Explore China with Top Holiday Packages

I'm Baker Gu, CTS's China travel specialist. People often ask me: "Baker, where do I even begin with a China holiday?" My honest answer — start with what you want to feel, not just what you want to tick off. The landmarks will come. But the right package puts you in the right rhythm from day one.

Here is how I think about China holiday packages, and what I'd put in front of a New Zealand traveller today.

What a CTS China holiday package actually includes

A good China package isn't a flight and a hotel list. At CTS, every itinerary we build covers the full picture:

• Return international flights from Auckland (or Wellington, or Christchurch)
• Domestic transport — high-speed rail between cities, or internal flights where it saves meaningful time
• Hand-picked hotels (3 to 5 star, depending on the tier you choose)
• English-speaking local guides I personally know and trust
• Entrance fees for all major sites on the itinerary
• Most meals, specified per day so there are no surprises

The knowledge behind those choices is where CTS earns its place. Which hotel in Xi'an puts you near the Muslim Quarter without the noise? Which morning slot at the Chengdu panda base is worth the early alarm? I've made those calls for twenty-plus years.

Three tiers — find your fit

I build every CTS itinerary around one of three tiers.

Signature — boutique 4 to 5 star hotels, small groups, and the kind of access that comes from direct China relationships through parent China Travel Service. For travellers who want to do China properly, with room to breathe between sights. Browse Signature →

Discovery — my best-value escorted packages. Comfortable 3 to 4 star hotels, vetted guides, itineraries that hit the essential sights at a pace that doesn't exhaust you. Perfect for first-time visitors or anyone who wants excellent value without sacrificing quality. Browse Discovery →

Stopover — 2 to 4 day city breaks. Transiting Shanghai for business? Want a taster before committing to a longer trip? These short packages let you know a city well without wasting your time. Browse Stopovers →

Best time to visit China

I send the most groups in April–May and September–October. Mild temperatures, manageable crowds, and landscape conditions that make every photo worth showing people.

• Spring (April–May): Cherry blossom in the north, blooming rice terraces in Yunnan, comfortable walking weather everywhere. My favourite time for Beijing and Xi'an.
• Summer (June–August): Hot and humid, peak domestic crowds — but also festival season and lush green scenery in Guilin and Zhangjiajie.
• Autumn (September–October): My personal favourite. The afternoon light in Guilin is extraordinary. Foliage turns in October. The Shanghai and Surroundings route is at its best.
• Winter: Quieter, and the Forbidden City in snow is something else. Some travellers find the pace slower than they expected.

Festivals worth timing your trip around

If you can build your dates around one of these, do it:

• Chinese New Year (January–February): Spectacular lantern displays and temple fairs — be settled in your first city before it starts, as domestic travel gets busy
• Mid-Autumn Festival (September–October): Mooncakes, family atmosphere, and the weather is at its best anyway
• Dragon Boat Festival (May–June): Boat races in Guilin or Hangzhou — genuine cultural events, not staged for tourists

Group tours — why I recommend them

I know "group tour" can sound like a compromise. It isn't — not when the group is small and the guide knows what they're doing.

Travelling with a small group means better access at peak sites, shared private transport, and a guide who adjusts the day when something isn't working. It also means the kind of company that makes long train journeys go quickly.

My Discovery packages run as small guided groups. Signature can be either — most clients choose semi-private or fully tailor-made.

The cities I'd put in any first China holiday

Beijing — start here if this is your first time. The Forbidden City, the Great Wall, a hutong evening. Non-negotiable.

Shanghai — modern China without apology. The Bund at dusk, Yu Garden in the morning, the French Concession for lunch.

Xi'an — the Terracotta Army alone justifies the detour. Add the Muslim Quarter at night and you have one of China's great evenings.

One destination most clients don't expect: Chongqing & Chengdu

Most itineraries skip Chongqing. I don't — and it almost always becomes the story clients tell when they get home.

Chongqing doesn't look like any other China you've seen: neon-lit stilt houses dropping six storeys into the Yangtze, a metro line that passes through the middle of an apartment building, and hot pot so good it justifies a detour from anywhere. Pair it with Chengdu's Giant Panda Base and the contrast is extraordinary — electric energy, then panda calm.

Browse our Chongqing tours or Chengdu tours.

From Auckland — what the journey looks like

Auckland to Shanghai is around 12 hours direct. Most clients fly Sunday and are standing in front of the Bund or Tiananmen by Tuesday morning.

For NZ passport holders, China is currently visa-free for stays up to 30 days — which makes planning a first trip very straightforward. Full entry details for NZ travellers →

My recommendation for a first China holiday package: start with a Discovery tier trip — Beijing, Xi'an, and one natural landscape such as Guilin or Zhangjiajie. That combination gives you ancient history, iconic culture, and scenery you cannot find anywhere else, all within 10 days that fit a typical Kiwi leave allocation.

Browse all China holiday packages → or contact our Auckland team to talk through your dates.