Wuzhen 3-Day 2-Night Family Trip Guide｜Stay in a Waterside Home in the Water Town

Ride a wooden rowboat, be a little carpenter, enjoy a night tour of the illuminated corridor—no missteps for family fun in Jiangnan!

Stop thinking "visiting an ancient town = walking on stone paths + taking photos + feeling tired"!
Come to Wuzhen—one of China’s most beautiful water towns,
Here, there’s more than just bridges and flowing water; there are hands-on workshops for kids, night shows, and ancient-style mystery games!

This specially tailored 【Wuzhen 3-Day 2-Night Super Fun Family Guide】,
Stay beautifully, eat deliciously, play joyfully,
Let kids learn while playing, and come home saying, “Mom, I know how ancient people built bridges now!”

🌟 Highlights at a Glance
✅ Stay in a waterside guesthouse, open your window to the river, wake up with no tourists, take photos like a movie scene
✅ Ride an authentic wooden rowboat, pass under bridges while hearing stories, kids won’t want to get off even lying down
✅ Family hands-on activities: make bamboo lanterns, rub family letters, be a “little carpenter” building mini bridges
✅ Night tour of the magical illuminated water alleys, see lanterns reflected like the Milky Way, breathtakingly beautiful
✅ Join the “Children’s Play Festival” interactive events (seasonal): shadow puppetry, pitch-pot, cuju (ancient football)

🗓 Itinerary: 3 Days 2 Nights · Relaxed yet fulfilling pace

Day 1: Arrive in Wuzhen｜Stay in East or West Scenic Area, night tour of stunning water alleys
🛫 Recommended departure from Shanghai/Hangzhou (1.5-hour drive, high-speed train to Tongxiang Station + 30-minute taxi)
🏡 Recommended accommodations:
Inside West Scenic Area · Tong’an Inn / Zhaoming Book House (includes breakfast + free entry/exit, kids love the courtyard)
or Riverside guesthouse in East Scenic Area (cost-effective, authentic local vibe)
✅ Key tip: Only staying inside the scenic area lets you enjoy Wuzhen undisturbed before 7 AM and after 9 PM!
🌃 Evening entry, start 【Night Tour Mode】
Kids’ mission: find 10 red lanterns to take photos and collect stamps for the “Wuzhen Little Shopkeeper” souvenir sticker
Must-do: ride a wooden rowboat at night (¥80/boat, seats 4)
Lanterns light the riverbanks, boatwoman tells the legend of “Shen Wansan’s Treasure Basin”
Kids lie on the boat counting bridges: “Mom, we just passed the 5th bridge arch!”
🍜 Dinner recommendations:
【Heng Yi Tang】: Braised lamb, white fish, sister-in-law cake
【South Scenic Old Restaurant】: Ding Sheng cake, smoked bean tea, shredded radish pancake (kids love as snacks)

Day 2: Deep Experience Day｜Hands-on + Brain + Legs, be a “Little Ancient Person” for a day
🏯 Morning: Explore 【East + West Scenic Areas】 cultural secrets
Give kids a “Wuzhen Challenge Card”:
Find the book title “Lin’s Shop” at Mao Dun’s Former Residence
Find the most luxurious “Thousand-worker Bed” at Jiangnan Hundred Beds Museum
See how blue printed fabric is made at Hongyuan Tai Dyeing Workshop
Recite “Reading aims at sages” at Zhaoming Academy, get a stamp certification
🎨 Afternoon: Family hands-on experience (choose one or do all)
DIY bamboo lantern (¥35/person): weave one to take home, light it up at night for warmth
Intangible cultural heritage rubbing class: use ink to rub “Family Instruction Stele,” bring home “Thrift and Family Management”
Little Carpenter Workshop (kids only): assemble a mini stone bridge model with small tools, huge sense of achievement!
🍜 Lunch: Snack street in West Scenic Area—freshly fried shredded radish pancakes, soft gorgon fruit cakes, must-try yellow wine popsicles!
🌃 Evening continues night tour:
Watch 【Water Lantern Festival】 or 【Light and Shadow Show】 (special holiday performances)
Check in at “Internet-famous bridges”: Tongji Bridge → Renji Bridge → Fengyuan Twin Bridges, nonstop photo ops

Day 3: Slow Life Wrap-up + Happy Return
🌅 Early morning free activities (advantage of staying inside the scenic area!)
Get up at 6:30, enjoy the empty bluestone paths alone
Watch locals carrying water, washing vegetables, opening shop shutters, feel the real water town life
Take a set of “empty scene” photos, get hundreds of likes on social media
🛍 Recommended souvenirs:
Sister-in-law cake (sweet and savory mix, individually packed for easy carrying)
Blue printed fabric small pendants or sachets
Yellow wine chocolate / yellow wine popsicles (vacuum packed for travel)
🚗 Return trip according to schedule, end a “time-travel journey”

💡 Family Travel Tips
👟 Shoe advice: non-slip flat shoes! Many stone paths, slippery after rain
🎒 Backpack checklist: kids’ sun hats, foldable stools (for queue breaks), small notebook to record “today’s discoveries”
🚌 Transportation tips:
Walk inside the scenic area, no motor vehicles allowed
Taxis are convenient outside, about 30 minutes by taxi from Tongxiang Station
🎟 Ticket info:
East Scenic Area ¥110, West Scenic Area ¥150, combined ticket ¥190
Staying in scenic area hotels allows free multiple entries
Children under 1.2 meters free, discounts for students/seniors

⚠️ High-risk pitfalls! Don’t do:
🚫 “Look, other kids dare to ride the boat, why are you so scared?” — Don’t compare, it hurts self-esteem
🚫 Forcing kids to memorize history points — Interest first, forcing is counterproductive
🚫 Overloading daytime schedule and making kids write travel journals at night — Relaxation is the best learning

Final Words:

Bringing kids to Wuzhen,
Isn’t about memorizing famous stories,
But letting them quietly say on the rowboat,
“So ancient people really knew how to live well.”

This trip,
Is not just travel,
It’s a gentle cultural awakening.

Next holiday,
Take the kids to Wuzhen!
Let Jiangnan step out of poetry and into children’s laughter.