Christchurch: Best Things to Do
SIGHTSEEING
Have a sightseeing tour in North Hagley Park. It is a city's urban park located in the city center. You can enter the park for free. This area is worth your time to visit as it has a breathtaking view in every corner of the park. Not only a green space filled with trees, but this place also has a small lake, tennis court, and even a museum to enjoy.
North Hagley Park
DOWNTOWN
Centered in Cathedral Square, the city downtown is filled with plenty of entertainment places, restaurants, and shopping stores. In the area, you will find the large Chalice sculpture standing in the center of the town. You can also visit the Christchurch Cathedral. Though the cathedral is still renovated due to earthquakes, it's still worthy to look around the outside building. From the outside, you can see the iconic Gothic-style building of the Cathedral's architecture. From the inside, this cathedral has a beautiful interior of wooden carvings and a high altar in the center.
ChristChurch Cathedral
Chalice Sculpture
SHOPPING
Stroll and shop at The Tannery. This retail center features a beautiful glass atrium, numerous boutiques, and several restaurants with live music to stop by. This shopping center is filled with beautiful antiques, art products, and designer clothing stores. Not only shopping place, but you can also find a spa on the site, to treat yourself from your long trip.
The Tannery
FOOD & DRINK
During your visit to Christchurch, you can't forget to try Hangi and Kawakawa tea. These are traditional food and drink from the Maori tribe. Hangi itself is a meat dish wrapped in wet leaves that are heated on rocks at the bottom of a hole. As a result of the superheating process, the meat is smoky and tender. While for the traditional drink, you can try kawakawa tea. It's a herbal tea that will refresh and warm your body. This tea is good for digestive issues and blood circulation.
CULTURE
The first inhabitant of the country is the Maori tribe who then brought a big influence on the country's cultures. When the immigrant came, the culture was mixed with the newcomers' cultures and made a unique culture mixture of traditional and modern culture as the city characters. And as the language, they speak in English and Maori.
BEST TIME TO VISIT
If you are planning to have an outdoor trip in the city, December to February is the best time to visit. Around the time, the city has the warmest weather that is suitable for traveling.
HOTEL
Choose the most comfortable hotel with the most strategic location on your trip itinerary list in Christchurch. If you want to save your budget for your trip, Chateau on the Park can be one of your options to stay in the city. The hotel offers the best deal with a comfortable stay featuring a public outdoor pool and modern fitness center. This hotel is located around 2 km from the city center that will give you easy access to the city's landmarks. But, if you are looking for a luxury stay in the city, Novotel Christchurch Cathedral Square Hotel can be one of your top options. The hotel is situated next to Christchurch Cathedral. Every room in the hotel is nicely decorated in a contemporary style and featured with minibar, flat-screen TV, safes, and coffeemaker. Restaurant, bar, fitness center, and meeting space are available in the hotel
Chateau on the Park
Novotel Christchurch Cathedral Square Hotel
RESTAURANT
Have a different kind of dining experience in Christchurch Tramway Restaurant. This restaurant offers a luxury dinner and a sightseeing city tour at the same time. Decored in colonial style, you can enjoy the tasty food while adoring to the city beauty. But, if you want to have a fine dining experience located in Christchurch central, Twenty Seven Steps is where you go. This restaurant offers a small menu focusing on fresh local produce of European cuisines. Don't forget to order the dessert. It's tasty!
Christchurch Tramway Restaurant
Twenty Seven Steps
CAFE
Stop by at Lyttelton Coffee Company. This cafe has a cool vibe and nice decor of a bohemian chic theme. Not only serving good coffee, but this cafe also serves tasty foods to taste. But, if you are looking for a beautiful cafe with numerous vegetarian menu, The Origin is where you go. You can also have a cup of tasty coffee or tea in the cafe.
Lyttelton Coffee Company
The Origin
BAR AND NIGHTLIFE
What kind of nightlife do you expect in the city? If you are looking for a drinking place in the city, The Poplar Social Club is where you go. This bar is one of the best cocktail bars in the city. With a cozy atmosphere, the bartenders there are known to be super friendly and nice to talk with. But, if you want to have a different nightlife experience in the city, you can watch a live performing art at the Isaac Theatre Royal. This restored theater venue hosts diverse art performances to enjoy. You can see and book the tickets online from their official website.
The Poplar Social Club
The Isaac Theatre Royal
INTERESTING PLACE
Christchurch tourism is known for its beautiful gardens. Thus, Christchurch Botanic Gardens is the top recommendation to go. Featured with numerous flora and fauna of New Zealand, this botanical garden has many sections to explore like the Herbaceous Border, New Zealand Gardens, and Central Rose Garden. Not only gardens, but you can also visit the conservatories in the garden like the Cuningham House where they display the collection of tropical plants. Another city attraction in Christchurch is the International Antarctic Centre. This place offers you the life experience in Antarctica like how they live in the snow, the modern-day life on Scott Base, and even how to survive from Antarctic storm. The highlight of the attraction is the little blue penguins that were rescued. Experience a brand new journey of Antarctic life simulations.
Christchurch Botanic Gardens
International Antarctic Centre
INSTAGRAMMABLE SPOT
Capture the majestic architecture of Cardboard Cathedral. This beautiful cathedral rises 21 meters high composed of 60-centimeter cardboard tubes. The highlight of the cathedral architecture itself is the triangular stained glass windows and the roof. Another beautiful building with nice architecture in the city is the Mona Vale. It is a public park surrounded by a rose garden and set along Avon River. The bathhouse and he rose garden is the highlight of the park to capture.
Cardboard Cathedral
Mona Vale
