Can I get around Hangzhou on the metro with my eSIM?

Yes. The metro reaches West Lake, the railway stations and the airport, and has good underground signal. Data lets you generate scan-to-ride QR codes through Alipay or the metro app rather than queuing for paper tickets.

Do mobile payments really work everywhere in Hangzhou?

Almost. As Alipay's home city, Hangzhou runs heavily on QR payments, from lakeside kiosks to tea villages. Both Alipay and WeChat Pay now accept foreign cards, but you need your eSIM connected for the codes to work.

Hangzhou eSIM.

Name: Hangzhou travel eSIM
Brand: My Holiday SIM

From West Lake's willow causeways to the Longjing tea terraces, stay connected in Hangzhou.

from $2.59/day · unlimited dataAll of China →

Unlimited data5G where availableInstant QR by emailKeep your number

1 · How many days?

10 daysOther:days

2 · How much data?

3GBBest pricevalid 15 days$7.60$0.76/day

Cheapest plan covering your trip: 3GB, valid 15 days.

Travellers (one eSIM each)

1 × 3GB (valid 15 days) · 10-day trip$7.60

Good to know in Hangzhou

Hangzhou is Alipay's home city, and QR payments are near-universal here, so set up Alipay or WeChat Pay with a foreign card on your data before you arrive, as many tea houses and small eateries no longer take cash.

Two simple ways to buy

Hangzhou eSIM plans: unlimited, or by the GB.

Every Hangzhou eSIM from My Holiday SIM is one of two straightforward types. Pick whichever fits how you travel in Hangzhou — you can always top up or switch on your next trip.

Traveller streaming and browsing freely on an unlimited-data travel eSIM

Unlimited plans

High-speed data, nothing to count

Priced per day — the longer you stay, the better the daily rate. Ideal for streaming, hotspot and longer trips where you'd rather not watch a data meter. A fair-use policy keeps speeds fast for everyone; see each plan for the detail.

Best for streaming, video calls & hotspot
Great for longer or open-ended trips
One price per day — no GB anxiety

By-the-GB plans

3GB10GB20GB

A set bundle, brilliant value

A fixed data allowance (say 3 GB or 10 GB) valid for your travel days. The best-value pick for lighter trips built around maps, messaging and a bit of browsing. Running low? Top up in a couple of taps — nothing to reinstall.

Best value for lighter, shorter trips
Clear allowance — pay only for what you need
Top up any time from your phone

Compare plans →Not every destination has both types — the picker shows what's available where you're headed.

Plan your data

How much data do you need in Hangzhou?

A rough, honest guide to sizing your Hangzhou eSIM so you're not guessing. Most travellers in Hangzhou are comfortable on 3–5 GB a week — heavy streamers just go Unlimited.

Traveller checking maps and messages on her phone using a My Holiday SIM eSIM

Not sure? Start with a 5 GB plan — you can top up in seconds if you run low.

Light

~1 GB / week

Maps, messaging & email

Google Maps, WhatsApp, email and the odd search. Plenty for a city break where you mostly need directions.

Suits 1–3 GB plans

Balanced

3–5 GB / week

Everyday holiday use

Everything above plus social scrolling, music, cloud photo backups and a little video. Where most travellers land.

Suits 5–10 GB plans

Hangzhou eSIM: your local data guide.

Famed for its willow-fringed West Lake, hillside tea terraces and the serene Lingyin Temple, Hangzhou rewards slow wandering, and quick data when you need it. A Hangzhou eSIM keeps maps, DiDi and translation running from the airport, whether you are circling the lake by bike, tasting Longjing tea in Meijiawu or paying by QR in the city that Alipay calls home.

One eSIM for Hangzhou and all of China. It's the national China eSIM — from $2.59/day with unlimited data, working the same in Hangzhou as it does the moment you leave it.

Landing at Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport (HGH)?

Install the QR at home, then switch the eSIM on as you taxi in — you're online before you reach the arrivals hall.

