Things to Do in Christchurch

Editor's picks

A local's shortlist — the places worth your time first, each with a tip.

The rebuilt central city & Te Pae

Culture · Between the Avon and Cathedral Square

A city centre substantially rebuilt since 2011 — the Riverside Market, the convention centre, the Margaret Mahy playground and a laneway district that did not exist before.

Local tip: The interesting part is what the rebuild chose to do rather than what it replaced. Walk from the Bridge of Remembrance up the Terrace to Riverside Market for lunch, then look at the cathedral in the square — still partly ruined, still argued about — because that argument is the clearest window into how the city feels about its own recovery.

Ōtākaro Avon River Corridor

Nature · The eastern suburbs along the Avon

Around 600 hectares of former residential red zone where 8,000 houses once stood, now grassland, regenerating native planting and trails.

Local tip: The strangest and most affecting place in New Zealand: kerbs, driveways and street trees survive with nothing behind them, and the streets run through open grass. Cycle it from Dallington out toward New Brighton. It is not a memorial and it is not signposted as anything — which is precisely why it lands.

Port Hills & the Crater Rim

Nature · Between the city and Lyttelton

The eroded rim of an old volcano, with walking and mountain bike tracks along the ridge and views over the city one way and the harbour the other.

Local tip: The Rapaki and Bridle Path tracks start from the suburbs and get you onto the ridge in under an hour. Check for track closures — parts of the hills have burned in recent summers and the fire risk here is taken seriously. The Christchurch Adventure Park chairlift is the lazy way up with a bike.

Lyttelton

Neighborhood · Through the tunnel, 15 minutes from the city

The port town on the far side of the hills — a working harbour, a strong music and food scene, and a Saturday farmers' market.

Local tip: Lyttelton was closer to the 2011 epicentre than the city was and it lost most of its main street, so what is there now was rebuilt by the people who stayed. It has an atmosphere the city centre does not. Take the ferry to Diamond Harbour rather than driving round.

Riccarton Bush & the Saturday market

Food · Riccarton, west of the centre

Six hectares of the original kahikatea floodplain forest that once covered the plains, fenced against predators, with the city's largest market alongside it.

Local tip: The bush is the last remnant of the forest the plains used to be, some of the trees over 600 years old, and the predator fence means you can hear birds you will not hear anywhere else in the city. The Riccarton market on Sunday mornings is the biggest in the South Island.

Ōpāwaho Heathcote and the Bottle Lake network

Hidden gem

Nature · South-east and north-east of the centre

The quieter river, and a working forest on the north-eastern edge threaded with mountain bike and running trails.

Local tip: Almost every visitor and a fair number of residents only know the Avon. Bottle Lake Forest is a pine plantation with a genuinely good trail network and a run through to the coast at Waimairi, and on a weekday you will have most of it to yourself. Free, ten minutes from the north-eastern suburbs, and completely unadvertised.

Explore 133 places across Christchurch

Museums, landmarks, monuments, heritage sites and parks — mapped, with photos. The most notable spots first.

Loading street map…

Museum · 8Landmark · 10Monument · 15Religious · 46Archaeological · 3Park · 48Attraction · 3Open in OpenStreetMap

Museums & galleries

(8)

Photograph unavailable Canterbury Museum

Museum

Canterbury Museum

Museum in Christchurch, New Zealand

Editor's picks

The rebuilt central city & Te Pae

Ōtākaro Avon River Corridor

Port Hills & the Crater Rim

Lyttelton

Riccarton Bush & the Saturday market

Ōpāwaho Heathcote and the Bottle Lake network

Explore 133 places across Christchurch

Museums & galleries

Canterbury Museum

Centre of Contemporary Art Toi Moroki

Ravenscar House Museum

Yaldhurst Museum

Robert McDougall Art Gallery

Down by the Liffey Gallery

The Physics Room

Mike Pero's Motorcycle Gallery

Landmarks & architecture

Cathedral Square

Hack Circle

Victoria Square

Cranmer Square

Latimer Square

Hamish Hay Bridge

John Burn Bridge

Worcester Street Bridge

Kiwirail bridge 17

Fort Jervois

Monuments & memorials

185 chairs

Canterbury Pioneer Women's Memorial

Canterbury Earthquake National Memorial

Poppies over Gallipoli

Woolston Borough Monument

Memorial garden

Christ's College Memorial Dining Room, Christchurch

Kaiapoi war memorial

World Peace Bell

Bernard Hansen's Memorial

New Brighton Surf Bathing and Lifesaving Club Memorial

Pou Pou Monument

Royds Street Fountain

The Landing

War Memorial

Places of worship

Al Noor Mosque

Linwood Islamic Centre

Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament

St. Mary's Pro-Cathedral, Christchurch

Oxford Terrace Baptist Church

Christ's College Chapel, Christchurch

Church of St Michael and All Angels

Church of the Good Shepherd

St Paul's Church, Christchurch

Community of the Sacred Name (Former)

St John the Baptist Church, Christchurch

Beth El Synagogue

St John of God Halswell

St Luke's Church, Christchurch

St Michael's Church School

St Paul's Anglican Church, Papanui

Church of St Saviour

Sydenham Heritage Church

The Octagon

Holy Trinity Avonside

Knox Church

St Andrew's Church

Cashmere Hills Presbyterian Church

Our Lady of Victories Church

First Church of Christ, Scientist

Korean Presbyterian Church

St Paul's Lutheran Church, Christchurch

St John's Church

True Jesus Church

St Mary's Church

Church of St Mary the Virgin Historic Area

St Bartholomew's Church

St Cuthbert's Church

St Paul's Church