Explore NZ / Complete Guides / Christchurch

Christchurch Complete Guide

In our ‘Complete Guide’ series, we’re going to be visiting some of New Zealand’s most popular tourist destinations and getting the inside track from our GO Explore followers on the best places to stay, eat, drink, sunbathe and more. Instead of just finding out what the guidebooks tell you, find out what the locals and the travellers think when it comes to the best place to get an ice cream, the best fish and chips and the best cocktail you’ll ever taste!

Known as the Garden City, Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island. It’s a great starting point for any South Island road trip whether you are heading north to Nelson or south to Queenstown and Dunedin. The city has a distinctly ‘English’ feel to it with its tree lined streets and the Avon River running through the city. Christchurch is known throughout the world following the terrible earthquake to strike the city in 2011 but the people of Canterbury are resilient and the city has been reborn over the last seven years and is now thriving again. Within a short driving distance of the city centre is the stunning Banks Peninsula and the French town of Akaroa. With so much to see an do in the city, we’ve turned to our GO Explore fans to get the lowdown on the best places to stay, where to eat and some of the best activities – let’s get GOing!

Best accommodation in Christchurch

As you would expect from the biggest city on the South Island, Christchurch has no shortage of accommodation options. All the big name chains are found here which can be great for special offers or if you have a favourite, however there are also some great independent hotels and motels in the city which have received some great recommendations from our GO Explorers. Whether you are looking for five star luxury or budget backpackers, we’ve tried to cover all the bases. We’ve also thrown in a couple of options that are located outside of the main CBD for those who are looking for something a bit more laid back.

Bella Vista Motel and Apartments Christchurch

If you are on a road trip, then motels are a great option. Bella Vista Motel and Apartments in Christchurch gives you some really great options. Newly renovated and rated as 4 star by Qualmark, Bella Vista enjoys an awesome location within easy walking distance of Christchurch city centre. They have heaps of free parking making this idea if you are road tripping around the South Island. With free Wifi and breakfast available, it ticks all the accommodation boxes. Bella Vista is also an exclusive GO Play partner so when you hire a car with GO Rentals, you will get a 10% discount at any of their 27 locations around NZ. Yes!

The George Christchurch

If you are looking for a luxurious place to stay in Christchurch, the award-winning The George is a great option. This is a luxury boutique hotel which offers a super personalised stay. With great views out over Hagley Park and close to the Avon River, The George is a great place to stay in Christchurch. With two award-winning restaurants on site, you don’t have to go far to find some great food either. The George is a member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World and has picked up a host of awards both in New Zealand and overseas. A great place to splurge.

Heritage Christchurch

The Heritage chain of hotels is one of New Zealand’s best. The Heritage Christchurch is one of their finest hotels and recently picked up the World Luxury Hotel 2016 award in the Historical Hotel category. The building is truly spectacular and is listed as a category one building. Don’t be fooled by the stunning architecture though. This hotel is packed full of all the good things you want from a hotel; health club, lap pool, Jacuzzi, sauna…the best way to relax after a day walking the city streets. This place always scores well with GO Explore fans and is a really cool places to spend a couple of nights.

Quest Christchurch

The Quest serviced apartments have come up on quite a few of our Complete Guides. People seem to follow them round the country where they can and the Christchurch Quest is definitely a popular one with our GO Explorers. The apartments are perfect for those who want to prepare their own meals whilst you’re on the road. With a range of stylish and modern one, two and three bedroom apartments, they are also a good option for people traveling in larger groups. All the apartments have free WiFi and come with Sky TV and feel more like a home away from home.

Jailhouse

If you are looking for somewhere completely quirky to stay when you’re in Christchurch (or anywhere else for that matter!) then the Jailhouse Backpackers is your place. Located in a renovated prison, this is one of the most unique places to stay we have ever seen. Looking past the quirky prison cell rooms, Jailhouse has recently been voted as Top Backpacker Hostel in Oceania by Hostelworld – no mean feat with a lot of competition around this side of the world. Located in the cool little suburb of Addington this is a great place to stay if you’re on a budget and want a cool experience.

The Olive Grove Akaroa

This one is a bit of a hidden gem and we’ve got to give a tip of the hat to GO Explorer Katie for this one. The Olive Grove is a boutique B&B found close to Akaroa on the Banks Peninsula. Nestled above Robinsons Bay, this place is absolutely perfect if you are looking to get off the beaten track. With stunning views and wonderful hosts, the Olive Grove is just 5 minutes from the French town of Akaroa where you can head each day to get fresh baked croissants or baguettes. The Banks Peninsula is one of New Zealand’s treasures and the Olive Grove is a great place to base yourself for exploring.

