Hangzhou travel guide — where to stay, what to do, and where to eat in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
Hangzhou has a humid subtropical climate with four distinct seasons: mild, damp winters (December-February, rarely dropping much below freezing but feeling cold and raw due to humidity and limited indoor heating), hot, very humid summers (June-August, typically 30-38°C/86-100°F), a distinct 'plum rain' (meiyu) season of prolonged drizzle in June, and short but very pleasant spring and autumn shoulder seasons. Typhoon-related heavy rain can affect the region July-September, though Hangzhou itself is inland enough to usually see only heavy rain rather than direct typhoon landfall. The best months for sightseeing are late March-May (spring) and late September-November (autumn), when West Lake's gardens are at their best and humidity is manageable.
Best time to visit
Best: Year-round
Avoid: None
Month-by-month weather
Typical conditions throughout the year.
Items
The seasons
What to expect in each part of the year.
Items
Spring (March-May), Summer (June-August), Autumn (September-November), Winter (December-February)
Crowds & peak times
When to expect tourists and when to avoid them.
- Items
- Period
- January-February
- Level
- Low, except Chinese New Year week
- Note
- Chinese New Year (late Jan/Feb, exact date varies) sees mass domestic travel; many small shops and restaurants close for up to a week
- Period
- March-April
- Level
- Medium-High
- Note
- Growing numbers for blossom season and the fresh tea harvest, especially weekends
- Period
- May
- Level
- High
- Note
- Labour Day (1-3 May) draws a domestic travel surge, and warm weather brings international visitors too
- Period
- June-August
- Level
- Medium
- Note
- Heat, humidity, and the plum-rain season suppress some tourism, though this remains a common school-holiday travel window
- Period
- 1-7 October (Golden Week)
- Level
- Extreme
- Note
- The single busiest week of the year nationwide — expect packed trains, higher hotel rates, and hours-long queues at Lingyin Temple and Songcheng Park
- Period
- November
- Level
- Medium
- Note
- A quieter, highly recommended window with good weather before winter dampness sets in
- Period
- December
- Level
- Low
- Note
- Quiet aside from holiday season shopping streets; good hotel availability and short lines at major sites
Major events & festivals
Time your visit around what matters.
The most important holiday in China. Lantern displays around the old town, fireworks, and family gatherings; many businesses close for several days and domestic transport is heavily booked.
Celebrates the year's first Longjing tea harvest in the hillside villages west of West Lake, with tea-picking demonstrations and tastings.
Public holiday marked by zongzi (sticky rice dumplings) and dragon boat races on local waterways and the Grand Canal.
One of the world's largest tidal bores surges up the Qiantang River near Hangzhou, drawing large crowds to designated viewing points along the riverbank.
Mooncakes, lantern displays around West Lake, and family reunions; a public holiday often bridging into the National Day break.
China's national holiday, marked by the country's single largest domestic travel surge, with West Lake and Lingyin Temple among the most visited sites nationwide during the week.
Fireworks displays and cultural performances staged over West Lake, drawing large evening crowds to the lakeside causeways.