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.
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14 Oct 2026
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Dates refer to scheduled group departures; year 2026 where applicable — confirm at booking.
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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.
This Discovery tour is built around the Yangtze Delta — moving from Shanghai to Suzhou, Wuxi, Xinshi Ancient Town, Hangzhou, then back to Shanghai before your return to Auckland. It is the same published itinerary as our main tour page, with this page spotlighting the 14 October group departure (year as per your booking confirmation).
You fly Auckland — Shanghai; land transport between cities is included as specified — for example about 1.5 hours Shanghai–Suzhou, about 1 hour Suzhou–Wuxi, about 1.5 hours Wuxi–Xinshi, and about 2 hours Hangzhou–Shanghai on the published day-by-day plan.
Optional extras such as the Shanghai Acrobatics Show and Maglev ride are not included in the tour price (see inclusions on this page).
Included: international and domestic airfares; hotel accommodation as specified; English-speaking tour guide; entrance fees and meals as specified in the itinerary; land transfer.
Not included: Travel insurance (strongly recommended); personal expenses; transport and guide during free time; meals not listed; tips (suggested NZD $10 per day per person); optional activities; anything not specifically mentioned as included — exactly as listed on the main tour page.
If your priority is imperial Beijing, the Great Wall, and Xi'an including the Terracotta Warriors linked by high-speed train, see China Discovery — A Tale of Two Cities (featured 15 October departure).
This Shanghai & Surroundings route does not include Beijing or Xi'an — it is a single-region Delta + Shanghai journey at NZD $2,999 per person for 10 days.
Full legal wording and any updates always follow the official tour page.
Group departures from New Zealand (dates as published). Contact us to reserve a seat or request a private departure.
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signature · China
signature · China
signature · China
discovery · China
discovery · China
discovery · China
discovery · China
Master of the Nets Garden, Panmen, and Shantang Street in Suzhou
Silk factory; Three Kingdoms City (warship tour & horse battle show); Purple Sand Museum; Nanchang Ancient Street in Wuxi
Li Garden by the lake, Pearl Exhibition Centre, and a local market day in Wuxi
Hanfu dress-up for photos and afternoon tea in thousand-year-old Xinshi Town
West Lake boat tour, Su Causeway, Leifeng Pagoda, and Hangzhou International Expo Center (G20)
Six Harmonies Pagoda and Longjing tea tasting at Meijiawu
The Bund, City God Temple quarter, World Cultural Heritage Art Exhibition Centre, and Nanjing Road
Optional Shanghai acrobatics show and Maglev ride (extra cost)
Meals: Meals on board
Meals: Lunch
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Meals: Breakfast, Afternoon tea
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Meals: Breakfast
Meals: Breakfast
Schematic route for planning — not a geographic map. City order is derived from your itinerary text.
Interested in China Discovery — Shanghai & Surroundings? We'll get back to you within 24 hours.
David Chen
Wellington, NZ
“As a second-generation Chinese Kiwi, I wanted to reconnect with my heritage. CTS created a journey that was both deeply personal and wonderfully surprising.”
Jennifer O'Brien
Tauranga, NZ
“The cooking class in a Beijing hutong was the highlight of our trip! Lisa and Baker clearly love what they do, and it shows in every aspect of the tour.”
Greg & Michelle Hart
Rotorua, NZ
“Fantastic value for money. We saw the Great Wall, Terracotta Warriors, and Shanghai skyline all in one well-paced trip. The guides were outstanding.”
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 departures include mid-October.
From NZD $3,480
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.
NZD $4,539 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.
NZD $3,899 per person
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