Weather first. Forecast checked 28 Oct: Fri 30 Oct mostly sunny, 25/13°C; Sat 31 Oct partly cloudy, 25/16°C; Sun 1 Nov PM showers, 28/15°C, rain rising in the evening. So lake and temples go first, and Sunday is kept light and finishes before the rain.
Base. Pudding Hotel by Hefang Street (proposed, not booked) — in the old-street cluster, not a downtown-only base, so Friday night starts at the hotel door.
Season reality. Late-October Hangzhou in the posts: osmanthus on Su Causeway, red maples and golden plane trees around the lake, ginkgo at Faxi Temple, autumn reeds at Xixi. Hiking is already planned separately, so this page is the city, lake and temple days around it.
| Situation | Swap |
|---|---|
| Sunday rain arrives early | Drop Xiaohe Straight Street, do Lingyin/Faxi only, then Hubin indoors |
| Lingyin queue is long | Do Faxi first, Lingyin second, or swap in Hangzhou Museum (closed Tuesdays — Sunday is fine) |
| Saturday lake day runs long | Drop the Longjing tea-house stop; keep Leifeng Pagoda for the view |
| Night market too crowded | Eat on Hefang Street instead — same snacks, closer to the hotel |
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Hotel, Pudding Hefang, 2 nights | ¥326 total (¥163/night all-in) |
| Leifeng Pagoda | ¥40 per person |
| Faxi Temple | ¥10 per person |
| Lingyin + Feilai Peak (posts) | ¥45 + ¥30 per person — confirm on the day |
| Longjing tea house (optional) | ~¥20–30 per person |
West Lake, Broken Bridge, Su Causeway, Hefang Street and the night markets are free to walk.
Answer, in one line: stay at Hefang Street / Hubin, not at a far station area — every Friday-night and Saturday leg starts there, and the metro / lake are close. Your origin and return train were not confirmed, so no train is claimed here; pick Hangzhou Station (downtown, near West Lake) over Hangzhou East if you have the choice, per the posts.
| Area | Why |
|---|---|
| Hefang Street — Pick. | Hotel, old street, night food and lake-south all in one cluster |
| Hubin / Wulin Square | Lakeside and Wulin Night Market, but further from Hefang at night |
| West Lake north / Broken Bridge | Good for the Saturday start, weaker for Friday-night food |
| What | Notes |
|---|---|
| Lingyin Temple | Posts say book in advance; price in posts ¥45 + ¥30 — confirm on the day |
| Museums | Mostly free; several closed Mondays, Hangzhou Museum closed Tuesdays |
| Hotel | Not booked — prices checked 28 Oct can change |
Hefang Street: 定胜糕, 龙井茶酥, 羊肉串烧饼. Wulin Night Market: 潘老板炸鸡腿, 大牛忙牛肉串, 熨斗大姐葱包烩. Wushan Night Market: 吴山烤禽, 葱包烩, 臭豆腐春卷. Autumn seasonal, from the posts: 桂花糖藕, 桂花栗子羹, 湖蟹, 栗子炒鸡, 酥鱼, 片儿川, and a cup of 桂花龙井茶.
Light jacket for Sunday temple mornings and the Sunday evening rain risk, comfortable walking shoes for the lake causeway, power bank — the lake day is long and map-heavy.
Rebuilt 28 Oct in the Qingdao/Nanjing template: 8 pill tabs, Gaode map, numbered day pins, coloured detail pins, leg pills that actually change the Amap link, and a working Close button on detail cards. Qingdao itself would not load for study (blank page, main and preview links), so the template was studied from the sibling Nanjing page, which uses the same shape. Still unverified: Lingyin price, Sunday return time and train, and any pin marked approximate.