Luxury holidays in Hangzhou

When to go

The flowers are in full bloom and the gardens their greenest between April and October. Avoid the first week of October – China’s National Day and week-long holiday following it means the lake will be overrun with domestic tourists.

Getting there

• Planes

  Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport ((www.hzairport.com) has frequent services to Beijing and Hong Kong as well as connections to Delhi, Kuala Lumpur, Tokyo, Osaka, Bangkok, Seoul and Singapore. The only European connection is Amsterdam. You can also fly to Shanghai Pudong International Airport ((www.shanghaiairport.com) and hop on the train – it’s only an hour away.

• Trains

  Frequent high-speed trains connect Hangzhou and Shanghai and take just 50 minutes non-stop. It’s also possible to catch trains to Guangzhou, Beijing, Chengdu and everywhere in between. If you want to venture further, you’ll need to head back to Shanghai for connections.