Things to do in Christchurch

20 activities, venues and outings in Christchurch, from theatres and live music to parks and tours.

Ranked with the travel guide's picks and well-known places first.

Do
Antigua Boatsheds
Boat hire from historic British boatsheds for a hands-on water experience.
Daily; summer 9:30AM-5:30PM, winter 9:30AM-5PM$12/hr canoe, $25/half-hr rowboat, $25/half-hr paddle boat
Do
Christ's College
80-minute tours of the independent (fee-paying) boarding school. The school was established in 1850 and follows the English public school model. The school has about 650 boys who wear a black and white striped blazer. Tour tickets can be bought from the i-Site.
Oc–Apr: Mon-Fri 10AM$20
Do
Christchurch Adventure Park
Very good mountain biking trails for advanced, intermediate and beginner bikers, and also zip-lines. Take the chairlift up then bike down. There are bike and gear rentals, lessons and skills clinics, and a cafe and bar. There are charges for the chairlift, rather than the biking as such – you can take the uphill trail for free.
Do
Christchurch Casino
Dress code (jeans now allowed). You get a free meal (breakfast, lunch or dinner) if it is your birthday (booking essential).
Daily except Good Fri, 25 Apr, 25 Dec
Do
Christchurch Gondola
Ride in an enclosed gondola car up to the summit of the Port Hills then view the Heritage Time Tunnel exhibit, take an outdoor nature walk, visit the cafe and shop. The trip takes 10 min but it is recommended to allow an hour all up. An hourly shuttle bus with the sign "Gondola" runs from 9:30AM-4PM in summer from Cathedral Square (beside Tram Stop 2). The shuttle bus costs $6 one way, and you can buy tickets in advance at Tram Stop 1 in Cathedral Junction (no dates on the ticket thus can be used anytime) or from the bus driver directly. Alternatively, you can take #8 public bus from Bus Interchange.
summer 10AM-5PM, winter 10AM-4PM, 26 Dec–31 Jan 9AM–6PMAdult $42, child (5-15 years) $22, family (2 adults and up to 3 children) $117, passenger & own mountain bike $30, or with mountain bike hire $70. Discount of 10% when booking online 7 days in advance. $5 discount when buying together with Tram one day pass
Do
Hagley Oval
With a capacity of 9000, it hosts Test matches, plus Canterbury Knights men's and Magicians women's teams.
Do
Punting on the Avon
Punts depart from Antigua Boatsheds (see above). Glide down the river in Cambridge University style with a uniformed boatsman. An additional route departure at Worcester Bridge is available in summer. There is a $5 discount when buying together with Tram one day pass.
Summer 9AM-5PM, winter 9:30AM-4PMAdult $42, child $30 (5–15 years), family $129 (2 adults and up to 3 children), 30% off for Tram & Gondola Annual Pass holders
Do
Sign of Walkway
From Sign of the Takahe on Dyers Pass Rd. to Sign of the Kiwi through Victoria Park, and then along the Summit Rd. to Sign of the Bellbird. You will pass various "Sign of the..." places which were built during the Depression as rest stops.
Do
Summit Road
Drive it or bike it or take a bus then walk it. The road (and the Crater Rim Walkway) traverses the crest of the Port Hills, which separate Christchurch from Lyttelton Harbour. Breathtaking views over Christchurch, the Southern Alps, Pegasus Bay, Lyttelton Harbour and Banks Peninsula – often all from the same vantage point. Lots of sheep on the walkways, some of which traverse working farms. It is not possible to drive along all of Summit Rd because part is closed due to earthquake damage. The route passes through countryside that was badly burned by the Port Hill fires in Feb 2017.
Do
Tram ride
Runs on a loop in the central city that takes 50 min in total. Get on and off as you please with your day-long ticket. Ticket can be bought online, on aboard, or at the office in stop 1 (109 Worcester Street). Annual pass for tram & gondola is available (adult $99, children $40 (5–15 years), family (2 adults and up to 3 children) $240).
8:30AM-6PM$40 day pass for adults, free for children (5–15 years, 3 free per adult) and infants
Do Not mapped
Awaroa-Godley Head Loop Track
Godley Head Walkway
Starting from Taylors Mistake car park, this loop takes about 3 hours. Along the way you can observe various seabirds, penguins, or even dolphins, seals, and whales if you are lucky.
Do Not mapped
Bridle Path Walk
Take #28 bus to Heathcote, then walk to Lyttelton. This steep walk takes about 1.5 hours one way. An alternative option is taking the Gondola up to Mt Cavendish and walk down.
Do Not mapped
Carnival Week
Centred on a number of events taking place in November - Guy Fawkes' night (a major public firework display at New Brighton Pier), the two New Zealand Cup (trotting and galloping) horse racing meetings, and the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral show, which is the largest in the country.
Do Not mapped
Christchurch Arts Festival
The largest arts festival in the South Island, it takes place every second year around Aug-Sep.
Do Not mapped
Kidsfest
During the midwinter school holiday. Programme is announced in early June.
July
Do Not mapped
Open Christchurch
Architecture festival in early May giving an opportunity to see inside about 50 buildings, some require pre-booking.
Do Not mapped
The World Buskers Festival
Runs for two weeks in January and usually features about 30 comedy, street, and circus acts from around the globe.
Do
Garden City Helicopters
Scenic flights from 20 min to 3 hours.
From $199
Do Not mapped
Carols by Candlelight
A long-standing tradition on Christmas Eve.
24 Dec 9-10PM
Do Not mapped
Electric Avenue
Music festival running in February in Hagley Park.

Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to Christchurch (CC BY-SA 4.0).