The Travel Guide to Christchurch on a Budget

© NZPocketGuide.com

Free Activities in Christchurch

Experience the city highlights and surrounding landscape without spending a dime!

Hagley Park and the Botanic Gardens

A good place to start, if you’re staying in Christchurch city centre, is exploring Hagley Park and the Botanic Gardens. As Christchurch is known as the “Garden City”, see these iconic city-centre parks that sit side-by-side. The Botanic Gardens boasts an array of water features, themed gardens, winter gardens and much more. Check out our 10 Beautiful Gardens & Parks in Christchurch for more parks to visit and their locations.

Canterbury Museum

Alongside the gardens, the Canterbury Museum offers another free attraction. Inside, learn about the local Maori, European and natural history of Christchurch and the surrounding region, as well as the city’s connection to the Antarctic, in an array of captivating displays.

Port Hills, Sumner Beach and New Brighton

Surrounding Christchurch, various landscapes are available to explore from the Port Hills to the long sandy beaches on the coast. Sumner Beach and New Brighton Beach are certainly highlights; easy to get to by bus and bringing their own charms.

At Sumner, explore the arches and caves, while New Brighton is home to a 300 m (980 ft) pier giving an alternative perspective of the coast. Learn more about New Brighton in the 10 Free & Cheap Things To Do in New Brighton.

Christchurch Markets

Although shopping is an obvious thing to do in a city, the farmers’ markets are something of an attraction. A list of markets for Christchurch looks a little something like this:

• Christchurch Farmers Market (Saturday morning, Riccarton House and Bush)
• Christchurch Night Market (Thursday, 6-11 pm, The Hub Hornby)
• The Riccarton Markets (Sunday, 9 am – 2 pm, Riccarton Park)
• New Brighton Seaside Market (Saturday, 10 am – 2 pm, 25 Brighton Mall)
• Lyttelton Market (Saturday, 10 am – 1 pm, London Street).

Finally, if you’re not visiting on a weekend, then head to the Riverside Market which is an indoor market venue open seven days a week! For more markets, see our The Food Guide to Christchurch.

For more free stuff, see the 26 Free & Cheap Things to Do in Christchurch.

© NZPocketGuide.com

Cheap Activities in Christchurch

If you have a little bit of cash to spare in your travel budget, then you might want to add some of Christchurch’s affordable attractions to the itinerary.

Quail Island Day Trip

We briefly touched on the suburb of Lyttelton in the section above, which is also the launch point for trips to Quail Island. For around NZ$35 per person, the Quail Island ferry takes you to an island rich in history as a quarantine station, leprosy colony, training centre for Antarctic expeditions and much more. It also has some scenic beaches and walks with a wealth of birdlife to discover. Check out more experiences nearby in the 10 Best Things to Do in Lyttelton.

Quake City

This museum gives visitors a deeper understanding of Christchurch’s recent history of the Canterbury Earthquakes. We recommend visiting Quake City early in your visit to Christchurch in order to put things into perspective as you’re bound to witness the redevelopment of this city even several years later. Entry is approximately NZ$20 per person, while children go free if accompanied by an adult. Find it at 299 Durham Street North.

He Puna Taimoana Hot Pools

If you don’t go to New Brighton for the pier, at least go for a rejuvenating soak in the He Puna Taimoana Hot Pools. The complex features five saltwater hot pools ranging from 26°C to 40°C (79-104°F). The hot pools are around NZ$20. Special sunrise sessions are also available on selected days to enhance the experience!

Christchurch City Tramway

Step back in time and enjoy this old-worldly transport method of getting around the inner city. The beautifully restored Christchurch Tramway (more info on Viator and Klook) is a fun way to explore the city where you can hop-on and hop-off as much as you like. What’s more, families will be pleased to find that kids get to ride for free! Check out more experiences like this in the 10 Things to Do in Christchurch with Kids.

For more cheap activities, again, head to the 26 Free & Cheap Things to Do in Christchurch.

© ChristchurchNZ

Cheap Eats in Christchurch

You’re in the city now! There’s no need to buy overpriced cafe cabinet food or expensive pizzas (why are the pizzas in New Zealand so expensive?)

Christchurch offers an array of local and international flavours in its takeaways, cafes, restaurants and food trucks. Some of the highlights include Mosaic by Simo (No. 3/300 Lincoln Road) where you choose a meat/salad/sauce combo for around NZ$9.50. Don’t miss Dimitris Greek Food (96 Oxford Street) where all of their souvlaki meals (singles, doubles and triples) are under NZ$20! The same goes for their Greek salad platters.

For more local eats, try Bunrunners Cafe (87c Fitzgerald Avenue) for their savoury pies and Southland cheese rolls. Oversized burgers are kind of a thing on the South Island, which is backed by the vegan and meat monsters of Slick Burgers (54 Ferry Road). Alternatively, Big Gary’s (249B Riccarton Road) does some of the cheapest burgers, loaded fries and general comfort food in the city!

For much more recommendations, head over to the Cheap Eats in Christchurch or find general recommendations listed in The Food Guide to Christchurch.