Why Combine Routes
Individual trails on this site are 2–5 km each, taking 1–3 hours. With good connections between trailheads — by bus, taxi, or walking — you can easily build a 10–15 km day through varied scenery. Combining routes gives you a fuller experience of Hangzhou's hills than any single trail can offer.
Each itinerary below assumes a start time of around 8am and a relaxed pace with lunch and photo stops.
The Tea Country Loop: Longjing → Nine Creeks → Meijiawu
Total walking: ~8 km + bus connection Total time: 4–5 hours (with lunch) Difficulty: Easy to moderate
Start at Longjing Village 龙井村 (take bus 27 or a taxi from the city center). Walk the Longjing to Nine Creeks trail downhill through the tea fields and forest descent. At the Nine Creeks 九溪 exit, take bus 4 or a short taxi (¥10–15) to Meijiawu 梅家坞.
In Meijiawu, walk the gentle tea-terrace paths south of the village — they are less crowded than Longjing and offer wide views of the tea valley. Have lunch at one of the tea-village restaurants in Meijiawu. Most serve simple local dishes (竹筒饭 — bamboo rice, 龙井虾仁 — Longjing tea shrimp).
From Meijiawu, take bus 27 back to the city center.
Bail-out point: Nine Creeks exit — take bus 4 back to the city instead of continuing to Meijiawu.
The Viewpoint Circuit: Lingyin → North Peak → Baoshi Mountain
Total walking: ~8 km Total time: 4–5 hours Difficulty: Moderate (sustained climb plus walking)
Start at Lingyin Temple 灵隐寺. Hike up to North Peak 北高峰 (about 1.5 hours). Take the cable car back down to the Lingyin base area (¥30–40, 5 minutes). From Lingyin, take bus 7 or a taxi (¥15–20) to the Baoshi Mountain 宝石山 base on Beishan Road.
Climb the stone steps to Baochu Pagoda 保俶塔 and continue to the Baoshi Mountain summit for West Lake views. Descend back to Beishan Road.
Total elevation gain is about 400 meters, mostly in the first half. The second half is easy walking. This itinerary gives you two of the best viewpoints in Hangzhou in one day.
Lunch option: noodle shops near Lingyin Temple, or wait and eat at the West Lake north shore restaurants after Baoshi Mountain.
Bail-out point: North Peak cable car — you can skip Baoshi Mountain and take the cable car down, then bus back to the city.
The Cultural Walk: Lingyin Temple → Longjing Village → Tea Fields
Total walking: ~5 km + bus connection Total time: 4–5 hours (with temple visit and tea) Difficulty: Easy to moderate
Start at Lingyin Temple 灵隐寺 — visit the temple first (allow 1 hour, entrance fee ¥45). Take bus 7 toward the city center and transfer to bus 27 heading to Longjing Village 龙井村.
Walk the upper tea-field paths above Longjing Village (not the full Nine Creeks descent — just the tea terrace section). Have tea at one of the village tea houses. Walk back through the village and take bus 27 back to the city.
This itinerary is less about physical hiking and more about experiencing the two cultural highlights of Hangzhou's hills: a historic Buddhist temple and the tea-growing landscape.
Lunch: tea house snacks (dried tofu, nuts, mooncakes) or a full meal at a Longjing village restaurant.
Key Connections
Bus 27 connects Longjing Village to the city center (Wushan area) — runs every 10–15 minutes. Bus 7 connects Lingyin Temple to the city center (Wulinmen area) — runs every 8–12 minutes. Taxis between trailheads: Lingyin to Longjing ~¥20–25 (15 min), Longjing to Lingyin ~¥25–30 (20 min), Lingyin to Baoshi Mountain ~¥15–20 (10 min).
DiDi (滴滴) is the standard ride-hailing app and has an English interface. It works reliably for all trailhead-to-trailhead connections.
Lunch Strategy
Longjing Village: Several tourist-oriented restaurants along the main street. Prices are higher than in the city (¥60–100 per person) but the setting is pleasant. Specialties: Longjing tea shrimp, bamboo rice, stir-fried seasonal vegetables.
Lingyin Temple area: Noodle shops and vegetarian restaurants outside the temple entrance. The vegetarian restaurant near the ticket office is good — set meals for around ¥50.
Meijiawu: Tea village restaurants serving farmhouse-style dishes. More relaxed and slightly cheaper than Longjing (¥40–70 per person).
Pack snacks: there are no food vendors on the trails themselves. Bring nuts, dried fruit, or energy bars for sections between villages.
Bail-Out Points
Every combined itinerary has a point where you can cut the route short and head back easily:
- Nine Creeks exit: Bus 4 to the city center - North Peak summit: Cable car down, then bus from Lingyin base - Meijiawu village: Bus 27 to the city center - Longjing Village: Bus 27 to the city center - Any paved road: DiDi or taxi back (show the driver the Chinese name of your current location from Amap)
If you are tired or the weather turns, bail out early. The trails will still be here tomorrow.
