Day Trips From Christchurch: Akaroa or Arthur's Pass?

From Christchurch, go to Akaroa for the sea and its wildlife, or to Arthur’s Pass for the mountains and the train. Both are full days. Akaroa is the shorter drive; the Arthur’s Pass tours run about 10 hours.

Akaroa

Christchurch NZ puts Akaroa 86 km from the city, about 1.5 hours on narrow winding roads, on Banks Peninsula, which it describes as the remains of two volcanoes. Without a car, the Akaroa French Connection bus leaves daily at 9am from the Canterbury Museum and returns at 5:45pm. Once there, the harbour cruises take about 2 hours: the most reviewed, Akaroa Dolphins’ nature cruise, is rated 4.9 from 535 reviews, from about $79. See Akaroa.

Arthur’s Pass and Castle Hill

The tours take State Highway 73 west to the limestone outcrops of Castle Hill (Kura Tāwhiti, of great cultural significance for Ngāi Tahu, per DOC) and Arthur’s Pass National Park, and several ride the TranzAlpine train one way. Great Journeys New Zealand, which runs the train, calls Arthur’s Pass the highest operational station in New Zealand. The day tours list about 10 hours, from about $101 without the train to about $242 with it and lunch. See Arthur’s Pass.

Prices, ratings and review counts from our October 2026 data check; operators use seasonal pricing, so treat them as the shape of the market, not a quote.

Before you go

DOC warns that snow can close State Highway 73 in winter. For the wildlife side of Akaroa, see the South Island wildlife tours.