Attractions in Canterbury & Christchurch
vast plains, alpine peaks, and starry skies 🏔️✨
Showing 64 attractions · Sorted by importance
Alps 2 Ocean Cycle Trail
📍 Aoraki / Mount Cook Village
🥾 Hiking & Cycling300km moderate 4-6 day cycling route from the Southern Alps to the Pacific Ocean with approximately 1,500m elevation loss. Bike rental: Cycle Journeys (cyclejourneys.co.nz) and BeSpoke Bike Tours (bespokebiketours.nz)
Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park
📍 Mount Cook Village
🌲 NatureHome to New Zealand's highest mountain and longest glacier, offering stunning easy-access alpine walks for all ages.
Arthur's Pass National Park
📍 Arthur's Pass Village
🌲 NatureA dramatic alpine park crossing the Southern Alps with impressive waterfalls and the chance to see the cheeky Kea parrot.
Christchurch Adventure Park
📍 Christchurch
🧗 AdventureA premier outdoor destination featuring the southern hemisphere's longest chairlift, extensive mountain bike trails, and thrilling ziplines for all ages.
Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū
📍 Christchurch
🖼 Art GalleryAn iconic public gallery featuring a massive glass facade and a world-class collection of New Zealand and international art.
Christchurch Botanic Gardens
📍 Christchurch
🌿 GardenA world-class 21-hectare sanctuary featuring stunning glasshouses, thematic gardens, and historic specimen trees along the Avon River.
Church of the Good Shepherd
📍 Lake Tekapo
🏰 CastleA world-famous historic stone chapel perched on the edge of the turquoise Lake Tekapo with breathtaking alpine views.
Hooker Valley Track
📍 Aoraki / Mount Cook Village
🥾 Hiking & Cycling10km easy 3-hour return hike through a glacial valley with 80m elevation gain. Features three suspension bridges and views of Mount Cook and iceberg-filled lakes.
International Antarctic Centre
📍 Christchurch
🔬 ScienceAn interactive discovery centre offering simulated polar storms, penguin encounters, and scientific exhibits about life on the frozen continent.
Lake Pukaki
📍 Twizel
🏔 Scenic ViewThis stunning alpine lake features incredibly vibrant turquoise water and provides the most famous viewpoint of Mount Cook.
Lake Tekapo
📍 Lake Tekapo
🏔 Scenic ViewKnown for its milky-blue glacial water and vibrant lupin blooms, this scenic site is a world-renowned destination for photography and stargazing.
Mount Cook Road (SH80)
📍 Pukaki
🚗 Road Trip55km paved road (1 hour one way) following the shores of Lake Pukaki. Famous for its striking turquoise glacier-fed water and the constant, dramatic view of Aoraki/Mount Cook at the head of the valley. Ends at Mount Cook Village.
Mt Hutt Ski Area
📍 Methven
⛷ Ski Resort1,438-2,086m, 15+ runs, 3.65 sq km skiable terrain, June-Oct season, features a high-speed eight-seater chairlift and consistent snow conditions.
New Brighton Pier
📍 Christchurch
⛱ BeachThe longest ocean pier in Australasia at 300 metres, offering stunning ocean views, fishing spots, and an adjacent modern library.
Orana Wildlife Park
📍 Christchurch
🦁 ZooNew Zealand's only open-range zoo, offering a unique opportunity to see animals like giraffes, rhinos, and lions in a spacious, natural environment.
The Christchurch Arts Centre
📍 Christchurch
🏰 CastleA stunning collection of Gothic Revival stone buildings featuring galleries, boutique shops, and regular family-friendly cultural events.
The Great Alpine Highway (SH73)
📍 Christchurch
🚗 Road Trip255km paved route (4-5 hours) crossing the South Island. Highlights include the Canterbury Plains, the limestone monoliths of Castle Hill (Kura Tawhiti), the engineering marvel of the Otira Viaduct, and the rugged Southern Alps in Arthur's Pass National Park.
The Starlight Highway (SH8)
📍 Fairlie
🚗 Road Trip130km paved route (2 hours). Passes through the heart of the Mackenzie Basin, featuring the iconic Church of the Good Shepherd at Lake Tekapo and breathtaking vistas of the Southern Alps. It is the main artery through the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve.
