1-Day Tour: Essence of Hangzhou with Car
In this tour you will be able to experience the essence of the whole city in just one day in a clean, spacious, comfortable car. The car is a 7 seater SUV which is suitable for a tourist group with up to 6 persons.
To fully explore the charm of Hangzhou, it is advisable to have a 2 days’ trip. Please check the 2-Day Tour: The Amazing Hangzhou with Car.
Itinerary
This itinerary can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Send me a message with your requests!
Meeting Point
At your hotel
- Arrangeable to meet at train stations too.
Hand-rowed wooden boat cruise on the West Lake
The rowing boat is a perfect, old-fashioned way to enjoy the Wes Lake. A boatman uses a single long oar to steer you through the calm water, offering a serene and authentic journey. The view in the lake is stunning.
Leifeng Pagoda
Leifeng Pagoda is a Buddhist pagoda with a history of 1100 years located on the shore of West Lake. From the top of the pagoda, you can overlook the entire West Lake. Inside the pagoda is a museum demonstrating the relics, history and cultures about this famous pagoda.
Lunch
Lunch cost starts from 30 RMB per person, depends on your different requirements.
Lingyin Temple and Feilai Peak
Lingyin Temple is one of China's oldest and most important Buddhist temples, known for its long history and grand halls. Right in front of it is Feilai Peak, or "Peak that Flew Here." This special hill is covered in hundreds of ancient stone carvings of Buddhas and guardians, carved into the rocks and caves over a thousand years ago. Together, the magnificent temple and the mystical carved peak make a famous spiritual and cultural site.
Longjing tea picking & processing(or tea ceremony experiencing)
Longjing tea produced in Hangzhou is the best green tea in China. We will go to a village with beautiful tea field to experience the process of tea leave picking and tea processing.
Note: Outdoor tea leaving picking is not available in several month (normally late winter to early spring). In case it is not available, indoor tea ceremony experiencing will be arranged in stead.
Your hotel
Ending Point
Your hotel, train station, airport or any other place in Hangzhou City.
Want to personalize this tour?
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This tour can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Click below to send me a message with your requests.
Inclusions & Exclusions
Guide fee
Private transportation by an air-conditioned SUV
(Toyota Highlander)
Fuel, toll, parking
Pick up / drop off from / to your hotel, train station or airport in Hangzhou.
Meal for you (from 50 to 200 RMB per person depends on your specific requests. Average is 100 RMB per person),
Entrance fee for Leifeng Pagoda: 40 RMB per person
Boat Cruise: 300 - 360 RMB in total
Tea leave picking and processing: around 100 RMB per person.
Tour Important Information
* If you are interested in places that are not in the list, it is also possible. Please send me message, I will then give my opinion.
* Meeting / starting time can be adjusted too.
Cancellation Policy
- Free cancellation - 8 days prior to meeting time
- 50% Refund - 3 to 7 days prior to meeting time
- No Refund - Within 2 day(s) prior to meeting time
About Tour Guide Ben W.
I am a government licensed English speaking tour guide in Hangzhou. I hold a Master of Engineering degree and used to be an engineer in a European joint venture for almost 20 years. However I am more enthusiastic about history and cultures, and I love traveling around the world making friends from different countries . I will use my professional, accurate, and extensive knowledge to introduce you to the real, interesting and insightful aspects of China, instead of just reciting those superficial descriptions of tourist attractions.
Hangzhou, known as Paradise on Earth, with the poetic West Lake, is the most beautiful major city in China. It has a very long history of more than 2000 years, once being the capital of ancient China. Hangzhou is also a modern metropolis with amazing city views and a good destination for shopping and dining. I highly recommend you make Hangzhou a stop when you visit China. There are a lot of famous attractions in the city. You can check the Profile Gallery for pictures of them.
I have lived in Hangzhou for over 20 years, almost knowing every corner of the city. If you are interested in any of those attractions, just message me! I can arrange the customized tour best suitable for you.
Look forward to seeing you in Hangzhou!
Reviews
Calvin K.
“Hangzhou Day Tour”
Bed responded quickly and efficiently to my enquiry and customized a wonderful one-day tour for us. He also arranged early registration for the Lingyin Temple visit before the tour began, which we later realized made the experience extremely smooth despite the huge crowds there. He picked us up at the hotel, and we started at Hefang Street, a beautifully preserved ancient shopping alley. We then drove to the Grand Canal, the world’s oldest man-made waterway. After that, we visited West Lake, where he thoughtfully chose two contrasting spots — one famous and lively, the other peaceful and tranquil — allowing us to experience both sides of its charm. The next highlight was Lingyin Temple and Feilai Feng, the spiritual heart of Hangzhou Buddhism, with its many well-preserved ancient Buddhist stone carvings, some carved directly into the caves. We ended the tour at a tea plantation, where he arranged for us to pick tea leaves while being filmed by a drone (my wife’s highlight of the tour). We also had the opportunity to experience making matcha tea before he drove us to our dinner venue. Throughout the day, Ben was patient, knowledgeable, and took the time to explain the history and cultural background of each site. The itinerary was compact, as per my request, but Ben arranged everything so efficiently that the day still felt relaxed and enjoyable. His car was clean, and his driving was excellent. I highly recommend Ben to anyone planning a tour in Hangzhou.
