zhejiang in short of “Zhe” is situated at the Yangtze River Delta area in south east China. It faces East China Sea on the east, borders Fujian on the south, Anhui and Jiangxi on the west, and Shanghai and Jiangsu on the north.
The prosperous Zhejiang is a key part of the land flowing with milk and honey in China. With about 70% coverage as mountains and 10% as lakes and rivers, Zhejiang boasts the ideal and typical elegant landscape of China, thus people traveling here will soak in the pleasant and fine nature presents. With Hangzhou - the paradise city being the capital of Zhejiang, this province will show you what a paradise on earth is first. Besides, fabulous sightseeing in the urban, mountains and forests, poetic literal charm found everywhere, standard appearance of water towns in romantic Jiangnan, rich Buddhist charm of Putuoshan - one of the 4 great Buddhist mountains, refreshing resorts with high-end accommodation and landscape, etc. are abundant within Zhejiang. Just go, discover and relax!
You can plan your Zhejiang trip based on your interesting destinations, time for travel and trip length. Generally, Hangzhou, Wuzhen, Putuoshan and Ningbo are the top popular places, which usually takes about 5-7 days in total. You can plan 1-2 days to see West Lake, temples, tea plantations, museums, etc. In Hangzhou and transfer to Wuzhen to stay their for 1-2 days. After that, you can go to Ningbo to appreciate the famous Tianyi Library, The Old Bund, etc. For another 1 day and then go to enjoy about 2 days in Putuoshan for Buddhist culture savory and sea sightseeing relaxation. Besides, if you are interested in Chinese culture, go to Shaoxing to seek the growing stories of Lu Xun. While if you are planning to stay a releasing vacation, go to Moganshan, Thousand Islets Lake or Fuchun River resorts to stay at least 1-2 nights in their proud resorts hotels with fresh air.
Actually, most visitors prefer to travel Zhejiang (especially Hangzhou and surrounding areas) together with Shanghai, Suzhou and Huangshan. You can enjoy 2-3 days in Shanghai for the skyscrapers and past of China, 1-2 days in Suzhou for silk culture and classic gardens and 2-4 days in Huangshan for Yellow Mountain and Hui styled rural villages. It usually needs 5-9 days to discover Shanghai, Suzhou, Hangzhou and Huangshan together.
Besides, if your time allows, it is also highly recommended extend your Zhejiang trip to more amazing destinations in China, such as Beijing with Great Wall, Xian with Terracotta Warriors, Guilin with Li River landscape, Chengdu with giant pandas, Three Gorges with Yangtze River, etc. to catch more highlights of China.
Where to go in Zhejiang? Although Zhejiang Province is not very large, it still has quite a lot interesting and beautiful places for your memorable exploration, such as the provincial capital Hangzhou with the must-see West Lake and more poetic scenery and culture of ancient capital and literary, Ningbo with China’s first private library and abundant outstanding architectural designs, Putuoshan as one of the four great Buddhist mountains in China, Jiaxing with the famous Wuzhen and Xitang Water Town, Yiwu with the world influential Yiwu International Trading Market and one of the biggest movie studio in Hengdian, Huzhou with authentic Nanxun Old Town and allure Moganshan resort, Shaoxing with the famed stories of Lu Xun’s born and grown up there, etc. All will give you an amazing trip memory and know the elegant Zhejiang!
>> Check more about Top 9 Zhejiang Destinations.
With advantageous landform, long history and rich culture, Zhejiang has rich types and a large number of tourist attractions for your great discover, such as lakes and rivers, water towns and old streets, diverse museums and exhibitions, parks and gardens, mountains and forests, etc. West Lake with long reputation shall not be omitted. Putuoshan is the best recommendation if you are interested in Buddhist culture and seashore view. Wuzhen and Xitang are top popular water towns. Check all the top attractions at below to start your itinerary planning.
>> Check more about Top Attractions & Things to Do in Zhejiang.
