Whether you get off the ship with the cruise company or on your own, several Christchurch shore excursions are available from either port, with additional water-based options from Akaroa. Choosing the perfect one starts with knowing what the options are in the city.
As frequent visitors, we know there are plenty of amazing things to do in Christchurch, but with only one day in the region, we are sharing what we believe are the highlights.
Christchurch City
- International Antarctic Centre: Experience the wonders of Antarctica, including adorable penguins, an Antarctic storm, a 4D movie, and an exhilarating Hagglund ride.
- Punting on the Avon River: Glide along the scenic river in a traditional punt, enjoying a peaceful and unique perspective of the city. More on our experience punting on the Avon here.
- Willowbank Wildlife Reserve: Here, we got up close with New Zealand’s iconic kiwi bird and other native wildlife in a beautiful setting.
- Christchurch Cathedral: Explore the iconic cathedral, a symbol of the city’s resilience and history, and learn a bit about the city’s earthquake history.
- Historic tram: Discover the charm and history of Christchurch on a vintage tram ride through the city.
Near Akaroa cruise port
- Wildlife and dolphin tours: Enjoy a boat tour to see Hector’s dolphins, the world’s smallest and rarest dolphins, in their natural habitat.
- Giants House: Visit this whimsical garden and gallery filled with colourful mosaics and sculptures.
Near Lyttelton cruise port
- Godley Head (Crater Walk): Take the Godley Head loop along the crater rim for breathtaking views of the harbour and coastline.
- Christchurch Gondola: Ride to the top for stunning panoramic views of the city, Canterbury Plains, and Southern Alps. More on our gondola experience here.
Other things in the surrounding area
- Waipara wine region: Enjoy a wine tasting session and the stunning landscapes of this renowned wine region.
- Castle Hill/Kura Tawhiti: Explore the amazing labyrinth of giant limestone boulders and enjoy the area’s rich cultural significance.
Christchurch shore excursions from Lyttelton cruise port
With lots of options to pick from, we put our top picks here. Our criteria are based on our own personal experience, reviews, the amount of time at key locations, and the venues included in the tour.
See Christchurch City from Lyttelton – our top two City tour recommendations
Discover Christchurch Tour
Christchurch city sights
Discover Christchurch Tour (6 hours)
This small group tour sounds fantastic. We have first-hand experience with each activity and, therefore, feel super comfortable recommending this tour.
Three amazing activities are back-to-back. First, ride the Christchurch Gondola. Next, head to the city and enjoy a city tour on a historic tram. Finally, punt on the Avon River.
To cap it off, you’ll have lunch at Little High Eatery, a vibrant food hall with a variety of delicious options to satisfy your taste buds. Reserve your Discover Christchurch Tour here.
Christchurch City Sights (base tour 3.5 hours)
The Christchurch City Sights tour is a perfect introduction to the city and the baseline for the next four tours we recommend. This 3.5-hour tour takes you from Lyttelton, driving uphill for amazing views, a short stroll through Mona Vale Gardens, an exploration of Cathedral Square, and a delightful lunch at Riverside Market. Reserve your Christchurch city sights tour here.
If you have more time, you can visit all of these sites, plus one other in any of these tours:
- Christchurch and International Antarctic Centre Tour (6.5 hours)
After seeing the venues on the city sights tour, head to the International Antarctic Centre. You will have time for the other key activities, as well as learning about life in Antarctica and seeing the adorable penguins. Reserve your Christchurch tour with the Antarctic Center here. - Christchurch and Willowbank Wildlife Reserve Tour (6.5 hours)
If wildlife is more your style then this tour, including Willowbank Wildlife Reserve, is a must. In addition to the City Sights highlights, you’ll have the chance to see the iconic kiwi bird up close and learn about New Zealand’s native wildlife in a beautiful natural setting. Reserve your Christchurch sights with Willowbank Wildlife Reserve tour here. - Christchurch and Waipara Wine Tour (7.5 hours)
After exploring Christchurch’s main sights, you’ll head to the renowned wine region for a tasting session. Enjoy the rich flavours of local wines and the stunning vineyard landscapes. Reserve your city highlights and Waipara Wine Tour here. - Christchurch and Toby Hill Farm Tour (6 hours)
For a taste of rural life, choose the tour that visits Toby Hill Farm. You’ll experience everything in the City Sights Tour and then enjoy a visit to the farm, where you can watch sheep shearing and learn about New Zealand’s farming heritage. Reserve your Christchurch sightseeing with sheep farm tour here.
