Lyttelton Shore Excursion: Christchurch Sightseeing with Antarctic Center | La Vacanza Travel

Lyttelton Shore Excursion: Christchurch Sightseeing with Antarctic Center

Duration: 6 hours 30 minutes
Destination: New Zealand, Canterbury, Christchurch
from
128.29

Check Availability

  • 6 hours 30 minutes
  • Christchurch
  • E-Voucher
  • Lowest Price
  • Not-Cancellable

Overview

Combine the International Antarctic Centre with its little Blue Penguins, Antarctic Storm in the Ice and Snow room, 4-D Movie and Hagglund ride over a purpose made course, together with a half day city tour of Christchurch taking in not only the damage to the city by several earthquakes in 2010 and 2011 and the rebuild currently taking place but also the remaining historic landmarks and the existing beauty of this picturesque city.

What Can You Expect?

Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product

Stop At: Lyttelton Harbour, Lyttelton 2004 New Zealand

Tour starts and ends in Lyttelton

Duration: 10 minutes

Pass By: Leisure Tours, Christchurch New Zealand

Travelling with Leisure Tours

Stop At: Sign of the Takahe, 200 Hackthorne Road, Cashmere, Christchurch 8022, New Zealand

Best spot to admire some spectacular views over the City, Canterbury Plains and Southern Alps.

Duration: 30 minutes

Stop At: Mona Vale, 63 Fendalton Rd Riccarton, Christchurch 8004 New Zealand

Time spent walking through Mona Vale Gardens with its picturesque Gardens, Ponds & river.

Duration: 30 minutes

Stop At: Cathedral Square, Christchurch New Zealand

Time spent on foot exploring Cathedral Square

Duration: 30 minutes

Stop At: Riverside Market, 96 Oxford Terrace, Christchurch Central City, Christchurch 8011, New Zealand

Lunch break

Duration: 30 minutes

Stop At: International Antarctic Centre, 38 Orchard Road, Christchurch 8052 New Zealand

Enjoy the center’s Snow and Ice Experience, Blue Penguin Encounter and take an exhilarating ride in an all-terrain Hagglund vehicle.

Duration: 2 hours

Inclusions & Exclusions

Inclusions
  • Driver/guide
  • Live commentary on board
  • Air-conditioned vehicle
  • Worry-free Shore Excursion Guarantee
  • Entry/Admission - International Antarctic Centre

Exclusions
  • Food and drinks
  • Gratuities

Additional Info

  • Wheelchair accessible
  • Children must be accompanied by an adult
  • Stroller accessible
  • Service animals allowed
  • At time of booking, Cruise ship passengers must provide the following information at time of booking: ship name, docking time, disembarkation time and re-boarding time
  • Near public transportation
  • Collapsible wheelchairs with removable wheels can be accommodated providing the passenger is accompanied by someone who can assist them board and disembark
  • Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
  • Infants must sit on laps
  • Infant seats available
  • Transportation is wheelchair accessible
  • Most travelers can participate
  • This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
  • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 50 travelers
  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking

Departure Point

Departure Point

Traveler pickup is offered
Meeting instructions will be sent upon booking. Please note that the default time for this tour is 8.30am but this can be amended depending on your cruise ships arrival and departure times.

Ports

  • Fisherman's Wharf, Norwich Quay, Lyttelton 8082, New Zealand


Departure Time

08:30 AM

Duration & Voucher Info

Voucher info

You can present either a paper or an electronic voucher for this activity.

