“CTS made our 15-day China trip effortless. Beijing to Shanghai — every transfer, every meal, sorted by Kiwi-friendly people.”
Margaret & David Anderson
Auckland
Fifteen days from Beijing's Temple of Heaven, Forbidden City, Great Wall and hutongs, by high-speed train to Xi'an's Terracotta Army, then by air to Hangzhou via Puyuan's fashion ancient town, West Lake and Longjing tea, finishing in Shanghai before your return via Beijing.
Next Departure
3 Nov 2026
All departure dates
Dates refer to scheduled group departures — confirm at booking.
Mon–Fri 9am–5pm · speak to a real person, no form needed
Scheduled small-group departures
3 November 2026 · 11 March 2027
Limited places per departure — reserve early to secure your date.
Why book Best of China with CTS
Financial protection on every booking
Backed by CTS — global brand since 1928
NZ team handles every booking end-to-end
Our China team, not a reseller chain
Final price, in your currency, up front
4
Cities
Beijing · Xi’an · Hangzhou · Shanghai
15
Days
Comfortable, immersive pace
$3,880
NZD lead-in
Auckland return flights included
25
Years in NZ
Backed by CTS — global since 1928
The Journey
Day 1-4
Great Wall · Forbidden City · hutongs
Day 5-7
Terracotta Warriors · ancient walls
Day 8-11
West Lake · Jiangnan water-towns
Day 12-15
The Bund · Pudong skyline
Behind the price
No add-ons, no FX surprises. This is what every Kiwi booking on Best of China gets, confirmed in NZD before you pay a deposit.
International airfares Auckland ↔ China included in the headline price.
3–4★ hotels across 4 cities · all airport, city & day-tour transfers.
Local CTS guides on the ground in every city, plus a single tour leader end-to-end.
Daily breakfasts, most lunches, and all entrance fees per the day-by-day itinerary.
Exclusions: travel insurance, personal expenses, tips, single-room supplement. Wellington / Christchurch / regional NZ departures use a connecting domestic flight to Auckland, quoted separately.
Real Kiwi travellers · real itineraries
A snapshot from our recent New Zealand departures — photos shared by CTS travellers, paired with quotes from our verified NZ reviews.
“Two of the world’s great historical capitals in ten days. Couldn’t have asked for more.”
Quote from Claire & Tom Mackenzie · Wellington, NZ
“Visa-free entry made this finally happen for me as a solo Kiwi traveller.”
Quote from Fiona Hewitt · Auckland, NZ
“Canal streets after dark, silk markets, garden tea ceremony — like stepping into a classical painting.”
Quote from Rachel Donohue · Tauranga, NZ
“Guilin’s karst peaks stopped us in our tracks — we’d go again in a heartbeat.”
Quote from Trevor & Jan Bowen · Invercargill, NZ
“Two weeks in Yunnan and barely another Western tourist in sight — sweet as trip from start to finish.”
Quote from Liz & Peter Armstrong · Christchurch, NZ
“Sunrise at Zhangjiajie’s Avatar Mountains was otherworldly — every shot looked like a National Geographic cover.”
Quote from James & Mia Cooper · Wellington, NZ
From Kiwi travellers who've been
“CTS made our 15-day China trip effortless. Beijing to Shanghai — every transfer, every meal, sorted by Kiwi-friendly people.”
Margaret & David Anderson
Auckland
“Booking from NZ felt safe — Auckland office, NZD pricing, real humans who understood our school holidays.”
Sarah Chen
Christchurch
“The Great Wall day was the trip of a lifetime. Our guide had grown up nearby and the stories made it magical.”
Robert Williams
Wellington
“Direct China ops, not a reseller chain — you can feel it. Hotels, drivers, restaurants all just worked.”
Janet Thompson
Hamilton
“Xi’an, Hangzhou, Shanghai — every city had its own character. CTS got the pacing exactly right.”
Michael & Patricia Lee
Tauranga
“CTS made our 15-day China trip effortless. Beijing to Shanghai — every transfer, every meal, sorted by Kiwi-friendly people.”
Margaret & David Anderson
Auckland
“Booking from NZ felt safe — Auckland office, NZD pricing, real humans who understood our school holidays.”
Sarah Chen
Christchurch
“The Great Wall day was the trip of a lifetime. Our guide had grown up nearby and the stories made it magical.”
Robert Williams
Wellington
“Direct China ops, not a reseller chain — you can feel it. Hotels, drivers, restaurants all just worked.”
Janet Thompson
Hamilton
“Xi’an, Hangzhou, Shanghai — every city had its own character. CTS got the pacing exactly right.”
Michael & Patricia Lee
Tauranga
Visa-free China for NZ travellers — NZ passport holders can enter China visa-free for up to 30 days for tourism, business & family visits. Multiple entries allowed, no entry limit. Valid until 31 Dec 2026 (confirmed by China MFA, May 2026). Full guide →
100+ Years Heritage
Century of Excellence Since 1928
Auckland Local Office
Local Support When You Need It
Direct China Operations
No Middlemen, Best Value
50,000+ Happy Travelers
Trusted by Kiwi Families
CTS Tours is a TAANZ member and IATA-accredited agency with local support in Auckland and direct operations in China—so you deal with one trusted team from enquiry to return.
