11 Walking Tours in Christchurch, With the Price Beside Each

1.Full Day Guided Walking Tour and Picnic around Godley Head

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 147 reviews · from $186Our pick

Spend six hours with Crater Rim Walks on an 8-kilometer Godley Head loop from Christchurch. Guides such as Nicole, Heidi, Fraser, and Mihi lead a small group past beaches, WWII gun sites, Scott’s Hut, and a penguin colony. Hotel pickup, coffee, snacks, poles, water, and a picnic lunch are included.

“The scenery was amazing and Heidi, our guide, was the best of all the guides I have ever met. We were lucky enough to have a private tour since we were the only people in the group.”

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2.Ōtautahi: Christchurch Small-Group Inner City Food Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 85 reviews · from $133

Spend about 2.5 hours walking central Christchurch with a local guide such as Ash, Emily, or Riwai Grace. Expect Māori and European cultural stories, earthquake-rebuild insights, lunch, craft beer or other drinks, chocolate, honey, coffee, and gelato. The group is capped at 12, making questions and personal conversation easy.

“Come hungry - the tour starts with a ton of food tasting! Guides are exceptionally informative and friendly”

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3.Lyttelton Shore Excursion – Guided Walking Tour and Picnic

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 57 reviews · from $186

Start with coffee at Sumner Beach, then walk the undulating Godley Head Loop from Taylors Mistake. Your guide provides poles, water, snacks, and a picnic lunch. Nicole, Dee, Flick, Heidi, Harriet, Sonia, or Fraser may lead, with time for photos and wildlife sightings. Port pickup and drop-off are included.

“This was my husband and my favorite excursion in NZ. Dee was amazing - kind, informed, a real local with knowledge of wonderful hidden gems. She let us set our pace yet still kept us on schedule. I would highly recommend this!”

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4.Guided Crater Rim Walk with Picnic

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 48 reviews · from $138

Walk the 8 km Godley Head Crater Rim Track with a local guide such as Nicole or Dee. Expect 2 to 3 hours on foot, harbour and coastal views, WW2 gun emplacements, an Antarctic cabin, a penguin colony, and a picnic at foot-access-only Boulder Bay. Transport, gear, drinks, and lunch are included according to the option booked.

“Nicole, operates an amazing tour experience. Very professional, great pre tour communication and extremely passionate about the area. Everything about the tour was 10+, great coffee stop, vehicle was perfect and clean. Provided everything we needed and beyond to make the hike perfect, (loaner hiking poles and knapsacks). Excellent and environmentally friendly water bottle (to keep) and top of the line box lunch and snacks for along the way (even fresh fruit). This is by far one of the best excursions we have done. Thank-you Nicole for a pleasurable and beautiful day.Read more”

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5.Private Christchurch Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 28 reviews · from $93

Spend about two hours with a local guide such as Simon, Sam, or Ben, tracing Christchurch from Māori and European beginnings through the 2011 earthquake and rebuilding. This private walk covers the Cathedral, Cardboard Cathedral, New Regent Street, the earthquake memorial, Art Gallery, and Botanic Gardens area at a flexible pace.

“Simon, the tour operator was great. He was on time, personable and welcoming. The tour was extensive, adaptive and informative. It gave a good overview of Christchurch, its history and the rebuilding after the last earthquake. The walking is easy, and Simon goes at your pace.”

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6.Ōtautahi Meander Walking Tour with Tastings

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 10 reviews · 2 hours · from $95

Walk central Christchurch with guides such as Ash, Riwa, or Spud, learning how Ōtautahi’s Māori and settler past shaped the city. You’ll visit former mahinga kai and pā sites, hear about the earthquake and local culture, receive a traditional Māori greeting, and stop for coffee, morning tea, and artisan food tastings. The two-hour route is wheelchair accessible.

“The walking tour was wonderful, educational and a highlight of our time in Christchurch. The guide was friendly, very knowledgeable about her culture, and showed us interesting aspects of Christchurch that we might not normally see. The pace of the tour was great, the little tastings at some of the local businesses appreciated and she answered all our questions patiently. What a delight!”

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7.Half Day Luxury Private Guided Crater Rim Walk

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 8 reviews · from $176

Spend about four hours with a private local guide on Banks Peninsula, walking the 4 km Awaroa Coastal Track near Godley Head. Guides such as Herb, Jacqueline, Kate, and Ita share local stories as you pass Pacific Ocean views, Lyttelton Harbour, a WW2 battery, Scott’s Hut Antarctic cabin, and small beaches. Morning and afternoon departures are available.

“Our guide for today was really one of the best ever with very good knowledge about the region, nature and understood our interest very well.”

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8.Godley Head & Lyttelton Guided Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 4 reviews · 210 minutes - 8 hours · from $178

Travel from Christchurch through Lyttelton and Sumner to Taylors Mistake, then walk the Godley Head loop with a local English-speaking guide. Choose a flexible half-day or full-day outing, with coastal views, WWII gun emplacements, optional white-flippered penguins, tea, drinks, and lunch on the longer tour.

“Great walking track, amazing views and history lesson at the same time! definitely worth to enjoy!”

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9.Kai Bites Walking Tour with Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 4 reviews · 1h 30m · from $128

Join a local storyteller in central Christchurch for a 90-minute walking tour built around kai, culture, and history. You’ll hear about manaakitanga, whanaukatanga, and traditional mahinga kai, then enjoy tastings and a seasonal lunch. Ashley has guided the experience, which is offered in English.

“Nur zu empfehlen. Ashley unser Guide hat alle Fragen beantwortet und das Essen super gut ausgesucht. Ich würde die Tour jederzeit wieder machen.”

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10.Christchurch Secret Inner City Walking Tour and Hidden Gems

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 4 reviews · from $80Best value

Meet your Indigenous guide at the Bridge of Remembrance at 3 pm for a small-group walk through Christchurch’s lesser-known lanes. Hear Māori and settler stories, learn how the city rebuilt, and stop at an iconic local food spot. Guides include Riwai and Gracie.

“'Gracie' had a vibrant passion for his heritage and his town. We learned a lot about the rebuilding of the city and the impact the residents had on it's redevelopment.”

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11.Packhorse Hut Guided Walk and Scenic Drive

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3 reviews · 8 hours · from $256

Join a local guide for an eight-hour small-group trip from Christchurch to Packhorse Hut. You will stop at the Sign of the Takahe, Sign of the Kiwi, and Sign of the Bellbird, then hike about 11 kilometers with lunch at the hut. Guides such as Ollie and Alan tailor the pace when group size allows.

“As the only two people on the tour Alan went out of his way to assist us in hunting down some bootlaces. His commentary throughout the day was informative and helpful. The refreshments carried by him were most welcome. The route itself was fairly challenging for a fit pair of 70+ and the distance was close to 10 miles not 10k. Totally a type two experience!”

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