Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island and the second-largest city by urban area population in New Zealand.
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island and the second-largest city by urban area population in New Zealand. Christchurch has an urban population of 407,800, and a metropolitan population of 556,500. It is located in the Canterbury Region, near the centre of the east coast of the South Island, east of the Canterbury Plains. It is located near the southern end of Pegasus Bay, and is bounded to the east by the Pacific Ocean and to the south by the ancient volcanic complex of the Banks Peninsula. The Avon River / Ōtākaro winds through the centre of the city, with a large urban park along its banks. With the exception of the Port Hills, it is a relatively flat city, on an average about 20 m (66 ft) above sea level. Christchurch has a reputation for being an English city, with its architectural identity and nickname the 'Garden City' due to similarities with garden cities in England, but also has a historic Māori heritage. Christchurch has a temperate oceanic climate with moderate rainfall.
Adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Worth seeing in and around Christchurch
10 places within 25 km that the world writes about, in the order of how widely: the ones a visitor has heard of first, then the ones only a local would name.
- 01University of Canterbury
The University of Canterbury is a public research university based in Christchurch, New Zealand. It was founded in 1873 as Canterbury College, the first constituent college of the University of New Zealand.
4.5 km · public research university in Christchurch, New Zealand · Wikipedia - 02Al Noor Mosque
The Al Noor Mosque is a Sunni mosque in the Christchurch suburb of Riccarton in New Zealand. It was built between 1983 and 1985 by the Muslim Association of Canterbury, an organisation founded in 1977 that also manages the mosque building.
2 km · mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand · Wikipedia - 03Canterbury Museum
The Canterbury Museum is a museum located in the central city of Christchurch, New Zealand, in the city's Cultural Precinct. The museum was established in 1867 with Julius von Haast – whose collection formed its core – as its first director.
700 m · museum in Christchurch, New Zealand · Wikipedia - 04Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament
The Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, sometimes referred to as the Christchurch Basilica was a Catholic cathedral on Barbadoes Street in central Christchurch, New Zealand. It was the mother church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Christchurch and seat of the Bishop of Christchurch.
1.1 km · New Zealand cathedral · Wikipedia - 05Christchurch Art Gallery
The Christchurch Art Gallery is the public art gallery of the city of Christchurch, New Zealand. It has its own substantial art collection and also presents a programme of New Zealand and international exhibitions.
400 m · art museum in Christchurch, New Zealand · Wikipedia - 06Hagley Park
Hagley Park is the largest urban open space in Christchurch, New Zealand, and was established in 1855 by the Provincial Government. According to the government's decree at that time, Hagley Park is "reserved forever as a public park, and shall be open for the recreation and enjoyment of the public." Hagley Park is characterised by its trees and broad open spaces.
1.3 km · 164.6-hectare park in Christchurch, New Zealand · Wikipedia - 07Hagley Oval
Hagley Oval is a cricket ground in Hagley Park in the central city of Christchurch, New Zealand. The first recorded match on the ground was in 1867, when Canterbury cricket team hosted Otago cricket team.
1.4 km · New Zealand cricket ground · Wikipedia - 08Cardboard Cathedral
The Cardboard Cathedral, formally called the Transitional Cathedral, in Christchurch, New Zealand, is the transitional pro-cathedral of the Anglican Diocese of Christchurch, replacing ChristChurch Cathedral, which was significantly damaged in the 2011 Christchurch earthquake. It is located on the site of the former St John the Baptist Church on the corner of Hereford and Madras Streets in Latimer Square, several blocks from the permanent location of ChristChurch Cathedral.
600 m · Cathedral in Christchurch, New Zealand · Wikipedia - 09Moncks Cave
Moncks Cave is a cave located in Redcliffs, Christchurch, New Zealand. The cave was uncovered by road workers in 1889, and is considered to be one of the greatest archaeological sites in New Zealand.
9.1 km · cave located in Redcliffs, Christchurch · Wikipedia - 10New Brighton Pier
There have been two New Brighton Piers in the Christchurch, New Zealand, suburb of New Brighton. The first pier, of wooden construction, opened on 18 January 1894 and was demolished on 12 October 1965.
8.3 km · pier in New Zealand · Wikipedia
Ranked by the number of language editions of Wikipedia with an article on each, from Wikidata; the sentences are the openings of those articles, CC BY-SA 4.0.
