Walk the West Lake causeways at dawn, then again at dusk

Between about nine and five the causeways belong to tour groups with flags. Before and after, they belong to people swimming, running and practising the erhu badly.

Walk the Su and Bai causeways early, take the middle of the day for the hills or a museum, and come back for the light on the water in the evening. The lake loop is flat enough to cycle, and shared bikes sit at every corner of it.