Best Places to eat out in Christchurch

Always a tricky one to narrow down, we had tons of tips from our GO Explore fans on places to eat out in Christchurch. From cheap street eats to gourmet dining, the recommendations came flooding in. We’ve tried to pick out those that kept cropping up time and time again and we also put it out to our GO Rentals team in Christchurch to see if they agreed – after much debate, here are the top ten places to eat out in Christchurch according to GO Explorers!

Best things to see in Christchurch

Christchurch is a beautiful city with so much to see and do. Below we talk about some of the best activities in and around Christchurch but sometimes it’s the simple things that really make this place special. Everywhere you go it seems like there is something cool to see – whether it’s the stunning views over the Banks Peninsula, the damage caused by the earthquakes or the amazing recovery work the city has undergone since 2011. Christchurch is a photographer’s dream destination so we have picked out some of our favourite images that have been sent in by our GO Explorers and some of our favourite views of Christchurch.

Christchurch Chalice
Christchurch Gondola
Re:START Mall
2011 Earthquake Damage
Banks Peninsula
Akaroa
Arthur's Pass
Lyttelton
Port Hills
Avon River

Best activities in Christchurch

We’ve already seen some of the best views in Christchurch and now it’s time to take a deeper look at some of the best activities from punting on the Avon to climbing high into the trees at Adrenaline Forest. Christchurch is one of New Zealand’s more laid back cities so this place is more about exploring the beautiful attractions rather than throwing yourself off them or racing past them as fast as you can. Take a step back off the travellator of life and chill out for a while in Christchurch.

Punting on the Avon
We told you this place had an English feel to it and is there anything quite more English than punting on the river? This Edwardian past time is a big hit in Christchurch and our GO Explorers seem to love it! Meander alo

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We told you this place had an English feel to it and is there anything quite more English than punting on the river? This Edwardian past time is a big hit in Christchurch and our GO Explorers seem to love it! Meander along the river Avon as your skilled punter guides you up and down stream. This is a peaceful way to enjoy the city and part of the fun is heading to the Antigua Boatsheds to pick out your punt. It seems like a few of our Explorers have got a little wet on their adventures but this should be a dry activity!
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Gondola
The Christchurch Gondola is one of Christchurch’s most popular attractions. Soar up over 1km to the top of the Port Hills and 500 metres above sea level for amazing 360 views over the city, Canterbury Plains and out to

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The Christchurch Gondola is one of Christchurch’s most popular attractions. Soar up over 1km to the top of the Port Hills and 500 metres above sea level for amazing 360 views over the city, Canterbury Plains and out towards the Southern Alps. You can also get great views of the Banks Peninsula and Lyttelton making this the best place to check out the views in Christchurch. The gondola is just a short 15 minute drive from the city and there is a shuttle service that operates from outside the i-Site. Us you GO Play card to score yourself a 14% discount on both the Gondola and punting!
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Adrenalin Forest
Whilst Christchurch may be a great place to kick back and relax, there are a few activities to get the pulse racing. Adrenalin Forest is one of them. Set in the peaceful surrounds of Spencer Park, there are seven differe

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Whilst Christchurch may be a great place to kick back and relax, there are a few activities to get the pulse racing. Adrenalin Forest is one of them. Set in the peaceful surrounds of Spencer Park, there are seven different courses to try out which will take you high above the canopy floor. Things start off pretty easy as you take on the training course at 1m above the ground but the highest course will take you up to 20m into the tops of the trees. There are all sorts of activities once you get up there from bridges to nets, barrels and swings. The highlight is always the final obstacle – the flying fox which will get you from the top to the bottom in no time at all! Another GO Play partner, use your exclusive card to get a 10% discount when you hire with GO.
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International Antarctic Centre
This place is pretty amazing and quite possibly the coolest fun in Christchurch (get it?!) Located out near the airport, the International Antarctic Centre is the closest experience you will get to Antarctica without vis

