West Lake (Xi Hu)
West Lake (Xi Hu)
4.5
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Monday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Tuesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Wednesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Thursday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Friday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Saturday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Sunday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
About
Considered one of the most beautiful sights in Hangzhou, this scenic lake is sheltered on three sides by hills, with open flat land to the northeast where downtown Hangzhou is located.
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listing
Admission tickets
from
C$84.76
What is Travellers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Top ways to experience West Lake (Xi Hu)
See what travellers are saying
  • Muzzamuzzamuzza
    Wellington, New Zealand141 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A long day but worthwhile
    The lake is beautiful, and if it weren't for the haze it would have been spectacular. We started walking at 9 am on New Year's Eve and it was already busy. By the time we circumnavigated the lake and reached our starting point again at 4 pm it was impossible to walk at our own speed given the density of the crowd. There are many attractions to look at, eating places, and clean toilets.
    Visited December 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written January 8, 2024
  • Nguyễn P
    Hanoi, Vietnam2 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Pleasant experience!
    Walking to the West Lake brings me the feeling of serenity. The cool air, crisp sunlight, pleasant dry weather did really make my day. And do not forget the beautiful sceneries. You should at least book a boat for a round in this lake, which takes about 1 hour and 5 USD. I love it!
    Visited December 2023
    Travelled solo
    Written February 17, 2024
  • Maree R
    Christchurch, New Zealand1,289 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Beautiful Area
    A nice place for a boat ride or a walk. We enjoyed our time on the water although it would have been nice to have a little more space on the boat, it felt cramped. Lots of people walking and the gardens on the walk through from our bus are beautiful.
    Visited March 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written March 28, 2024
  • Sila1234
    Townsville, Australia31 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Don’t miss Westlake
    Believe me this this place deserves all the hype. The ancient capital ruins, pagodas, temples, lake cruises, restaurants and picture postcards scenery made this location a must visit. We flew in via China Eastern from Xian but the fast train from Shanghai is quick and affordable even for a day trip. I recommend at least 2 days for Hangzhou. Tips: 1. For 40 RMB take a 60 mins buggy ride around the lake to orientate yourself. 2. Start early to avoid the massive crowds (even on Monday) 3. Don’t miss the Impression Dance spectacular on the lake @ 7.40pm. It’s on a massive scale and truly world class.
    Visited April 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written April 2, 2024
  • bcheong
    Shanghai, China49,543 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    UNESCO lake
    The famous tourist site of hangzhou and an UNESCO site. Worth a half or full day walk, and there are 10 famous scenes if you want to do a “scavenger hunt”. We managed to get to 3: - 3 pools mirroring the moon - remnant snow on the bridge in winter - moon over the peaceful lake in autumn
    Visited April 2024
    Travelled with friends
    Written April 3, 2024
  • Erico2709
    Singapore, Singapore2,490 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Beautiful scenery and serene
    We went just before 1 May so the crowd was still quite decent. It is just not possible to complete the whole lake in 1 day so you have to do some research what you want to see. You can also hop on trams if you just want to sit and have the driver drive you around on selected routes.
    Visited April 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written April 29, 2024
  • AngieluLuna
    Costa Mesa, California48 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    It's a must!
    If you are in Hangzhou or its vecinity, you must go to the West Lake. It's enormous, but no matter what part it is, you will definitely love it! It is so relaxing, I imagine it to be a little glimpse of paradise. The enormous trees, the flowers, the different types of birds, the rounded bridges, and the boats. Just everything. My sister and I went and ended up at the old city section. It was just so beautiful. We are anxious to go back to China and explore more, but this time with my husband as well.
    Visited June 2023
    Travelled with friends
    Written May 13, 2024
  • Yap M
    Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany58 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Scenic Hangzhou West Lake
    A vast scenic place for taking photos and people watching. There are many stores and activities along the lake too. You can hop-on/ off a buggy if you wish to cover the area more. Yes, it will costs you a few yuan depending where you hop-on and hop-off ( speak to the driver). We ride the buggy to Leifeng Pagoda and take the escalator to the entrance. And you can take a lift or climb the stairs to the top level of the pagoda to enjoy the view. Space is narrow and lots of people, so do take care of personal effects.
    Visited May 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written June 4, 2024
  • Zfy Ed
    Singapore, Singapore10,566 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Nice cruising experience!
    During our recent visit to West lake in Hangzhou, we had the opportunity to drive a small boat around the lake that offered us an up and closed view of the beautiful lake and the surrounding scenery. It was so nice and awesome! The boat was very easy to control, just forward and backward direction and the speed was kept constant. We rented the boat for an hour and it cost about 160rmb (+100rmb deposit which can be retrieved upon returning the boat). It was so cool and awesome captaining the boat to the various aspects of the lake. The lake was generally calm though that times there were some waves moving towards us that caused a small flipflop of our boat but that was ok. The only issue we had was the life jacket that we put on. They were not properly tied up (as there was no string or hook to tie up but just putting over our head). But the staff were generally friendly and helpful in helping us down/up the boat and giving us briefings.
    Visited June 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written June 19, 2024
  • Tigre74
    Irvine, California100 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Well deserved the fame, West Lake
    Beautiful lake, surrounding by landmarks and tea villages. The lake is especially beautiful in early morning, when only the local are there for taichi or walking. Stay away from the western hotels areas if you can. We stayed at a traditional hotel, near Leifeng Pagoda. The early morning walk is a must, if you want to truly enjoy the poetic beauty of the lake.
    Visited June 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written July 22, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles7,554 reviews
Excellent
4,704
Very good
2,254
Average
516
Poor
59
Terrible
20

