Christchurch - City of Gardens, Contrasts and Pristine Nature
Christchurch - City of Gardens, Contrasts and Pristine Nature
Eight and a half hours — and you'll see a city that doesn't fit into a standard itinerary: from a square with New Zealand's first-ever statue of a real person to a mountain whose Māori name translates as "place of baskets of heads." And at the end of the day — a stop in Lyttelton itself, a port town with the history of the Timeball Station lighthouse tower, where even cruise tourists almost never venture — they only see it from the ship's deck.
In the morning, we'll pick you up directly from your accommodation in the city center. In the car — water, local snacks, and a blanket: small things, but it's precisely from such details that the feeling arises that you've been taken care of, not just driven according to schedule.
A city that literally rebuilt itself
Christchurch is not just gardens and kiwi. It's a city that survived the devastating earthquakes of 2010–2011, and its recovery story is visible at literally every stop on the route. The statue of the city's founder fell from its pedestal during the 2011 earthquake — and unexpectedly, a time capsule was found inside the pedestal, which will only be opened in 2067; the statue itself was restored and returned to its place on February 18, 2015, almost four years later. The Gothic buildings of Christchurch Arts Centre, where student Rutherford, the future "father of nuclear physics," conducted experiments, also suffered serious damage — restoration is still ongoing, but since 2017, part of the university has returned here. The gondola was closed for two years due to the risk of rockfalls and only reopened in 2013. And the Mona Vale estate on the Avon River was restored for 3.2 million New Zealand dollars and reopened in 2016. Even the benches at the firefighters' memorial are made from rubble of the destroyed cathedral — the city literally repurposes the memory of its own upheavals. The guide will tell these stories on site — not as dry chronicles of destruction, but as a living history of a city that didn't give up.
A guaranteed face-to-face meeting with a real kiwi in a sanctuary that was the first in the country to make this possible. Takahē — a bird that was once thought to be extinct. A panorama from 445 meters high on the gondola. Steel beams from the 9/11 Twin Towers — a gift from the New York City mayor to the city of firefighters. An estate that residents literally bought back at 10 dollars per square foot when it was about to be demolished. At the most spectacular points on the route, we shoot photos and videos for you on a professional camera — these shots will stay with you, not just in memory.
Choose the format that suits you: take the tour entirely for your group — the route doesn't overlap with other bookings, and the day belongs only to you; or buy an individual spot — a cheaper option, in which case the tour may be shared with other guests. You can cancel your booking for free 72 hours before the tour — no explanations and no penalties.
Tour overview:
Duration: full day, approximately 9:00–17:30
Format: private tour (1–5 people on Nissan Serena, 6–11 people on Hiace) or individual spot booking
Pickup and return — from your accommodation in central Christchurch
Included: guide, vehicle, tickets to Willowbank Wildlife Reserve and Christchurch Gondola, water and snacks on the road, photos/videos at scenic points
Free cancellation 72 hours before the tour
Languages: English and Russian, other languages — upon request
Included / Not Included
Included
- Private transfer by sedan/minivan
- Professional Russian/English-speaking guide-driver
- Entrance ticket to Willowbank Wildlife Reserve
- Christchurch Gondola Ticket (Return)
Not Included
- Lunch and drinks
- Personal expenses and souvenirs
- Travel/Medical Insurance
Tour Stops
Click a map marker to see details
Cathedral Square — the historic heart of Christchurch, planned in 1850 as the geometric center of the city; despite its name, the square has a cross shape. Here stands the Anglican ChristChurch Cathedral, severely damaged in the 2010–2011 earthquakes, and the first public statue of a specific person in New Zealand's history — a monument to Canterbury's founder John Godley by English sculptor Thomas Woolner (1867). Around the square, old and new coexist: the cathedral under scaffolding and modern iconic buildings - the Tūranga library and Te Pae conference center, built after the earthquakes.
Firefighters Reserve — an unusual memorial on the banks of the Avon River, dedicated to the memory of 343 New York firefighters who died on September 11, 2001, and firefighters around the world. Its central element — genuine steel beams weighing 5.5 tons, fallen from the 102nd floor of the south tower of the World Trade Center; they were donated to Christchurch by the New York City Mayor's office in 2002. The opening of the memorial was accompanied by a blessing from the elders of the Māori and Muslim communities of the city - at a place sacred to Ngāi Tahu (iwi Ngāi Tahu)
Christchurch Arts Centre — a complex of 23 Gothic buildings built between 1877–1916, the largest collection of architectural monuments of the highest protection category in New Zealand. Until 1975, it housed Canterbury College, later the University of Canterbury; student Ernest Rutherford, the future "father of nuclear physics", conducted his first experiments here, and in his honor a museum called Rutherford's Den is preserved in the basement. The buildings were severely damaged in the earthquakes of 2010–2011, but today they are no longer ruins but a living quarter with cafes, galleries and workshops — and since 2017, some university faculties have also returned here.