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This place is pretty amazing and quite possibly the coolest fun in Christchurch (get it?!) Located out near the airport, the International Antarctic Centre is the closest experience you will get to Antarctica without visiting for yourself. Survive an Antarctic storm, take a ride on a Hagglund and get up close and personal with some cute little blue penguins all under one roof! There’s also a rather cool 4D theatre that takes you to the next level in terms of an interactive experience – watch out for the falling snow and the water splash! You can find out more about this cool place in our blog.
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Botanic Gardens
We do love some good botanic gardens and as you would imagine, the Garden City has some of the best in New Zealand. Located right in the heart of the city, the gardens were founded in 1863 when an English oak was planted

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We do love some good botanic gardens and as you would imagine, the Garden City has some of the best in New Zealand. Located right in the heart of the city, the gardens were founded in 1863 when an English oak was planted to commemorate the marriage of Price Albert and Princess Alexandra of Denmark. Since then, the gardens have flourished and now spread out over an area of 21 hectares, dominating the city. The gardens contain a variety of exotic and local plants and the Rose Garden has more than 250 varieties! If you’re heading to Christchurch, you can’t really miss them but they are definitely worth spending a couple of hours.
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Orana Wildlife Park
Orana Wildlife Park is New Zealand’s only open range zoo and is a huge attraction for the city. In 2017, they celebrated their 40th year in operation and in that time, they have not only welcomed thousands of people th

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Orana Wildlife Park is New Zealand’s only open range zoo and is a huge attraction for the city. In 2017, they celebrated their 40^th year in operation and in that time, they have not only welcomed thousands of people through the doors but they have also nurtured and raised hundreds of animals. The park contains a whole host of cool animals including New Zealand’s only gorillas. The Lion encounter is an awesome experience where you can get up close with the lions and it’s also possible to hand feed the giraffes. This place is an absolute winner with kids and adults alike and Orana is internationally renowned for its involvement in zoo-based breeding programmes for endangered and exotic species.
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Re:START Mall
Re:Start container mall is Christchurch’s iconic and much-loved shopping destination in the heart of the city. Born out of the 2011 earthquake that struck the city, Re:Start has become a focal point for the regeneratio

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Re:Start container mall is Christchurch’s iconic and much-loved shopping destination in the heart of the city. Born out of the 2011 earthquake that struck the city, Re:Start has become a focal point for the regeneration work in the city as people get to watch the city being rebuilt all around. After the earthquake struck, the city’s Property and Building Owners knew it would take too long for the rebuilding work to finish and they needed to get people back into the CBD as soon as possible. Re;Start has grown steadily – from 27 businesses when it opened in October 2011 to over 50 today. This place has really helped to kick start Christchurch’s regeneration and is now a focal point for locals and tourists – a must visit!
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Akaroa and the Banks Peninsula
It may not be a specific activity but a trip out to Akaroa and the Banks Peninsula is a must on a visit to Christchurch. Akaroa has a fascinating history. A French whaler landed here in 1838 and after deciding it was a g

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It may not be a specific activity but a trip out to Akaroa and the Banks Peninsula is a must on a visit to Christchurch. Akaroa has a fascinating history. A French whaler landed here in 1838 and after deciding it was a great place to settle, headed back off to France to collect French and German families in order to start a French colony. Sadly, by the time he returned, the Treaty of Waitangi had been signed and Governor Hobson had declared sovereignty over the whole of New Zealand. This didn’t stop the French from settling in Akaroa and the town still has a very French feel to it from the street names to the annual festival. Read more in our blog.
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Christchurch Trams
The Christchurch trams are such an integral part of the city and add to its charm and heritage. These trams offer a unique way to explore the city and all of the trams have been beautifully restored. A trip on a tram is

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The Christchurch trams are such an integral part of the city and add to its charm and heritage. These trams offer a unique way to explore the city and all of the trams have been beautifully restored. A trip on a tram is not just about getting from A to B. The knowledgeable drivers will act as your tour guide as they guide you through the city streets, pointing out attractions and landmarks. It’s a great way to get your bearings in the city and make a mental note of all the places you want to explore. We love a good trip on a tram and so do our Explore fans!
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14
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Christchurch to Milford Sound Round Trip – 14 days

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Great news – you have 14 days off and you’ve decided to go and explore the Abel Tasman National Park before heading down the rugged West Coast and cutting back towards the Southern Alps – this is going to be a pretty awesome road trip and hopef

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Christchurch to Hanmer Springs Round Trip – 3 days

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Yippee!! A long weekend and a time to explore Christchurch and the surrounding areas. Christchurch is a great place to start any South Island adventure big or small and 3 days is plenty of time to get out and discover what the Canterbury region has t

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Christchurch to Auckland – 24 days

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