Explore China
Famous for West Lake and traditional Chinese gardens
Hangzhou has been celebrated as an earthly paradise for over a thousand years. Marco Polo declared it "the finest and most splendid city in the world" when he visited in the 13th century. At its heart lies West Lake, a UNESCO World Heritage Site whose misty waters, willow-lined causeways, and lakeside pagodas have inspired Chinese poets, painters, and philosophers for millennia.
The city is the birthplace of Longjing (Dragon Well) tea, one of China's most prized green teas. The tea plantations in the hills surrounding West Lake offer visitors the chance to pick leaves, watch traditional roasting techniques, and taste tea in serene village settings. Hangzhou's food culture is equally refined — the city's signature dish, Dongpo Pork, is a slow-braised masterpiece named after the Song Dynasty poet Su Dongpo.
Modern Hangzhou is also a tech powerhouse — home to Alibaba's headquarters — yet it has preserved its natural beauty and cultural heritage remarkably well. The Lingyin Temple, one of the largest Buddhist temples in China, sits among ancient trees and hillside grottoes. A boat ride on West Lake at sunset, with the distant hills silhouetted against the sky, remains one of China's most iconic experiences.
Best time to visit: March to May (spring blossoms) or September to November (autumn colours)
The ultimate 27-day China experience — from the Great Wall and Forbidden City to a Yangtze River cruise, giant pandas in Chengdu, the Li River in Guilin, classical gardens of Suzhou, West Lake in Hangzhou, and vibrant Shanghai.
From NZD $10,899
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
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.
NZD $2,999 per person
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