3 days in Christchurch

Day by day

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

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

   1. Morning

      Christchurch Botanic Gardens

      Founded in 1863 inside a loop of the Avon River, the 21-hectare gardens include a heritage rose garden, a New Zealand plants section, glasshouses and some of the country's largest exotic trees.

   2. Late morning

      Punting on the Avon

      Choose a late-afternoon trip on a calm, sunny day; blankets are provided on cooler days.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Canterbury lamb

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

   4. Afternoon

      Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū

      The city's public art gallery, behind a curving glass facade completed in 2003, holds New Zealand art from colonial painting to contemporary Māori and Pacific work, alongside changing exhibitions.

   5. Evening

      Willowbank Wildlife Reserve

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

2. Day 2: Transitional Cathedral and Riverside Market

   Transitional Cathedral, Riverside Market and New Regent Street and the heritage tram, then The Terrace (Oxford Terrace) in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Transitional Cathedral

      Visit when the sun is behind the coloured glass window in the afternoon.

   2. Late morning

      Riverside Market

      Opened in 2019 beside the Avon, this covered market has greengrocers, butchers, bakers and cheese stalls downstairs and food counters, bars and restaurants on several levels, from dumplings to Canterbury produce.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Whitebait fritter

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

   4. Afternoon

      New Regent Street and the heritage tram

      A tram ticket is a hop-on, hop-off pass for the day and comes with a driver's commentary.

   5. Evening

      The Terrace (Oxford Terrace)

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

3. Day 3: Christchurch Gondola and Port Hills walks and the Bridle Path

   Christchurch Gondola, Port Hills walks and the Bridle Path and International Antarctic Centre, then Victoria Street in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Christchurch Gondola

      Cabins climb Mount Cavendish on the Port Hills to a summit station with a café and views over Lyttelton Harbour, the Canterbury Plains and, on clear days, the Southern Alps.

   2. Late morning

      Port Hills walks and the Bridle Path

      Walk up the Bridle Path and down to Lyttelton for lunch, then catch the bus back through the tunnel.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Green-lipped mussels

      Seafood restaurants in the central city and around Lyttelton Harbour.

   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. Evening

      Victoria Street

      Cocktail bars, restaurants and late venues just north of the central city.

Before you go

If it rains

• 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

With 3 nights, Central City keeps most of this route within easy reach. For a calmer or cheaper base, Merivale ($$$) suits couples, quiet stays and food lovers. Compare every area.

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 13–16 hours of visiting over 3 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.

More or fewer days

• One day in Christchurch
• 2 days in Christchurch

Questions travellers ask