"My sister (70) and I (60) had a great day on all three attractions. Very easy to book and we were given clear directions on where, when and how to navigate the 3 rides. All staff were friendly and helpful. Highly recommend."
City centre · tram, punt and gondola on one ticket · the three need not be on the same day · from $69
Christchurch Tours: City Rides, Walks and Day Tours
Christchurch tours split in two: rides and walks inside the city, and long day tours out of it. Here is how the seven compare, where each starts, and the combo ticket rated 4.7 from 696 reviews.
From
$69
per person
Free cancellation
- 4.7 / 5 696 reviews
- 3 rides Tram, Punt and Gondola
- 50 min One Full Tram Loop
- Free Cancellation
The Experience
What the Combo Ticket Includes
In the operator's own words: an all-day tram pass, a 30-minute punt on the Avon and a return gondola ride. Transport between the attractions is not included.
In the Operator's Own Words
- Explore the sights of Christchurch by vintage tram
- Hop off at highlights such as Riverside Market and the Botanic Gardens
- Get 360-degree views of Christchurch from the gondola
- Ride the cable car to the top of Port Hills for a hike in the alpine scenery
- Climb aboard an Edwardian flat-bottomed boat for a punt down the River Avon
What's Included
- All-day hop-on hop-off tram ticket
- Live onboard commentary
- Round-triü Gondola ticket
- Access to the Discovery Ride, cafe, and gift shop
- 30-minute guided Punt ride with full commentary
- Blankets and umbrellas (if required)
Good to know: After ordering you must reserve a Punting timeslot prior to arrival by emailing the activity provider directly. The Punt ride will be a shared ride with other guests unless a private Punt is organized in advance at an extra cost. Please note the 10am automated time may not be your individual Punting booking time - your Punting timeslot will depend on which time you have prebooked. · The Gondola is located 15 minutes from the city center and a 10-minute drive from Port Lyttelton. Public bus #8 is available for transport to and from the Gondola from the central city bus interchange on the corner of Litchfield and Colombo Street · Trams run every 15 minutes from 9 AM-6 PM in the summer, and from 10AM-4 PM in the winter. · You can board the tram from any of the 18 stops with your reference number. · All attractions do not need to be used on the same day · Not suitable for: People afraid of heights · Not Included: Transportation between attractions (available for an additional fee)
How the Tram, Punt and Gondola Ticket Works
Four steps, from booking a punting slot by email to the bus out to the gondola base.
Book Your Punting Slot by Email
After ordering, email the operator to reserve a punting timeslot before you arrive. The 10am time shown at booking is automated and may not be your punt time. The punt is shared with other guests unless you arrange a private one in advance at extra cost.
Ride the Tram Loop
The tram loop starts at Cathedral Junction, and you can board at any stop with your reference number. A full circuit takes 50 minutes. Trams run every 15 minutes, from 9 AM to 6 PM in summer and 10 AM to 4 PM in winter, per this listing.
Punt Down the Avon
The 30-minute guided punt starts from Worcester Street Bridge, on a flat-bottomed boat with a punter in Edwardian costume and commentary on the way. Blankets and umbrellas are provided if needed. The three attractions do not need to be used on the same day.
Take the Bus to the Gondola
The gondola base station is at 10 Bridle Path Road, Heathcote Valley, 15 minutes from the city centre, and transport is not included. Public bus #8 runs there from the central bus interchange on the corner of Litchfield and Colombo Street. At the top: the Discovery Ride, a cafe and walking trails.
Photo Gallery
Christchurch's Tram, Punt and Gondola in Photos
Photos from Christchurch Attractions' own listing on the booking platform.
Book Your Experience
Check Availability & Prices
Select your preferred date and time. The listing's terms: Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
Three Ways to Spend a Day in Christchurch
The tram, punt and gondola ticket, the heritage and earthquake walk and the full day to Edoras, compared from each operator's listing: where it starts, how long it takes and what it leaves out. Prices as of October 2026.