Willowbank Wildlife Reserve
📍 Christchurch
🐄 FarmAn extensive wildlife park featuring a dedicated heritage farmyard section where families can feed and interact with rare livestock breeds.
Alpine Pacific Touring Route
📍 Christchurch
🚗 Road Trip450km paved loop (3-5 days). This route connects the whale-watching hub of Kaikoura, the thermal alpine village of Hanmer Springs, and the Waipara Valley wine region with Christchurch. Highlights include rugged coastlines, limestone formations, and boutique vineyards.
Dark Sky Project
📍 Lake Tekapo
🔬 ScienceAn astronomy-focused discovery centre featuring multimedia science exhibits and guided tours of the universe in a world-renowned Dark Sky Reserve.
Hanmer Springs Thermal Pools & Spa
📍 Hanmer Springs
♨ Hot SpringA premier alpine water park with twenty-two thermal pools, multi-story hydroslides, and a family-focused aqua play area.
Kaikoura Peninsula Walkway
📍 Kaikoura
🥾 Hiking & CyclingA premier coastal recreation area providing spectacular views of the Kaikoura Ranges and access to New Zealand fur seal colonies.
Mueller Hut Route
📍 Aoraki / Mount Cook Village
🥾 Hiking & Cycling10.4km challenging 6-8 hour return hike with 1,000m elevation gain. Requires high fitness for steep rocky terrain leading to a famous alpine hut with 360-degree glacier views.
Tekapo Springs
📍 Lake Tekapo
🧗 AdventureAn all-season activity center offering turquoise hot pools, a snow tubing park, and an outdoor ice rink with stunning views of the Southern Alps.
Aigantighe Art Gallery
📍 Timaru
🖼 Art GalleryThe South Island's third-largest public art gallery, housed in a grand historic villa with an impressive outdoor sculpture garden.
Awaroa / Godley Head Reserve
📍 Christchurch
🌲 NatureA coastal cliff-top reserve offering panoramic ocean views and historic World War II coastal defense battery sites to explore.
Bridge of Remembrance
📍 Christchurch
🏛 LandmarkAn iconic war memorial archway dedicated to those who served in World Wars, located in the heart of the city.
Cardboard Cathedral
📍 Christchurch
🏛 LandmarkAn innovative Shigeru Ban-designed temporary cathedral built from cardboard tubes after the 2011 earthquake.
Ferrymead Heritage Park
📍 Christchurch
🏰 CastleAn immersive recreated Edwardian township featuring vintage trams, trains, and heritage buildings that showcase early Canterbury life.
Inland Scenic Route 72
📍 Amberley
🚗 Road Trip155km paved route (2-3 hours) that runs parallel to the Southern Alps. An alternative to State Highway 1, it passes through the Canterbury foothills, the dramatic Rakaia Gorge with its blue waters, and the craft-centric town of Geraldine.
Kura Tawhiti / Castle Hill
📍 Castle Hill
🏔 Scenic ViewFamilies can explore a labyrinth of massive weathered limestone boulders that rise dramatically from the grassy basin.
Little River Rail Trail
📍 Hornby, Christchurch
🥾 Hiking & Cycling45km easy 3-5 hour one-way cycling route with 50m elevation gain, following a historic railway line past Lake Ellesmere. Bike rental: Natural High (naturalhigh.co.nz)
Mona Vale Garden Park
📍 Christchurch
🌿 GardenA picturesque heritage estate renowned for its blooming rose gardens, iris displays, and peaceful riverside walks by the Avon River.
Mount Dobson Ski Area
📍 Fairlie
⛷ Ski Resort1,600-2,045m, 14 runs, 4 sq km terrain, July-Oct season, features a triple chairlift and a natural sunny basin with wide open slopes.
Porters Alpine Resort
📍 Springfield
⛷ Ski Resort1,302-1,902m, 11 runs, 12km groomed pistes, June-Oct season, family-friendly terrain with modern chairlift and proximity to Christchurch.
