Hangzhou
West Lake Private Day Tour
The causeways before the crowds, a boat to the island on the ¥1 note, and the hillside pagoda nobody climbs. The lake, done properly.
From US$109/per person
View tourHangzhou
Longjing Tea Village Day Tour
Thirty minutes uphill from West Lake, terraced bushes and families pan-firing the country's most famous green tea by hand.
The short version
Longjing, China's most prized green tea, grows on terraced hills 30 minutes uphill from West Lake in Zhejiang. A day here means walking the terraces, watching a family hand-fire the leaves in a wok at around 200°C, and sitting down to a ceremony that tastes the difference between grades. About 7 hours, small group.
- Longjing is pan-fired by hand — the wok work is the skill, and you can watch it.
- The hills are terraced and walkable; the tea bushes are waist height and dense.
- Spring picking, from late March, is the season that matters; summer leaf is cheaper and coarser.
- A tasting teaches you to tell pre-Qingming leaf from later pickings.
What not to miss
08:30
Hotel pickup
Private vehicle up into the hills west of the lake. Thirty minutes of switchbacks and the city drops away.
09:15
Walk the terraces
Into the tea gardens on stone paths: rows of waist-high bushes, and pickers working if you come in the spring season.
10:30
Watch the firing
A family kitchen with a wok at about 200°C. The leaves are pressed and tossed by hand for 20 minutes, which is what gives Longjing its flat shape.
11:45
Tasting and ceremony
Four cups side by side: pre-Qingming, spring, summer and a roasted version. Most people can taste the difference by the second cup.
12:45
Village lunch
At a family table: tea-infused dishes, river fish, bamboo shoots and whatever is growing behind the house.
14:30
Nine Creeks, then back
A short walk down the Nine Creeks valley through bamboo, then the drive back to Hangzhou, arriving around 16:00.
What's included and what isn't
Includes
- Licensed English-speaking guide
- Private vehicle and driver
- Tea garden visit and firing demonstration
- Guided tasting of four Longjing grades
- Village lunch
- 100 g of the tea you liked best
Not included
- Additional tea purchases beyond the included 100 g
- Breakfast and dinner
- Gratuities
- Shipping if you buy more than a kilo
Pickup, timing and getting around
Pickup at 08:30 from hotels in Hangzhou's central districts and near West Lake. The hills are 30 minutes away, and we go by car because the tea villages sit above the bus routes.
Come in late March or April if you want to see picking. Outside that season the firing demonstrations still run, but the gardens are quieter and the leaf being processed is from storage.
Route diagrams are schematic and illustrative, not to scale.
More day tours from Hangzhou
Hangzhou
Lingyin Temple & Grand Canal Day Tour
A 1,700-year-old monastery with Buddhist carvings cut into the cliff behind it, then the working southern end of China's imperial canal.
From US$95/per person
View tourFrequently asked questions
What makes Longjing special?
Flat, smooth leaves, a chestnut aroma and a sweetness that persists. It comes from a small growing area in the hills west of West Lake and from pan-firing by hand, and the grade depends on how early in spring the leaf was picked.
Is it worth buying tea here?
Yes, at the family kitchen you visited, because you have tasted that exact batch. Pre-Qingming leaf — picked before 5 April — costs several times more than later pickings and is what most shops will claim to sell you regardless.
How much walking is there?
About 3 km on stone paths between terraces, with some gentle climbing. Comfortable shoes and a hat; the bushes give no shade.
Can we combine this with West Lake?
Yes, if you start early — lake at dawn, tea hills by 09:30. Booked as one long day it is roughly eleven hours, which is why most people do them on separate days.
Explore next
More in this city
Before you fly
- Do I Need a Visa for China? Requirements, Costs and How to Apply
- China's 240-Hour Visa-Free Transit: Who Qualifies and How It Works
- Paying in China: Alipay, WeChat Pay, Cards and Cash
- China's High-Speed Rail: How to Book, What It Costs, How Fast It Goes
- Is China Safe for Tourists? Honest Risks and How to Avoid Them
- Best Time to Visit China: Month by Month, Region by Region
Tell us your dates.
We'll do the rest.
Free itinerary design, a revised plan within one working day, and nothing charged until you approve the final version.