2 days in Christchurch

Day by day

1. Day 1: Christchurch Botanic Gardens and Punting on the Avon

   Christchurch Botanic Gardens, Punting on the Avon, Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū and Transitional Cathedral, then Willowbank Wildlife Reserve in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Christchurch Botanic Gardens

      They open onto the wider lawns and paths of Hagley Park.

   2. Late morning

      Punting on the Avon

      Trips leave from the historic Antigua Boat Sheds, which date from 1882, where you can also hire canoes and paddleboats.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Canterbury lamb

      Restaurants and gastropubs in the central city, Merivale and Lyttelton.

   4. Afternoon

      Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū

      General entry is free.

   5. Late afternoon

      Transitional Cathedral

      Its A-frame is made of large cardboard tubes under a polycarbonate roof, with a triangular stained-glass window at the front.

   6. Evening

      Willowbank Wildlife Reserve

      Book an evening kiwi tour; the nocturnal birds are much easier to see then.

2. Day 2: Christchurch Gondola and Port Hills walks and the Bridle Path

   Christchurch Gondola, Port Hills walks and the Bridle Path, International Antarctic Centre and Orana Wildlife Park, then The Terrace (Oxford Terrace) in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Christchurch Gondola

      Walking tracks lead along the crater rim from the top.

   2. Late morning

      Port Hills walks and the Bridle Path

      The Bridle Path, used by early settlers to carry goods over from the port, climbs steeply from Heathcote to the crater rim with views over the harbour.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Whitebait fritter

      Cafés and seafood shops when in season, especially on the West Coast and around Canterbury.

   4. Afternoon

      International Antarctic Centre

      Next to the airport, where Antarctic programmes have flown south for decades, this centre has a storm room with sub-zero wind chill, a colony of rescued little blue penguins, a 4D theatre and rides in an all-terrain Hägglund vehicle.

   5. Late afternoon

      Orana Wildlife Park

      Guided encounters and feeding sessions run through the day.

   6. Evening

      The Terrace (Oxford Terrace)

      A strip of bars and restaurants overlooking the Avon, busiest on warm evenings and weekends.

Before you go

If it rains

• Swap in Riverside Market (Central City): Come at lunchtime and pick from several stalls, then eat by the river on the Terrace.
• Swap in Tūranga central library (Central City): Head to the upper levels for a view over Cathedral Square and the rebuilding cathedral.
• Swap in Air Force Museum of New Zealand (Wigram): Combine it with a rainy-day afternoon; it is about 15 minutes by car from the centre.

Where to stay for this itinerary

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 15–18 hours of visiting over 2 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 9 hours in June to 15.4 hours in December, so in winter start early and keep museums for the afternoon.

Getting between stops: Walking. Most central sights, from the Botanic Gardens to Cathedral Square and the Riverside Market, are within a 15-minute walk of each other on flat ground.

More or fewer days

• One day in Christchurch
• 3 days in Christchurch

Questions travellers ask