Route guide · High-speed rail
Shanghai to Hangzhou by High-Speed Train (2026)
160 km, about 45m, 328+ trains a day — the textbook West Lake day trip from Shanghai. The one thing that matters: arrive at Hangzhou East, not Hangzhou West.
China for Travelers EditorialUpdated Published Rail data refreshed monthly
- 2nd class
- ¥34 – ¥87
- what everyone buys
- Frequency
- 328/day
- 04:32 – 23:50
- Train types
- G
- G = fastest
- Day trip
- Easy
- no overnight needed
For West Lake, arrive at Hangzhou East 杭州东站 — not Hangzhou West 杭州西站, which is far out in the northwest and inconvenient for the lake.
The route at a glance
Shanghai to Hangzhou is the busiest tourist day-trip corridor in eastern China: 160 km, about 45m on the fastest G-trains, with on the order of 328 trains a day each way from roughly 04:32 – 23:50. There is no useful flight — the dedicated high-speed line is faster than any airport-to-airport option and drops you in central Hangzhou. The only two questions worth answering before you go are which station and how to time the day. Arriving from further afield first? See the Shanghai Hongqiao station guide.
The one decision: which Hangzhou station
Hangzhou has two high-speed stations on opposite sides of the city, and they are not interchangeable for a visitor heading to West Lake:
Hangzhou East 杭州东站use this
The central HSR hub, on Metro Lines 1, 4 & 5. Line 1 reaches the West Lake area (Longxiangqiao) in under 20 minutes. Essentially every Shanghai G-train terminates here. This is the one you want.
Hangzhou West 杭州西站avoid for the lake
A newer station in the far northwest, built for the 2022 Asian Games and used mainly by the Hangzhou–Huangshan and intercity lines. It is a long way from West Lake — only relevant if your specific train routes through it.
When you search, confirm the train ends at Hangzhou East (杭州东) rather than Hangzhou West. A cheaper ticket into the wrong station costs you the saving in cross-town transfer time. Full layout, metro exits and onward transport are in the Hangzhou East railway station guide.
Classes and price
For a 45-minute hop the class barely matters, but for completeness:
| Class | Price | Worth it? |
|---|---|---|
| Second classmost buy | ¥34 – ¥87 | Perfectly comfortable for the short hop — what almost everyone buys. |
| First class | ¥101 – ¥140 | Only worth it to guarantee a quieter seat on a holiday-packed train. |
| Business class | ¥190 – ¥275 | Unnecessary on a trip this short; spend it in Hangzhou instead. |
Doing Hangzhou as a day trip
The standard plan: leave Shanghai Hongqiao between 8 and 9 AM, spend the day on and around West Lake — the Su Causeway, Leifeng Pagoda, and a Longjing tea-hill walk in Meijiawu — and ride back in the evening. Because trains run until almost midnight you do not need to fix your return time on a normal weekday; buy it on your phone when you are ready to leave. On weekends and Chinese holidays, pre-book the return — the lake is one of the busiest domestic destinations in the country. For a fuller list see things to do in Hangzhou.
How to book with a foreign passport
12306 English app — the official China Railway channel: face-value fares, no booking fee. The trade-off is hassle — passport registration must be approved before you can buy (often slow), and customer service is Chinese-first and limited if a booking goes wrong.
Trip.com ↗ — the same China Railway seats, booked in English with a foreign Visa or Mastercard, no verification wait and 24/7 multilingual support. Prices track 12306, and with new-customer promotions Trip often comes out level or cheaper. As China’s largest OTA you can also add hotels, attraction tickets and tours to the same trip. See the booking walkthrough.
Real-name rule — the name and passport number on the ticket must match what you present; e-tickets are scanned at the gate, no paper pickup needed.
Book on Trip.comNASDAQ: TCOM
The international arm of Ctrip — one of the few platforms selling real China Railway tickets in English, to a foreign passport and card. (Is it legit? — 12306 vs Trip.com.)
Booking through our Trip.com links costs you nothing extra and helps fund our independent research — we earn a small commission. How we’re funded.
