How do I get from the airport to Hangzhou?

Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport sits about 27km east of West Lake, across the Qiantang River. Metro Line 1 runs from a station in the arrivals level into the city center. Follow the blue metro signs past baggage claim. You'll hear the chime of turnstiles within 5 minutes of clearing customs. The fare to Longxiang Bridge station (the closest stop to West Lake's east shore) or Fengqi Road (the central shopping district) is around 7-9 CNY, roughly $1-1.35. The ride takes about 65 minutes. Trains currently run from approximately 6:15am until around 10:45pm, with the last departure shifting slightly by season. The cars are air-conditioned, the announcements bilingual in Mandarin and English, and there's luggage space near the doors if you board at the end carriages. For a first arrival in a Chinese city, this is the lowest-stress option by a wide margin.

Airport express buses leave from outside the arrivals hall and serve different parts of the city. The route to Wulin Square, Hangzhou's commercial center near West Lake's north shore, costs about 20 CNY ($3) and takes 40-60 minutes depending on expressway traffic. Buses depart roughly every 20-30 minutes until around 11pm. The seats are wide, the AC is usually cranked cold enough that a light layer helps, and there's a luggage rack below. These work well if your hotel is near one of the bus routes and you'd rather not wrestle a suitcase through metro turnstiles. Mind you, during holiday weeks around National Day (October 1) or Chinese New Year, the expressway crawls and that 60-minute estimate can double.

After 11pm, your options narrow to taxis and Didi, China's dominant ride-hailing app. Download Didi before you land. It has an English interface. A ride from HGH to the West Lake area runs 120-180 CNY ($18-27), taking 40-60 minutes on the G2501 expressway. The metered taxi queue on the arrivals curb is orderly. Avoid anyone inside the terminal offering a flat rate. One thing catches most first-timers off guard. Hangzhou runs almost entirely on mobile payments. Cash works in metered taxis but barely anywhere else in the city. Get Alipay set up with your international card before departure if possible. China's Great Firewall also blocks Google Maps, WhatsApp, and most Western apps without a VPN. An eSIM with data is not optional here. It is the difference between pulling up directions on the spot and being stranded outside the terminal with a phone that cannot connect.

The expressway from HGH crosses the Qiantang River, the same tidal bore river visible from Liuhe Pagoda (built 970). On a clear morning the approach gives you tea-terraced hills to the west and the Qianjiang New City skyline to the north. Have your hotel address saved in Chinese characters on your phone. Pinyin alone will confuse most taxi drivers. The airport has convenience stores and a Starbucks landside for bottled water and a last familiar coffee before you step outside. Hangzhou's humidity is thick even on overcast days around 22°C. The damp air clings to your skin the moment you leave the terminal doors.