New Zealand · Canterbury
Christchurch
A city rebuilt after the 2011 earthquake, with the Avon, a vast park and the Southern Alps on its doorstep.
Christchurch, Otautahi, is the South Island's largest city, a flat, leafy grid on the Canterbury Plains between the Port Hills and the Pacific. The earthquakes of 2010-2011 destroyed much of its Victorian Gothic centre, and the city has spent the years since rebuilding itself, which makes it one of the most interesting urban stories in the country. Visitors come for Hagley Park and the Botanic Gardens, punts on the Avon, street art and new architecture, and as the gateway to Akaroa, Kaikoura, Arthur's Pass and the Southern Alps.
Suggested stay
2–4 days
Language
English, Māori
Currency
NZD
Timezone
NZST (UTC+13)
Why you'll love Christchurch
The rebuild A centre remade after the 2011 earthquake, where transitional architecture, memorials and big street murals sit beside restored Gothic stone
The Garden City Hagley Park and the Botanic Gardens form a huge green heart, with the willow-lined Avon winding through them and on through the centre
Port Hills and the sea Walking tracks and a gondola climb the old volcanic rim above Lyttelton Harbour, and surf beaches lie a short ride east
Gateway to the South Island Akaroa, Kaikoura, Hanmer Springs and the TranzAlpine over Arthur's Pass are all within easy reach
Best time to visit
Sep-May
15-23° days
43.531° S, 172.636° E
UTC+13 · Pacific/Auckland
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Weather & when to go to Christchurch
Month by month: typical highs and lows, rainfall and rain days.
✓ Best Sep-May
Cards tinted by calculated verdict · big number = typical daily high, small = low · hover for conditions
When to avoid Christchurch
No month is a write-off. Winter is cold, with frosty mornings and short days, but it is also when the ski fields inland open. In spring and summer a hot, dry nor'wester can blow in from over the Alps for a day or two, and the sea breeze is often cool even in summer.
Top things to do in Christchurch
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Christchurch Botanic Gardens and Hagley Park - the Garden City's green heart
nature wildlife scenic 👍 PopularHagley Park is a vast expanse of lawns, sports fields and old trees on the western edge of the centre, and the Botanic Gardens sit in a loop of the Avon within it. Walk the rose garden, the conservatories and the native plant collections, and come in spring for the daffodils and cherry blossom along the park's avenues.
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Avon River - punting under the willows
scenic 👍 PopularSit back on cushions while a punter in Edwardian dress poles a flat-bottomed boat along the slow, willow-hung Avon through the Botanic Gardens or the city centre. Unhurried, a little theatrical and very Christchurch; the gardens stretch is the prettiest.
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Transitional Cathedral - the Cardboard Cathedral
culture arts history ⭐ Highly recommendedDesigned by Japanese architect Shigeru Ban and opened in 2013 as a stand-in for the quake-damaged stone cathedral, this A-frame church is built from large cardboard tubes, timber and shipping containers, with a triangular stained-glass window at the front. It became a symbol of the city's recovery.
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Quake City - the story of the earthquakes
history ⭐ Highly recommendedThe earthquake exhibition from Canterbury Museum tells the story of the 2010-2011 quakes through survivor accounts, film, rubble and objects recovered from the wreckage, including the fallen spire of the cathedral. The best single place to understand what happened to the city and why it looks the way it does.
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The Arts Centre - Gothic Revival quads
history culture artsThe stone buildings of the old Canterbury College, where Ernest Rutherford studied, form a cluster of Gothic Revival towers, cloisters and quadrangles opposite the museum and gardens, restored after the earthquakes. Wander the courtyards, then take in the galleries, studios and small shops inside.
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Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetu - New Zealand art
culture artsThe city's public gallery, behind a sweeping glass facade, holds a strong collection of New Zealand art from colonial landscapes to contemporary work, alongside touring exhibitions. The building served as the civil defence headquarters after the February 2011 earthquake.