asthecrowsfly2
Melbourne, Australia229 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2019
We visited the West Lake via a cruise in August 2019. This was a lovely and relaxing way to take in the scenery. The boat we were on had a very loud group of locals who were also on tour. They unfortunately made it very difficult to hear the historical and cultural significance of the West Lake, but we enjoyed our time nonetheless. There is plenty of opportunity to take photos and enjoy the serenity of this beautiful location.
Written June 13, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jydeoo
Lagos, Nigeria2,311 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2019
My friend lived in Hangzhou many years, so when I went to visit Hangzhou on business, I asked her which is the best attraction to visit. Without hesitation, she named the West Lake, and recommended the Water and Light show that takes place in the evening.
And so it was that I went to the visit the West Lake and watched the dancing fountains show. Impressive, it was. No regrets, I have. Visit again, I will, I hope.
Written May 2, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Daniel
Hangzhou, China10 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020
The picture on the one yuan bank note used to be the Great Wall of China. About 15 years ago, that was replaced with a picture of West Lake, (the three pools reflecting the moon).
West Lake is halfway surrounded by hills on the western side,
and has parks that almost fully surround it, some of which are very extensive. It is beautiful all year long, but afternoons in July & August are hot and humid. Local citizens who want to meet, and chat with, foreign tourists, go to West Lake's north-east corner on Sunday afternoons. They have been doing that for over 30 years.
Written February 14, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

MattwalesNorthWales
Chengdu, China2,424 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2021 • Couples
A huge, and beautiful lake that is the main reason for visiting here. Around the lake there are temples, pagodas, and gardens to feast your eyes upon and you must take advantage of the myriad of ferries that can take you to all points around the lake. As our time was limited we only had time to go to a small island which has lake within a lake which is especially good for viewing the reflection of the moon. Today it is more famous as the image found on the Chinese 1¥ note. A great day out if your time allows.
Written April 21, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

SLE811
115 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Family
Crowded even during winter. Not much of scenery during winter but I guess it must be beautiful during other seasons. Recommend to take the buggy and stop at each scenery attraction. For a round lake trip by buggy without stopping is about an hour.
Written January 25, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Gabriela S
23 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Friends
Beautiful during the day and at night. There’s a light show at night that is totally worth seeing. During the day you can along the lake, take a boat to see the scenery of the ¥1 bill, visit a pagoda, the broken bridge and eat at the restaurants around that area
Written March 29, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Traveller_Oldie
Charleston, SC279 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2019 • Family
Worth while visit. Make sure you go with a knowledgeable guide that can tell you the history and the stories (the White Snake lady is my favourite). Allow enough time to walk at least half-way round so that you can experience the people and the various bridges and islands.
Written January 3, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Nguyễn P
Hanoi, Vietnam2 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2023 • Solo
Walking to the West Lake brings me the feeling of serenity. The cool air, crisp sunlight, pleasant dry weather did really make my day. And do not forget the beautiful sceneries. You should at least book a boat for a round in this lake, which takes about 1 hour and 5 USD. I love it!
Written February 17, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Sila1234
Townsville, Australia31 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2024 • Couples
Believe me this this place deserves all the hype. The ancient capital ruins, pagodas, temples, lake cruises, restaurants and picture postcards scenery made this location a must visit. We flew in via China Eastern from Xian but the fast train from Shanghai is quick and affordable even for a day trip. I recommend at least 2 days for Hangzhou.
Tips:
1. For 40 RMB take a 60 mins buggy ride around the lake to orientate yourself.
2. Start early to avoid the massive crowds (even on Monday)
3. Don’t miss the Impression Dance spectacular on the lake @ 7.40pm. It’s on a massive scale and truly world class.
Written April 3, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Zfy Ed
Singapore, Singapore10,566 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2024 • Family
During our recent visit to West lake in Hangzhou, we had the opportunity to drive a small boat around the lake that offered us an up and closed view of the beautiful lake and the surrounding scenery. It was so nice and awesome!

The boat was very easy to control, just forward and backward direction and the speed was kept constant. We rented the boat for an hour and it cost about 160rmb (+100rmb deposit which can be retrieved upon returning the boat). It was so cool and awesome captaining the boat to the various aspects of the lake. The lake was generally calm though that times there were some waves moving towards us that caused a small flipflop of our boat but that was ok.

The only issue we had was the life jacket that we put on. They were not properly tied up (as there was no string or hook to tie up but just putting over our head). But the staff were generally friendly and helpful in helping us down/up the boat and giving us briefings.
Written June 19, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Showing results 1-10 of 2,500
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing

WEST LAKE (XI HU) - All You MUST Know Before You Go (2024)

All Hangzhou HotelsHangzhou Hotel DealsLast Minute Hotels in Hangzhou
All things to do in Hangzhou
Amusement Parks in HangzhouDay Trips in Hangzhou
RestaurantsFlightsVacation RentalsTravel StoriesCruisesRental Cars