Two of China's most talked-about cities in one 10-day trip — futuristic Chongqing's neon cliffside skyline, the famous monorail through a building, and UNESCO Dazu Rock Carvings, then laid-back Chengdu's giant pandas and teahouse culture. Connected by bullet train. Departs 1 November.
Next Departure
1 Nov 2026
All departure dates
Dates refer to scheduled group departures; year 2026 where applicable — confirm at booking.
Days to departure
until your group flies from Auckland
Seats remaining
15
group capped at 16–20 travellers
Visa-free China for NZ travellers — Many leisure trips qualify for up to 30 days without a tourist visa under current published policy. Always confirm your exact dates and purpose before travel. Read our China visa guide for New Zealanders
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Two of China's most talked-about cities in one 10-day trip — futuristic Chongqing's neon cliffside skyline, the famous monorail through a building, and UNESCO Dazu Rock Carvings, then laid-back Chengdu's giant pandas and teahouse culture. Connected by bullet train. Departs 1 November.
Single supplement: NZD $400
Featured departure
1 November 2026
Minimum 15 passengers. Enquire to confirm availability and hold your seat.
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
Watch a real train pass through the middle of a residential building at Chongqing's legendary Liziba Station
Explore Hongyadong after dark — a glowing cliffside complex that looks like a scene from a Miyazaki film
Visit the Dazu Rock Carvings, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with 50,000 Buddhist sculptures carved over 1,000 years
Step inside the Huguang Guild Hall, a beautifully preserved Qing Dynasty merchant complex beside the Yangtze River
See giant pandas up close at the world-leading Chengdu Research Base -- best at morning feeding time
Witness the Matchmaking Corner at People's Park, where parents search for partners on behalf of their adult children
Travel city-to-city on China's high-speed bullet train -- Chongqing to Chengdu in under 90 minutes
Wander Ciqikou Ancient Town and Jinli Street for Sichuan street food, local crafts, and old-quarter atmosphere
Meals: Meal on board
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Meals: Breakfast
Meals: Breakfast
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Meals: Breakfast
Meals: Breakfast
Meals: Meal on board
Route visualization for planning — watch how you'll travel through each destination.
Everything you need to know about traveling to China with CTS
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Contact Our SpecialistsInterested in China Discovery — Fire & Fuzz? 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 put this China Discovery — Fire & Fuzz itinerary together for New Zealand travellers who want the route to feel human — hotels, pacing, and local guides are chosen so you spend your energy on the places, not on fixing problems on the ground. Ask our Auckland team if you want my eyes on the dates; I still review Discovery and Signature lines myself.
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"
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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.
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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
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