Booking fee
The booking fee includes the costs of booking your tickets such as charges for payment processing. It also covers the provision of our customer care center for processing your order, and all charges imposed by our suppliers.
* This tour requires at least one of the following per booking: Adult, Senior
This is a private small group tour for up to 11 people. The route around Christchurch and Lyttelton takes you over the old volcanoes of Banks Peninsula with varied scenery onto some of the smaller, less traveled roads to some uniquely scenic places. With approximately 6 hours 30 min from start to finish we will spend about 5 hours 30 min exploring points of interest etc. and an hour driving from point to point on the itinerary. We are happy to customise your tour to include attractions such as the International Antarctic Centre or Willowbank Wildlife Park (cost extra) , etc. We are locals and give an in-depth commentary covering the volcanoes, NZ and local history, earthquakes etc. and have been proudly sharing our back yard with visitors for over 25 years.
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Private transportation
Air-conditioned vehicle
Lunch
Coffee and/or Tea
Departure Point
Traveler pickup is offered
Cruise Ship Passengers....Please take the free Lyttelton Shuttle shipside through the security gates and get off at the bus stop (Norwich Quay).....it takes about 5-10 min. You cannot walk as this is a working port. Look for a sign with your name on it. Note.....do NOT take the shuttle bus to Christchurch City as it will not stop at Norwich Quay !
Non-cruise ship private groups-please provide your pickup location (hotel, Christchurch International Airport etc.)
Traveler pickup
41 Chapmans Road, Hillsborough, Christchurch 8022, New Zealand
Christchurch Cathedral, Christchurch, New Zealand We stop here and stroll around the city centre, enjoying the Avon River (more English than England it is said), newly designed architectural precincts and historic buildings.....time for lunch at the Riverside Market or The Boatshed Cafe on The Avon River perhaps and shopping ( stalls, souvenir shops, pharmacies etc.)...the Cathedral is currently being rebuilt with a completion date around 2027. 60 minutes
Christchurch Botanic Gardens, Christchurch, New Zealand A stroll in the gardens and nearby Arts Centre (old University of Canterbury) is an option. Canterbury Museum and Christs College are some of the historic Gothic buildings nearby. 30 minutes
Cardboard Cathedral, Christchurch, New Zealand This is part of our Central City/Earthquake and History story.....this interesting building was designed by Shigeru Ban, a Japanese disaster architect as a temporary cathedral while the old historic Cathedral is being rebuilt....look for the nearly 100 cardboard construction tubes that hold the roof up and the shipping containers cleverly disguised in the walls. Great acoustics and design work. 15 minutes
Port Hills, Christchurch, New Zealand An ancient volcanic crater....The Summit Road follows the ridge or the volcanic rim at about 1500 ft/500 m. above sea level with views to the Southern Alps 50 miles away across the Canterbury Plains and Lyttelton Harbour with its beautifully coloured water on the other side (weather dependent). 30 minutes
Lyttelton, Lyttelton, New Zealand Lyttelton was the first settlement in the area after settlers first arrived in 1850...we talk about its long colonial and Maori history and some of its colourful inhabitants....the artists, prisoners, sailors and subpolar explorers to name a few. Points of interest include the Timeball Station, Lyttelton Tunnel and the fabulous views from this village built on the slopes of an ancient 10 million year old volcano. 30 minutes
Canterbury Plains, Canterbury 7682, New Zealand Look down from the Port Hills on the garden city of Christchurch some 500 m below sitting on the flat Canterbury Plains stretching North, South and East....some of the best arable land on earth boasting world record yields of wheat and barley as well as seed production, dairy and sheep farming, vinyards etc.(weather dependent). The Southern Alps will be visible on most days with some snow most months of the year stretching far to the horizons. 15 minutes
Sumner Beach (Cave Rock), Christchurch, New Zealand Visit this lovely relaxed Pacific Ocean beach suburb for a nice contrast to the city and hills....Cave Rock is large and of volcanic origin with a hole through it....an option is a stroll down the beach promenade to a cafe/icecream shop under a Victorian clock tower (try NZ's unique hokey pokey icecream perhaps). Driving up Evans Pass behind Sumner rewards us with stunning views of Lyttelton Harbour. 30 minutes
International Antarctic Centre, Christchurch, New Zealand OPTION : A 1.5-2 hour visit (own cost) is a popular stop and usually includes a 4D movie, Haglund ride (not for those with back issues), a storm room, Little Blue Penguins, Husky Dogs and lots of interesting movies and media about Antractica and Christchurch's role as the gateway to Antarctica for icebreakers and aircraft heading for the scientific bases there. Cafe available. 120 minutes
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
Frank_F
01 Apr 2020
Great tour and guide. Pointed out interesting things along the way. Gave us time to get out and see great views and the new and old cathedrals. Great place to stop for lunch.
Doug_F
27 Feb 2020
Dermot was terrific and very knowledgeable and interesting. Easy to listen to. Highly recommend any trip with him. Doug
F3634WAlukec
24 Jan 2020
Dermot Hall took us on a day tour around the city of Christchurch and Akaroa. Dermot was very knowledgable about the area and gave us terrific insight on the Christchurch earthquakes of 2011. This tour was one of the best highlights of our experience on the Carnival Spirit. The tour was well priced, and provided us a wonderful experience.
This tour in
Christchurch
is organized by
E S Tours
We always double-check the availability with our local partners for each booking. Even though this is usually a swift process, it can take up to 24 hours. Once this process is completed you will receive your voucher or ticket by email. If our local partner is not able to confirm your booking we will offer you the best possible alternative. If the new date and/or time doesn’t fit your itinerary, we will reimburse the full amount paid.
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