About this tour
When Charlie from our team picked up the Christchurch Sightseeing Pass, it felt like the city's three best vantage points bundled into one flexible ticket. You get a ride up the Gondola for city views, a punting cruise down the Avon River, and unlimited hop-on hop-off tram access across the central area — all doable over two days at your own pace. The commentary ties together Christchurch's colonial past and modern rebuild story. It's a solid way to orientate yourself if you're new to the city and want to cover the iconic angles without booking separate tours.
Highlights
- Gondola ascent offers sweeping city views from the summit station
- Hand-crafted punting boats provide intimate river perspective
- Tram all-day pass lets you explore downtown at leisure
- Informative guides detail Christchurch's colonial and post-quake history
- Set your own schedule across two calendar days
- Flexibility to prebooking punt timeslots to suit your rhythm
- Mix of elevated, water-level, and street-based sightseeing
What to expect
The pass gives you real freedom. You can tick off the Gondola, Punt, and Tram in any order and on separate days if you like. When Charlie used it, the gondola ride took about an hour return, with the summit station offering panoramic vistas and explanatory panels. The Avon punt is gentler — a 30-minute float downstream with a guide doing the poling and chatting about riverside landmarks. The tram is the most flexible: hop on at Cathedral Junction, ride a full loop to get oriented, then jump off whenever something catches your eye.
Where it gets real: cruise ships turning up means queues at all three attractions can spike noticeably. The Gondola requires a separate bus journey out (the #8 public bus costs extra), and the Punt needs to be prebooked direct with the operator. The tram has a few accessibility quirks — steps to board, a hoist at Stop 1 if you need it. Two days gives you breathing room to avoid rush times if you're flexible.
What travellers say
- Genuine flexibility — use both days whenever suits you
- Three distinct perspectives on the city in one ticket
- Tram all-day pass encourages spontaneous exploring
- Informative commentary covers Christchurch's full history arc
- Mixed accessibility — lifts for some, though not all
- Cruise ship crowds can create frustrating queues at attractions
- Gondola access requires extra public bus fare from town
- Punt must be prebooked separately; not impromptu-friendly
- Limited wheelchair accessibility for the Punt and tram boarding
Themes summarised by our team from public information about this tour. Verify specifics on the operator's page before booking.
Good to know
You're not locked into a rigid tour schedule — perfect if you're the type who wants to linger or skip attractions based on the day's vibe. The price bundles three attractions at a saving versus buying tickets individually. Suitable for most fitness levels, though the Punt requires reasonable mobility to board and the Gondola's accessed by public bus (a 15-minute ride from town). Kids and infants are welcome; little ones sit on a parent's lap on the Punt.
Cruise ship arrivals can turn the attractions into bottleneck zones — you might wait 20 minutes or more. The Punt isn't wheelchair accessible, and tram access is limited for larger mobility aids (max 600mm width for the Gondola cabin). Transport to the Gondola base isn't included, so budget for bus fare. No food or drink on the pass, and gratuities are on you. Tickets are collected from Cathedral Junction or at each attraction — no home delivery. Peak times are mid-morning and early afternoon.
Tour sold and operated by Viator via Viator. Descriptions on this page are original BugBitten summaries written by our team — not copied from the operator. Prices and availability are confirmed at checkout.