On July 9, 1863, gardener Enoch Barker planted a single oak tree here to commemorate the wedding of the future King Edward VII and Princess Alexandra of Denmark. Today, from this one tree has grown a garden spanning more than 20 hectares.
Here, in Riccarton, the true history of Christchurch begins — seven years before the official arrival of the first organized settlers. In 1843, brothers William and John Deans established themselves right here, on the site that the Māori called Pūtaringamotu, honestly leasing the land from Ngai Tahu for 21 years
Mona Vale — a fairy-tale estate on the Avon River with an amazing rescue story
Willowbank is not a classical zoo. Everything here is designed to showcase New Zealand animals in the most natural conditions possible: fewer cages, more open spaces. Before humans arrived in New Zealand, there were almost no land predators, and many animals evolved with virtually no protection
Ride the gondola almost half a kilometer up and in just 10 minutes, a panorama of all Christchurch, the Canterbury Plains, the Southern Alps, and Lyttelton Harbour unfolds before you.
Timeball Station — a time signal station that has been operating since 1876. Every day at exactly one o'clock in the afternoon, a one-hundred-kilogram metal ball was raised and dropped along a mast, allowing ship captains in the harbor to synchronize their marine chronometers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Guide services, vehicle for the entire day, entrance tickets to Willowbank Wildlife Reserve and Christchurch Gondola. Fuel and parking along the route are included.
Lunch at the Riccarton House estate café is paid by the guest independently on site.
Full day, approximately from 9:00 to 17:20–17:30 (exact time depends on the specific tour program).
Two formats based on the number of guests: 1–5 people — in a Nissan Serena minivan, 6–11 people — in a Hiace minivan.
The guide and driver can be either the same person or different people — the composition is determined by FunTrail depending on the tour and group.
Both options are possible: the tour can be booked entirely at a group rate (entire vehicle + guide), or individual seats can be purchased at a per-person rate — depending on the type of booking.
We pick up and drop off guests at their accommodation in central Christchurch. If the accommodation is located more than 5 km from the city center, the meeting point will be agreed separately when booking.
The tour is conducted in English or Russian. Upon request, it is possible to consider conducting the excursion in another client language — the format is flexible, and if necessary, a simultaneous interpretation system can be used.
Payment is made in full at the time of booking, by Visa or Mastercard through the online payment system.
Yes, the route can be adjusted according to your preferences — this is a private tour, and the program is adapted to your wishes.
Yes, the Cancellation Policy applies: free cancellation 72+ hours before the tour, with 50% of the cost retained for later cancellations. For details, see the Cancellation Policy section.
If a route attraction is closed due to weather (for example, a gondola), FunTrail offers an equivalent replacement within the route or a partial refund for the missed segment.
Yes, the tour is suitable for families with children. If your child requires a special child car seat based on their age, please indicate this when booking — we will prepare the necessary arrangement.
Standard vehicles are not equipped to transport wheelchairs. However, upon request, we can organize a private tour taking into account all necessary conditions — contact us in advance to discuss the details.
Cancellation Policy
Free Cancellation
- Cancellation more than 72 hours before the stated tour start time (New Zealand time) — full refund without penalty. Cancellation notice must be sent to order@funtrail.co.nz; the moment the guest sends the notice determines compliance with the deadline.
Cancellation after the deadline- Cancellation less than 72 hours before the tour start — 50% of the tour cost is retained, the remaining amount is not refunded.
Guest No-show
- If a guest fails to arrive at the meeting point at the appointed time without prior notification, no refund is issued.Weather Conditions
- If one of the route attractions is closed due to weather conditions (for example, Christchurch Gondola), FunTrail offers an equivalent replacement attraction within the same route. If an equivalent replacement is not possible, a partial refund is issued for the missed segment — proportional to that attraction's share of the total tour cost. The decision to close an attraction and choose an alternative is made by FunTrail based on official information from the attraction itself (for example, gondola operating status).