Just back from Qiandao Lake | Save yourself some time and check out my itinerary!

|Save yourself some time and check out my itinerary! I just got back from Qiandao Lake, and this itinerary will help you avoid detours. Save it now! Transportation 🚗 🚄 After arriving at Qiandao Lake Railway Station, you can take the hotel shuttle bus for only CNY 15 per person to most hotels. A taxi costs about CNY 50. 🚗 If you drive, it takes about 4 hours from Shanghai and only 2 hours from Hangzhou, with beautiful scenery along the way. Relaxing 2-day itinerary 👇 Day 1: Drive from Shanghai to Qiandao Lake ➡️ Tianyu Mountain Observation Deck (or choose a hotel with a sunset view) ➡️ Hotel Tianyu Mountain Observation Deck is not large, so you can go there 2 hours before sunset. You can enjoy the magnificent view of Qiandao Lake and the bridge, which is even more beautiful at sunset, with a very wide view. Day 2: Cycling in the Central Lake Area (Yuehu Coffee ➡️ Pearl Square ➡️ Chun'an Museum ➡️ Qiandao Lake Lighthouse) Pearl Square is a great place to watch the sunrise, with a wide view of the water and sky and a vast lawn. Locals often bring their children here to play, and tourists can enjoy the scenery and take photos. If you have a drone, you can fly it from here to Huangshanjian to take pictures of the iconic scenery of Qiandao Lake. The nearby Chun'an Museum is also worth a visit. Qiandao Lake Lighthouse is next to Beer Town and the Beer Museum. Beer Town is a small street in European style, which you can visit briefly. Walk through it to reach the lighthouse. On a sunny day, you can enjoy the sunset and take great photos. I don't recommend going to Qilong Lane, as the stalls and shops are ordinary and lack local characteristics. You can finish visiting in 5 minutes, and it's very quiet during the day. Xianshan Peninsula (InterContinental Lighthouse, Xianshan Botanical Garden, Xianshan) is located in the InterContinental Hotel area. The whole island is large and free, with few tourists. You can climb the mountain to enjoy the view or stroll through the botanical garden. Take beautiful photos at the InterContinental Lighthouse at sunset. Food 🥘 Don't miss the fish head at Qiandao Lake. The fish head quality is similar at local restaurants, so it's more cost-effective to choose one with a set menu. I had fish head soup three times, and it was rich and delicious. Corn cakes and wild jiaojiao are also local specialties that you must try.