View memberships & credentials
Fifteen days from Beijing's Temple of Heaven, Forbidden City, Great Wall and hutongs, by high-speed train to Xi'an's Terracotta Army, then by air to Hangzhou via Puyuan's fashion ancient town, West Lake and Longjing tea, finishing in Shanghai before your return via Beijing.
Official guides and destination hubs to help you prepare—visa timing, seasons, and places on this route.
Group departures from New Zealand (dates as published). Contact us to reserve a seat or request a private departure.
signature · China
signature · China
signature · China
signature · China
discovery · China
discovery · China
discovery · China
discovery · China
Temple of Heaven, Tian'anmen Square, Forbidden City (or substitute Jingshan Park & Prince Gong's Mansion if tickets unavailable), Beihai Park, and the Great Wall
Hutong pedi-cab tour with family visit and Silk Market
High-speed train G89 Beijing–Xi'an (second class)
Terracotta Warriors with Circle Vision and Bronze Chariot; optional Tang Palace banquet show
Xi'an City Wall, Big Wild Goose Pagoda, Small Wild Goose Pagoda Museum, and Muslim Quarter (Huimin Street)
Flight to Hangzhou and Tongxiang — Puyuan Fashion Ancient Town (Song-style waterways)
West Lake boat tour, G20 Hangzhou International Expo Center, Meijiawu Longjing tea, Qinghefang Ancient Street
Shanghai: Yuyuan Garden, Bund, Nanjing Road, Lujiazui skyline corridor, World Cultural Heritage Art Exhibition Centre
Meals: Meals on board
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Meals: Breakfast
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Meals: Breakfast
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Meals: Breakfast
Route visualization for planning — watch how you'll travel through each destination.
Interested in China Discovery — Best of China? We'll get back to you within 24 hours.
Claire & Tom Mackenzie
Wellington, NZ
Beijing to Xi'an on the Bullet Train — The Perfect 10 Days
“The visa-free entry for Kiwis (it came in mid-2024) made booking so much easier than we ever expected — no embassy queues, no paperwork, just flights booked and off we went. Baker's itinerary was brilliantly paced: three days in Beijing (Forbidden City, hutong evening walk, Great Wall at Mutianyu at sunrise), then a bullet train to Xi'an for the Terracotta Warriors and the Muslim Quarter's lamb skewers. Two of the world's great historical capitals in ten days. Couldn't have asked for more.”
Michael & Bev Larsen
Dunedin, NZ
Great Wall at Dawn, Terracotta Warriors After Lunch — Incredible
“As Dunediners, we're no strangers to spectacular scenery — but nothing prepared us for standing on the Great Wall with mist rolling through the valleys below. Lisa matched that moment perfectly with our private guide at the Terracotta Warriors pit two days later. The scale is genuinely hard to believe until you're standing in front of it. The Xi'an Muslim Quarter lamb skewers and pomegranate juice were the perfect ending to a brilliant day. Ten days, two ancient capitals, zero complaints.”
Fiona Hewitt
Auckland, NZ
Solo Kiwi Traveller — Visa-Free Entry Made This Finally Happen
“I'd been putting off China for years, mostly because of the visa process. Then visa-free access opened for NZ passport holders in mid-2024 and I had no more excuses. Baker sorted the rest: a great small group for the Beijing–Xi'an itinerary, a private morning at the Wall before the tour buses arrived, and a Xi'an family dinner that turned into a two-hour dumpling lesson. I've been talking about this trip non-stop since I got home. The no-visa thing genuinely is a game-changer for Kiwis.”
I designed Essentials as a broad China sweep — one itinerary that hits the icons so you do not have to choose Beijing or Shanghai alone on visit one. Expect full days; I have trimmed the fluff so the highlights stay honest.
Explore more China Discovery tours
October-ready from Auckland — Beijing's Forbidden City, Great Wall, and hutongs, then high-speed rail to Xi'an for the Terracotta Warriors. Many NZ leisure trips can use China's visa-free entry (confirm before you book); published group departure in October as listed on this page.
"Perfect first China experience — the essence of Beijing and Xi'an"
From NZD $3,480
per person
October-ready from Auckland — Yangtze Delta loop: Suzhou gardens and Shantang Street, Wuxi lakeside sights and Three Kingdoms City, Hanfu and afternoon tea in Xinshi water town, Hangzhou's West Lake and Longjing tea, then Shanghai's Bund. Visa-free entry may apply for many NZ trips (confirm dates); mid-October departure published.
From NZD $3,399
per person
Yunnan by air via Beijing — Erhai and Bai culture around Dali (including Shuanglang and “Santorini” viewpoints), Lijiang's Lashi Lake and Shuhe, then overland to Shangri-La through Tiger Leaping Gorge, Songzanlin Monastery, and Napa Lake before returning to Auckland via Beijing.
From NZD $3,899
per personEverything you need to know about traveling to China with CTS
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