I’m planning a future trip and I’m currently choosing between visiting China or New Zealand. Both countries seem very different and interesting in their own ways, so I’m having trouble deciding.
I’d love to hear from people who have been to one or both. How did you find the overall experience in terms of culture, nature, costs and transportation? Which destination would you recommend and why?
Very different countries.
You need a tour of China that is at least three weeks and you will be flying between some cities and/or taking a high speed train.
Places like Bejing, the Great Wall, Xian and the terracotta warriors, Shanghi, a Yangzee river cruise and much more.
New Zealand will take you about two weeks to bo both islands and you can do it all on a bus tour or renting a car.
It is a very scenic country, but do enjoy the visit to the Maori people.
As for costs, It takes more time to see China, so it would likely be more expensive. Suggest you check some tours and compare prices. Check Gate 1 Travel and a couple of others and compare.
@geovagriffith, Thanks a lot. Two weeks for New Zealand sounds more manageable. I’ll look into those tours and compare costs as you suggested.
I still think about my trip to New Zealand 2 years ago. It is an amazing place. The people are very friendly and the landscape is beautiful with a lot of natural wonders.
I have not been to China but I think it would be a very different type of trip and somewhat more challenging.
I have only been to New Zealand, so I don’t know about comparing costs, but I’m sure that culturally, there is no comparison. New Zealand is very much like here, and scenically, is very much like California. Transportation too is very similar as we rented a car.
Wow! You probably couldn’t choose two more different locations if you tried! I have been to both - New Zealand one time, on a tour (2024) and China seven times, both volunteering and touring (2010-2014, 2019, 2025). I loved New Zealand and would be happy to return and, obviously, I’m fond of China. Here are some thoughts.
New Zealand is a remarkable place and easy for an English-speaking tourist. The people are friendly and, although there are a lot of similarities to the US, they definitely have a culture of their own and a fascinating history. If you are looking for nature, New Zealand is hard to beat - coastline, mountains, fjords, farms, wildlife (including penguins) - they have just about everything. If you are looking for a tour, you might consider Mondumo Tours, operated by Colin Mairs, a Rick Steves guide. Website: https://mondumo.com/ This is the company I used and the trip was excellent.
China is, of course, huge, so if you only have about two weeks, you would need to limit yourself to one area of the country or take a really efficient tour. Gate One (https://www.gate1travel.com/asia-pacific/china-japan) has a 15-day small group trip that seems to cover the highlights and has a very reasonable cost (I’ve traveled with them twice but not to China. I recommend sticking with their small group “Discovery” tours with a limit of 22 people). China is certainly a more challenging destination than New Zealand - culture, language, history, food - but I find it so worth the effort!
It really boils down to what you want from a trip, what’s most important to you, and what kind of challenge you are up for. I don’t think you can go wrong.
I've been only to China but I went (twice) on my own, not with a tour. It was supremely easy, despite what I had feared. I'd choose that country, only because (for me) it's more exotic/more different than NZ. But t's your trip!!
Just saying not to be fearful of attempting China on your own....
I only covered a few destinations: Beijing; Shanghai; and HK (had been to HK several times before the China trips)
From both Beijing and Shanghai, I hired drivers to take me on side trips for the day to various destinations outside the cities.
The overnight train from Shanghai to HK was a wonderful experience, and I did this on my own as well...no tour needed.
I’m sitting in Christchurch airport right now, about to board our return flight to SFO. We just finished a 17 day tour with Moatrek. Highly recommend it, although there was a lot of driving on the bus. Small group of 18, all great traveling companions. You should check them out too!
Been to both countries…two very different places. Go to New Zealand on your own because you will interact with the people. They are wonderful. You won’t get to visit with the people if part of a tour. Just watch out driving on the “wrong side of the road”. Nature is the big draw. We rented a camper to see the country. China is about the long grand history. A tour might give you a guide to explain what you’re seeing. Our time exploring on our own went well, so you can do it either way. We visited Hong Kong on our own with no problem. Since the World Fair in Beijing things are much more modern than when we visited in 1998. A lot fewer squat toilets!!! Plan on traveling to both countries when you can.
New Zealand is tied with Hawaii and the SC Lowcountry as the most beautiful places I have ever been. I will not go to China for political reasons. We went on a great Globus small group tour which also included Australia and one of the things we did that I really enjoyed was a visit to a Maori crafts school at one of the geothermal areas. If you are at all a fan of LOTR, you must go to Hobbiton on the north island and a day tour from Queenstown on the south island.
I am a NZer so full disclosure here! The indigenous culture of NZ, Maori, is quite accessible to experience in several places. It is deeply spiritual and the music and dance gorgeous. We are like a series of continuous small towns and villages and apart from Auckland nothing is very crowded. The beaches are pristine and you can often be the only people on a beach with white sand and pōhutukawas trees on the shore. Watch Lord of the Rings to see the majesty of the South Is- it is really like that. Renting a car is easy and apart from the left side driving, most Americans would find it easy. People will cheerfully talk to you everywhere, with no agendas.You would almost certainly leave with addresses and future friendships and would likely be invited to peoples homes. We are very proud of our coffee culture. On the other hand of course, China has sensational cuisines and is like many different countries in one country. A NZ experience would be more akin to a Scandinavian country, whereas China is a mammoth experience.
I haven't been to NZ, but have been to China a couple of times, once to Shanghai and the other time to Beijing (leaving aside Hong Kong, which is a place I'm in fairly frequently). It is a big country, but you don't need to see the whole country, you can just visit a couple of cities. It's not especially challenging, so don't be put off visiting. I didn't take a tour as both Beijing and Shanghai are pretty easy to get around independently, but perhaps you might like to sign up for day tours if that's your thing.
It depends on what you're interests are. New Zealand's south island is great for mountain experiences. The north island is interesting for a few natural phenomena (glowworms, hot springs, beaches) and the Maori culture. Most of the country can be done solo.
I've only been to Hong Kong, which I loved enough to visit 3 times. All you need is a good guide book. I was in Beijing for 3 full days with a private guide and I am so glad I did that. I wanted to visit Shanghai solo on my last trip to Hong Kong, but it didn't fit into my schedule.
