Hangzhou Half-Day: Pagoda, Bamboo Grove, and Old Street Tour

Ascend a thousand-year-old pagoda for panoramic river views, wander through bamboo groves for summer retreat, and stroll along a Ming-Qing street for authentic local cuisine.
Liuhe Pagoda was built in the Northern Song Dynasty, over a thousand years ago. It's the only Song Dynasty pagoda in Hangzhou that you can still climb to the top. One really cool thing about it — it looks like it has thirteen stories from the outside, but only seven are actually accessible inside. The other six are sealed off. You can see the windows from outside, but they don't lead anywhere. This "seven bright, six dark" layout is one of a kind among ancient pagodas in China — you won't find it anywhere else. It's a pretty rare example in architectural history.

As you climb up, you'll notice the river view changes with every floor — the higher you go, the wider the view gets. The river stretches out, and you can see the Qiantang River Bridge, boats going back and forth, and the faint outlines of mountains in the distance. Look out of windows on different sides, and you get completely different scenes — south is the river, north is the city. Turn around and it's like looking at several different paintings. Every angle is great for photos.

Yunqi Bamboo Trail has the densest collection of ancient trees in Hangzhou — over a hundred trees that are more than a century old. Walk in and you're surrounded by towering old trees everywhere. The bamboo scenery here is called the "best bamboo view around West Lake" — it's top-notch even among all of West Lake's scenic spots. Its most famous claim to fame? It was one of the key filming locations for the movie Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Walking through the dense bamboo groves, with leaves rustling in the wind, you might feel like you've stepped into the martial arts world of Li Mubai and Yu Jiaolong.

Back in the Qing Dynasty, two emperors — Kangxi and Qianlong — were really fond of this place. Kangxi came four times, and Qianlong was even more into it — he visited six times. That just shows how highly the royal family thought of Yunqi back in the day.

Hefang Street is the best‑preserved ancient street in Hangzhou. It's a classic Jiangnan‑style waterfront old street — most of the buildings are from the Ming and Qing dynasties: white walls, black tiles, wooden doors and windows, and some houses built right by the water. Walking on the cobblestone path, you can really soak up the vibe of old Hangzhou.

This street isn't just for tourists — locals love coming here too. Along both sides, there are plenty of small shops selling local handicrafts, like beautiful silk umbrellas, handcrafted fans, and some snacks like tea cakes. Just take your time strolling around. In the early evening, the street gradually gets more lively, the lights start coming on, and it's a really pleasant time to walk around and browse.

To guarantee availability book as soon as possible. Early booking is worth consideration especially if you planning the trip during high season like public holidays or weekends.

This excursion you can cancel with no cost up to 24 hours before the start of the trip. If you cancel it after 24 hours or not show up on the excursion you will still be charged the full price of the activity. Being late on pick-up or departure will be considered as not showing up.