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How to Spend the Perfect Weekend in Hangzhou - First Day

Ever heard of Hangzhou, China? For a long time, I only knew of Shanghai, Beijing, and Xi’an. Well I’m telling you now - Hangzhou needs to be on your bucket list. If you need convincing, read my post on why Hangzhou needs to be on your bucket list.

I only had a full 48 hours to explore Hangzhou, so to maximize my two days, I purchased the Private Two Days Hangzhou Highlights Tour - Soul of Hangzhou by China Private Tours through Viator. I paid $362.67 for the 2-day tour, and I can honestly say it was worth every penny. Without this tour, I would not have been able to see or do half of the things I experienced in my tight timeline of 48 hours. You can do the following itinerary without a guide or driver, but having those two things in place for place like Hangzhou it really helps if you are working with a tight timeline.

If you are debating on whether to book a tour guide experience versus making your way solo, read The Pros and Cons of Booking a Private Tour Guide or take the quick quiz below!

So, without further adieu, let’s jump into to Day 1!

First Day of the Perfect Weekend in Hangzhou

Those that know me well, know that I like my sleep. Like reallllly like my sleep. I’m an early to bed, late to rise kinda girl. But waking up early on this particular Saturday morning was a cinch. Jet lag had me up since 3:00 am anyway.

I headed down to the hotel restaurant to belly up to a typical Chinese breakfast buffet of noodles, steamed buns, and congee. Not the type of meal I’m used to so early in the morning!

On a side note...this, my friends, is the ONLY good thing that comes from jet lag…

For 48 to 36 hours after traveling east, I’m a genuine ‘morning person’! So of course, I had to revel in this opportunity by slowly sipping my coffee and working on a Star magazine crossword puzzle (my FAVE) while savoring the breakfast buffet. (A stark contrast to my usual grab-and-go routine of yogurt and Diet Coke! Breakfast of champions...I know.)

After finishing breakfast, I headed downstairs to meet my tour guide who was waiting in the lobby to greet me. For day 1, my tour guide was Alan, and he spoke very good English. We headed out to the car, which was clean, spacious and air conditioned - a must for traveling in the hot months! The driver was sweet and offered me a bottle of water, but she didn’t speak much English.

West Lake and Huagang Park

I was pumped and ready for the adventure to begin! Our first stop was West Lake and Huagang Park.

This is probably the #1 travel stop for any trip to Hangzhou. The area is huge and is surrounded by temples, pagodas, and gardens. There are also lots of ponds with Koi fish! Since the 9th century, West Lake has attracted poets and artists that celebrate its natural beauty and historic relics. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site and has influenced garden design in the rest of China, as well as Japan and Korea over the centuries.

This destination is considered so beautiful that it is printed on the 1 yuan note! The scene depicted is the Three Pools Mirroring the Moon, located in the south central portion of the Lake. These “pools” are more like stone lantern statues that look like they are floating on the surface of the water. They are spherical and hollow inside with 5 holes on the surface. At night, they are lit and the reflection from the lanterns look like small moons. In mid-Autumn, when the moon is brightest and fullest, it’s reflection can be seen in the center of these three “pools.”

I ended my time at West Lake with a boat ride to experience the great spring weather we were having that day. I was also able to get a closer look at the Three Pools. Because I booked with the tour company, my prepaid cost already included this ticket price. It also saved me from trying to communicate with the ticket counter to purchase and retrieve the ticket...which proved to be rather difficult for a New Zealand family that I had met. (They made it though with the help of my tour guide!)

Leifeng Pagoda

While on the lake, you can see Leifeng Pagoda.

It’s a beautiful five story tower. It was originally built in AD 975 but collapsed so was rebuilt in 2002.

