Route at a glance
- From: Shanghai Hongqiao
- To: Hangzhou East
- Distance: 159 km
- Fastest: 45m
- Frequency: Frequent (multiple per day)
High-speed rail · 159 km
Shanghai to Hangzhou by high-speed rail
West Lake is a 45-minute hop from Shanghai by HSR. The high frequency makes Hangzhou an easy day trip or overnight from the Yangtze Delta. Fastest 45m, around US$13 second class on Trip.com (sampled 2026-06-02).
Fare (second class, sampled)
US$13
on the fastest service, via Trip.com. Their USD price includes fees and FX — not the 12306 face fare. Live price and other classes on Trip.com. Snapshot 2026-06-02.
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Tips for the Shanghai–Hangzhou ride
- Hangzhou East (杭州东) is large — allow 10 minutes to reach the metro toward West Lake.
- Trains run late; a same-day return after an evening West Lake walk is realistic.
- Cheap enough that first class rarely justifies the upgrade on this short leg.
Booking as a foreigner
China HSR accepts foreign passports, but the official 12306 platform is awkward with non-Chinese cards. Trip.com is the practical English option — see our guides before you book.
On a 240-hour transit?
If you're riding this leg as part of a China visa-free transit, your route, ports, and stay window all have to line up. Run it through the checker before you commit to the booking.
Popular high-speed rail routes
- Shanghai to Beijing — 4h 24m, from US$98
- Beijing to Xi'an — 4h 10m, from US$85
- Xi'an to Chengdu — 3h 7m, from US$44
- Chengdu to Chongqing — 1h 15m, from US$19
- Shanghai to Suzhou — 23m, from US$6
- Guangzhou to Hong Kong — 48m