Arthurs Pass and Southern Alps Day Excursion from Port Lyttelton or Christchurch

5.0 (one review) 7 hours Free cancellation Private tour

out of 5

one review

5.0

Arthurs Pass from above — Photos: the activity supplier, via Viator

Lupins in December — Photos: the activity supplier, via Viator

About this activity

This day excursion takes us across the Canterbury Plains around 50 miles to Porters Pass (just under 1000 m and higher than Arthurs Pass) and into the Southern Alps. Mountain lakes and wide braided rivers pass through ancient glacial valleys. After about 2.5 hours we reach Arthurs Pass National Park and its beech forests. We drive to the top of the pass and divide looking over into the rainforests of the West Coast, then stop in AP village here for lunch.Time permitting we have a quick tour of Christchurch on the return trip and a short stroll at Castle Hill.

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At a glance

Duration: 7 hours
Confirmation: Confirmed within 48 hours
Ticket: Mobile or paper ticket accepted
Group: Your group only
People per booking: 1–15
Guide: English
Operated by: E S Tours

What is included

Included

Included: Private transportation
Included: In-vehicle air conditioning: Air-conditioned vehicle

Not included

Not included: Lunch
Not included: Tea and coffee: Coffee and/or Tea

Itinerary

Arthur's Pass National Park Visitor Centre

15 min

A centre giving information on the geology, flora and fauna of Arthurs Pass, as well as a souvenir shop
Christchurch Cathedral

15 min

Photo stop
Christchurch Botanic Gardens

Passing by

Large trees from all over the world and well-maintained gardens....we can stop if time permits. The Arts Centre and Great Hall are also here and worth a visit (Gothic Architecture).
Castle Hill

one hour

Option to take a stroll in this amazing scenery.....an ancient seafloor that is now giant limestone cliffs and rocks in the middle of the Southern Alps. Ancient giant sharks teeth have been found fossillised in these rocks and Narnia : The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe was filmed across the road. The path is gentle and takes you into a very photogenic land which has been appreciated back into history since the gentle Waitaha people used it as a spiritual centre. Today you may see climbers from across the world making their way up or around these fascinating structures.
Arthur's Pass Chapel

15 min

Behind this lovely small mountain chapel is the beech forest which covers most of the Southern Alps. A walk of a few minutes takes you to a small bridge and beautiful stream of clear mountain water flowing over a waterfall.
Arthur's Pass National Park

15 min

Take a photo by an imposing stone sign which signifies the start of Arthur's Pass National Pass....the route through here was opened up in the mid 1860's as gold was found on the West Coast and a road was hurriedly built in a year to connect east and west.
Stop 7

15 min

See a statue of the Giant Moa, the tallest bird to live on earth and hear the story of Paddy Freeny and its possible rediscovery in the 1980's.
Cave Stream Scenic Reserve

Passing by

Enjoy the limestone of this area....a stream flows under the road at great depth and takes about an hour to go through....but not on this trip.
Canterbury Region

2 hours

Traverse the Canterbury Plains from east to west from Christchurch to the skifields of the Cragieburn Range and into the Southern Alps . This fertile plain is one of the most productive on earth boasting world record yields of wheat and barley. This agricultural powerhouse also produces large amounts of the world's seed and provides potatoes, onions, wine, dairy products, animal feed, sheep etc.

Look for the Waimakariri River ...a classic braided river connecting the mountain icefields to the Pacific Ocean.

Meeting point and pickup

The operator picks every participant up from their accommodation or the points below.

Pickup points

Port Lyttelton ( the port of Christchurch BUT we do not pickup at Akaroa on this tour)

The cruise ship is in the customs secure area in Lyttelton Harbour and so you have to catch the free Lyttelton Shuttle shipside and get off at the Norwich Quay Bus Stop just through the security gates..a 5 min trip....look for a sign with your name on it.