Top Reasons to Go

Top Reasons to Go

The Arts: Christchurch has a solid collection of galleries, museums, heritage buildings, and cultural activities. Many of these are still in their original 19th-century buildings and occupy key sites in the city.

Fantastic Festivals: Hardly a month goes by in Christchurch without a festival staged by one organization or another. Festivals honor entertainers, children, cuisine, the arts, writers, buskers, and gardens and celebrate seasons and heritage days.

Hiking & Trekking: There are some excellent places in Canterbury to experience the Alps and their foothills. Arthur's Pass and the Rakaia and Rangitata river gorges have walking and hiking trails and boating and picnicking areas. And the gorges make a great backdrop in photos.

Parks & Gardens: The city on the swamp, as it might have been called 150 years ago, blossomed into the Garden City thanks to the foresight of Christchurch's city fathers.

Superb Skiing: Within two hours' drive of Christchurch, Canterbury is a ski mecca from June until September.