How to spend one day in Christchurch properly, from the Botanic Gardens and the rebuilt centre to a long lunch and the Port Hills, written by the locals who show the city off for a living.
With one day in Christchurch, spend the morning in the Botanic Gardens and the rebuilt city centre, take a long lunch, then go up the Port Hills for the view across the city, Lyttelton Harbour and the Southern Alps. A local guide turns the rebuild into a story, and Canterbury Trails runs the day as a small group or private tour.
Christchurch rewards visitors who give it a real day. The Garden City has remade itself since the earthquakes, and the mix of heritage, bold new architecture, gardens and hill views is unlike anywhere else in New Zealand. Here is how we would spend one day, written by people who show this city off for a living.
Morning: the heart of the Garden City
Start in the Botanic Gardens, established in 1863 and still the city's green soul, wrapped inside the vast Hagley Park. From there the city centre unfolds on foot: the restored heritage buildings, the laneways, the street art that grew out of the rebuild years, and the new architecture standing beside the carefully repaired past. This is where a local guide earns their keep; every block has a before-and-after story.
Walk past the Gothic stone of the Arts Centre, where the heritage tram stops, and along the Avon River to Cathedral Square. Across town, the Transitional Cathedral, built largely of cardboard tubes and opened in 2013, has become one of the city's best loved buildings.
Midday: the long lunch
Christchurch's food scene quietly outgrew its reputation years ago. The central city and its fringe suburbs are full of cafés worth crossing town for, and the food halls and laneways around the centre are busy at lunchtime. If you are exploring on your own, New Regent Street, a pastel row of 1930s shops with the tram running down the middle, is a good place to start. On our full day tour, a café lunch is built in and chosen for the group.
Afternoon: up the Port Hills
The single best thing many visitors never do. The Port Hills rise directly behind the city, about 20 minutes' drive from the centre, and the Summit Road looks across Christchurch, Lyttelton Harbour and, on a clear day, the full sweep of the Southern Alps. If you have the legs for it, our Port Hills guided walk and city tour covers around eight kilometres on well-formed tracks and combines the views with the city story below.
If gardens are your thing
Christchurch did not get its nickname by accident. The garden tour visits a private garden on Lyttelton Harbour established in 1865, the Botanic Gardens and a property that celebrates the suffragist Kate Sheppard, with the Port Hills on the way. Spring and summer dazzle, autumn glows.
With a second day
A second day opens up the coast and the country beyond the city. Lyttelton, the port town over the hill, and the beach at Sumner are both part of our full day city tour, and Akaroa, the Waipara Valley and Arthur's Pass are all within reach for a day trip. Our local guide to things to do in Christchurch has the full list.
Doing it with us
The full day city tour (NZ$605 per person) covers the city and its surrounds with lunch included; the half day version (NZ$480) concentrates the highlights into a morning. Both run with a maximum of 8 guests, include pickup from your accommodation, and are available privately. One day, properly told, changes how people remember this city.
Or take the day privately
If you would rather have the guide and the vehicle to yourselves, and set your own hours, every day here also runs privately. Prices and the full range are on our luxury private day tours from Christchurch page, where a private half day in the city starts from NZ$385 per person and a full day from NZ$505.
Common questions
Is one day enough to see Christchurch?
One day is enough for the Botanic Gardens, the rebuilt city centre and the view from the Port Hills. Two days lets you add Lyttelton, Sumner or a day trip to Akaroa, Waipara or Arthur's Pass.
Is central Christchurch walkable?
Yes. The central city inside the four avenues is flat and compact, and the Botanic Gardens, the Arts Centre, the river and Cathedral Square are all within an easy walk of each other.
How far are the Port Hills from the city centre?
About 20 minutes by road. The Summit Road runs along the crater rim above the city, with views over Christchurch, Lyttelton Harbour and the Southern Alps.
Where should we stay for a day in Christchurch?
Inside the four avenues. The central city is flat and walkable, close to the Botanic Gardens, and where nearly all tour pickups begin. Victoria Street is a good choice if you want somewhere a little quieter at night.
What does the half day city tour cover?
A morning from 9:30am to about 1pm: Cathedral Square, the river, the Cardboard Cathedral, the Botanic Gardens and the view from the Port Hills, with pickup from your Christchurch accommodation.
Planning your time in the city? Tell Canterbury Trails your dates, and we will suggest the right day.