Tranquil and elegant West Lake is the essence of Hangzhou, all kinds of attractions, like parks, bridges, pagodas, temples can be found in here.
Putuo Mountain as the abode of Avalokitesvara is one of the Four Sacred Buddhist Mountain in China with rich Buddhist clusters and continuous pilgrims.
With a history of nearly 1700 year, Lingyin Temple is the oldest and most famous temple in Hangzhou, remaining its charm with natural and cultural beauty.
Famous for Longjing (Dragon Well) Tea, Longjing Tea Plantations are wonderful places to see verdant view and know about the tea culture in China.
A classic water town of Jiangnan style, peaceful environment and ancient architectures, all make Wuzhen a very poetic and romantic place in China.
Hu Qing Yu Tang is like a living classroom of traditional Chinese medicine to both have a good understanding about Chinese medicine and appreciate the hundred-year-old exquisite architecture.
It is the largest silk museum in the world. You can have full knowledge about 5000 years Chinese Silk history and the Silk Road, enjoy Chinese and Western fashion changes over the centuries.
With brilliant culture and long history, Hefang Street is regarded as a typical symbol of ancient Hangzhou Hefang Street. You can see many time-honored stores there.
China National Tea Museum is a good place to go for learning the tea culture, tea history, enjoying tea, watching elegant tea ceremory and tea plantations.
Or called Qiandao Lake, is an ideal vacation site to get away from the hustle and bustle of the cities, where to admire emerald lake sceneries with fun of biking and hiking…
Xitang is a living ancient town with a history more than one thousand years. It is featured in 104 old bridges, 122 old lanes, long ceilinged corridors, Ming and Qing Dynasty architectures.
With a long history of over 1000 years, Liuhe Pagoda is very popular among tourists with its ancient charm and the best viewing deck of Qiantang River.
As one of the Four Best Summer Resorts in China, it is idyll to immerse into the bamboos, clouds, mountains, villas at the exquisite boutique homestay.
Xixi National Wetland Park attracts lots of tourists to have a sightseeing and relaxation with its peaceful environment and beautiful waterscapes.
110 km long, it is reputed as “Little Three Gorges” for its verdant and pretty waterscape with local featured villages on banks, composing a real Chinese ink painting.
Big Bamboo Sea in China in Anji, Huzhou is the largest bamboo tourist resort to soak in the fresh air in the large bamboo forest, watch bamboo arts and enjoy bamboo feast.
Nanxun Old Town is a more quiet and primitive water town near Shanghai and Hangzhou, which features abundant cultural resources and ancient Jiangnan mansions and idyllic scenery.
Qiantang River tidal bore is one the largest tidal bores in the world which reaches the most spectacular on the eighteenth day of the eight month on Chinese lunar calendar.
Jianglangshan in Quzhou is a part of China Danxia Landscape listed as World Natural Heritage where to admire peculiar shaped peaks, temple history, ancient school culture...
Reputed for the exquisite design and decorations featured with both traditional Chinese and Western styles. Every corner is beautiful.
Zhejaing belongs to subtropical monsoon climate zone, which has distinct four seasons, plenty rains and moist air. The annual average temperature is around 15-18℃. January is the coldest month with average temperature of about 6℃, while August if hottest with an average temperature around 26℃. the highest temperature usually exceed 33℃. Besides, April to July is the rainy season but there are often drizzles. Spring is comfortable with medium sunshine, which is a good time for travel to enjoy the featured Jiangnan charm of Zhejiang. Summer is a little hot and there are more thunderstorm and windstorm at coastal regions including Putuoshan during July to September. Autumn with less rain is the best time to enjoy various autumn colors and best temperature. While, winter is sunny, dry and a little cold. Temperature can drop around or below 0℃. It is highly suggest take your warm clothes for sightseeing outside.
