How Long Does It Take to Walk Around West Lake?
West Lake stretches quietly before me.
A full loop is about 14.6 kilometers. A healthy adult man needs roughly three and a half hours to finish it on foot, which comes to around 21,000 steps.
- West Lake draws crowds year-round, so go early in the morning or later at night to avoid the rush.
- The shoreline is lined with plane trees, camphors, and drooping willows, but Hangzhou summers are brutally hot. Stay hydrated when you power walk the loop.
- Convenience stores dot the path, so you can travel light—food and water are always within reach.
- Clockwise or counterclockwise hardly matters; follow your own habit.
- The best of Hangzhou sits around the lake—Tianheng Memorial Hall, the West Lake Expo Museum, Yue Fei’s Shrine, the West Lake Museum, Zhejiang Art Museum, Guo’s Villa, and more. Pause your walk to step into a museum or garden whenever the mood strikes.
Published at: Aug 5, 2019 · Modified at: Nov 20, 2025