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Christchurch street art - murals of the rebuild
culture arts 👍 PopularAfter the quakes, empty lots and exposed walls became canvases for local and international artists, and the centre now carries dozens of large murals. Walk the central city with a map or guided tour, looking up at building sides as much as at street level.
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Christchurch Gondola - up the Port Hills
scenicThe cable car rises from the Heathcote Valley to the crater rim of the Port Hills, with views over the city and the Canterbury Plains to the Southern Alps on one side and down into Lyttelton Harbour on the other. Walk down, or follow the Summit Road tracks along the ridge.
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International Antarctic Centre - the gateway to the ice
nature wildlifeChristchurch is a departure point for Antarctic research programmes, and this attraction beside the airport covers life on the ice with a storm room, rescued little blue penguins and rides in an all-terrain Hagglund. A good pick for families.
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Heritage tram - a loop of the central city
historyRestored vintage trams circle the centre past the Arts Centre, Cathedral Square and New Regent Street, a pastel row of Spanish Mission shopfronts. The driver's commentary makes it an easy orientation on a first day, and you can hop off and back on along the way.
Best areas to stay in Christchurch
$ Budget $$ Mid-range $$$ Premium
Central City
First-time visitors $$Rebuilt centre of new hotels and bars
Explore hotels in Central City →
Merivale
Couples $$$Leafy, affluent suburb with smart cafes
Explore hotels in Merivale →
Riccarton
Road-trippers $Motel strip west of Hagley Park
Explore hotels in Riccarton →
Sumner
Beach lovers $$Seaside village below the Port Hills
Explore hotels in Sumner →
Lyttelton
Independent travellers $$Bohemian port town over the hill
Explore hotels in Lyttelton →
Live nightly prices from Booking.com, Agoda and others, centred on Christchurch
Getting to & around Christchurch
Getting there
Fly into Christchurch Airport (CHC), about 20 minutes by road north-west of the centre
Flight
Christchurch Airport (CHC)
The South Island's main international airport sits on the north-western edge of the city. Taxis, ride-hailing and shuttles reach the centre in around 20-25 minutes, and Metro buses run to the central Bus Interchange in a little longer.
Train
Christchurch Railway Station, Addington
The TranzAlpine arrives from Greymouth over Arthur's Pass, and the seasonal Coastal Pacific from Picton via Kaikoura
Coach
Intercity coaches link Christchurch with Picton, Queenstown, Dunedin, Mount Cook and towns across the South Island
Cruise
Lyttelton
Cruise ships call at Lyttelton Harbour, over the Port Hills from the city; some anchor off Akaroa instead
Drive
State Highway 1 runs north to Kaikoura and Picton and south to Dunedin; Christchurch is a common start for South Island road trips in a hire car or campervan
Getting around
Metro bus
A network of routes runs from the central Bus Interchange across the city, out to Sumner, Lyttelton and the airport
TBC
Walking
The compact, flat centre, the Avon and Hagley Park are all easily covered on foot
Free
Bike and e-scooter
A flat city with a growing network of separated cycleways; hire bikes and app-based e-scooters are easy to find in the centre
TBC
Car
Not needed in the centre, but the practical way to reach the Port Hills, Banks Peninsula and anywhere further afield
TBC
Day trips from Christchurch
Akaroa and Banks Peninsula
Full dayHarbour village and dolphins
Akaroa sits inside a drowned volcanic crater, a harbour village founded by French settlers in 1840 whose street names still carry the connection. Take a harbour cruise to see Hector's dolphins, among the smallest and rarest in the world, and stop at the lookouts on the Summit Road on the way.
Getting there
car | bus
About 1.5 hours by car or shuttle over the hills of Banks Peninsula
Kaikoura
Full dayWhale watching coast
A deep undersea canyon brings sperm whales close to shore off this coast town, backed by snow-capped mountains. Whale-watching boats and flights go out year-round, with dolphins, fur seals and albatross to see too; a night there makes it far less rushed.
