The Travel Guide to Christchurch for Families

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Family Adventure Activities

Yes, even in the city there’s the adventurous New Zealand spirit to be found for the whole family to enjoy. A highlight is some of the high-wire adventure attractions, like Adrenalin Forest. This treetop obstacle course has challenges to tackle for all ages, including flying foxes (ziplines), a Tarzan jump, wrecking ball, barrels and much more! The obstacle course provides great value for families considering you can easily spend half a day here. Find out more about Adrenalin Forest on Viator and Tripadvisor.

Similarly (but different), Christchurch Adventure Park offers an easy way to get views of Christchurch city without the hassle on their fun chairlift rides up the Cashmere Hills. While you’re up there, enjoy a short walk finding all of the fairy doors on the pine trees. For older kids, treat them to the Zipline Tour, tackling four epic ziplines with duel-lines to race each other to the bottom! Learn more about Christchurch Adventure Park on Viator and Tripadvisor.

While Christchurch has a few wildlife attractions that house exotic animals, for a more ethical wildlife experience, join Maossie Tours for a day trip to Akaroa and the Banks Peninsula to see wild little blue penguins in their natural habitat. After a scenic journey along with stops to try artisan food and light refreshments (all included), you’ll arrive for your Pohatu Penguins nature safari to learn about a local family’s conservation efforts and see the little penguins in rehabilitation before being released into the wild. Arguably, meeting and feeding the sheep at the homestead is one of the major highlights. You’ll see why when you go! For more details on Maossie Tours, check out Viator and Tripadvisor.

For more family-friendly activity suggestions, check out the 10 Things to Do in Christchurch with Kids.

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All-weather Family Activities

This is New Zealand, so rainy days come and go. If you find yourself stuck in the rain, no worries! Christchurch offers some pretty cool all-weather attractions for families, starting with the International Antarctic Centre. As Christchurch is one of the main launch points for travel to the Antarctic, it’s the perfect place for this indoor attraction with all sorts of interactive activities. See if you can weather out an Antarctic storm, meet fluffy huskies, watch a 4D show, ride on an all-terrain Hagglund vehicle, learn about the remote life at the Scott Base as it snows, and the list goes on! Learn more about the International Antarctic centre on Viator and Tripadvisor.

Watch the weather weave in and out of the mountains while keeping warm and cosy in the carriages of the TranzAlpine. It’s hardly news that kids love trains, so keep them happy while you enjoy the breathtaking views of the Canterbury Plains transitioning to the mountains and braided rivers of the Southern Alps. Either take a day trip to Arthur’s Pass, the heart of the Southern Alps, to enjoy the area’s short walks before taking the train back to Christchurch or enjoy the journey all the way to Greymouth on the West Coast. Alternatively, the Coastal Pacific Journey from Christchurch to Picton is a stunning coastal ride passing through Kaikoura. Learn more about the TranzAlpine on Viator and Tripadvisor, as well as the Coastal Pacific Journey on Viator and Tripadvisor.

For more rainy day inspiration, check out the 10 Things to Do in Christchurch on a Rainy Day.

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Free Family Activities

Stick to your travel budget with ease thanks to Christchurch’s free family-friendly activities! Stretch your legs in the Port Hills, either exploring the tunnels of a World War 2 defence battery on the Godley Head walk or hiking to across open tussock-land to the Sign of the Packhorse Hut with commanding views.

If you’re more drawn to the coast than the hills, then you have some spectacular beaches in Christchurch to choose from. Sumner Beach is a popular hot spot with caves to check out, surf lessons available for all ages and abilities, ice cream and fish and chips, or just building sandcastles, if you prefer.

A free attraction that also makes an excellent rainy-day activity, the Air Force Museum is bound to amaze and astound the little ones with its display of warplanes. Aside from awesome aircraft displays, the museum hosts regular museum hunts for kids.

For more budget activities, check out the 14 Free & Cheap Things to Do in Christchurch.