I love waterfalls. Who doesn’t? However, hiking up one which is officially the highest waterfall in China, with a toddler, can quickly turn into a rather tiring experience. Come well prepared though and you’ll all have a wonderful experience!

I did have some doubts before traveling just over an hour to Baishuizhai Scenic Area in Zengcheng district, after all I’d read it takes two hours to hike to the top (4999 steps!) and my son was only 2.5 at the time and no way was he able to manage on his own. The idea of carrying him was not particularly appealing to me or my husband but we decided to go anyway because we just assumed we wouldn’t walk all the way up to the top, just admire the views along the way and make plenty of stops. I’m so glad we went as we all LOVED IT!

If you have the same doubts as I did-don’t! There are several parts of the child-friendly hiking trail, where your child can rest, play in the icy cold water and just have fun with no pressure of needing to keep going higher. Our son completely surprised us though as he was the one pushing us to go further! Yes, we did end up carrying him on our backs once we reached the upper levels of the hike but he was so eager to see the waterfall up close that despite exhaustion we did manage to reach the highest bridge and get absolutely drenched🙂

Even if you don’t intend to hike up to the top or are not able to, still go, if only for the breathtaking views and wonderful environment.

The photos speak for themselves.

Just look at those views! It is entirely up to you how far you’ll walk, in fact many families with younger children stop right at the start of the hike because of a fun shallow water play area there. The great thing about the waterfall’s location is that many hot spring resorts are nearby and so not only can your family have a wonderful experience at the waterfall itself but also have lots of fun at resorts, water parks or at other natural attractions in the vicinity. Needless to say, walking such a long hike, surrounded by beautiful nature is great for your and your child’s body and mind.

!If you’d like to see some videos of this lovely place, head over to my Instagram. I also post on X and while my posts are about places and things to do in Guangzhou, they may not be related to kids .

Are also a fan of waterfalls? Which ones, in China, have you been to with your kids?

Info

• Opening times: 8.30am-5pm
• Address: Baishuizhai Scenic Spot, Paitan Town, Zengcheng, Guangzhou
• Getting there: By car or an organised coach trip. I have only ever been there by car but I know many travel agencies or even resorts in Zengcheng and Conghua offer day trips to the waterfall. It is worth checking with the hotel you intend to stay overnight at. I would advise against getting a Didi-even if you managed to find a driver to take you there, you’d struggle to find a Didi to bring you back.
• Parking: On-site
• Tickets: You can buy them in advance from a travel agency /online or at the main entrance. 60rmb for an adult, 30 for a child 1.2m-1.5m tall, kids under 1.2m enter for free
• Food: Many food stalls outside the main entrance but most open at 9am so you may want to have breakfast before leaving home/hotel. The quality of food is acceptable if you’re really hungry. There are many countryside restaurants in the villages outside the scenic area to satisfy your hunger pangs.
• Facilities: There are some toilets along the hike but bear in mind on weekends they get hundreds of visitors-lower your standards… The path is not suitable for prams. There are many resting points with benches and tables.
• Age: As long as your child is old enough to have fun in the shallow water, so around 1.5-2 years old and you’re prepared to carry them in a hiking backpack, you’ll be fine. This experience is best suited for children over 5 years old though. This hike is too challenging for the elderly.

Tips

• Go as early as you can or after 2pm because the place gets visited by many large tour groups and the path can get very busy mid-morning
• Take plenty of drinks and snacks with you
• Wear very comfy shoes
• Make sure you put sunblock on as there is little shade at the upper levels of the hike
• Bring water shoes to be able to play in the natural pools along the hiking path
• You may wish to bring a change of clothes as you will get drenched at the higher levels of the waterfall