Getting there
car | train | tour
About 2.5 hours by car north on State Highway 1, or on the seasonal Coastal Pacific train
Arthur's Pass on the TranzAlpine
Full dayAlpine rail journey
The TranzAlpine crosses the plains, climbs the Waimakariri gorge and reaches Arthur's Pass village, in the heart of the national park. Ride out and back, or get off for a walk to the Devils Punchbowl waterfall and look out for kea, the cheeky alpine parrot.
Getting there
train | car
About 2.5 hours by train across the Canterbury Plains and up into the Southern Alps
Hanmer Springs
Full dayAlpine hot pools
A small alpine village built around natural thermal pools, set in forested hills. Soak in the pools, then walk the forest trails or try jet-boating and rafting in the Waiau gorge nearby.
Getting there
car
About 1.5-2 hours by car north
Waipara Valley
Half dayWine region
North Canterbury's main wine valley is known for pinot noir and riesling from its limestone hills. Tour a few cellar doors and stop for lunch, or break the drive to Hanmer Springs or Kaikoura here.
Getting there
car | tour
About 45 minutes by car north
A little history of Christchurch
Ngai Tahu, and the Waitaha and Ngati Mamoe peoples before them, knew the swampy plain beside the Otakaro, the Avon, as a place to gather food, and the city's Maori name is Otautahi. European settlement came through the Canterbury Association, a planned Anglican colony whose first four ships reached Lyttelton in 1850; settlers climbed the Bridle Path over the Port Hills to lay out a grid city on the plain. Christchurch became New Zealand's first city by royal charter in 1856, grew rich on wool and grain, and built itself in English Gothic stone around a cathedral square.
On 4 September 2010 a magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck near Darfield, west of the city, causing heavy damage but no deaths. Then, on 22 February 2011, a shallower quake centred under the Port Hills killed 185 people, brought down buildings across the centre and toppled the cathedral spire. Much of the central city was cordoned off for over two years and most of its buildings were demolished, and the long rebuild has reshaped Christchurch around the river and a new generation of architecture.
The first four ships of the Canterbury Association arrive at Lyttelton
Christchurch becomes New Zealand's first city by royal charter
The rail tunnel through the Port Hills links the city with the port at Lyttelton
Christ Church Cathedral's spire is completed in Cathedral Square; the full building is finished in 1904
The Midland Line over Arthur's Pass is completed, linking Canterbury by rail with the West Coast
A magnitude 7.1 earthquake near Darfield on 4 September damages the city
The 22 February earthquake kills 185 people and destroys much of the central city
The Transitional Cathedral, designed by Shigeru Ban, opens
The Anglican synod votes to reinstate the damaged stone cathedral rather than demolish it
Know before you go
Payment
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English
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Wifi
Reliable
Power
Type I
230 V, 50 Hz
Dialing
+64
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FAQs about Christchurch
▸ When is the best time to visit Christchurch?
September to May is the most comfortable stretch, with spring blossom in Hagley Park, long, warm summer days and settled autumn weather with golden trees. June to August is cold and frosty with short days, but dry and often sunny, and it is when skiers base themselves here for the fields inland.
▸ How many days do you need in Christchurch?
Two days covers the gardens, a punt on the Avon, the rebuilt centre and the Port Hills. Add a third or fourth for day trips to Akaroa, Kaikoura or the TranzAlpine, or use the city as the start or end of a South Island road trip.
▸ Can you still see earthquake damage in Christchurch?
Much less than in the years straight after 2011, but the story is still easy to read: gap sites and car parks where buildings once stood, new architecture beside restored heritage stone, and memorials along the Avon. Quake City and a walk through the centre explain how the city has changed.
▸ Is Christchurch a good base for skiing?
Yes, for a road-trip style ski holiday. Mount Hutt, the biggest nearby field, is roughly a 1.5-2 hour drive, and a string of smaller club fields lies around Arthur's Pass. Most skiers either drive out daily from the city or stay closer in Methven.
▸ Is Christchurch expensive?
It is broadly in line with the rest of New Zealand, which is not cheap by international standards, but usually more affordable than Queenstown or Auckland for accommodation. Motels, campervan parks and self-catering keep costs down.
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