In the heart of the Southern Alps, Arthur's Pass National Park has an incredible diversity of flora and landscape. Experience a breathtaking journey aboard the TranzAlpine Train winding it's way through the magnificent Waimakariri Gorge. Join short guided walks to rainforests, rivers and mountain vistas. Traveling in a small group, maximum eight participants, allows for an intimate and informative experience. Return to Christchurch in one of our luxury vehicles.
In demand: 17 of the next 60 departures are already sold out.
From the operator’s live schedule on Viator, checked Oct 7.
Journey across the wide expanses of the Canterbury Plains into high country surrounded by rugged mountain ranges. After leaving the Canterbury Plains, the landscape dramatically changes into sub-alpine we head towards the spectacular Southern Alps. View the Waimakariri River and its unique braided riverbed system. Enter Arthur’s Pass National Park where short walks can be made to experience forests, rivers and mountains vistas.
Follow the old stage coach route and travel down the spectacular Otira Gorge, testament to the road builders of the 1860's and the route taken by the Maori in their quest for greenstone. View Cave Stream where it burrows underground in an area of limestone cliffs and gorges, craggy outcrops and a setting of mountains to the east and west. This area was also used as for the filming of C.J Lewis’ story – “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe”. The incredible Castle Hill rocks, unique weatherworn, rain smoothed outcrops of limestone are seen from the highway. Lunch at a country hotel, included in cost of tour.
We will pick from any Hotel, B&B, Home-stay within central Christchurch
Reviews collected by Viator and Tripadvisor
Excurgo comparison of 338 Viator tours, recalculated daily.
All sales are final. No refund is available for cancellations.
Arthur's Pass Discovery and TranzAlpine Train - Small Group Tour lasts about 9 hours. The itinerary has 2 stops.
Prices start at $514 per person for this Christchurch experience, booked through Viator with the price shown before checkout. There is 1 booking option, so the final price depends on the option you choose.
According to the operator’s current schedule, it runs every day, starting at 7:30 AM and 7:31 AM.
Children aged 3–12 pay from $257, adults from $514.
It can: 17 of the next 60 departures are already sold out, so booking ahead is a good idea.
All sales are final. No refund is available for cancellations.
Yes, pickup is offered. We will pick from any Hotel, B&B, Home-stay within central Christchurch Pickup points include Hagley Park Motel.
The experience is available in EN.
It is a small-group experience with a maximum of 8 participants.
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller Specialized infant seats are available
Confirmation is sent by the operator within 24 hours of booking.
Reviews collected by Viator and Tripadvisor
2 Brits and 1 Canadian were spoilt rotten by John , our guide. From the moment he picked us up to dropping us off 10 hours later, John made us feel valued, special and spoilt. Bespoke moments, locations and quirky facts filled our day…the beautiful weather helped too.
Thank you so much for sharing your day with us! John is such a fun, lovely guide and we are so pleased you enjoyed your day with him.
Stuart Johnston was a delight! He was informative and kind!! I couldn’t imagine having a better experience!!!
Love the name!! Thank you so much for posting this. I will pass on to Stu and he will be delighted you had an amazing day with him.
Absolutely incredible experience! Sue our tour guide made this the best possible experience! She was extremely hospitable, excellent driver, highly knowledgeable and entertaining throughout the trip and just a lovely human being to enjoy exploring Christchurch’s natural beauty. Not only did she pick us up from Arthur’s Pass but she showed us the best spots along the way- two beautiful short walks to see the waterfalls. The vehicle was extremely comfortable and Sue was an excellent driver which made the scenic route through the mountains even more enjoyable. Couldn’t recommend Sue and Canterbury trails more! Our family of 6 loved it! She also gave us some great food recommendations for Christchurch!
Fantastic, thank you! Sue is one of a kind and she will be super happy to have made your day to be the best ever :)
We had the pleasure of spending the day with Grant, and he was absolutely fantastic. From the moment he picked us up until he dropped us off, he was friendly, professional, and incredibly knowledgeable about the area. The train ride was fantastic. We took the breathtaking TranzAlpine train ride through the Southern Alps, which truly lived up to its reputation as one of the world’s most scenic rail journeys. The changing landscapes of snow-capped mountains, lush forests, winding rivers, dramatic gorges, and wide-open valleys were absolutely stunning. It seemed like every turn revealed another postcard worthy view. He shared so much history, local culture, and interesting facts throughout the day, making every stop even more meaningful. He answered all of our questions, never made us feel rushed, and kept the day running smoothly while still allowing us plenty of time to enjoy each location. After the train ride, Grant met us and continued the adventure, showing us beautiful scenery while pointing out places and sharing stories we never would have known on our own. He answered every question, never made us feel rushed, and kept the day fun and relaxed. His passion for New Zealand really showed. What really stood out was his genuine enthusiasm and kindness. It felt like we were exploring with a local friend rather than just taking a tour. If you’re lucky enough to have Grant as your guide, you’re in for an amazing day. We would gladly book another tour with him and highly recommend him to anyone visiting New Zealand. Thank you, Grant, for helping make our trip so memorable!
