Banks Peninsula & Christchurch

Banks Peninsula and Christchurch Tour (Bridge of Remembrance, the Canterbury Museum)
Excursion Highlights:
  • Experience the breathtaking vistas of Banks Peninsula and post-quake resilience of Christchurch on this immersive tour
  • Discover the crater-harbor of an ancient volcano, alongside wildlife-rich Lakes Forsyth and Ellesmere
  • Explore the Bridge of Remembrance, the Canterbury Museum, and the Art Gallery and the Art Center
  • Enjoy a break in Sumner's beach suburb, with options to dine at local cafes before heading historic Lyttleton
  • Take in views over Christchurch, Canterbury Plains, and the Southern Alps from the Sign of the Takahe
Price: $158.00
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Summary
Shore Excursion Size ? Standard
Shore Excursion Type Eco, Nature
Shore Excursion Duration 5 Hours 30 Minutes
Activity Level ? Moderate
Shore Excursion Leaves From ? Cruise Ship Tender Pier
Food/Beverage Provided Not Included
Recommended Dress We recommend guests wear comfortable clothing, with layers that may be removed, walking shoes, and sunglasses.
Restrictions Guests must be able to walk over paved, gravel, and packed dirt surfaces, some of which are at an incline. Most sites are accessible for collapsible wheelchairs.

Banks Peninsula & Christchurch

This wonderful Banks Peninsula and Christchurch shore excursion begins as you depart Akaroa and embark on a scenic drive that provides stunning views of the peninsula, an ancient volcano that now forms the peninsula, and its crater that now forms the harbor. Travel via the Akaroa Highway past Lakes Forsyth and Ellesmere, a natural haven for birds and other wildlife.

Upon arrival to Christchurch and following a stop at the botanical gardens, enjoy a sightseeing tour that both highlights the damage and recovery after the earthquakes that rocked the city between 2010 and 2012 and showcases the city landmarks: the Bridge of Remembrance, the Canterbury Museum, as well as the Art Gallery and the Art Center. Other sights include the badly earthquake damaged Christchurch Cathedral, and the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament. The city center is currently under construction with both demolition and rebuilding underway. Due to road closures and new areas re-opening, road access can change on a daily basis.

After leaving the inner city the tour travels to the beach suburb of Sumner, where there will be a brief stop and an opportunity to buy lunch (at your own expense) at one of the local cafes or bakeries. The tour then continues to the port of Lyttleton (where ships berthed before the earthquakes), before driving up to the Sign of the Takahe on the Port Hills --named after a flightless native New Zealand bird, and then a roadhouse built in the 1920's for those weary travelers walking from Lyttleton over the Port Hills to Christchurch. From this view point you will have spectacular views over the city of Christchurch, Canterbury Plains and the Southern Alps.

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