Things to Do in Zhejiang with Kids: 8 Fun Ideas

Tea-Picking at Longjing Village (Hangzhou)

The best thing about Longjing tea fields are not your travel-magazine photos — it's the pure sensory joy your kids get from pulling bright green leaves off bushes. Hard fact: your kids will for sure like plucking leaves. They'll keep going until the sky darkens. For around 100 yuan (subject to change), most family-run farms near the Longjing Village museum let you wander into their terraced gardens and fill a little bamboo basket. The farmers take you through the steps — pluck the top two leaves, toss them into a wok, roll them with your palms — and then you get to taste the tea with a crunchy chestnut pastry.

For a smooth visit to Longjing Village with kids: Arrive before 9:00 a.m. to grab a parking spot near the village entrance and catch the morning light. Start at Longjing Village Museum (free with passport), then head right into the fields — the trail up the hill has shade and a few spots where little legs can rest. Bring a hat and a big bottle of water, because the terraces are steep and there's little shelter. The bus route #27 from downtown Hangzhou ends right at the village entrance — drop at Longjing Village stop. Or, take the subway to Longxiangqiao (Line 1) and hop on the tourist bus. I always recommend hiring a Didi from downtown, about 40 yuan, and having your hotel's staff write the address in Chinese for the driver.

My personal trick: book the tea-picking experience in a farmhouse at the top of the hill. You skip the noisy crowd near the museum and the views are ten times better. Ask your taxi to drive up to "Longjing Village Top Parking Lot" — drivers know it.

Wooden Boat Rowing on West Lake (Hangzhou)

Scrolling down travel videos showing misty West Lake pagodas? It's real. Plenty of boatmen cheerfully row you and your kids around though the lake is practically a mirror, huge and beguiling. The kids' highlight is feeding the ducks and swans that casually glide up to the boat, plus the little "splashing" game when rowers pick up the oars—younger children are utterly hypnotized. One family I took had a 4-year-old who didn't say a word for an hour — just quietly stared at the water. When we touched shore, she announced, "I want one of these lakes at home."

Boats leave from the pier next to Baoshi Hill (Baoshi Shan). A one-hour private wooden boat costs 150 yuan. Life jackets are provided, and the boatman will like you a bit more if you apologize in advance for the shouting. For access, use the subway to Ding'an Road Station (Line 1), walk toward the music fountain for 10 minutes, and look for the "Boat Rental" sign. The lake-side walk is flat and stroller-friendly, but the boat itself requires a single step that is not too high.

Insider advice: go on a weekday morning at 8:30 a.m. I've watched the queues at the pier snake around the flower beds at 10 a.m., and the heat reflecting off the water makes kids cranky. At 8:30 you'll share the lake with early-morning tai chi folks and be done by lunch.

Flying Kites and Playing Old Games at Song Dynasty Town (Hangzhou)

Imagine a whole town dressed up as if it's 1127 AD. Song Dynasty Town (Songcheng) is a theme park that recreates ancient Chinese street life, and it's different from any "old timey" spot you've seen. The wow for kids is the street performers—people on stilts, acrobats, and actors getting pulled into impromptu skits. One afternoon, my group's 7-year-old got pulled up as a "little magistrate" to judge a make-believe tea dispute. He still talks about it.

The real magic for families is the Children's Play Zone with classic games like pitching rings, flying kites, and riding a wooden bike. A few games are tricky to find — ask the information desk for the "folk games hut" or just follow the giggles.

Tickets are 300 yuan per adult on the day, 150 yuan for kids 1.2 to 1.5 meters tall, and free for shorter ones. Bring your passports — you'll need them for entry and if you want the free family map. It's open daily until 10:00 p.m., but try to go after 4:00 p.m. so the school groups are gone.

Getting there: take the subway Line 1 to Songcheng Road Station, then the free shuttle bus (look for the red signs) or a 10-minute Didi. The shuttle runs every 15 minutes. Don't miss the "Eternal Love" show at 7:00 p.m. — your kids will be lost in the lasers and fake rain, and you'll get a moment to breathe.

Rowing Through Waterways in Xitang Water Town

If I had to pick one classic "Chinese water town" for a family, Xitang is better than the overcrowded Wuzhen. The alleys are wider and flatter, and you will see grandmothers scrubbing vegetables into the canals while older men play cards. Children love the night-time blue-light river cruise. Wait until after dark, when the red lanterns reflect in the water, and you'll get that same feeling the poets had — but with a kid eating candy floss on your shoulder.

I must warn you: Xitang's charm doesn't come without steps. There are small arched bridges every few hundred meters; you'll be lifting a stroller more than once. So bring a light carrier for babies, and let toddlers use their own legs. The entry ticket is 95 yuan for adults, free for kids under 1.2 meters, and gives you access to all the indoor museums (worth it when the afternoon rain hits).

Why it's different from other towns: At Xitang, families can stay inside the old town in traditional guesthouses along the canal. I've stayed twice with my cousin's kids in the courtyard guesthouse "Lane River Inn" (about 500 yuan a night). The hostess, Aunty Chen, hands kids freshly boiled corn on a stick and even let them help feed her pet rabbit. International credit cards are not accepted at most local guesthouses, so carry some cash — 500 yuan will cover a night and a fancy meal. Paid via Alipay or WeChat is fine once you've connected your card; just keep a backup of cash.

Watch out: the Xitang ticket control is strict at the east gate, but if the kids are hungry, step into any restaurant and order at least a plate of grandma's wontons — then they'll watch your stroller while you run to the toilets (the public toilet line can be atrocious).