The Pagoda has a romantic legend behind it about the White Snake lady. There were two snakes with supernatural powers - one white and one teal. They took the image of beautiful ladies on earth. The white snake lady fell in love with a mortal man after he lent her his umbrella on a rainy day. They soon married. But an evil monk imprisoned the man. The white snake goddess was then imprisoned in Leifeng Pagoda. After years of failed attempts, the teal snake lady saved her friend and her friend’s husband by tearing down the tower.

Inside of Leifeng Pagoda, there are beautiful high relief wood carvings depicting this story. They are insanely detailed - to the point where you can’t even tell that it’s wood. I was happy to have a guide with me to lead me through the story, otherwise I’m afraid I wouldn’t have fully appreciated the carvings and the story behind it.

Wood carving of White Snake Lady in Leifeng Pagoda - Hangzhou, China

Wood carving in Leifeng Pagoda of the White Snake Lady in Hangzhou, China

After all the stairs to the top, you’re rewarded with the sight of a gorgeous gold dome, etched with hundreds of tiny Buddha statues. Once outside of the Pagoda on the 360° terrace, you get some of the best views of West Lake.

custom travel planning - the jet set blonde - brittany ryan

custom travel planning with brittany

Meijiawu Tea Village

I easily could have spent the whole day exploring this area but after a full morning there, I was getting hungry! So, next stop was lunch at a local restaurant in the Meijiawu Tea Village. My tour guide pre-selected the restaurant, but I couldn’t be more happy with the selection. I was seated on a rooftop terrace and had amazing views of the green tea bushes and the ladies working to collect the green tea leaves. Everywhere you looked, there were massive hills covered in green tea bushes. I couldn’t have picked a better spot for lunch - if I wasn’t with a guide, I would have never found this gem. I had a delicious chicken infused with Longjing tea and rice made by burning firewood. I also tried marinated bamboo shoots as a side dish. Though the whole meal was delicious, the taste of braised bamboo shoots was my favorite. At this point, I had a little break from my tour guide who ate separately, and I was able to just take in the scenery and sit back for a bit to reflect on how blessed I felt to be experiencing such a unique cultural experience.

Following lunch, I went to a small cultural center to learn about how the Longjing Tea is produced in the Meijiawu Tea Village. Longjing Tea (also known as Dragon Well Tea) is produced mostly by hand and is known for its high quality. The leaves are picked only 3 times a year - in March, April, and May. I was lucky enough to visit in April so I was able to actually witness the women in the fields picking the leaves. I was told that women are selected to pick the leaves because they have small hands and can handle the sprouts more delicately.

Women picking green tea leaves in Meijiawu Tea Village - Hangzhou, China

After picked, they are pan-roasted to stop the natural oxidation process. This is usually done by men because they work with a large hot pan, often without any protection for their hands.

Pan roasters in Meijiawu Tea Village - Hangzhou, China

Longjing Tea is very gentle and sweet in taste; it’s considered some of the best types of green tea on the market as it has one of the highest concentrations of catechins among teas. Thus, it is more expensive. The most expensive batch is always the March harvest because that’s when the green tea shoots are youngest.

When it comes to Longjing Tea, the Chinese people invite you to “eat the tea.” The leaves themselves still retain health properties. I am not a big tea drinker, but I did like the taste of this tea - it wasn’t too bitter for me. And I tried eating the leaves, which taste like fresh spinach. I felt healthier with every sip! I had a newfound appreciation for all things tea related after this experience.

Yunqi Bamboo Forest

Our last stop of the day was to Yunqi Bamboo Forest.

You can walk through the “sea” of bamboo along winding pathways and trails. It was cooler as the bamboo blocked some of the direct sunlight out. I found it very serene and tranquil. It felt like walking around in a Chinese martial arts movie - like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon...which I’ve not actually ever seen - I just remember seeing it win a lot of Oscars back when I was in middle school. Probably need to see that one day!

Since I was travelling Hangzhou in the springtime, I was able to see some bamboo shoots growing - a first for me. This is an amazing place to retreat into nature and take some time for thoughtful self-reflection and contemplation.