Wuzhen… A Must-Visit Ancient Water Town in Jiangnan

Wuzhen is a charming ancient water town in Jiangnan, boasting a long history and unique cultural charm. I have planned a seven-day in-depth travel guide for Wuzhen and its surroundings to help you fully experience the essence of this region.

✨ Seven-Day In-Depth Travel Guide for Wuzhen

✨ Highlights of the Itinerary

· Dual Water Town Experience: Explore the original ecological life atmosphere of East Scenic Zone during the day, and immerse yourself in the dazzling night lights of West Scenic Zone at night, feeling the unique charm of the ancient town in different times and spaces.
· Cultural Immersion Journey: From the former residence of literary giant Mao Dun to the artist Mu Xin’s art museum, from the ancient indigo dyeing workshop to the modern architectural design of Wuzhen Grand Theatre, deeply experience Wuzhen’s cultural and artistic atmosphere.
· Jiangnan Cuisine Exploration: Taste authentic water town delicacies, from Scholar’s Lamb Noodles to Ding Sheng Cake, from Sanbai Liquor to Sauce Duck, enjoy a Jiangnan feast on your palate.

📌 Basic Information

Best Travel Time: Spring (March-May) and Autumn (September-November) with pleasant climate. In May, hydrangeas and cherry blossoms bloom, offering beautiful scenery while avoiding summer crowds, providing good value for money. Suggested Budget: About 500-800 RMB per person per day (including accommodation, meals, tickets, transportation) Transportation: Take high-speed rail to Tongxiang Station, then transfer to K282 bus to reach Wuzhen; within the scenic area, mainly rely on walking and rowing boats.

🗓 Seven-Day Itinerary for Wuzhen

Here is an overall arrangement of your seven-day itinerary to help you get an intuitive understanding of the entire trip:

```mermaid
gantt
title Seven-Day Travel Itinerary in Wuzhen
dateFormat HH:mm
axisFormat %H:%M

section Day 1: Arrival in Wuzhen, Initial Exploration of East Scenic Zone
Arrival in Wuzhen, check-in :a1, 09:00, 2h
East Scenic Zone tour :a2, after a1, 3h
Visit Mao Dun’s Former Residence :a3, after a2, 1.5h
Taste specialty dinner :a4, after a3, 1.5h
Rest :a5, after a4, 10h

section Day 2: In-depth Tour of West Scenic Zone
Breakfast :b1, 08:00, 1h
Zhaoming Academy :b2, after b1, 1h
Mu Xin Art Museum :b3, after b2, 1.5h
Lunch :b4, after b3, 1h
Caomuben Dyeing Workshop :b5, after b4, 1h
Old Post Office :b6, after b5, 1h
Wuzhen Grand Theatre :b7, after b6, 1h
Dinner :b8, after b7, 1h
Rowing Boat Night Tour :b9, after b8, 1.5h
Rest :b10, after b9, 10h

section Day 3: Wucun Experience and Leisure
Breakfast :c1, 08:00, 1h
Wucun Countryside Experience :c2, after c1, 3h
Lunch :c3, after c2, 1h
Explore South Scenic Old Street :c4, after c3, 2h
Zhang Hengxing Lantern Shop DIY :c5, after c4, 1.5h
Dinner :c6, after c5, 1.5h
Free Activities :c7, after c6, 2h
Rest :c8, after c7, 10h

section Day 4: Jiaxing Cultural Tour
Travel to Jiaxing :d1, 08:00, 1.5h
South Lake Scenic Area :d2, after d1, 2h
Yuehe Historic District :d3, after d2, 2h
Lunch :d4, after d3, 1h
Jiaxing Zongzi Museum :d5, after d4, 2h
Return to Wuzhen :d6, after d5, 1.5h
Dinner :d7, after d6, 1.5h
Rest :d8, after d7, 10h

section Day 5: One-Day Tour of Suzhou Gardens
Travel to Suzhou :e1, 07:00, 2h
Humble Administrator’s Garden :e2, after e1, 2h
Suzhou Museum :e3, after e2, 2h
Lunch :e4, after e3, 1h
Pingjiang Road Historic District :e5, after e4, 2h
Return to Wuzhen :e6, after e5, 2h
Dinner :e7, after e6, 1.5h
Rest :e8, after e7, 10h

section Day 6: Water Market and Free Exploration
Water Market Morning Tea Experience :f1, 07:00, 2h
Dragon-shaped Field Photo Session :f2, after f1, 1.5h
Free Activities (Shopping or Photography) :f3, after f2, 3h
Lunch :f4, after f3, 1h
Tea Tasting at Qiaoliqiao Teahouse :f5, after f4, 2h
Xuchang Sauce Garden :f6, after f5, 1h
Farewell Dinner :f7, after f6, 2h
Rest :f8, after f7, 10h

section Day 7: Departure
Breakfast :g1, 08:00, 1h
Last-minute Shopping :g2, after g1, 2h
Check-out :g3, after g2, 1h
Departure :g4, after g3, 2h
```

🏨 Accommodation Recommendations

· Inside West Scenic Zone: Recommended to choose a waterside guesthouse to experience the feeling of "sleeping by the water" and conveniently enjoy the night view of West Scenic Zone. Accommodation in the scenic area is uniformly managed by the official, with prices ranging from low to high.
· East Scenic Zone Inns: Cost-effective and better for experiencing local life atmosphere.
· Wucun Countryside Hotels: Suitable for family trips to experience rural charm.

🍜 Food Recommendations

· Scholar’s Lamb Noodle Restaurant: Located at No. 216 West Scenic Street, recommended dishes include Red Braised Lamb Noodles and Scholar’s Signature Noodles (lamb + lamb tripe + lamb feet), about 45 RMB per person.
· Ding Sheng Cake: Rice flour cake shaped like an ingot, originating from a Southern Song Dynasty story where commoners rewarded soldiers, a long-established Wuzhen brand insists on using