Hiking in Mogan Mountain Bamboo Forest

Switch the noise of the city for pure jungle. Mogan Mountain (Moganshan) is an easy one-hour drive from Hangzhou, and as soon as you exit the car, the temperature drops by at least 5°C. The air smells like damp earth and sweet fern. This is the spot where I tell parents to let their kids wear their most flexible shoes — and prepare for mud. The bamboo forest trails near the Grand Villa are gentle, with staircases carved into the mountain. But if it rained the night before, those stones are slippery. Hold little hands tight.

There's a walkable loop from the entrance of the Forest Park (adults 72 yuan, kids under 1.2m free) that takes 2 hours with breaks. You'll pass a small stream where kids can soak their feet. Older kids love the lookout tower at the loop's top— it's 15 wooden stairs to the platform, and the wind in the bamboo is the kind of sound that makes you forget your phone. I've seen kids transform here. A 9-year-old in my group who was "too cool" for family trips became a forest DJ, making up names for the spider webs. It was unrepeatable magic.

Transport: From Hangzhou West Bus Station, direct buses to Moganshan town run every hour until 4 p.m. Or, use the High-Speed rail from Hangzhou East to Deqing Station (17 minutes), then a 30-minute taxi to the mountain entrance. Keep your hotel's address written in Chinese — taxi drivers outside Deqing are not likely to speak English.

If rain is forecast, swap this for the Natural History Museum of Zhejiang (Hangzhou branch) — it's an underrated shelter, free entry with a reservation, and includes real dinosaur skeletons. A perfect emergency plan!

Getting Your Hands Dirty a Chinese FarmStay (Anji)

Do you want a truly unique thing to do in Zhejiang with kids that most international blogs skip? Head to Anji County, famous for its white tea and bamboo — but the real treasures are the family-run farm stays. Over the years, I've seen kids from every continent catch fish in a cemented pond, pick lotus leaves, and eat — for the first time ever — a cucumber straight from the vine, with the dirt still on. That's worth more than any souvenir.

In the tiny village of Shangbu, there is a farm guesthouse called "Bamboo Field Home" (I've been three times). The farmer, Uncle Chen, 60 years old, does a 2-hour "little farmer" program for around 80 yuan per child. He teaches the kids to feed the chickens (whoa, they get jumpy), water the vegetables, and gather eggs from the henhouse. If you're lucky, he'll let them try to make niangao (glutinous rice cakes) in a massive stone pestle. It's noisy, clumsy, and loads of laughing.

The place is as real as it gets. Accommodation is simple: clean rooms, mosquito nets, electric kettles, and a hot-water thermos. No international credit cards, so bring a pile of cash — 600 yuan covers room, breakfast, and the program. He accepts WeChat Pay too, but he'll be happy with cash. For location: the address is "Anji County, Shangbu Village, No. 17" — show it to the driver in Chinese. If you get lost, call Uncle Chen; he'll come find you on his electric tricycle.

It's a fantastic way for kids to see that lunch doesn't come from a supermarket shelf.

Splash and Play at the Ocean Park in Hangzhou

When the summer heat hits, nothing beats Hangzhou Polar Ocean Park in Xiaoshan. It's a mix of aquarium, polar exhibition, and splashpad. Kids don't care about taxonomy — they just love the enormous tanks of rays and the shark tunnel that makes them feel like they're underwater. The sea lion show is a favorite, but I admit the theatre has too many snacks and loud music — you'll want earplugs if your little one is sensitive.

Ticket prices: 280 yuan for adults, 140 yuan for children above 1 meter; booking via Trip.com includes a slight discount. Check the schedule for the dolphin show (usually 1:30 p.m. and 4:00 p.m.) before you go, and be at the stadium doors 15 minutes early to get a bench seat under a fan. Don't bring a big stroller — there are steep ramps and packed crowds. Use the free lockers inside the entrance.

Go when it opens at 9:30 a.m. — by noon the local summer camps fill the place. Parking costs 10 yuan per hour, or take Metro Line 1 to Xianghu Station, then cab 10 minutes to the east gate.

For a mostly indoor activity, you avoid the rain problem entirely, which makes it a perfect Plan B on a stormy day.

Colored Lanterns and Ancient Skills: Shaoxing

Shaoxing is a laid-back canal city 20 minutes by high-speed train from Hangzhou East. It smells of rice wine and history, but for children, it's the sheer delight of old boats and crowded market lanes. The standout is the East Lake (Donghu) scenic area — not really a lake, but an abandoned quarry filled with water and decorated with cheeky stone walls. You ride a hand-pulled boat into the dark rock caves and the kids scream with joy at the echo.

Ticket is 80 yuan per adult, children under 1.2 meters free and the boat ride is 120 yuan per boat (fits 3 people). Avoid the 10:00-2:00 rush — I've waited 45 minutes to board. The ticket office clerk keeps red sticky notes for boat numbers; take a photo of your number.

After Donghu, walk to the old Cangqiao Straight Street, where kids can watch old men making hand-pulled sugar figures — or simply chase the pigeons in the small square. Shaoxing's snack of "stinky tofu" is famous; my advice is to approach it with a wink, because the smell might stop a kid at the doorstep. But offer it — the crispy outside and spicy sauce win many skeptics.

Pay attention: many small shops in the old town still prefer cash. Unlike Hangzhou, where I never touch cash, I carry about 200 yuan when visiting Shaoxing.