Lyttelton Shore Excursion: Christchurch & Willowbank Tour
Description
Combine a half day city tour of Christchurch taking in not only the damage to the city by several earthquakes in 2010 and 2011 and the rebuild currently taking place, but also the remaining historic landmarks and the existing beauty of this picturesque city together with admission to Willowbank Wildlife Reserve with a fully guided tour of the reserve including Kiwi viewing.
Tour Options
Itinerary
The default start time is 8.30am or up to 1 hour after your ship commences disembarkation, depending on what time your ship docks.
Travelling with Leisure Tours
Best spot to admire some spectacular views over the City, Canterbury Plains and Southern Alps.
Time spent walking through Mona Vale Gardens with its picturesque Gardens, Ponds & river.
Time spent on foot exploring Cathedral Square
Lunch Break
Meet the elusive kiwi, New Zealand’s national bird, along with exotic visitors including deer, wallabies, otters, gibbons and lemurs.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Meeting instructions will be sent upon booking. Please note that the default time for this tour is 8.30am but this can be amended depending on your cruise ships arrival and departure times.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- At time of booking, Cruise ship passengers must provide the following information at time of booking: ship name, docking time, disembarkation time and re-boarding time
- Collapsible wheelchairs with removable wheels can be accommodated providing the passenger is accompanied by someone who can assist them board and disembark
- Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
Reviews(90)
The Willowbank part was misleading. It was advertised visiting farm too. And that didn’t happen. I didn’t see the wallabies. Didn’t see kiwi either.
Oh dear that's a shame you didn't see the wallabies or the Kiwi. They are in abundance in their various enclosures and generally very easy to see.
Our driver Joseph was a born and bred local with a wealth of knowledge to share about Christchurch and the surrounding areas. In particular Joseph told us in depth about the devastating earthquake 15 years ago which destroyed his house as well as so much of Christchurch. He was very friendly and made our day with him pleasant and memorable. Highly recommended tour and driver.
Great review and great comments about Joseph - pleased you had a fabulous day.
If you have a choice, Joseph was an excellent guide. We stopped at an old wagon stop out of Lyttelton and if you enjoy old buildings this one will delight you. The stop at Mona Vale park was fun and we liked the walk along the river. Following this, Joseph stoped at a downtown collection of restaurants, called the Riverside Market. There were many choices in this food court area. The Barbecue was quite good. We stopped at the Willowbank Wildlife Reserve and took the 45 minute guided tour which was included on the tour. If you haven't seen a kiwi bitd you will see one here. Our guide was a Wildlife Environmental Biologist and knowledgeable. The time here was well spent. Joseph took us back through the highway tunnel and got us back on time at the cruise ship. It was somewhat confusing as to where to meet the tour. You take the free shuttle from the cruise ship dock and get off at the first stop. You will be met by the tour representative who will assist you to the correct bus. Don't get on the bus to Christchurch, that is the wrong shuttle to meet the correct bus.
Great comments in this review - yes we make sure we are highly visible when you get off the ship's shuttle to ensure you do not miss us. We have not lost anyone yet!! Thank you for highlighting Joseph.
Wonderful experience. Joseph was an outstanding guide with a wide range of knowledge and a great sense of humor. He knows his city! We enjoyed the variety of the visits and the chance to see what Christchurch has to offer. 5 star rating for Joseph
Great review and great feedback of Joseph - appreciate your comments and will ensure this gets passed onto Joseph.
Joseph was a wonderful guide and driver for us, providing many insights into the effects of the earthquakes in Christchurch in 2010 and 2011, and how the city rebuilt itself. Willowbank Wildlife Reserve is a superb place to meet and learn about many animals and birds, including a viewing of the kiwi. We could have done with more time there. The bus was quite cold, especially as the temperature outside was also quite cold.
Thank you for your review and your comments re A/C are noted. Willowbank is a lovely place to visit and spend time with the animals. So pleased you had a great day.
Excellent pickup. Easy Tour guides knowledgeable and helpful
Great review - thank you.
Driver, Joseph, was exceptional! Provided so much information. Loved the stop at the animal sanctuary.
Thank you for highlighting Joseph and so pleased you had a great day. A fun day with fun people.
Highlight tour of Christchurch on a beautiful day plus admission for self guided visit to Willow Park animal preserve. We got to see a kiwi in the nighttime created environment for the kiwi. Wandered through to see all the bird & animal residents. Our guide, Joseph was quite knowledgeable (first hand) of the devastating earthquakes in the area. As an engineer, he was able to answer some technical questions. He had an easy going manner and was a talented juggler! He got us back to the shuttle with time to spare despite some traffic challenges.
Great review and thank you for taking the time within to highlight Joseph - he loves sharing his Chch stories. I am stoked you got to see the Kiwi - a very special experience. Willowbank is a lovely Chch highlight.
We started 30 minutes late because two passengers didn’t arrive on time. The guide said he needed to rush through our city tour because we needed to be at a certain location by 11:00 so certain members of the group could break off and make their next excursion. On the return we had another guide who should have returned us by 3:00 or 3:30 (at the latest) and didn’t return us till 4:20. He independently added his own small city tour though we were all on a tight schedule to return to our ship. While it was generous of him it caused unnecessary stress that we would get back to the ships shuttle on time. This is the only time I have experienced this type of incident with Viator.
Thank you for your review and comments which are noted. It was a challenge with two late guests and then trying to accommodate everyone - but no excuses. In future we will assure everyone we are conscious of the ship deadlines and we always allow a 30-60 minute buffer.
Joseph was an engaging and enthusiastic guide who made our day very enjoyable. Being a local for many years, Joseph provided lots of insights into Christchurch both pre and post the earthquake. He was really able to make clear the dramatic influence of the quake on Christchurch and its surrounds. We were able to explore some of Christchurch on our own after Joseph pointed out key landmarks. Willowbank Wildlife Reserve was interesting as well. With the wildlife guide, we got to see some NZ birds and learn about these. There were also plenty of other animals. We would thoroughly recommend this, especially for people with young kids.
What a wonderful review and thank you for mentioning Joseph - he is a most passionate person when talking about this home city. And is full of stories. Thank you again.