Best Time to Visit in Spring: Hangzhou, Ningbo, Putuoshan, Qiandao Lake, Jiaxing, Shaoxing, Huzhou, Lishui, etc.
Best Time to Visit in Summer: Hangzhou, Ningbo, Qiandao Lake, Moganshan, Anji, Lishui, etc.
Best Time to Visit in Autumn: Hangzhou, Ningbo, Putuoshan, Qiandao Lake, Jiaxing, Shaoxing, Huzhou, Lishui, etc.
Best Time to Visit in Winter: Hangzhou, Ningbo, Jiaxing, Water Town Area, etc.
>> Check more about Zhejiang Weather & Best Time to Visit.
You can get to Zhejiang by air, train, highway, cruise, etc. Hangzhou and Ningbo are two major transportation hubs.
By Flights
There are about 7 airports in Zhejiang, including Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport, Ningbo Lishe International Airport, Wenzhou Longwan International Airport, Zhoushan Putuoshan Airport, Yiwu Airport, Quzhou Airport and Taizhou Airport, among which airports in Hangzhou and Ningbo are more frequently used. Hangzhou Xiaoshan Airport has frequent flights to and from about 100 domestic cities and some direct flights to about 40 international cities (regions) including San Francisco, Amsterdam, Madrid, Sydney, Melbourne, Vancouver, Rome, Doha, Singapore, Seoul, Busan, Jeju Island, Tokyo, Osaka, Bangkok, Taiwan, Hong Kong, etc. Ningbo Lishe Airport is also well linked by air with about 70 domestic places and some international places including Hong Kong, Taipei, Singapore, Seoul, Bangkok, etc. Besides, you can also fly to Zhoushan Putuoshan Airport from Beijing, Shanghai, Xiamen, Shenzhen, Chongqing, Dalian, Qingdao, etc.
By Train
Taking a train to Zhejiang is easy and convenient. You can get on a bullet train to Hangzhou, Ningbo, Jiaxing, Huzhou, Jinhua, Wenzhou, etc. From Shanghai, Suzhou, Nanjing, Huangshan, Beijing, Tianjin, Xiamen, Changsha, Kunming, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Chengdu, and many other places in the north, west and south parts of China. It is more suggested to take a flight from Xian, Guangzhou, Guiyang, Chengdu, Chongqing, Guilin, etc. Besides, frequent high speed trains are available to take you to lots of places within Zhejiang.
By Ferry
Shanghai has 3-5 ferries daily from Wusongkou port to Putuoshan directly and some to other islets in Zhoushan.
By Coach
There are frequent distance coaches from Shangshi, Jiangsu (Suzhou), Anhui (Huangshan), Fujian, etc. to Hangzhou every day.
Most destinations in Zhejiang are well connected with high speed rails, including Hangzhou, Ningbo, Jiaxing, Huzhou, Fuyang, Shaoxing, Yiwu, Quzhou, Lishui, WEnzhou, Taizhou, etc., so you can travel around the province by bullet train very easily. Besides, distance coaches among each cities are also available.
To get rid of hustle and bustle of public transportation and time-consuming tickets booking, it is strongly recommended to travel Zhejiang with our packaged tour which not only includes tour guide, hotels, meals, attractions, etc., but also takes care of all the transfers during your trip, from airport/train station pick up, high speed train, flights to private vehicle and your own driver, so that you can focus all your time and energy on enjoying poetic culture and beautiful landscape of Zhejiang.
Wuzhen is about 60 km from Hangzhou. It needs about 4.5-2 hours to go by car. If you take a coach, it takes 1.5-3 hours. Besides, you can take a 15-30 minutes’ bullet train to Tongxiang Railway Station and transfer to Wuzhen with another 0.5 hour by local taxi.
Hangzhou to Putuoshan
It usually takes about 3-3.5 hours by car or coach to Zhujiajian Pier and take a ferry to Putuoshan for 20 minutes.