| Feature | OUR PICK Tram, Punt and Gondola Combo (Christchurch Attractions) | Heritage and Earthquake Walk (WALKnTALK) | Lord of the Rings Day to Edoras (Hassle-Free Tours) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starts From | From about $69 per person | From about $16 per person | From about $184 per person |
| Rating | 4.7 / 5 from 696 reviews | 4.9 / 5 from 142 reviews | 4.8 / 5 from 233 reviews |
| Length | 1 day; the three attractions need not be used on the same day | 2 hours on foot | 10 hours, Christchurch and back |
| Start Point | Any tram stop (loop starts at Cathedral Junction), the gondola base at 10 Bridle Path Road, or Worcester Street Bridge for the punt | Bridge of Remembrance, near 76 Cashel Street; look for the purple umbrella | Outside the Canterbury Museum |
| What It Includes | All-day tram ticket with live commentary, 30-minute guided punt, return gondola ticket, Discovery Ride | Live tour guide; Ngāi Tahu and settler history, the 2010/2011 earthquakes, the rebuild, heritage buildings | Full-day tour, multiple stops, picnic lunch |
| Not Included | Transport between attractions (bus #8 runs to the gondola) | Nothing listed | Nothing listed |
| Book Ahead | Email the operator to reserve a punting timeslot before you arrive | No extra step listed | No extra step listed |
| Good to Know | Not suitable for people afraid of heights; busy Nov-March when a cruise ship is in port | Wheelchair accessible, per the listing | Bring comfortable shoes and a jacket |
| Cancellation | Free up to 24 hours before | Free up to 24 hours before | Free up to 24 hours before |
| Best For | A first day in the city, at your own pace | The earthquake and rebuild story, on a budget | Film fans with a whole day to spend on the road |
| Check Availability | See the Walking Tour | See the Edoras Tour |
Six More Christchurch Tours
Other Christchurch Tours and Day Tours
The tram on its own, two two-ride combos, a heritage and earthquake walk, Willowbank's wildlife reserve and a full day to Edoras. Titles are the operators' own; prices are the booking platform's.
TRAM ONLY, 18 STOPSChristchurch: Hop-On Hop-Off Tour by Vintage Tram
A full-day hop-on hop-off ticket for Christchurch's vintage tram, boarding at Cathedral Junction or any of the 18 stops, with live commentary from the driver on a 50-minute loop.
10-HOUR DAY TO EDORASFrom Christchurch: Full-Day Lord of the Rings Tour to Edoras
A 10-hour guided day from outside the Canterbury Museum to the Mount Potts backcountry that inspired Edoras, with a short walk to the summit, film replicas and a picnic lunch.
2-HOUR EARTHQUAKE WALKHistorical, Heritage & Earthquake Christchurch walking tour
A 2-hour guided walk from the Bridge of Remembrance on Cashel Street through central Christchurch: Ngāi Tahu and settler history, the 2010/2011 earthquakes and the rebuild.
TRAM PLUS GONDOLAChristchurch Gondola and Tram City Tour Combo
A full-day hop-on hop-off tram ticket with live commentary and a return Christchurch Gondola ride with the Discovery Ride, collected at the booking office at 109 Worcester St.
TRAM PLUS AVON PUNTChristchurch Tram City Tour & Punting Combo
A full-day hop-on hop-off tram ticket with live commentary and a guided punt on the Avon, collected at the booking office at Tram Stop 1, Cathedral Junction; book the punt time ahead.
KIWI HOUSE, NEAR THE AIRPORTWillowbank Wildlife Reserve Day Entry Ticket
An entry ticket to Willowbank Wildlife Reserve at 60 Hussey Road, Northwood, near Christchurch Airport, including viewing in the Kiwi Nocturnal House and the farm area.
Choosing a Christchurch Tour
Which Christchurch Tour Is Yours?
City rides or a day out of town, what each one costs, where it starts, and how much of the day you spend in a vehicle.
Christchurch tours come in two kinds, and it helps to pick the kind first. Inside the city, the rides and walks are short, cheap and need no transport: a vintage tram, a punt on the Avon, a gondola up the Port Hills, a two-hour walk through the rebuilt centre. The day tours from Christchurch are the opposite: ten hours, most of them on the road. Our pick for a first day is Christchurch Attractions’ tram, punt and gondola combo, from $69 per person and rated 4.7 from 696 reviews. It bundles an all-day tram pass, a 30-minute punt and a return gondola ride, and the three do not have to be used on the same day.
See dates for the combo ticket →
Why base yourself in Christchurch
Christchurch has the South Island’s second-largest number of products in GetYourGuide’s catalogue in October 2026: 136, with about 7,700 reviews, behind only Queenstown on product count. The city tours are built for a day or two: hop-on passes, short rides, a walk with a guide. The day tours are what make it a base.
The city’s recent history shapes what you see. A magnitude 7.1 earthquake hit Canterbury on 4 September 2010 without any deaths; the magnitude 6.3 aftershock of 22 February 2011 killed 185 people and caused severe damage in Christchurch and Lyttelton, according to New Zealand’s Ministry for Culture and Heritage. The tram listing says you will “see how Christchurch has developed since the earthquakes of 2010 and 2011”, and WALKnTALK’s walk is built around that story.