Hangzhou eSIM pricingbest-value plan · per day

Days

Per day

Total

Saving

3 days1GB

$0.67

$2.00

—

5 days1GB

$0.40

$2.00

−40%

7 days1GB

$0.29

$2.00

−57%

10 days3GBPopular

$0.76

$7.60

—

15 days3GB

$0.51

$7.60

−24%

30 days3GB

$0.35

$10.42

−48%

Each trip length shows the best-value plan that covers it. Total always shown before you pay.

eSIM vs the old ways in Hangzhou

eSIM

ROAMING

AIRPORT SIM

Data allowance

Unlimited

Usually capped

Rarely unlimited

Price known upfront

Prepaid

Billed after

Varies at the desk

Ready when you land

Instantly

After the queue

Keep WhatsApp number

SIM swapped

Hangzhou eSIM from $2.59/day — the whole bill, agreed before you fly.

On the ground

Where you'll lean on data in Hangzhou.

West Lake (Xi Hu)

Navigate the Su and Bai causeways, time the Leifeng Pagoda sunset and summon a DiDi when your legs give out.

Lingyin Temple & Feilai Feng

Book entry, pull up the grotto-carving guide and translate the incense-clouded temple signs.

Longjing tea terraces (Meijiawu)

Data to find the tea village by DiDi and read up on the Dragon Well leaves you are tasting.

Hefang Street & the Grand Canal

Reliable signal for QR payments and night-boat times along the old street and historic canal.

The practical bit

Getting around Hangzhou on your eSIM.

Apps you'll want online in Hangzhou

DiDi— Hangzhou's main ride-hailing app; handy for tea-village trips beyond the metro, with English mode.
Hangzhou Metro— Generates scan-to-ride QR codes for the growing subway around West Lake and beyond.
Alipay— Born in Hangzhou; links a foreign card for QR payments almost everywhere, plus metro tickets.
Amap (Gaode Maps)— Accurate lake-loop navigation and bus routes to Lingyin and the tea terraces.

How long to stay in Hangzhou

Two to three days is ideal for Hangzhou, enough to circle West Lake, visit Lingyin Temple, taste Longjing tea in the hills and wander Hefang Street's old lanes.

How much data for Hangzhou

A balanced 3 GB covers DiDi, maps, translation and constant QR payments over a couple of days; step up to 5 GB or Unlimited if you will stream or hotspot from your lakeside hotel.

Coverage in Hangzhou

Hangzhou has strong China Mobile and Unicom 5G around West Lake, the metro and the airport; it only really thins in the folds of the tea hills at Meijiawu and Longjing and inside Lingyin's wooded valley.

Where you're headed

Discover Hangzhou.

Hangzhou, China — skyline and landmarks · stay connected with a Hangzhou eSIM from My Holiday SIM

Hangzhou, China — streets and everyday scenes · stay connected with a Hangzhou eSIM from My Holiday SIM

Hangzhou, China — sights worth exploring · stay connected with a Hangzhou eSIM from My Holiday SIM

Hangzhou, China — a travel moment · stay connected with a Hangzhou eSIM from My Holiday SIM

How to activate your Hangzhou eSIM.

Full installation guide →

A traveller happily planning her next trip with a map and phone

Buy your plan

Choose your days — the QR code arrives by email in seconds.

A traveller installing her eSIM from the sofa in two minutes

Install at home

Scan the QR on Wi-Fi before you fly. About two minutes, no app needed.

Friends laughing together while packing for a holiday

Fly relaxed

Nothing counts down yet — your days start only at first connection.

A joyful family reunion at the airport arrivals hall

Switch on in Hangzhou

Turn the line on when you land. Connected before baggage claim.

New to eSIM in Hangzhou?

What is a Hangzhou eSIM?

A Hangzhou eSIM is a digital SIM that's already built into your phone. Scan one QR code and a local Hangzhou data plan installs alongside your home SIM — no plastic, no tray tool, no swap. Your number and WhatsApp stay exactly where they are.