Thank you so much for sharing your experience with us. We are so glad your day was amazing. Grant will be so happy that he helped make your day perfect.
We greatly enjoyed our trip to Arthur’s Pass, which included the TranzAlpine Train, hike, lunch, Kura Tawhiti Conservation Area, and other stops along the way. Ollie was a fantastic guide, as he was the exact combination of informative, entertaining, and patient!
Glad you had a fantastic day with Ole. Thanks for sharing :)
We spent the day with our guide, Dave. He brought us to the train station and met us at the Arthur’s Pass station. He brought us from Arthur’s Pass to Christchurch, pausing where we could get some good pictures. He was very knowledgeable about the area and the history of New Zealand, and answered all our questions. Our day ended with a nice meal at a local diner. We had a great day and appreciate Dave for the memorable day trip!
Sounds like you had a great day :) Thank you so much for sharing this.
We had a fantastic day exploring Arthur’s Pass with Hugo our guide from Canterbury Trails. The scenic train journey enabled us to see the gorge close up, something you can’t do by car. Once we arrived at Arthur’s Pass, Hugo picked us up and drove us to all the beauty spots explaining how the fauna and flora changes. It was a wonderful day and we highly recommend this tour.
Thanks so much for sharing your experience with us. Hugo will be pleased you had a great day with him.
We had a very knowledgeable and extremely helpful guide named John. He exposed us to excellent walks, food establishments and knowledge of the local area. My wife and I highly recommend him and would request him again were we to return to the area.
John will be pleased to hear this! Come back soon :) Thanks for sharing.
My husband and I loved our day with Canterbury Trails! It began with good communication as to the time we would be picked up from our hotel in Christchurch, followed by an easy transit to the TranzAlpine train where our seats were reserved and all we had to provide was our name. The train ride was comfortable with spectacular scenery and we had an easy rendezvous with our driver upon arrival. From there we drove to Arthur's Pass, chose from 2 different hiking options (or none at all), then enjoyed a pre-ordered lunch at a gorgeous inn in the foothills of the mountains. The ride home included another short hiking opportunity in Castle Hill Rocks, then direct delivery to our hotel in Christchurch. The day was remarkable and memorable for the ease with which we covered a lot of gorgeous NZ territory and for the expert guidance and enthusiasm of our wonderful guide, Manuela. She really made the day special and we are very grateful!
Thank you so much for sharing your experience with Canterbury Trails!! Manuela loved her time with you :)
We were picked up at our hotel by David. Loved taking the train to Arthur’s Pass. Such a fun and unique way to travel. Then David met us at Arthur’s Pass and we headed back down the mountain making frequent stops that were fascinating! We stopped and had lunch at Grasmere. The food was excellent and the location was beautiful! The staff was very friendly and attentive. David was knowledgeable and a great guide.
Fantastic to hear you had a great day with Dave. Thanks for sharing :)
| Tour | Duration | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arthur's Pass Discovery and TranzAlpine Train - Small Group Tour | 9 hours | 4.8 (311) | $514 | |
 TranzAlpine Train, Arthur's Pass and Castle Hill Day Trip | 10 hours | 4.8 (498) | $218 | View |
 Arthur's Pass National Park Day Tour with TranzAlpine Train | 9h 30min | 4.6 (234) | $284 | View |
 Christchurch to Arthur's Pass Tours + TranzAlpine Train & Lunch | 10 hours | 4.5 (127) | $244 | View |
 TranzAlpine Train to Arthur's Pass from Christchurch with Lunch | 10 hours | 5.0 (48) | $258 | View |
 TranzAlpine Train Journey: Christchurch to Greymouth | 2h 30min–4h 30min | 4.3 (357) | $137 | View |
 Arthur’s Pass Day Tour From Christchurch via Castle Hill | 10 hours | 4.6 (41) | $129 | View |