Lyttelton Shore Excursion: Godley Head Coastal Hike with Picnic
Description
Experience the spectacular scenery of Godley Head on a full-day guided coastal hike designed for cruise ship guests visiting Lyttelton Port. Meet your local guide at the port before travelling to the seaside suburb of Sumner in a 12 seater van, where you'll enjoy hot drinks overlooking the ocean. A short drive brings you to Taylors Mistake Beach, where your walk begins along a beautiful coastal track. Set within an ancient extinct volcano, the 8-10 km (5-6 mile) loop track takes in restored WWII gun emplacements, Scott's Cabin, and panoramic views across the Pacific Ocean, Pegasus Bay, Lyttelton Harbour, and the Southern Alps. Enjoy snacks and a gourmet picnic lunch while keeping an eye out for seals, dolphins, and native birdlife. Your guide will share stories of the area's history, wildlife, and volcanic landscape. With approximately 3.5 hours of walking, this small-group experience offers a relaxed pace and plenty of time to enjoy the scenery before returning to Lyttelton Port.
Tour Options
Itinerary
After meeting your guide at Lyttelton Port, you will be transported in a 12-seater van to Sumner Beach (approximately 10 minutes drive), where you will enjoy a hot drink on the deck of a seaside cafe overlooking the ocean and Cave Rock. This is a beautiful landmark and a great start to the day.
Your next stop is Taylors Mistake beach (10 minutes drive), a beautiful black sand surf beach, with quaint little baches. Here your guide will hand out backpacks, poles, lunch, water bottles, and snacks, and prepare you for the walk.
The next three hours will be spent walking Godley Head Loop Track, undoubtedly one of Christchurch's most beautiful hikes. The track is undulating and well-maintained. Sights include Scott's Hutt (an Antarctic Cabin), WW2 Gun emplacements, a penguin colony, and coastal views in all directions. Picnic lunch will be enjoyed at a remote beach along the way with historic cabins, where we often encounter wildlife such as seals, dolphins, and many birds. Your walk returns to Taylors Mistake Beach.
Upon completion of your walk, your guide will drop you back to Lyttelton Port. Alternatively, if time allows, you can request to be dropped into Christchurch City to explore, and then make your own way back to Port.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(70)
This is a hike - 5 miles - around the crater rim and includes some steep hills and climbing rocky stairs. Our guide was fantastic. Emma was knowledgeable about the area and kept checking with us on hike options to either up the difficulty or adjust to simpler pathways. The scenery is breathtaking and you see ocean views from 3 different directions as you navigate the rim! People need to follow the physical recommendations and understand you should be in good shape without mobility restrictions to make this trek. Lunch and snacks were included. Everything was healthy and delicious!
Thank you, so glad you enjoyed the walk and your time with Emma.
We recently visited New Zealand and booked with Crater Rim Walks for the guided walking tour and picnic at the Godley Head Loop Trail. If I could give it 100 stars, I would!! This was one of our favorite excursions of our entire trip!! The communication, hospitality and professionalism on this tour was top notch! But the hike itself was stunning! The views and the picnic were just off the charts!! Our guides were knowledgeable and accommodating and just so thoughtful. I highly recommend this experience!!
Wow thank you so much for such a lovely review, Helen & Dave will be so happy to hear it was a trip highlight for you. Many thanks, Nicole:-)
We had a very nice day with Helen and Dave. The hike was mainly near the coast with great views. The guides were super nice and competent. However, you should be fit and good on foot.
Thank you so much for your lovely review. We’re really glad you enjoyed your day with Helen and Dave and that the coastal views made the walk special. They’ll be delighted to hear your kind words.
The scenery is beautiful! Our guides Flock and Emma were fantastic! Snacks and lunch were provided and were delicious. Be aware you will be walking about 7 miles and much of it is up hill. It was a very good representation of New Zealand.
Thank you for your feedback, glad to hear you enjoyed the lunch and your time with Emma and Flick. All the best with the rest of your cruise.
Emma and Flick were personable, patient and genuinely interested in everyone in the group. They made the 8 mile undulating hike go smoothly and efficiently. They kept an easy pace throughout and one of them always stayed with those in the group who couldn’t keep up. The day started with coffee, tea or hot chocolate at a beach cafe. There was a snack break, and bathrooms after an hour. Lunch was delicious and healthy: salad and vegetarian quiche. If you don’t want to miss out on the gloriously sweeping mountain views, this cruise ship Shore Excursion is for you!
Thank you! So glad you enjoyed the day with Flick and Emma, along with the views.
Helen and Dave were excellent guides, with attention to all details and keeping the pace suitable for all participants. The lunch exceeded expectations and the views were stunning! Highly recommend!
Thanks so much, so glad to hear you had a great day with Helen & Dave, we loved hosting you!
First, I wanted to know that we took this as part of an excursion we planned on our own from our cruise stop in Lyttleton Port. Second and most importantly , Helen and Dave were fabulous guides. They took us to an amazing local café on the beach for morning coffee and tea, gave us lots of details about the local history, including background on the Māori. Helen & Dave provided all the essential & quite a few especially thoughtful extras: walking sticks, reusable NZ water bottles that we could take with us, sunscreen and a hat for those who forgot them. Helen even lent her own hat to someone whose cap kept blowing off due to the very high winds during our trek.. There were so many extras: an amazing lunch in a reusable bento box, healthy snacks for a break on the journey, and an amazing lunch spot. We truly loved the sustainable nature of this tour, our amazing guides, and the fantastic scenery from the beach to the history to the crater. We can’t say enough about our fabulous and this amazing local company, Crater Rim Walks. Definitely plan hike with them if you are. In Lyttleton! You will not be disappointed.
Thank you so much for this thoughtful feedback, and Helen and Dave will be really happy to hear you enjoyed your day so much. It was a pleasure to host you, and all the best for the next leg of your journey!
I stepped out solo for this adventure after feeling inspired by a thumbs up on a Celebrity cruise FB group. The Rim Walk met my expectations for experiencing something off the beaten path. Wonderful guides, Nicole and Ita, were thoughtful, knowledgeable, and communicated well before and after. Just do it, you will not regret!
Thank you Betty! It was such a pleasure to meet you, I am so glad you came along for the day with us. I hope the rest of your cruise was just as much fun. Nicole
This was an amazing experience. The company took care of everything. They provided a hot beverage, water, snacks and lunch, poles, and even backpacks. The guides, Emma and Herb were lovely and helpful. The scenery was beautiful. This was one of our favorite experiences of our trip. Highly recommend.
Thank you! So glad to hear you loved your time with us, and in NZ in general:-)
We thoroughly enjoyed our hiking trip with Emma! She first took us to a lovely coffee shop, then drove us to the trail while giving us interesting facts/history about Lyttleton. On the trail, the scenery was absolutely breathtaking, and the hike was not too difficult. Emma was very attentive and engaging, and thoughtfully provided us with backpacks, water, snacks, and lunch. We would definitely recommend this tour!
Thank you so much for your wonderful review. We’re absolutely delighted to hear how much you enjoyed your hiking trip with Emma. Starting the day with coffee and local insights before heading to the start of the track is one of our favourite ways to introduce guests to the area. Thank you for recommending us. It truly means a lot, and we’d love to welcome you back anytime.