✓ 2-minute install✓ Keep your number✓ Works on phones from 2018+

How eSIM works →Check my phone

A traveller with a backpack smiling at her phone — online abroad with My Holiday SIM

Connected · 5G

Home SIM · calls & WhatsAppHoliday eSIM · unlimited data

30-day refund promiseUnused, uninstalled eSIM? Full refund, no questions.

The price is the billPrepaid and final — roaming charges can't happen.

Days start when you landInstall early with zero pressure; counting begins at first connection.

Humans, 24/7Real people answer, before, during and after the trip.

Peace of mind

Your Hangzhou eSIM: data-only, zero bill shock.

Your Hangzhou eSIM handles the internet while you travel. Your home number stays exactly where it is — no surprise roaming charges in Hangzhou, no swapping your real SIM out.

Keep your number & WhatsApp

The eSIM is data-only and runs alongside your home SIM. Your number, iMessage and WhatsApp keep working exactly as they do at home.

No roaming bills, ever

Turn data roaming OFF on your home SIM and ON for the eSIM. You pay once, up front — no overage, no metered surprises, no bill waiting when you land home.

One thing worth knowing

Because it's data-only, the eSIM can't receive bank verification (OTP) text codes — those still go to your home number. Keep it reachable on Wi-Fi calling, or use app-based codes.

Traveller relaxed and connected on her phone, no roaming bill to worry about

Why travellers choose My Holiday SIM for Hangzhou.

Instant eSIM deliveryQR code in your inbox seconds after checkout — even at the departure gate.

No physical SIMNothing to collect, lose or poke out with a paperclip. Your home SIM stays put.

Keep your WhatsApp numberData flows through us; WhatsApp stays on your home number. Family always reaches you.

A traveller at the departure gate, eSIM ready on her phone

eSIM ready in ~2 minutes

No bill shock, everOne clear price before you fly. Roaming charges simply can't happen.

Secure paymentsCards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal and Klarna — encrypted end to end.

Real human supportReal people — before, during and after your trip. Live chat and email, no bots. Easy top-ups too.

Coverage in China.

5G where available, fast 4G everywhere else

Connected · 5G

Your eSIM joins China's partner networks automatically — no settings to choose, no manual network hunting. If signal drops in a remote spot, toggling Airplane Mode for a few seconds forces a fresh connection.

China Mobile
China Unicom
China Telecom

Popular places covered

BeijingShanghaiXi'anChengduGuilinHangzhouGuangzhouShenzhen

Keep data roaming ON for the eSIM line only — that's the switch travel eSIMs use, and it never adds charges on our plans.

Trusted networks, honest numbers.

No invented star ratings behind your Hangzhou eSIM — just the numbers we actually stand behind.

Friendly globe with location pins — coverage on every continent

My Holiday SIMSTAY CONNECTED. ANYWHERE.

200+

destinations — every continent covered

regions covered by a single regional eSIM

~2 min

typical install — QR to connected

Live

chat & email support

Before you fly

Hangzhou eSIM questions, answered.

Xiaoshan Airport is around 30 km from West Lake, roughly 40 minutes by DiDi or the metro line. Your eSIM connects on landing, so you can navigate, book a ride and message your hotel before you leave the terminal.

Your Hangzhou eSIM glossary.

eSIMA SIM built into your phone's hardware. Plans install onto it digitally — no plastic card involved.

QR profileThe code we email you. Scanning it downloads your holiday plan onto the eSIM. One scan per device.

Data roaming (the switch)The toggle travel eSIMs use to join partner networks abroad. On our plans it never adds charges — keep it ON for the eSIM, OFF for your home SIM.

Hotspot / tetheringSharing your phone's data with laptops and tablets. Included on our plans wherever networks allow.

Top-upExtra days added to a live plan from your account. They append to the end — nothing overlaps.

First connectionThe moment your eSIM first joins a network at the destination — that's when your days start counting, not before.

Travelling wider in China?