Arrived at Hangzhou East — getting to your hotel
Hangzhou East Railway Station (杭州东站) sits east of the centre, about 6–10 km from the lake. The metro is the quick way in: Metro Line 1 from the underground concourse is the spine to the West Lake area, with trains every few minutes. Times below are for the three hotel clusters foreign visitors most often pick. Picking an area first? See where to stay in Hangzhou.
| Hotel area | Metro / Bus | Taxi / DiDi |
|---|---|---|
| West Lake lakefront 西湖 | Metro Line 1 → Longxiangqiao (龙翔桥), 5-min walk to the lakeshore. ~18 min, ¥4. | ¥25–35, ~30 min (8.0 km) |
| Wulin Square 武林广场 | Metro Line 1 → Wulin Guangchang, step out at the square. ~15 min, ¥3. | ¥20–30, ~22 min (6.4 km) |
| Hefang Street old town 河坊街 | Metro Line 1 → Ding’an Lu (定安路), ~8-min walk to the pedestrian street. ~28 min, ¥4. | ¥30–40, ~30 min (10.0 km) |
Transit times and driving distances via Amap (高德地图) routing, checked 2026-06-14. Hangzhou metro flagfall ¥2, distance-based; Line 1 is the spine from Hangzhou East to the lake. On weekends and Chinese holidays Longxiangqiao is mobbed — Ding’an Lu is a quieter walk in to the lake.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the Shanghai to Hangzhou train?
The fastest G-trains do Shanghai Hongqiao to Hangzhou East in about 45 minutes. Most run 45–60 minutes; a few slower or multi-stop services take up to 75 minutes. It is one of the easiest day trips in China.
How far is Shanghai from Hangzhou?
About 160 km (99 miles) by rail. The dedicated high-speed line covers it in roughly 45 minutes, which is why Hangzhou and its West Lake work as a straightforward day trip from Shanghai.
How do I get from Shanghai to Hangzhou?
By high-speed train — it is the only sensible option. G-trains run Shanghai Hongqiao to Hangzhou East about 328 times a day, take ~45 minutes, and cost from ¥34 in second class. Book on the official 12306 app (face price) or on Trip.com (English UI, foreign cards), or simply turn up and take the next departure. Make sure the train ends at Hangzhou East, not Hangzhou West.
Which Hangzhou station should I use for West Lake?
Use Hangzhou East (杭州东站). It is the central HSR station, on Metro Line 1, which reaches the West Lake area in under 20 minutes. Avoid Hangzhou West (杭州西站) — it is a newer, far-out station built for the 2022 Asian Games and is inconvenient for the lake.
How much is a Shanghai to Hangzhou train ticket?
Second class is about ¥34–¥87 depending on the train, first class ¥101–¥140, business class ¥190–¥275. It is cheap enough that the class choice barely matters for a 45-minute trip — second class is what almost everyone buys.
How often do trains run from Shanghai to Hangzhou?
About 328 trains a day each way — effectively every few minutes through the daytime, from roughly 04:32 to 23:50. You rarely need to plan around the timetable; turn up within a couple of hours of when you want to go.
Is there a flight from Shanghai to Hangzhou?
No useful one. The cities are 160 km apart and there is no practical commercial flight — the high-speed train is faster than any door-to-door air option could be. Take the train.
Can I do Shanghai to Hangzhou as a day trip?
Yes — it is the textbook China day trip. Leave Shanghai by 8–9 AM, spend the day around West Lake and the tea hills, and ride back in the evening; trains run until nearly midnight, so the return rarely needs pre-booking on a normal weekday.
Verification scope
Route data — distance, journey time, fare bands and daily frequencies — is sampled from China’s national rail system and refreshed monthly. Hangzhou metro lines and walking times are from Amap (高德地图) routing, checked 2026-06-14.
Confirm before booking: exact schedules and fares vary by train and season — confirm your train terminates at Hangzhou East (杭州东) rather than Hangzhou West at booking time.
Once the train gets you to Hangzhou
The corridor is the easy part — here is what to do with the day at the other end.
