Cruise Port Guide · 129 cruises visit Christchurch →

Christchurch Cruise Port

Plan the whole trip —

The bucket-list things to do — and who runs each one.

Here’s the bucket list for your day ashore: the most extraordinary thing to do at each stop, who runs it, and how to book it direct — so you can weigh it against your ship’s excursion and pick what suits you.

In port at Christchurch, the bucket-list move is Waimakariri Gorge Jet Boat & High Country 4WD Explorer. Below: 4 bucket-list things to do on a Christchurch port day — worth weighing against whatever your ship offers.
Waimakariri Gorge Jet Boat & High Country 4WD Explorer
1adventure

Waimakariri Gorge Jet Boat & High Country 4WD Explorer

Tear through the braided Waimakariri River in a jet boat, then explore the dramatic Southern Alps high country by 4WD. A pulse-pounding fusion of New Zealand's wildest landscapes — this is the adventure Christchurch was made for.

We have not yet verified a bookable operator and price for this one, so we are not quoting either.
What to expect, timing & how to book →
Akaroa Harbour Hector's Dolphin Swim & Wildlife Cruise
2wildlife

Akaroa Harbour Hector's Dolphin Swim & Wildlife Cruise

Slip into the crystal waters of Akaroa Harbour to swim alongside Hector's dolphins — the world's smallest and rarest. Set inside a stunning extinct volcanic crater on Banks Peninsula, this is one of the most extraordinary wildlife encounters on Earth.

Book it Akaroa Full Day Sightseeing Tour from Christchurch $163 per person
Run by Ecoseaker - Dolphin Swimming & Harbour Adventure Cruises · 4.80 from 161 reviews
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What to expect, timing & how to book →
International Antarctic Centre: Immersive Polar Expedition
3history

International Antarctic Centre: Immersive Polar Expedition

Christchurch is the world's gateway to Antarctica, and the International Antarctic Centre plunges you deep into the frozen continent's drama — from a real Antarctic storm chamber to a Hagglund all-terrain vehicle ride. Extraordinarily immersive and unlike anything else in the Southern Hemisphere.

Book it International Antarctic Centre General Admission Ticket NZD 74 per person (about $43)
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What to expect, timing & how to book →
Punting on the Avon: Private Guided River Journey
4scenic

Punting on the Avon: Private Guided River Journey

Drift silently along the willow-draped Avon River in a traditional punt, guided by a boater in Edwardian whites. This is Christchurch at its most elegant — a living postcard of heritage, garden, and the city's remarkable post-earthquake renewal.

Book it Lyttelton Shore Excursion: Christchurch Highlights & Avon Punting $223 per person
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What to expect, timing & how to book →
Christchurch Gondola & Port Hills: Summit Ridge Experience
5scenic

Christchurch Gondola & Port Hills: Summit Ridge Experience

Ride the Christchurch Gondola to the rim of an ancient volcanic crater for a 360° panorama stretching from the Canterbury Plains and the Southern Alps to the Pacific Ocean. One of New Zealand's great viewpoints, made accessible in extraordinary style.

Book it Christchurch Gondola Ride Ticket NZD 45 per person (about $26)
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What to expect, timing & how to book →
Quake City: Canterbury's Earthquake Story — Expert-Led Tour
6culture

Quake City: Canterbury's Earthquake Story — Expert-Led Tour

Quake City is the world's most powerful museum dedicated to a modern urban earthquake — a raw, moving, and brilliantly curated account of the 2010–2011 Canterbury earthquakes that reshaped a city. Essential context for understanding everything you see in Christchurch.

We have not yet verified a bookable operator and price for this one, so we are not quoting either.
What to expect, timing & how to book →
Your day in Christchurch Nothing picked yet — tick what you fancy
$0 for two, booked direct

Now plan the rest of it

You know what to do on the day. Here is the trip it belongs to — each one opens as a whole plan, not a list: where to fly in, every port, what it runs.

Cruises that call at Christchurch

All 129 sailings that call here →

Or come by land

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Other ports on these sailings

⚓ Your bucket-list concierge

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