Dragon Well & West Lake
A two day culinary escape balancing rural culture and Chinese scenic landscapes with fresh local delicacies and fine tea.
Day One
Rise bright and early to catch the bullet train from Shanghai to nearby Hangzhou (approx 90 minutes). Check into your hotel and freshen up, then pay a visit to a traditional tea room where our tea master will explain the intricacies of China’s centuries-old tea culture.
Enjoy a farm-fresh lunch of locally grown ingredients on a terrace flanked by lush farmland, watching the orange clad monks come and go from the neighboring monastery as you enjoy the afternoon feast. After eating your fill, stretch your legs with a leisurely stroll through a sea of green tea fields. For those craving some afternoon exercise, your guide can arrange a mountain hike to the next village that provides panoramic views of the city and West Lake along the way.
Arriving at Dragon Well (Longjing) Village, go first to see the artesian spring that the locals say is guarded by a benevolent Dragon. Following an ambling mountain stream, descend from the village while pausing to peek into the local museums and snap a few photos along the way. With your appetite restored, complete the day with dinner at a bustling restaurant famous for its chalkboard menu, updated each morning to reflect the freshest local ingredients available. Following dinner, take a nighttime stroll around the West Lake before heading back to your hotel for the evening.
Day Two
After a traditional Chinese breakfast of freshly steamed buns and rice porridge with all the fixin’s, head to a secluded lookout point for a breathtaking view of the famous West Lake. Descending to the lakeside, stroll along the bridges and causeways, pausing to listen in on groups of local musicians practicing classical Chinese music. When you’re ready for a change of pace, your guide will take you on a tour of a nearby villa and garden complex that once belonged to a Qing Dynasty aristocrat.
Take in the scenery and fresh air as you relax on a small dragon boat, island hopping across the West Lake on your way to lunch at Hangzhou’s most famous restaurant. After dining on local specialties like Beggars’ Chicken and Stuffed Lotus Root, continue making your way around the lake to see the various sites of note. Hundreds of poems have been written about different perspectives on the West Lake and your guide will point these out to you along the way.
Hangzhou’s main boulevard in the days when it was China’s capital, Hefang Street is lined with shops selling traditional snacks, candy, tea, and Chinese medicine. We will head here to finish off the afternoon, browsing the different stores and watching the street performers that often congregate here. The Gong Da snack street offers a great contrast to the banquet-style lunch earlier in the day, and you’re guide will take you on a culinary tasting of all the different delights on offer here. Once you’ve eaten your fill, its time to hop on a bullet train for the short ride back to Shanghai.
