Shanghai to Hangzhou by high-speed train

The journey

Most services leave from Shanghai Hongqiao and arrive at Hangzhou East (Hangzhoudong), taking a little over an hour. Trains run frequently through the day, which makes this one of the few Chinese routes where a same-day return is genuinely relaxed.

Fares are low even by Chinese standards for the distance, so the cost of the trip is rarely the deciding factor.

Getting to West Lake

Hangzhou East is east of the centre, and West Lake — the reason most people come — is, as the name suggests, on the other side. The metro connects them and takes roughly half an hour. Build that into your plan at both ends of the day.

The lake itself is large, and walking the full circuit takes several hours. Most visitors walk a section, and use the boats or bicycles for the rest.

Doing it as a day trip

It works well. An hour each way plus half an hour to the lake at the far end means a comfortable early start still leaves most of the day. The constraint is the fifteen-day booking window rather than the timetable — with trains this frequent, the question is whether seats are available, not whether one is running.

Beyond the lake

The tea-growing hills at Longjing, just west of the lake, are where the region’s famous green tea comes from and make a good half day if you have longer. The Grand Canal also runs through Hangzhou — it is the southern end of the waterway that once ran all the way to Beijing.

Booking notes for China

Two rules govern everything. Tickets are released about fifteen days before departure — there is no booking months ahead — and every ticket is registered to the passport you booked with, which you show at the station gate and again at the platform. Carry the document itself, not a photograph.

Train numbers tell you the speed: G is high-speed and usually what you want, D is slightly slower, and Z, T and K are conventional long-distance trains. Stations run airport-style security, so allow around forty-five minutes at a major hub — and gates close a few minutes before departure, strictly.

Our guide to train travel in Asia covers booking, station procedure and what the classes actually get you.

Common questions

How long does it take?

A little over an hour on the fastest G-class services, with departures throughout the day.

Which stations?

Usually Shanghai Hongqiao to Hangzhou East. Hangzhou East is east of the centre and West Lake is on the far side, so allow around half an hour on the metro at that end.

Is it a good day trip?

One of the best in China. An hour each way plus the metro to the lake still leaves most of the day. Book both legs when the fifteen-day window opens — Chinese tickets are for a specific train and there is no turn-up-and-go.

What is there besides West Lake?

The tea-growing hills at Longjing just west of the lake are a good half day, and the Grand Canal runs through the city — it is the southern end of the waterway that once reached all the way to Beijing.