From the city, guided day tours run north to Kaikōura’s whale watching, south-west to Aoraki/Mount Cook and Lake Tekapo, and inland to Edoras. For the quieter places closer in, southislandhiddengems.com covers Akaroa and Arthur’s Pass.
The Christchurch tours compared
| Tour | From | Rating (reviews) | Length | Start point | On the road vs at the place |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tram, punt and gondola combo | $69 | 4.7 (696) | 1 day | Any tram stop, the gondola base or Worcester Street Bridge | Gondola base 15 min from the centre, transport not included |
| Hop-on hop-off vintage tram | $24 | 4.7 (888) | Valid 1 day | Cathedral Junction or any stop | All in the city; a full loop is 50 min |
| Gondola and tram combo | $46 | 4.6 (856) | 1 day | Booking office, 109 Worcester St | Bus #8 to the gondola, at extra cost |
| Tram and punting combo | $46 | 4.8 (145) | Valid 1 day | Booking office at Tram Stop 1, Cathedral Junction | All in the city |
| Heritage and earthquake walk | $16 | 4.9 (142) | 2 h | Bridge of Remembrance, Cashel Street | All on foot |
| Willowbank Wildlife Reserve entry | $21 | 4.7 (150) | 4 h | 60 Hussey Road, Northwood | 20 min drive from the centre, no transport |
| Lord of the Rings day to Edoras | $184 | 4.8 (233) | 10 h | Outside the Canterbury Museum | A little over 2 h each way by road |
Prices, ratings and review counts from our October 2026 data check; operators use seasonal pricing, so treat them as the shape of the market, not a quote.
All seven are priced per person, and all seven cancel free up to 24 hours before. The combos are where the choice gets fiddly. The two-ride combos cost $46 each, the three-ride ticket $69, and the tram alone $24. None of the gondola tickets include getting there: Christchurch Attractions points you to public bus #8 from the central interchange, and a reviewer from New Zealand wrote that “the guide provided excellent information on how to combine tram and bus services to get to the gondola from the CBD.”
Book by the kind of day you want:
Three rides, one ticket
Christchurch: Tram, Punt and Gondola Ride Combo Ticket
An all-day tram pass, a 30-minute guided punt on the Avon and a return gondola ride, usable on different days.
Check dates →On foot, lowest price
Historical, Heritage & Earthquake Christchurch walking tour
Two hours from the Bridge of Remembrance with a local guide: Ngāi Tahu and settler history, the 2010/2011 earthquakes and the rebuild.
See this tour →A full day out of the city
From Christchurch: Full-Day Lord of the Rings Tour to Edoras
Ten hours to the Mount Potts backcountry that stood in for Edoras, with a short guided walk to the summit and a picnic lunch.
See this tour →The day tours from Christchurch
The Edoras day is the one long tour on this page. Hassle-Free Tours runs 10 hours from outside the Canterbury Museum to Mount Potts, the landscape the operator says inspired Edoras, the capital of Rohan, with a short guided walk to the summit, a picnic lunch, replica swords and flags for photos, and commentary on the way. Christchurch’s regional tourism body puts Mount Sunday, the hill itself, a little over two hours’ drive from the city, so plan on more than four of the ten hours in the vehicle. Reviewers say you don’t need to be a fan: “You don’t have to be a Lord of the Rings fan to enjoy the day,” wrote a guest from Denmark.
The other long days out of Christchurch have their own pages. Cheeky Kea Tours’ 10-hour Kaikōura day with a whale cruise is compared on the Kaikōura page, and the coach days to Lake Tekapo and Mount Cook on the Mount Cook page. If you are deciding whether to drive yourself, see guided tours or self-drive.
Season and what to expect
The tram timetable changes with the season, and the three listings give slightly different hours. The tram-only listing says trams run every 15 minutes from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM in summer (October to March) and from 9:50 AM to 4:00 PM in winter (April to September). Christchurch Attractions warns that its attractions “do get very busy over the summer months (Nov-March) especially if a cruise ship is in port”, with waits at the tram entry.
The punt runs in cool weather too: the combo includes blankets and umbrellas, and the tram and punting combo lists hot water bottles. A guest from Australia wrote of punting “even with the showers of rain, umbrellas & rugs supplied”. The gondola listings mark themselves not suitable for people afraid of heights. Willowbank’s Kiwi Nocturnal House opens from 10:30 AM, and the reserve is open daily from 9:30 AM until 5:00 PM except Christmas Day.
