Christchurch Travel Guide

Written by Christchurch Local Experts! Read about what's going on in Christchurch and the best things to do and visit in Christchurch during your stay.

Top 10 Romantic Things To Do In Christchurch

Hot List Top 10

To those couples looking for a touch or romance in the ‘Garden City’, we offer our pick of the ‘Top 10 Romantic Things To Do In Christchurch. The rest is up to you…

Top 7 Adrenaline Activities in Christchurch

Adventure Hot List

As the largest city in New Zealand’s South Island, Christchurch is a gateway to hair raising, adrenaline pumping activities that will satisfy the most demanding adventure seekers. Now, New Zealand has a well-earned reputation for adventure activities, and Christchurch and the wider Canterbury region certainly lives up to that label. So, we’ve cherry picked out our top 7 adrenaline activities to experience when you visit the region.

Top 10 Winter Activities in Canterbury

Hot List Inspiration Top 10

Winter is a great time to visit the Canterbury region on the South Island of New Zealand. The snow capped alpine scenery, dominated by the iconic Southern Alps, the gorgeous lakes and the 'garden city' of Christchurch are a sight to behold during the snowy months.

Exploring New Zealand's South Island by Motorcycle

Adventure Mini Break Sports

A motorbikers' guide to riding in the South Island. With multiple ‘must ride’ options mixed in with incredible jaw dropping scenery, minimal traffic, well maintained roads and endless twisty ribbon roads, the South Island is a showstopper for bikers everywhere.

The Best Indoor Activities in Christchurch

Family Fun Hot List Inspiration

When the weather isn’t great or, you’re looking to while away a few hours to entertain the kids, Christchurch has plenty of indoor attractions and activities to check put. To help you find you ideal indoor activity in Christchurch, we’ve put together a list of the best options (in our opinion) to choose from.

Best Christchurch Walks

Family Fun Hot List Inspiration

Christchurch offers a number of great walks, just as you would expect from a destination known as the ‘Garden City’. Riverside walks, harbour walks, beautiful park walks and coastal walks are just a snippet of the types of tracks visitors and locals can enjoy. We’ve picked out some of the best short to medium Christchurch walks to explore.

Christchurch Bike Trails

Adventure Family Fun Hot List

Christchurch offers a number of great biking trails that allow cyclists to appreciate the beautiful scenery of the city. Trails lead past beaches, forest and parks of Christchurch.

Cycling The Alps To Ocean Bike Trail

Adventure Inspiration Mini Break Sports

The Alps to Ocean Bike Trail is a dream ride for cycling enthusiasts. As the longest continuous ride in New Zealand, the bike trail traverses the majestic, alpine landscape of the Aoraki Mount Cook Mackenzie region.

The Hooker Valley Walk

Adventure Inspiration Mini Break

Just a few hours’ drive from Christchurch is an opportunity to experience one of the very best short walks in New Zealand. Welcome to Mount Cook National Park and The Hooker Valley Track. Awesome mountain scenery that was the training ground for Sir Edmund Hilary’s Mount Everest ascent, is the landscape that walkers of all abilities can enjoy.

Top 7 Christchurch Sightseeing Activities

Family Fun Hot List Inspiration

The garden city of Christchurch is the South Island's largest city and has its fair share of attractions and sightseeing activities to enjoy. With so many to choose from and pretty much every type of activity to try, we've focussed on those must-do tourism sightseeing activities to tick-off during your visit. There's plenty more options in our Things To Do Guide, but for now, here's out top '7 sightseeing activities to experience in Christchurch'.

Top 5 Christchurch Festivals

Arts & Culture Hot List Seasonal Celebrations

Including jazzy gigs that swing with the mellifluous tones of Miles Davis et al, and curious get-togethers of global eccentrics and street entertainers, our list of the t...

A guide to the Christchurch Tram

Arts & Culture Family Fun

One of the most practical and fun ways to explore the city of Christchurch, is to hop aboard the quaint carriages of the Christchurch Tram and rattle along the rails through the heart of the city. Operated by Christchurch Attractions, the Christchurch tram offers travellers a fascinating trip through the past, present and future of the Garden City.

On Board The TranzAlpine Railway

Editorial Inspiration

The TranzAlpine Express, regarded as one of the World’s great train journeys, takes you on a breathtaking 223 km ride from Christchurch to Greymouth, the largest town o

A Ride On The Christchurch Gondola

Family Fun

Sweeping Panoramas & Family Fun At The Top of Mount Cavendish. Today, thousands of visitors a year are taking the dramatic journey to the top of Mount Cavendish on th

Driving from New Zealand's East to West Coast

Adventure Inspiration

Beginning in Christchurch and ending in Greymouth, the 249km journey is one of New Zealand’s most spectacular routes.

Whale Watching in Kaikoura

Adventure Family Fun Inspiration

Nature, history and culture in captivating Kaikoura. On the east of the South Island, 180km from it's largest city of Christchurch, lies Kaikoura, the Mecca of New Z

Christchurch Beaches

Family Fun Inspiration

The beaches of Christchurch offer plenty of opportunities to indulge. If you like to feel the sand between your toes, the coastlines of Christchurch and the nearby B

Stargazing and Giant Telescopes in Lake Tekapo

Editorial Inspiration

If you were to arrive at Canterbury's Lake Tekapo at certain times of the year you could be forgiven for thinking you had just stumbled across a movie set. Our guide

Top 7 Views In Canterbury

Editorial Hot List Inspiration

We've spent a fair amount of time exploring Canterbury and along the way have taken alot of photos of some of the most spectacular scenery that you'll find anywhere on th

5 Ways To Explore Tasman Glacier

Adventure Hot List Inspiration

There are some seriously awesome ways to get up-close-and-personal with the Tasman Glacier in Mount Cook National Park. Which one will you choose?

The best Mount Cook walks

Adventure Hot List Inspiration

From arduous treks that reveal the mighty outline of cloud-topped Aoraki itself to casual walks through the famous Hooker Valley, this selection of the top Mount Cook walks comes complete with breathtaking moraine landscapes and overhanging glaciers aplenty. Don't forget the sturdy boots…

The Best Christchurch Museums

Arts & Culture Family Fun Hot List

New Zealand's oldest officially established city has plenty of history and culture up its sleeve. Christchurch museums showcase everything from the plight of Arctic

Ten ways to see Mount Cook

Hot List Inspiration Top 10

Take in the drama of New Zealand's highest mountain, Mount Cook with guide to ten ways to enjoy the national park.

Ten Ways to Enjoy Akaroa and Banks Peninsula

Hot List Inspiration Top 10

Finding the French vibe near Christchurch. Inside an ancient crater and just 90 minutes’ drive from Christchurch City centre lies the pristine town of Akaroa.

Viewing Blue Sky Country at Lake Tekapo

Inspiration

In the heart of Mackenzie Country, Lake Tekapo is one of the three great lakes set in a rolling sea of tussock. Like the American Mid-West, it’s BIG blue sky country. In the East, tussock plains smudge into the horizon and on the Western front the Southern Alps bisect the landscape.