Explore the region, but skip the city (from Lyttelton)
If you have been to Christchurch previously, or just are not a fan of cities, one of these options from Lyttelton might appeal.
Lyttelton Shore Excursion – Guided Walking Tour and Picnic (5 hours)
After a morning tea overlooking the ocean, you will walk the Godley Head Loop (what many consider to be Christchurch’s number one hike). The 3-hour hike covers 8 km (5 miles) and offers impressive coastal views, historic WW2 landmarks, and charming beaches. Reserve your Lyttelton shore excursion guided walking tour and picnic here.
Lyttelton Shore Excursion – Inland Canterbury & Castle Hill Tour (7 hours)
Different from the other tours here, this one takes you inland, where you will stop in a few charming country towns while you enjoy scenic mountain passes and beautiful alpine lakes. The highlight is Castle Hill/Kura Tawhiti, a stunning labyrinth of giant limestone boulders where you can enjoy a guided walk or try bouldering and explore at your own pace. Reserve your inland Canterbury & Castle Hill tour here.
Options from the Akaroa cruise port
Akaroa, with its charming French influence, offers a delightful and picturesque escape on a protected marine reserve. The harbour is home to playful Hector’s dolphins, the world’s smallest and rarest dolphins, making it an ideal spot for dolphin tours and other water activities. The village itself is filled with quaint streets, beautiful gardens, and delightful cafes.
It’s important to note that Akaroa is a tender port, so getting on and off the ship takes a bit longer. Additionally, it’s a 90-minute drive to Christchurch, meaning that transportation there and back will use up a large portion of your time on shore.
That said, there are still plenty of options to go from Akaroa to Christchurch.
Christchurch shore excursions from Akaroa Cruise Port (6 hours)
If your ship is mooring in Akaroa, and exploring Christchurch city is on your bucket list, we recommend one of these tours. They all start out basically the same, pointing out sights in Akaroa. Then, you enjoy a scenic drive as you head up and over the Banks Peninsula.
Next, it’s on to Christchurch, where each of these tours includes a stop at the Botanic Gardens, a stop at Cathedral Square, and a third stop, which is what separates one from the other. Interestingly, all have great reviews.
Tour Banks Peninsula, Christchurch City Tour and . . .
- …International Antarctic Centre
You will have two hours at the Antarctic Centre, enough time to do all four key activities there. Reserve your Banks Peninsula, Christchurch City, and the International Antarctic Centre tour here. - …Willowbank Wildlife Reserve
In addition to the city tour, you’ll have the chance to see the iconic kiwi bird up close and learn about New Zealand’s native wildlife in a beautiful natural setting. Reserve your Banks Peninsula, Christchurch City, and Willowbank Wildlife tour here. - … Giants House Tour
After exploring Christchurch’s main sights, you’ll head back to Akaroa and enjoy a guided tour of the fascinating Giants House. Reserve your Banks Peninsula, Christchurch City, and Giants House tour here. - …Sheep Farm Tour
Coombe Farm will be your final stop. Here, you can witness sheep dogs rounding up the flock and penning them as well as a shearing demonstration. Reserve your Banks Peninsula, Christchurch City, and sheep farm tour here.