Who each suits
First-time visitors with a day in the city should take the three-ride combo and start with the tram; a guest from Australia advised that “doing all 3 on one day is too much.. I recommend, the tram first to become familiar with the city.” Travellers on a tight budget, or anyone who wants the earthquake story told properly, should walk with WALKnTALK for two hours. Families and anyone flying out soon suit Willowbank, which its listing places 5 minutes’ drive from Christchurch Airport. Fans of the films with a free day suit the Edoras tour. For how Christchurch fits a wider trip, see the itinerary by base town.
Guest Reviews
What Guests Say
4.7/5
from 696 verified guests
"I loved the whole day and the possibility to do as many rounds as possible by tram. The punting was perfect such as the views from the gondola."
"We did the 3 activities - the gondola, the tram and Punting on the Afon We really enjoyed the Punting - congratulations to Noah , and the drivers on the trams were so helpful."
"Tram ride was good with useful information & tips given Had a great trip on the punt even with the showers of rain, umbrellas & rugs supplied Great information given by our punt driver & beautiful scenery Thank you"
"So easy to book they helped us book a time slot for the punting The tram was excellent also the gondola ride we used the public transport to get to o& from the gondola ride"
"very good we where able to do the three things easily in one day without rushing. highly recommend"
"We loved the scenery and the punt tour guide was awesome. He helped our lovely mum in and out of the punt so gently. thank you"
"It was easy to navigate.. doing all 3 on one day is too much.. I recommend, the tram first to become familiar with the city."
Read all 696 verified reviews
See All ReviewsBook the Tram, Punt and Gondola Combo
An all-day hop-on hop-off tram ticket with live commentary, a 30-minute guided punt on the Avon and a return gondola ride with the Discovery Ride, from Christchurch Attractions. Rated 4.7 by 696 guests on the booking platform. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before. Starting from $69 per person.
Check Availability & BookCan't Make These Dates?
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More tours here from the booking platform. Each listing states its own cancellation terms.
Christchurch Tours FAQ
The questions people ask before booking a Christchurch tour or a day tour from Christchurch, answered in the first sentence. Tour details come from each operator's listing.
For a first day, the tram, punt and gondola combo covers the city's three rides on one ticket. It includes an all-day hop-on hop-off tram pass, a 30-minute guided punt on the Avon and a return gondola ride, and the three need not be used on the same day. For the city's history on foot, WALKnTALK's 2-hour walk starts at the Bridge of Remembrance. See the combo ticket's dates.
No: the gondola base is 15 minutes from the city centre, and transport is not included. Christchurch Attractions points you to public bus #8 towards Lyttelton from the central bus interchange, which stops at the base station at 10 Bridle Path Road. The listing says free parking is available at the gondola. The gondola and tram combo lists the same details.
You book the punt time separately, after buying the ticket. On both combos with punting, you email or contact the operator to reserve a timeslot before you arrive; the 10am time shown at booking is automated. The punt is shared unless you arrange a private one in advance at extra cost. The tram and punting combo skips the gondola.
A full circuit takes 50 minutes, and you can hop on and off all day. The tram-only listing gives 18 stops, trams every 15 minutes, and hours of 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM in summer (October to March) and 9:50 AM to 4:00 PM in winter. Only some trams are wheelchair accessible, using the hoist at Stop 1 in Cathedral Junction. See the tram ticket.
Yes: WALKnTALK's 2-hour heritage and earthquake walk covers the 2010/2011 earthquakes and the rebuild. It starts at the Bridge of Remembrance on Cashel Street, where the guide holds a purple umbrella, and also covers Ngāi Tahu Māori and early English settler history and the city's links with Antarctica. The 22 February 2011 earthquake killed 185 people, per New Zealand's Ministry for Culture and Heritage. See the walking tour.
The main guided day tours from Christchurch go to Kaikōura, Lake Tekapo and Mount Cook, and Edoras. Each is a long day: Hassle-Free Tours' Edoras trip and Cheeky Kea's Kaikōura trip both run 10 hours. Compare the Kaikōura whale tours and the Mount Cook tours.
Mount Sunday, the hill used for Edoras, is a little over two hours' drive from Christchurch, per the city's tourism body. Hassle-Free Tours' 10-hour day leaves from outside the Canterbury Museum, includes a picnic lunch and a short guided walk to the summit, and shows replica swords and flags from the films. See the Edoras tour.
Willowbank Wildlife Reserve lists kiwi viewing in its entry ticket. Its Kiwi Nocturnal House opens from 10:30 AM, and the reserve is open daily from 9:30 AM until 5:00 PM except Christmas Day. The listing places it 5 minutes' drive from Christchurch Airport and 20 minutes from the city centre; transport is not included. See the Willowbank ticket.
Still have questions? Email us at info@southislandguidedtours.com