How to Get in Putuoshan

Whether you arrive from Ningbo, from Zhoushan or direct from Shanghai, it costs about RMB160 to land on Putuoshan as the whole island is a National Park (for RMB5 more you can buy a "Digital CD-ROM entry ticket" for the island which includes a CD with a video about the island).

Due to new bridges it is now possible to travel to Shenjiamen (from which it is only about a 15 minute ferry ride to Putuoshan) entirely by bus from Shanghai and Ningbo. Shanghai has several departures daily from Shanghai Sightseeing Bus Center, Shanghai Nanpu Bridge Bus Center and Shanghai South Long Distance Bus Station (RMB138/4-5 hours).

Ningbo has regular buses from both the Ningbo South and North bus stations (RMB60/2-3 hours).

The 15 minute boat ride from Shenjiamen costs RMB14 (slow ferry, 25 minutes) or RMB22 (fast ferry, 10 minutes).

The following bus/ferry combinations are still available but the bus services which now utilise the new bridge connections are faster and more comfortable. The journey from Ningbo to Putuoshan costs RMB70 and consists of an about 1 hour bus ride from the Ningbo Ferry Wharf to the port in Daxie and a 1 hour boat ride from Daxie to Putuoshan. The Ningbo Ferry Wharf is located just north of LaoWaiTan in 288 Zhongma Road. If you have a hotel booking you may be met at the wharf by a hotel minibus. Look out for placards in the bus park. There is an information/hotel booking desk at the Wharf, otherwise it is a short walk to the Puji Temple central area, where there is another information centre.

There are two boats departing from Shanghai. The cheapest leaves in the evening and takes around 12 hours, and costs around RMB90-340 (one way). For approximately RMB260 (one way), you can buy a ticket which includes a bus trip to Luchao Wharf from the city centre (taking up to two hours, depending on traffic conditions) and a boat onwards to Putuoshan (taking between two and three hours).

From Hangzhou, there are buses from the south bus station (407 Qiutao Road ) to the bus station on Zhoushan (Shenjiamen). Buses depart approximately once per hour, take 3-4 hours, and cost RMB70. The bus journey no longer involves a vehicular ferry from the mainland to Zhoushan because a new bridge has been competed.

From http://wikitravel.org/