Ravenscar House Museum
📍 Christchurch
🖼 Art GalleryA purpose-built house museum showcasing a prestigious private collection of New Zealand art and antiques in an architecturally stunning setting.
Riccarton House and Bush
📍 Christchurch
🏰 CastleA grand Victorian/Edwardian homestead set within a tranquil park and a rare patch of ancient native podocarp forest.
Roundhill Ski Area
📍 Lake Tekapo
⛷ Ski Resort1,350-2,133m, 10 runs, 5.5 sq km terrain, July-Sept season, home to one of the world's longest rope tows and massive vertical drop for advanced skiers.
St James Walkway
📍 Lewis Pass
🥾 Hiking & Cycling66km moderate 4-5 day multi-day trek through subalpine forests and meadows with 1,500m elevation gain. This is a classic New Zealand tramping experience with serviced huts.
Summit Road (Banks Peninsula)
📍 Christchurch
🚗 Road Trip30km paved ridge-top road (1-2 hours) offering panoramic views of Lyttelton and Akaroa Harbours. This high-elevation route follows the rim of an ancient volcano, providing views of the Pacific Ocean and the patchwork hills of the Banks Peninsula.
Taylor's Mistake Beach
📍 Christchurch
⛱ BeachA scenic bay popular with surfers and families that serves as the gateway to the Godley Head coastal loop track.
Akaroa Waterfront
📍 Akaroa
⛱ BeachA picturesque harbor within an extinct volcano, known for its calm turquoise waters, French colonial architecture, and marine life.
Arion Farm Education Park
📍 Christchurch
🐄 FarmA family-friendly farm park offering close encounters with a wide variety of animals including llamas, pigs, and miniature horses.
Canterbury Museum at CoCA
📍 Christchurch
🔬 ScienceThe temporary home of the region's premier natural history museum, featuring highlights of the collection including moa remains and Antarctic artifacts.
EcoZip Adventures Kaikoura
📍 Kaikoura
🧗 AdventureA unique eco-adventure experience featuring long, side-by-side ziplines that soar over native bush with panoramic views of the ocean and mountains.
Hanmer Springs Attractions
📍 Hanmer Springs
🧗 AdventureThe region's adventure hub providing family-friendly jet boating, bungy jumping, and quad biking adventures against a backdrop of mountain scenery.
He Puna Taimoana
📍 Christchurch
🌊 Water ParkA modern seaside aquatic centre featuring five salt-water pools and a sauna with stunning views of the New Brighton Pier.
Molesworth Muster Trail
📍 Hanmer Springs
🥾 Hiking & Cycling207km expert/challenging 3-4 day gravel cycling route with 3,000m elevation gain through New Zealand's largest high-country farm. Bike rental: Hanmer Adventure (hanmeradventure.co.nz)
Ohau Snow Fields
📍 Lake Ohau
⛷ Ski Resort1,400-1,825m, 9 runs, 1.25 sq km terrain, July-Oct season, breathtaking views over Lake Ohau and the Southern Alps with a double chairlift.
Shamarra Alpacas
📍 Akaroa
🐄 FarmA world-class alpaca farm offering tours with over 170 alpacas and breathtaking panoramic views of the Akaroa Harbour.
Ashburton Art Gallery
📍 Ashburton
🖼 Art GalleryA modern regional gallery that hosts a diverse range of touring exhibitions and locally significant contemporary art.
Gore Bay
📍 Cheviot
⛱ BeachA secluded coastal gem famous for its unique 'Cathedral Cliffs' siltstone formations and family-friendly surfing conditions.
Ohinetahi
📍 Governors Bay
🌿 GardenA masterfully designed formal architectural garden with structured hedges, stone walls, and contemporary sculptures overlooking Lyttelton Harbour.
Peel Forest Park Scenic Reserve
📍 Geraldine
🌲 NatureA lush remnant of ancient native forest featuring massive podocarp trees and gentle waterfall walks perfect for family outings.
South Canterbury Museum
📍 Timaru
🔬 ScienceA regional museum with extensive natural history collections, including fossil remains and exhibits on the unique biodiversity of the central South Island.