Christchurch walking tour & city guide

The center

Punts glide along the Avon River past the Botanic Gardens and Hagley Park. Heritage trams loop around the center. The Transitional Cathedral, known as the Cardboard Cathedral, was built after the earthquake.

Around Christchurch

The Christchurch Gondola climbs the Port Hills. The Banks Peninsula and the French-flavored town of Akaroa are nearby, as is the start of the TranzAlpine train.

A day in Christchurch

Christchurch has been rebuilding since the 2011 earthquake, and the center mixes heritage, street art and new architecture. Ride the heritage tram, punt on the Avon River and walk through the Botanic Gardens and Hagley Park.

Visit the Cardboard Cathedral, a temporary church that became a symbol of the city, and the Quake City museum to understand the recovery.

Good to know

Christchurch is the gateway to the South Island. The TranzAlpine train to Greymouth crosses the Southern Alps and is one of the world's great train journeys.

Akaroa, a French-influenced village on the Banks Peninsula, is a lovely day trip.

The Garden City

Christchurch is known as the Garden City, and Hagley Park and the Botanic Gardens are its green heart, especially beautiful in spring with daffodils and cherry blossoms. Since the earthquakes, the center has filled with creative projects: street art, pop-up spaces and new public buildings like the Tūranga library. The Riverside Market is a modern indoor food hall. The Port Hills, just south of the city, have walking and biking trails with views over the Canterbury Plains to the Southern Alps.