Swimming with wild dolphins (3 hours)
Getting an opportunity to swim with the endangered Hector’s dolphin, the world’s rarest and smallest oceanic dolphin is pretty amazing and unique. This small group option fills up quickly when ships are in port, as it takes only 12 swimmers. And you can feel good about your choice as a portion of the ticket price goes towards research and conservation of Hector’s dolphins. Reserve your swimming with wild dolphins experience here.
Akaroa nature and dolphin cruise (2 hours)
If you want to get out on the water and discover some of the local wildlife, including the endangered Hector’s dolphins, little penguins, seals, and various other birds, there are two great options. Both offer highly-rated 2-hour tours in the harbour and cruise by similar locations while spotting various wildlife.
- Reserve your Akaroa Harbour nature cruise tour here.
- Reserve your Akaroa dolphin nature cruise tour here.
Hire a private guide
If none of excursions offered by your ship, or none of the above appeals to you, you can always create your own adventure with a private guide. We do this often at cruise ports as we have lots to see and limited time. Reserve a guide here.
Where to next: What to do at each of the New Zealand cruise ports
If you haven’t read it yet, don’t miss our general tips for first-time visitors to New Zealand or our overview of cruising in New Zealand. We have written more on each cruise port here:
Check Cruise Direct for deals on New Zealand and Australia cruises
Have a bit of extra time to wonder on your own, or on a budget? Don’t miss our list of the best free Christchurch activities.
What to bring when cruising in New Zealand
Good news. We offer several free packing lists, including one for cruise travel. If you are like us and like to have everything you need, but not tons of extra stuff, check out these tips for packing light while cruising.
Don’t miss our best cruise tips
More tips and resources for your cruise
Below are our go-to companies when we cruise. We believe this list to be the best in each category. You can’t go wrong using them on your trip too.
- Cruise: We find great deals at Cruise Direct.
- Flights: we use Expedia for the best and cheapest flight options.
- Accommodations: we use Booking.com (hotels), VRBO (self-contained), or Hostelworld (budget).
- Cars (gas or electric): we use RentalCars to search for deals and dealer ratings.
- Set up private guides at the ports: Looking to maximize our limited time at a port, we often use private guides from Viator.
- Travel Insurance: while not required, we always opt for travel insurance and start at InsureMyTrip to compare coverage plans.
Check out our travel resources page for more companies that we use when you travel.
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How will you spend your one day in Christchurch?
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Photo Credits:
All photos on this page are either shot by our team and watermarked as such or stock images from Depositphotos.
Josy A
Oooh there are so many fab options in and around Christchurch. I love that you included options to skip the city as well (I like Christchurch… but we do normally want to get out into the countryside as soon as possible!)
It’s funny, I never considered a cruise when we explored NZ – but I bet it would be a fabulous coastline to see from a ship!!
Marina
So many great options! I’d love to visit the Wildlife Reserve and see a kiwi bird! Definitely adding Christchurch to my bucket list!
Mayi
Wow! So many great ideas for visiting Christchurch! I would love to get on the historic tram and aslo see the kiwi.
Anna
A ride through the city on a vintage tram looks amazing! I would not miss the Akaroa nature and dolphin cruise either – thanks for sharing all the amazing plans for one day in Christchurch
Elyse
So many amazing ideas, I would love to visit Willowbank Wildlife Reserve… I wanna see a Kiwi
Faith Coates
I’ve wanted to return to New Zealand for many years now and I have an excuse to visit Christchurch as I now have relatives there – this article has encouraged me to get booking my flights.
Anja
Oh, I love a historic tram! I have become a bit of a tram nutter, love them so much. But honestly, Christchurch looks wonderful, I would definitely want to visit if and when I visit New Zealand
Jen Tsang
So many things to do! When we were here it was a flying visit and now I’m sad we didn’t do all these things too!
I guess it means we must come back again
Her Asian adventures
There are so many fun things to do in Christchurch Cruise Port! The tour loooks like a great way to see most of the city in just a couple of hours!
Sonia
Punting down the river sounds like a peaceful break from the cruise ship and a great way to spend the afternoon.