24 Hours in Christchurch

Our top tips for how best to spend 24 hours in Christchurch

Now that you’ve booked your mountain bike tour in New Zealand with us you need to begin planning your travel to Christchurch, and the start point of your South Island adventure.

We always recommend that you arrive at least one day before your adventure begins to allow for any travel or luggage delays. It’s also good to acclimatise to local time and recover from your journey before you start turning the pedals.

To help you make the most of your extra time in the South Island, we’ve pooled our collective local knowledge to create this handy city guide for how best to spend 24 hours in Christchurch before you set off on your fantastic mountain bike tour in New Zealand.

Morning

To kick off your 24 hours in Christchurch and get your blood flowing, do as the locals do, and take a walk through Hagley Park.

Once you’ve worked up a bit of a thirst and an appetite, head to C1 Espresso. The Kiwis know a thing or two about coffee, and this fab cafe will serve up the perfect flat white alongside delicious breakfasts, using local and sustainable ingredients. It’s also a great spot to do a bit of people watching!

Afternoon

After refuelling, hop on the beautiful tram for a unique sightseeing experience, then for a bird’s eye view of the city and the surrounding Canterbury Plains, take the gondola to the top of Mount Cavendish. Here you’ll be able to see all the way to the Southern Alps, and you can even get your fix of culture by taking the Time Tunnel tour, which gives an overview of the history of the region.

Evening

A quick stop back at your hotel and then it’s out on the town for food and some local nightlife.

For fantastic food, head to Twenty Seven Steps. Located in a rebuilt part of Christchurch along New Regent Street, this is a firm favourite with the locals and certainly lives up to the hype! The night doesn’t have to end there – pay a visit to a very unique and quirky bar – Wunderbar. With visitors that travel from all over, the fun little bar and music joint will entertain you into the small hours…

4 Local Phrases

‘Kia Ora’ ; A greeting in the Maori language, meaning ‘hello’

‘She’ll be right’; ‘Everything will be okay’

‘Yeah, nah’; A very vague Kiwi way of saying ‘no’

‘Rattle your dags’; A reference to sheep, meaning ‘hurry up’

Accommodation Options

For your pre-trip accommodation in Christchurch, we recommend staying at Chateau on the Park, or another hotel near Hagley Park.

Christchurch Transport Links

Christchurch international airport is located about 30 minutes’ from the city centre, and here are some tips on how to get to the city by public transport:

Bus – Regular Metro Red Bus services connect the airport to the city centre and many other locations in Christchurch. Both the Purple Line and the Number 29 buses go via the city centre. You can buy your tickets from the driver. Both buses depart from the northern end of the International Arrivals Hall, between the terminal and the long-term car park (exit through door 9 past the Vodafone counter).

Private shuttle – Supershuttle offer a private transfer service to take you from the airport to your hotel in Christchurch.

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