Leisure Tours · Akaroa and Christchurch
Leisure Tours picks you up as your tender lands in Akaroa and drives you across Banks Peninsula to Christchurch for the Botanic Gardens, the rebuilt city centre, Sumner and Lyttelton, then back to the ship. Pick it if Christchurch is the city you came to see, and you accept that much of the day is spent on a coach.
This is the classic ship-to-city run. Leisure Tours collects you near the tender landing at about 10:30 am, crosses the peninsula, and spends the middle of the day in Christchurch: time in the Botanic Gardens, a drive through the central city and the scars and rebuilding since the 2011 earthquake, a 45-minute lunch break at your own cost, and then the coast at Sumner (time permitting), Lyttelton and the view from the Sign of the Takahe. The schedule has you leaving Christchurch at 3 pm to be back for a 4:30 pm all-aboard.
The trade-off is the road. Akaroa is about 84 km from Christchurch, and guests report 90 minutes to two hours each way on the coach, more with roadworks. With 6 hours in total, you get perhaps two to three in the city. The rating reflects it: 3.8 from 228 reviews. The happy guests praise drivers who talk the whole way; the unhappy ones mention long coach hours, confusing pickups at the tender, unclear lunch timing and too little time in the gardens.
Price is from $84 per person in US dollars, much less than most ship-sold tours, and it carries a "worry-free shore excursion guarantee" to return you to your ship. The cancellation rule is stricter than most: a full refund only if you cancel 6 or more days ahead, 50% from 2 to 6 days, nothing after that. If you'd rather stay on the peninsula, the sheep farm tour is shorter and calmer.
A company representative points you to the right coach; guests report a short wait before buses are allowed in.
Over the Hilltop and past Little River and Lake Ellesmere to the city.
Time in the gardens, then a drive through the centre and its earthquake story.
At your own cost in the city. Two guests say their driver's tip, Butchers Pies, was spot on.
The coast at Sumner if time allows, Lyttelton's harbour, and the view from the Sign of the Takahe.
The coach leaves Christchurch at about 3 pm for the ship.
★★★★★The journey to Christchurch was through some wonderful scenery/countryside. Arriving in Christchurch Ian gave us a very detailed commentary including lots of information about the earthquake and work carried out (or not) since. [...] This was a very good day tour if you want to visit Christchurch and much cheaper than a similar tour taken through the ship.
★★★★★Our trip was from our cruise ship at Akaroa. We got an early shuttle and arrived in good time for our scheduled departure to Christchurch but I can understand how the Princess Cruises policy of giving early shuttles could lead to being very late for the tour or even missing it.
★★★★★Chris is a local and knows the history and interesting places. He even took our grouo to a small off the beaten track beach to watch a sea lion feeding her baby in the dunes.
Read next:
About 84 km. Guests report 90 minutes to two hours each way by coach, and longer with roadworks. Out of a 6-hour tour, that's half the day on the road.
The schedule leaves Christchurch at about 3 pm for a 4:30 pm return, and the listing includes a shore excursion guarantee. Our shore excursion guide covers tender timing.
No. There's a 45-minute lunch break in Christchurch at your own cost.
Full refund if you cancel 6 or more full days before; 50% from 2 to 6 days; no refund inside 2 days. It's stricter than most tours on this site.
Ready to book
From the Akaroa tender landing to Christchurch and back: the rebuilt city, the gardens and the coast.
Shore Excursion: Harbour Views & Sheep FarmSheepdogs, a shearing demonstration and afternoon tea on a farm, back at the ship in 2.5 hours. Cruise passengers only.★ 4.5 · 2.5 hours · from $67
Black Cat Akaroa Harbour Nature CruiseAkaroa's original nature cruise: a big catamaran, up to three sailings a day, and a free re-cruise if no dolphins.★ 4.7 · 2 hours · from $76
Akaroa Nature & History Private TourThree private hours with a seventh-generation local: Takapūneke, Ōnuku and the bays, for your group only.★ 5.0 · 3 hours · from $349