West Lake Night Cruise

West Lake at night shows different charm from the daytime: colorful neon lights at the banks, shimmering ripples of West Lake and the reflections of nearby pagodas in the lake etc. In a cool night, tasting a cup of Longjing Green Tea as touring around West Lake by boat, is such a pleasure. The annual West Lake Night Cruise is available from 18:30 to 22:00 from April 29 to October 31.

There are different types of boats you can choose from: rowing boats, tourist boats, self-drive boats, self-rowing boats … In addition, there are also a dragon boat — “Quanrao (??)” and two coffee boats — "The Night of Beishan Hill (????)”.

Types of Boats on West Lake

Rowing Boats
If touring around West Lake freely is your thing, then you should choose the rowing boat. Beautiful boatwomen and strong boatmen will take you to tour around West Lake in a most ancient and leisurely way.

 Fare:
The First Hour: 150 Yuan/boat for six-seat rowing boats; 180 Yuan/boat for eleven-seat sculling boats.
Additional Time: 75 Yuan/half an hour/boat for rowing boats; 90 Yuan/half an hour/boat for sculling boats

Tourist Boats
Choosing the tourist boat, you can get professional guide service and fully understand the scenery of West Lake.

Fare: Normally, it ranges from 55 Yuan to 70 Yuan according to boat types and routes. (Admission fee to Lesser Yingzhou (???) is included.)

Self-drive Boats
The current West Lake self-drive boats are electricity-driven.

Fare:
The First Hour: 40 Yuan/boat for four-seat; 50 Yuan/boat for six-seat
Additional Time: 20 Yuan/half an hour/boat for four-seat and 25 Yuan/half an hour/boat for six-seat.

Self-rowing Boats
The wharf of self-rowing boats is located in Lakeside Park 6.

Fare:
The First Hour: 30 Yuan/boat
Additional Time: 15 Yuan/half an hour/boat

The Dragon Boat
With golden dragon head and tail, dove-tail eaves and exquisite carvings, the dragon boat is definitely a draw to passing-by tourists. If you want to spend some quality time in this high-end boat, all you need to do is to buy a ticket in Lakeside Park 5 Wharf.

Hours: 18:30 to 21:00 from Sunday to Thursday; 18:30 to 21:30 on Friday, Saturday and other national holidays.

Fare: 90 Yuan/person (a fruit platter, Longjing Tea or other drinks, and the performance of Jiangnan Sizhu (????) — a traditional Chinese music form are included)

The Coffee Boats
The Coffee Boats are actually painted boats on West Lake. The boat is available in Children's Palace Wharf and Xinxin Restaurant (????) Wharf.

Fare: 90 Yuan/person (a cup of Longjing Tea or coffee, and the performance of Jiangnan Sizhu are included.)