>> Check more about Hangzhou Transportation丨Ningbo Transportation.
Zhejiang is a tourist province, thus various accommodation from 5 star luxury hotels to 3 star budget hotels, hostels and inns to homestays, deluxe resorts to themed hotels are offered in a large number. Particularly Hangzhou has plentiful choices in various types, and you can not only enjoy fine view of West Lake in luxury hotels, but also enjoy peaceful time in the mountains. Ningbo also has plentiful accommodations for your need of hotels in big cities. Top water towns like Wuzhen and Xitang also has many hotels at different levels for your worry-free stay. Putuoshan provides advanced sightseeing hotels and themed hotels based on your various budgets. Moganshan, Thousand Islets Lake, Xinan River, Fuchun River, and the coastal area of China East Sea are well allocated with luxury resorts for your vacation. If you prefer a worry-free tour operated by travel agencies like China Discovery, you can accommodate around the commercial center, or stay away from the crowds. Your travel agencies will find a well-located and well-equipped hotel for you.
To help you learn about Zhejiang’s location, transportation, attractions, etc. And plan your Zhejiang trip easily, we here collect some useful Zhejiang travel maps including Zhejiang China Map, Zhejiang Attractions Map, and maps of Hangzhou, etc.
>> Check more about Zhejiang Maps.
Hangzhou World Map
Hangzhou Tourist Map
Ningbo Zhejiang Map
Around Zhejiang, there are many other beautiful and amazing destinations popular among travelers, such as Shanghai, Suzhou, Huangshan, Nanjing, etc. in the Yangtze River Delta region. Check the travel guide of each destination to extend your Hangzhou trip with more wonderful memories!
China is vast and diverse. You can choose your favorite destinations among more than 70 tourist destination and regions, like Beijing, Xian, Guilin, Yangtze River, etc. Following are popular destinations you may get interested in. Check all destinations in China.
We have helped many global travelers enjoy their memorable trips to Zhejiang for the past few years and received 4,020+. Among them, Lawson’s family enjoyed 1 week in Hangzhou, Suzhou and Shanghai during their 19 days China vacation customized with us and shared us their special travel story. Travel with China Discovery to create your wonderful Zhejiang trip memories!
All itineraries and side trips can be customized privately, so please feel free to contact with our travel consultants if you have this kind of need.
Collect the essence of Hangzhou natural scenery, featured culture and profound history, visit the landmark and more amazing places, experience unique Longjing Tea culture.
We have rich experience in organizing Buddhism tours to Putuoshan. Worship the most important temples and explore the essence of Buddhist history and culture of Putuoshan with a helpful and informative guide and be taken good care of by professional and considerate tour services.
This trip takes you to discover all bests of Hangzhou in the most classic way with worthy visits to West Lake, Lingyin Temple, Longjing Tea Plantation and more scenic, cultural, historical and artistic sites for the best understanding of Hangzhou beauty!
Drive from Shanghai to see the ancient holy Buddhist temples and sacred sites about Goddess of Mercy and beautiful sea view at Putuoshan and then go to the City of Heaven (declared by Marco Polo) to visit China's most romantic lake - West Lake.
The amazing 3-day trip to discover the antique and tranquil Wuzhen Water Town in day and night and the best poetic beauty of Hangzhou lakes, temples, old street, tea fields, etc.
Enjoy a 2-day short trip to discover the best charming sightseeing and culture of Hangzhou with a side trip to the quiet and antique Xitang Water Town to savor the featured poetic and romance Jiangnan area in South China!
Travel to two Jiangnan cities in different styles. View modern skyline and soak in wonderful cultural fusion of the West and East in modern Shanghai and capture pleasant natural and cultural charm in Hangzhou.
Hangzhou is the best representation of the classic beauty of China, while Huangshan, also known as Yellow Mountain, is praised as the most beautiful mountain in China. So this tour is undoubtedly the "most beautiful" trip in China.
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