Discover Christchurch

This survey tour of Christchurch and its surrounds has it all – must-see central city sights, informative commentary, garden and beach walks, and spectacular views from the Port Hills. Your Kiwi guide will bring the stories of the “Garden City” vividly to life – from its 1850 founding to the devastating back-to-back earthquakes of 2010 and 2011 and the impressive rebuild that’s been underway since. Drive by everything from the Arts Centre’s cluster of reviving Gothic Revival buildings to the site of Re:Start, a temporary retail mall assembled from cargo containers, and the magnificent ruins of Christchurch Cathedral, finally to be rebuilt. Stretch your legs on a meander through stunning Mona Vale Gardens along the Avon River, and journey out to quaint, seaside Sumner village for a stroll along the beach and impressive views of the sea and Southern Alps in the far distance. This sea-level perspective, however, is just a preamble to what’s waiting for you at the Sign of the Takahe, a Tudor-style manor house high in the Port Hills. Named for a flightless New Zealand bird, this venue offers true eagle-eye views of the city, mountains and ocean.