If you’re flying into Hangzhou on an international carrier — ANA included — there’s a good chance you’ll land at Terminal 4 of Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport (HGH). I arrived here in December 2025 on an ANA flight from Japan, Narita Airport, and while most of the arrival process was straightforward, there was one part of immigration I genuinely wasn’t expecting. Here’s what actually happened, from touchdown to the metro ride into the city — including the one moment that caught me off guard, and a couple of practical things worth knowing before you go.
Arriving at Terminal 4
ANA flights land at Terminal 4, a separate building from HGH’s other terminals. I don’t have a confirmed answer on whether T4 is exclusively for international flights — sources conflict, so I’m not going to guess — but for the purposes of this guide, what matters is: if you’re flying ANA (or likely most other international carriers), you’ll come through T4. Immigration, baggage claim, and the metro/transport connections are all in the same building, so there’s no need to shuttle between terminals.
Immigration: The New Digital Arrival Card
As of November 20, 2025, China rolled out a new digital arrival card system at immigration — a change that landed just weeks before my own trip. I applied online in advance rather than filling out a paper card at the airport. I’ve written about that process in more detail in my Shanghai Pudong arrival guide, since I went through the same system there, so I won’t repeat it here. Short version: if you’re flying in a while after this article’s publish date, double-check whether the online option is still current before you go.
See also: The Online Arrival Card, Fingerprints, and How Long Immigration Really Takes on PVG
Backing to my experience in HGH, before reaching the immigration counters, I was pulled aside for a throat swab — no explanation of what it was testing for, and no results given afterward. It didn’t look like everyone was getting one; once the queue at that corner backed up, people arriving after me seemed to be waved through without it. As a foreigner, I wasn’t confident that refusing was a safe option, so I didn’t try.
Officially, this kind of health screening was supposed to have ended years ago, so it may have been a seasonal or Hangzhou-specific measure — that’s a guess, not a confirmed reason.
Getting to the City by Metro
HGH connects directly to Hangzhou Metro Lines 1, 7, and 19 (not Line 6, despite what some maps or station names might suggest). I took the metro out of the airport and into the city, a trip that felt like about an hour door to door, including a transfer along the way that I didn’t track closely.
If you’re headed to the city center, Wulin Square is reachable via Line 1 in around 55 minutes.
One thing worth knowing: last trains out of HGH run early, roughly in the 10–11pm range depending on the line. If you’re landing late or planning to rely on the metro, check that day’s last-train time before you leave the terminal.
Need a Place Near the Airport? Two Hotels at T4
f you need somewhere to sleep near the airport — especially useful for a late-night or early-morning flight — there are two hotels right at Terminal 4’s Ground Transport Center: the Hyatt Regency Hangzhou International Airport and the Hyatt Place Hangzhou International Airport.
They sit facing each other across the corridor leading to the transport center, and from what I saw, both connect via indoor walkways only, meaning you likely wouldn’t need to step outside to reach either one from arrivals.
I haven’t stayed at either, so I can’t speak to the rooms themselves — but for anyone landing at an inconvenient hour and hoping to avoid walking through a dark parking area, having two indoor-connected options right at the terminal is worth knowing about.
If you need somewhere to sleep near the airport — especially useful for a late-night or early-morning flight — there are two hotels right at Terminal 4’s Ground Transport Center: the Hyatt Regency Hangzhou International Airport and the Hyatt Place Hangzhou International Airport. They sit facing each other across the corridor leading to the transport center, and from what I saw, both connect via indoor walkways only, meaning you likely wouldn’t need to step outside to reach either one from arrivals.
I haven’t stayed at either, so I can’t speak to the rooms themselves — but for anyone landing at an inconvenient hour and hoping to avoid walking through a dark parking area, having two indoor-connected options right at the terminal is worth knowing about.
Please check the rates. Hyatt Regency
＞＞Trip.com Hyatt Regency Hangzhou International Airport
and Hyatt Place
＞＞Trip.com Hyatt Place Hangzhou International Airport
Onward to Shanghai Hongqiao
On a separate leg of the trip, I continued on to Shanghai and flew out internationally from Shanghai Hongqiao Airport rather than from Hangzhou.
The fastest way between the two cities is the high-speed rail from Hangzhou East Railway Station to Hongqiao — about an hour, with the station connected directly to the airport terminal so there’s minimal walking involved.
