Route guide · High-speed rail
Nanjing to Hangzhou by High-Speed Train (2026)
270 km across the Yangtze delta, about 1h 15m, 153+ trains a day — a quick hop between the old Ming capital and West Lake. The thing to check: which Hangzhou station your train uses.
China for Travelers EditorialUpdated Published Rail data refreshed monthly
- 2nd class
- ¥115 – ¥249
- what everyone buys
- Frequency
- 153/day
- 06:06 – 23:56
- Train types
- G
- G = fastest
- Day trip
- Easy
- or pair both with Shanghai
For West Lake, aim for a train ending at Hangzhou East 杭州东站 — not the further-out Hangzhou West 杭州西站.
The route at a glance
Nanjing and Hangzhou sit at two corners of the Yangtze-delta network, linked by frequent high-speed trains across roughly 270 km. The fastest G-train does it in 1h 15m; most run 1h 15m – 1h 45m depending on stops. With about 153 departures a day, this is a turn-up-and-go corridor — no need to fly, and rarely a need to book far ahead. Planning the wider loop? See the interactive China HSR map.
The one thing to check: which Hangzhou station
At the Nanjing end this is simple — trains leave from one station. The check that matters is the Hangzhou arrival, which splits across two stations:
Hangzhou East 杭州东站aim for this
On Metro Lines 1 & 4, the closest HSR station to West Lake (~18 min on Line 1), and where most Nanjing trains arrive. If your trip is built around the lake, prefer a train ending here.
Hangzhou West 杭州西站also used
A newer station in the northwest on Metro Line 3, used by some services. Fine, but further from the lake — only ideal if your hotel is on that side.
In Nanjing, departures use Nanjing South (南京南站) — one of China’s largest stations, on Metro Lines 1, 3 and S1/S3, about 20–30 minutes from the centre and the Confucius Temple (Fuzimiao) area. Match the Hangzhou arrival station to where you are staying, and confirm it when you book.
Classes and price
Fares are dynamically priced but stay moderate on this corridor:
| Class | Price | Worth it? |
|---|---|---|
| Second classmost buy | ¥115 – ¥249 | 3+2 seating, power at every seat — what almost everyone buys. |
| First class | ¥187 – ¥400 | 2+2 seating; a minor upgrade for a 75-minute ride. |
| Business class | ¥368 – ¥831 | Available on some departures; rarely necessary here. |
Pairing Nanjing and Hangzhou
Most travellers running this leg are stitching together the Yangtze-delta loop. In Nanjing, the draw is the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum and Ming Xiaoling on Purple Mountain, the Ming city wall, and the Confucius Temple / Qinhuai River — a former national capital with deep history. In Hangzhou, it is West Lake, the Lingyin Temple and the Longjing tea hills — see things to do in Hangzhou. Both pair naturally with Suzhou and Shanghai as a four-city loop.
How to book with a foreign passport
12306 English app — the official China Railway channel: face-value fares, no booking fee. The trade-off is hassle — passport registration must be approved before you can buy (often slow), and customer service is Chinese-first and limited if a booking goes wrong.
Trip.com ↗ — the same China Railway seats, booked in English with a foreign Visa or Mastercard, no verification wait and 24/7 multilingual support. Prices track 12306, and with new-customer promotions Trip often comes out level or cheaper. As China’s largest OTA you can also add hotels, attraction tickets and tours to the same trip. See the booking walkthrough.
Real-name rule — the name and passport number on the ticket must match what you present; e-tickets are scanned at the gate, no paper pickup needed.
Book on Trip.comNASDAQ: TCOM
The international arm of Ctrip — one of the few platforms selling real China Railway tickets in English, to a foreign passport and card. (Is it legit? — 12306 vs Trip.com )
Booking through our Trip.com links costs you nothing extra and helps fund our independent research — we earn a small commission. How we’re funded.
Arrived at Hangzhou East — getting to your hotel
If your train ends at Hangzhou East 杭州东站, you are well placed: Metro Line 1 from the underground concourse is the spine to the West Lake area, trains every few minutes. Times below are for the three hotel clusters foreign visitors most often pick. Picking an area first? See where to stay in Hangzhou.
| Hotel area | Metro / Bus | Taxi / DiDi |
|---|---|---|
| West Lake lakefront 西湖 | Metro Line 1 → Longxiangqiao (龙翔桥), 5-min walk to the lakeshore. ~18 min, ¥4. | ¥25–35, ~30 min (8.0 km) |
| Wulin Square 武林广场 | Metro Line 1 → Wulin Guangchang, step out at the square. ~15 min, ¥3. | ¥20–30, ~22 min (6.4 km) |
| Hefang Street old town 河坊街 | Metro Line 1 → Ding’an Lu (定安路), ~8-min walk to the pedestrian street. ~28 min, ¥4. | ¥30–40, ~30 min (10.0 km) |
Transit times and driving distances via Amap (高德地图) routing, checked 2026-06-14. Trains ending at Hangzhou West are further out — add a cross-town transfer to reach the lake.
Frequently asked questions
How far is Nanjing from Hangzhou?
About 270 km (168 miles) across the Yangtze delta.
How do I get from Nanjing to Hangzhou?
By high-speed train. G-trains run Nanjing South to Hangzhou East about 153 times a day, taking ~1h 15m, from ¥115 in second class. Book on the official 12306 app or on Trip.com, or simply turn up and take the next one.
How long does it take to get from Nanjing to Hangzhou?
The fastest G-train covers Nanjing South to Hangzhou East in about 1 hour 15 minutes. Most run 1.25–1.75 hours depending on stops. It is a quick, frequent hop across the Yangtze delta.
How much is a Nanjing to Hangzhou train ticket?
Second class starts around ¥115, with first and business class available on many trains. Fares are dynamically priced but stay moderate on this corridor.
Which stations do Nanjing–Hangzhou trains use?
Most services run Nanjing South (南京南站) to Hangzhou East (杭州东站); some use Hangzhou West (杭州西站). Both Nanjing South and the Hangzhou stations are on the metro — check your ticket for the exact arrival station.
Do I need to book Nanjing to Hangzhou trains in advance?
With around 153 trains a day each way, you can usually take the next departure outside major Chinese holidays. Booking a day ahead locks a specific time and station.
Can I combine Nanjing and Hangzhou in one trip?
Yes — both sit on the Yangtze-delta network with Shanghai and Suzhou, so a loop through all four on short high-speed hops is one of the easiest multi-city itineraries in China.
Verification scope
Route data — distance, journey time, fare bands and daily frequencies — is sampled from China’s national rail system and refreshed monthly. Hangzhou metro lines and walking times are from Amap (高德地图) routing, checked 2026-06-14.
Confirm before booking: most trains run Nanjing South to Hangzhou East, but some arrive at Hangzhou West — check the arrival station on your ticket and match it to your hotel.
Once the train gets you to Hangzhou
The corridor is the easy part — here is what to do with the day at the other end.