What Wikivoyage says to see
- 01Arts Centre
Gothic Revival stonework of former University campus.
- 02Christchurch Art Gallery
Worcester Blvd and Montreal St (one block east of Botanic Gardens),.
- 03Centre of Contemporary Art
- 04Cardboard Cathedral
- 05St Michael and All Angels Church
Services Sun 8AM, 10AM, 7PM; Mon-Fri 9AM; and for viewing at other times.
- 06Air Force Museum
45 Harvard Ave, Wigram (take Yellow or #80 bus from Central Station platform C),.
From Wikivoyage: Christchurch, CC BY-SA 4.0. Not yet checked by us.
Things to do
- 01Antigua Boatsheds
Boat hire from historic British boatsheds for a hands-on water experience.
- 02Christchurch Adventure Park
Very good mountain biking trails for advanced, intermediate and beginner bikers, and also zip-lines.
- 03Christchurch Casino
You get a free meal (breakfast, lunch or dinner) if it is your birthday (booking essential).
- 04Christchurch Gondola
10 Bridle Path Rd, Heathcote Valley (take #28 bus southeast, or take Purple bus and change to #535 bus at Ferrymead),.
- 05Hagley Oval
With a capacity of 9000, it hosts Test matches, plus Canterbury Knights men's and Magicians women's teams.
- 06Garden City Helicopters
515 Memorial Ave (next to Christchurch Airport), toll-free: 0800 359 424, info@helicopters.net.nz.
From Wikivoyage: Christchurch, CC BY-SA 4.0. Not yet checked by us.
Where to eat
Fruit and vegetable shops offer locally grown high quality fresh produce for prices often much cheaper than supermarkets. Supermarkets
- 01Fresh Choice
Lichfield St (Across the road from the Bus Interchange).
- 02Woolworths
- 03New World
175 Durham Street South.
- 04Pak'n'Save
The cheapest supermarket chain overall, but may not have as wide a range as Woolworths and New World.
- 05Aha Wildlife Bakery
100 Oxford Terrace (Inside Riverside Market), info@ahawildlifebakery.com.
From Wikivoyage: Christchurch, CC BY-SA 4.0. Not yet checked by us.
Getting to Christchurch
- Airports
- Christchurch (CHC), 10 km
- Stations
- Christchurch International Airport, 9.6 km · Wigram Aerodrome, 7.1 km
- Wellington → Christchurch305 km · quickest by air, 3h 51m · NZ$140–210
- Queenstown → ChristchurchTrain, bus, flight, ferry and road, side by side
- Auckland → Christchurch765 km · quickest by air, 5h 10m · NZ$220–330
- Plan a tripFrom anywhereThe planner compares every way there from wherever you are.
Road and air are today’s quick answer; timetabled trains, buses and ferries load on the results page from the operators’ feeds.
No local-transport research exists yet for Christchurch
Our researched notes are written from a sourced entry: every shared taxi, boat and village bus with its operator, its rule, its fare and the year we saw it, and what could not be confirmed. Nobody has done that work for Christchurch. What is above is what we hold from open sources; nothing here pretends to be more.
- Get inThis scenic train journey can be done as a day trip.
- Get inAt Picton the Coastal Pacific connects with the Cook Strait ferries from Wellington in the North Island.
- Get inThe train departs Christchurch at 7AM and arrives in Picton at 1:15PM, connecting with the 2PM ferry to Wellington.
- Get inThe 9AM ferry from Wellington connects with the train departing Picton at 2:15PM and arriving in Christchurch at 8:30PM.
- Get aroundServices cover the whole city and areas of interest for a visitor that lie outside the central city, such as Sumner and New Brighton beaches, Lyttelton, and the Gondola.
From Wikivoyage: Christchurch, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us; that article was last edited 2026-09.
- 01397 km
- 022,040 km
- 032,698 km
- 043,125 km
- 053,761 km
If you know how people move in Christchurch – the stand, the rule, the fare – tell us, and the note gets an entry.
Next door to Christchurch
- New Brightonsuburb of Christchurch, New Zealand8.1 km
- Belfastsuburb of Christchurch, New Zealand9 km
- Halswellsuburb of Christchurch, New Zealand8 km
- Harewoodsuburb of Christchurch, New Zealand8.3 km
- Heathcote Valleysuburb of Christchurch, New Zealand7.9 km
- Avondalesuburb of Christchurch, New Zealand5.5 km