As an important tourism city, Hangzhou has a well-developed public bus system. Public buses go virtually everywhere in the city. Tourists will find it a good way to get around Hangzhou by bus. In order to make the best use of the public bus system, there are some rules that people need to know.

Bus Categories

Common Buses

These have numbers and have no letter prefix. Generally, buses in the downtown area run from 6 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Some suburban lines stop as early as 5:30 p.m. or 6 p.m.    

Night Buses
Their numbers range between 201 and 251, and they run from 9:30 p.m. to 5:30 a. m.    

Air-conditioned Buses    

Their numbers start with the letter “K”, for example, K19. These buses are air-conditioned from May to September and heated from December to February.    

Holiday Buses    

Their numbers start with the letter “J”. There are only two lines: J1 and J12, which only operate during holidays and at weekends.    

Tour Buses    

Their numbers start with the letter “Y”, for example, Y9. These buses will take you to or from a tourist destination.    

Sightseeing Buses    

Their numbers start with the Chinese characters “观光 (sightseeing)”, for example, 观光4.    

BRT (Bus Rapid Transit)    

Their numbers start with "B", such as B1, B2, and B3. These buses are articulated and stop at dedicated BRT stations, which allow you to transfer to other BRT without paying an additional fare.    

Note: Y1, Y7 and Y9 have tour guides who introduce in Chinese the scenic areas along the way. The bus stops are introduced in both Chinese and English.
                                                                                  
Bus Fares
Most buses use one ticket and the price is 1-1.5 Yuan for common buses, 2 Yuan for air-conditioned buses, 3-5 Yuan for tour buses, and 3-4 Yuan for BRT. Most of them are the self-service buses and do not provide changes, but IC bus card is available. Moreover, every March, April, October, and November, the price is as half much as the usual. 

(Executive Editor: Zhe LOU)