Timeline
10:00
Enter the Christchurch Art Gallery as it opens. The facility is spectacular, housing over 5000 items and visiting exhibitions. It is a spacious, quiet place to start your morning, and you can even store any luggage at reception if you are traveling later.
10:30
Walk seven minutes to Aha Wildlife Bakery. Pick up some fresh animal-shaped bread or cookies. The shop bakes them fresh on the market, so you will get warm treats and see the artwork on the walls while you wait.
10:45
Walk thirteen minutes west into the Christchurch Botanic Gardens. Spend the rest of your time strolling the loop of the Avon River. The gardens feature exotic and indigenous plants that give the city its name, offering a peaceful contrast to the gallery's modern architecture.
Local tip
The Art Gallery is usually free, making it an easy stop. If you prefer coffee over pastries, C1 Espresso is a fifteen-minute walk away and serves food via pneumatic tube.
Check before you go
- The Art Gallery opens at 10:00 on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays to Sundays. It is open until 21:00 on Wednesdays.
- Aha Wildlife Bakery is open daily from 07:00 to 18:00.
- The Botanic Gardens are open all day, but check specific venue hours if you plan to enter Curators House or other facilities within the gardens.
Built from places in the Wikivoyage guide to Christchurch (CC BY-SA 4.0), with open map data from OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).