Duration

6 hours 30 minutes

Cancellation Policy

User's Reviews

hrs314

24 Apr, 2024

Loved our tour with Scotty. What a great tour guide and driver. After leaving Lyttelton, travelled via the inner bays of Lyttelton Harbour to Governors Bay via Dyers Pass to the Sign of the Takahe. Hike for a few minutes to enjoy a stunning panoramic view of the City of Christchurch and the Southern Alps which are snowcapped for up to 9 months. The Scottish "castle" is so charming. Next stop was the Mona Vale Gardens which was renamed by Annie Quayle Townend after her mother's house in Tasmania. Annie inherited one million pounds as the sole surviving child in her family. This made her the richest independent woman in 1905. Mona Vale was originally called Karewa when it was built in 1899-1900. Townend added the gatehouse, more land and gardens and a Fernery to the property. Ferneries are quite popular in New Zealand. After her death, the property went through several owners including the Church of Latter Day Saints. When the church tried to sell the property to a private developer, there was a major public outcry. Community fundraising helped to turn the homestead into a beautiful public park and gardens open for all to enjoy. Our guide, Scotty dropped us off at the Fendalton Road gatehouse. So nice to able to walk along the Avon River enjoying the weeping willows and the agapanthus until we reached the rose garden. The rose garden is gorgeous. Love all the different varieties. Also interesting to visit the Fernery which seem to be quite popular in New Zealand. So many different varieties of huge ferns. Loved seeing the purple cardoon, artichoke thistle, and large yellow garden dahlias. Spent a couple of hours exploring Christchurch which is still recovering from a devastating earthquake in 2011. Amazing to see how the city is rebuilding historic landmarks and adding green spaces. Want to explore Antarctica without actually stepping foot on the continent? Visit the International Antarctic Centre to get an overview of what happens on the frozen land. So easy to get to the International Antarctic Centre with our guide Scotty. Booked a great tour of Christchurch and the International Antarctic Centre from the Shore Excursions Group. Adorable Little Blue Fairy Penguins. Hagglund Field Trip. A blizzard in the Storm Dome....and the cutest huskies! Started with a very bumpy ride on the Hagglund Field Trip. Sit back, buckle up and hold on. Get an idea of what scientists experience on the all-terrain amphibious vehicles designed to explore the icy crevasses on Antarctica. Up, down, over and through. The little blue fairy penguins are so cute! Since they usually are out hunting fish during the day, they are hard to find in the wild until they come back in a parade at night. So nice to be able to see the family of tiny penguins that are native to New Zealand who have been rescued due to physical ailments or injuries. Adorable! Brrrrrrrrr..... Feel the chill of an Antarctic Storm up close and personal. Bundle up in a long coat, put on shoe covers and enter the Storm Dome. Every hour, an Antarctic Storm drops the temperature from minus 8 degrees Celsius to minus 18. Amazed at how well the coats provided keep you comfortable. But still, so cold! Explore Antarctica in the galleries. Watch the 4D movie. The 360 gallery had such beautiful images of the continent, penguins and whales. Loved learning about the research that happens with international cooperation and how the scientists prepare to live in Antarctica. Huskies!! Who can resist playing with huskies? So cute and so friendly. My parents especially loved this part. A great way to end the day at the International Antarctic Centre. Support the center with a purchase in the gift shop. They had a sale on two tea towels for $2 NZD. We also grabbed some magnets and beanies for friends and family back home. On the return to Lyttleton, Scotty drove by the estuary and the beach suburb via Evans Pass which was closed for more than 7 years following the Christchurch earthquake of 2011 due to cliff collapse. Imagine the devastation, but nice to see how the community has banded together to help each other.

Jeannie_J

17 Apr, 2024

Andrew, our Leisure Tours driver/guide, met us at the shuttle stop in Lyttleton. We drove along the harbor and up the crater rim to a scenic overlook of Christchurch and the Canterbury Plains. You could see the southern alps in the distance. Our next stop was Mona Vale Garden Park. There was a lovely walk along a stream with beautiful plants and gardens including rose and fern gardens. We drove through Christchurch, seeing the buildings that survived the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes and the ongoing rebuilding. We were dropped off in Cathedral Square and had time for lunch on our own and shopping. The International Antarctic Center, our next stop, was the highlight of the tour! We boarded a Hagglund vehicle that is used in the Antarctic. We strapped in and we’re taken over an obstacle course that simulates the Antarctic terrain. It was bumpy and rough, but a unique experience! The next stop was the “Antarctic Experience”. You put on a heavy coat and enter a chamber that simulates the cold and wind of the Antarctic. We then saw some little blue penguins which are native to New Zealand. The final experience was a 4 D theater with a movie about the Antarctic. The seats moved and air and water squirted at you. The International Antarctic Center is a must visit! On our drive back to Lyttleton we drove through areas where the earthquakes were so destructive that they cleared the area and will not rebuild. You could see only old roads and streetlights, it was eerie! Andrew was very friendly and informative. This excursion is appropriate for singles, couples and families. I definitely recommend this tour!

Anthony_S

13 Apr, 2024

This was an interesting tour, seeing the Christchurch and the effects of the earthquake . Our guide was very knowledgable. We enjoyed the tram ride, in our free time so additional cost. The trip to the Antarctic centre was very interesting.

SGero67

13 Apr, 2024

Picked up directly from where the cruise ship transfer point in Lyttelton. Good overview of Christchurch if your time is limited. The Antarctic Centre was the highlight thanks to our guide Karen with the bonus of seeing the new Husky Puppy, Thanks also to Andrew for making the tour very enjoyable and informative. 🙂

susangJ5984QS

11 Apr, 2024

Stay away from this vendor. It was the worst experience ever. We went out about 30 minutes and the bus broke down and all the anti-freeze poured out. The driver put water bottles in the bus and flagged down a bicyclist for a screw driver. He claimed it was fixed and we continued on. The first viewing stop, he added water into the empty water bottles into the bus. We continued on, instead of going back. We went into town for a lunch break, which was not long enough to eat. Then we finally got to the Antarctic Center. He was filling the bus up again with water. We expected another mode of transportation back, since we were there for over two hours. The bus started loosing water again as we headed back to the ship. He stopped again at a gas station and filled up the bus again. He communicated we would only make it back to the Princess shuttle busses. He did not refund us any money or apologize. We were lucky to get back to the Princess shuttles, otherwise we would have missed the ship. Never again. I sent a letter to the company and he sent back a very condescending email and never refused any of our money for this more than stressful excursion

User's Picture Gallery

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A comprehensive tour of Christchurch

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Great day out

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Great tour to stay ahead of the crowds at Christchurch.

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Chistchurch Sightseeing and tour of Antarctic Center.

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Christchurch’s Amazing Recovery

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GREAT time in Christchurch.

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Scotty is the best!

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Excellent Tour

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Friendly guide, very informative and interesting tour.

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