Day Tour to Discover the Secrets of Hangzhou's Tea Culture

We had a wonderful experience going to Hangzhou to learn about tea! Your Way was very helpful in planning our trip, working with our limited time available and letting us choose to see what was most important to us. They responded very well to my emails and questions. We really wanted to focus on the tea production, visiting the tea museum, and visiting the tea plantation. Our guide for the day was super. Sha Shen met us as we exiting the train, was very informative all day, and we really enjoyed her company. Her English was wonderful. My only disappointment was the tea tasting. I asked for a tea tasting, expecting the opportunity to taste different teas to understand the differences in the types of teas. The tea tasting we experienced was tasting one tea, following by a heavy sales pitch. But it was a super day trip from Shanghai and allowed us to glimpse an amazing countryside and a rich cultural tradition.

This was an excellent tour. It was not your typical cheesy tourist experience. Ivy my guide had a keen interest and knowledge of tea culture. The trip to the museum was outstanding. The choice f villages was great- beautiful towns lived by the Chinese, but not over the top touristy. Choice of meal was great. One of my next lunches in China, everything garden fresh. Tea plantation visit was beautiful, educational, and delicious. Shopping options were tasteful and with an eye toward local artisans. Highly recommended.

We had an excellent day with our tour guide Bonnie, she arranged the tour very well for us and so did the driver.

I had the most wonderful time with Bonnie on our tour! Our 3 week stay in China was filled with mostly winging things and making last second decisions so Bonnie and her given tour was such a fresh breath of air! We took a cruise on a boat while Bonnie told us stories about Westlake. We learned about the art of tea making and visited a beautiful museum. Lunch was great and it didn't feel like we were on a tour at all and I mean that in the best way! Bonnie was always by our side giving us the low-down as we strolled and stopped to pick some tea ourselves and learned how to spot the different kinds of tea. We loved the douli so much that Bonnie got a couple of them so we could take some pictures. She was sweet and let us take a bunch of pics and didn't rush us. All in all if you're going to be in the area you MUST take this tour!

We booked this tour as first timers in Hangzhou. The tour took a full day and hit all major scenic tourist attractions. Our tour guide was David. He was terrific! He was knowledgeable, funny, relaxed, organised and speaks perfect English! He brought us around Hangzhou at a pace that suited us & he answered all our questions. I would highly recommend this tour experience, and especially David as a guide.

I am so thankful for all the positive reviews about this tour. I am about to give another thumbs up review for this tour. We are a family of 4 with a 9 year old and a 77 year old elderly. We decided to get a private tour because we felt it was easier to manage in terms of time and places to visit. This was the best decision we made. Our guide, David and the driver, Mr Zhang was so patient with us. David is very knowledgeable and speaks fluent English. Mr Zhang is a very skillful driver. His car was so clean and comfortable. Our day started with a pick up from our hotel. It was snowing on the day of our tour and David reminded us to bring enough clothing to keep us warm. We headed to West Lake and we were away from the huge crowd which was great. My son had his chance to play with snow and we had so many beautiful photo opportunities of the lake (recommended by David). We went on the river cruise on the lake and David shared so many interesting facts about the beautiful structures built around the lake. After that we proceeded to the tea farmer's house for lunch. We found the food home cooked and my son (a picky eater) loved the chicken dish. We all generally enjoyed the meal. The price of the meal was average, I feel. We can always find cheaper food or more expensive food elsewhere but we thought of it as a contribution of the tea farmer community. We were happy with David's recommendation. We had a dining room facing the tea plantation which is not something we see everyday. After lunch, we proceeded to a place to try Long Qing tea. Our guide gave us some very interesting information about the Long Qing tea. The tea tasting was lovely (especially after lunch on a cold snowy day). The lady explained a lot about Long Qing tea, how to brew it and its benefits. They were very clear about their products and pricing but were not pushy. There was a souvenier shop which sold snacks made from Long Qing tea. My son loved the Long Qing Mochi there. After that, we went to see the Long Qing well and headed back to a shopping street called Qinghefang Old Street. After shopping, we were sent back to our hotel and that was the end of our wonderful day trip in Hangzhou. We left Hangzhou with fond memories and David and Mr Zhang was definitely a part of those wonderful memories. I would recommend this tour for any family who wants their own tour as it gives you time to explore at your own pace. Booking a tour with them was very easy and seamless. They responded very fast and were spot on with my queries. This was a wonderful experience from start till end. Thumbs up!!

Three of us booked this day trip to learn more about Chinese tea and culture. David was terrific! He met us at the train station in Hangzhou after we took the bullet train from Shanghai (a fun must!). We avoided any lines at West Lake for a boat tour, he showed us key highlights in the area, then took us for a tea farmer lunch which was fresh and delicious. Despite some rain, we saw the tea museum, met with tea farmers, saw tea plantations and had a great,full but relaxing day. We highly recommend it!

We travelled as a couple from Australia to Hangzhou in September. The weather was overcast and cooler than the previous hot days. David picked us up from our hotel and was immediately very welcoming and insightful. The car was very comfortable and water bottles were welcoming. Our day started at West Lake and the boat ride allows you to feel the vastness of the lake. The haze enhanced the beauty of the skyline. David provided a thorough history of every surrounding aspect throughout the tour. We liked that there were no pushy sales tactics and we were not taken to tourist shops. We felt looked after as David ordered lunch based on his recommendations and an English speaking guide was arranged for the tea ceremony and tea tasting. We could move around at our own pace and David was happy to take photos of us when requested. He even recommended other places to visit while in Hangzhou. Overall it was a perfect day and a tranquil experience. We highly recommend David and China Private Tours. Without the tour we could not have felt the significance of each place we visited. Hangzhou is a beautiful city. Although it is leading in technology, it is good to see the preservation of nature and greenery.

Our private day tour was excellent! David, our tour guide, was incredible knowledgable not only about Hangzhou but all China. Due to the typhoon warning the museum was closed so instead he took us to another tea village and to a bamboo forest, which was great!- We had a delicious lunch at a local farm, it was simple but really good and with a wonderful view. He never sold us anything, we had to ask him where could we buy tea. My husband and I were very impressed with the ART of making tea, so we were looking forward to take some back home. I definitely recommend this tour! Lorena

We had mostly a great day, visiting the lake, tea village and tea museum. We opted for the lunch at the tea farmer. Big mistake! As we arrived we saw the ☹️ :-( from the latest health inspection, that should has been our cue to escape. Yet we decided to try the food. The kitchen was more industrial the homey, the pork and bamboo was reheated from frozen state, the fish and chicken were anything but fresh. To no surprise, nothing we was served was edible, and from the smell it was clear that eating the fish would be a health-hazard. We had to eat elsewhere, and this also cost us an hour of the time with the guide. By all means this is a great tour, just opt for local food at a restaurant and not the "home coocked meal".