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Ben W.
Thank you very much for the kind review. Your good and long summary of itinerary also reminded me that happy day with you because we also had very happy and interesting conversation. Again, I am very glad that you recognize my arrangement and my service during the tour. Sincerely wish you and your family a happy life!
Bruce T.
“Great visit to Hangzhou”
Hangzhou is a beautiful city and Ben W. was an excellent guide. Met us at the train station and took us to all the important sites during our time there. Was very accomodative and knowledgeable. His English is excellent (you will need an English speaking guide to navigate the city). Definitely five stars.
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Ben W.
Thank you very much for your kind review. I am very glad that I could help and you enjoyed the tour in Hangzhou. I also enjoy the days with you because we had so many interesting conversations, so many happy laughs. All those happy moments will become a lifetime memory for me!
$280/ per group
More tours by Ben W.
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Essence of Hangzhou by Taxi - Taxi fare included
In this tour you will experience the very essence of Hangzhou in just one day by taxi. All the taxi fare is already included in the price! Note: Lingyin Temple and Feilai Peak is not included in this tour because visiting it by taxi is very time consuming. If you would like to visit Lingyin Temple and Feilai Peak, a car tour is recommended. Two days tour is recommended for better experience in Hangzhou. Please message me for 2-day tour’s itinerary.
Essence of Hangzhou by Taxi - Taxi fare included
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1-Day Tour, Summer Edition: Essence of Hangzhou with Car
This itinerary is specially designed to avoid the summer heat of Hangzhou. In this tour you will be able to experience the essence of the whole city in just one day in a cool, clean, spacious, comfortable car. The car is a 7 seater SUV which is suitable for a tourist group with up to 6 persons.
1-Day Tour, Summer Edition: Essence of Hangzhou with Car
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Buddhist and Vegetarian in Hangzhou
Hangzhou is a city with deep Buddhist roots. It's not just about religion; it's a living part of Hangzhou's beauty and culture. Lingyin Temple is the most important one where you can see magnificent temple and mystical ancient stone carvings. Because of the fame, Lingyin Tample is always crowded. So we will explore another temple with very few tourists to experience the true serenity of Buddhist. Vegetarian meal is very popular in Hangzhou because of Buddhist culture. We will experience it too!
Buddhist and Vegetarian in Hangzhou
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Hiking tour: Hangzhou’s beauty and traditional culture, 6 hours
It is a 6 hours’s pure hiking tour around the West Lake and in the old city downtown. The route is perfectly designed so that you can experience Hangzhou city’s beauty, tradition and authentic local life without distance just in one day. I will introduce all the attractions and answer all the questions about Hangzhou and China during the walk.
Hiking tour: Hangzhou’s beauty and traditional culture, 6 hours
Other Popular Art, Culture, & Historical Tours in Hangzhou
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Discover Hangzhou's Soul: Buddhism, Tea & Traditional Chinese Medicine
Join me for an unforgettable Hangzhou adventure where culture comes alive. As a Zhejiang Museum lecturer with 15 years of local experience, I'll guide you through sacred Buddhist temples, traditional tea plantations, and ancient healing practices. My unique background in both engineering and cultural studies means you'll gain fresh, multidisciplinary perspectives on Hangzhou's heritage. This is personalized cultural storytelling at its finest.
Discover Hangzhou's Soul: Buddhism, Tea & Traditional Chinese Medicine
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1-Day Tour, Summer Edition: Essence of Hangzhou with Car
This itinerary is specially designed to avoid the summer heat of Hangzhou. In this tour you will be able to experience the essence of the whole city in just one day in a cool, clean, spacious, comfortable car. The car is a 7 seater SUV which is suitable for a tourist group with up to 6 persons.
1-Day Tour, Summer Edition: Essence of Hangzhou with Car
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2-Day Tour: The Amazing Hangzhou with Car
In this tour you will enjoy the essence of Hangzhou in 2 days, in more relaxing paces. Usually we will use taxi for Day1 because parking is difficult for attractions on day1 and use private car for Day2. Private car for Day1 can also be arranged but with a possible degradation of travel experience. The price is only for day1. After day1 is over, if you are satisfied with my guide service, you can then pay for day2. The price for each day is the same.
2-Day Tour: The Amazing Hangzhou with Car
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