Castle Hill is the perfect day trip from Lyttelton/Christchurch for visitors looking for unique and awe-inspiring natural rock formations while in New Zealand (especially if you don't have enough time to drive further out to Mount Sunday/Somers or other parts of the Southern Alps). And "Adventure by Nature" was the only tour company that could fit in a solo traveler like me (had to join a group of other guests, of course) without breaking my budget. (Other tours required a booking of at least 4 people or an exorbitant private guide fee.) Castle Hill (Kura Tawhiti) is about a 2-hour drive outside of the main city, but we had short stops at Darfield (for a bathroom break) at Lake Lyndon (for a picnic lunch) and Springfield (to visit a giant donut statue donated by The Simpsons cartoon). The drive through Canterbury was also pretty scenic, passing by farmland and sheep grazing areas. Credit to our extremely fit tour guide/driver Sophie, who carried all of our lunches and desserts while climbing the limestone cliffs of Castle Hill (Kura Tawhiti) along with us. (My only suggestion here: supply individual water bottles for each person--that each can carry themselves--instead of asking everyone to drink from the same thermos.) It also got pretty hot and sunny fairly quickly in Canterbury, despite the chilly morning in Lyttelton/Christchurch. A warning to wear sunscreen and protective hats/umbrellas before starting the hike would have been advisable. Sophie allowed us a good 2 hours to explore Castle Hill, which I greatly appreciated. (Most other day tours would only afford you 30-45 minutes tops to explore a site like this.) The limestone rock formations of Kura Tawhiti are definitely worth spending as much time to admire as possible; the YouTube videos do not do them justice! Transportation from/to the Norwich Quay (just outside the Lyttelton cruise berth) was also appreciated, so that guests like us wouldn't have to waste time finding our way into Christchurch.

Super enjoyed this tour, saw some wildlife, and many sights. Going to the beaches and seeing the natural rock formations, sea weed and seals resting there were great. Our guide was awesome in spotting wildlife and taking us to see different highlights in the area

Perfect day spent with Anna! Easy pick up at the port of Lyttleton and headed out of town to Darfield Bakery. Best meat pies ever! And nice selection of GF baked goods. Highlight was visiting the limestone boulders in Castle Hill with a delicious picnic lunch and tour of site. Quick trip thru Christchurch and back to ship with time to grab a pint at Eruption brewery. More than 5 stars are appropriate for this day!

What an amazing gift from nature. Please do not drive past. It's an easy walk, and it is all so different close up than what you see from the carpark. Absolutely stunning. Around every corner the view changes completely.

Amazing climbing adventure!! We got a full day of climbing and got to learn new techniques. The views were amazing and our guide gave us so many good insights about the place!

Great way to experience your first cave. Weather was great especially given the amount of water to trek though. Guide was knowledgeable and flexible. The rock garden was also great for the looking for a place to explore and even boulder.

Everything was just perfect. This is not an exaggeration. The sunny weather, huge rocks on the hill(I kept saying “WOW”), the kind, informative guide, and the delicious lunch, so what else do you need other than these? It was one of “the best” tours I’ve ever had :)

Nathaniel was a splendid guide, a fount of knowledge, a provider of delicious food and a careful driver. The highlight of my trip to Christchurch was Castle Hill and the spectacular rock formations. If you have the chance, put this tour at the top of your list.

Nathaniel was a great guide for my boys and I. We all had a good and challenging time climbing. The weather was great for us, we couldn’t have asked for a better day.

Alan was completely prepared and organized! Safety and mini training for first timers like us were very well explained. Voyage was beautiful! Food, snacks, & beverages were great! Historical info along the way was very informative. I would definitely recommend this trip to anyone!

We had an amazing day, with fabulous views of the mountains and local scenery. We thoroughly enjoyed the rocks at castle hill and the beautiful cave stream. Our guide, Alan was fantastic and made our time exploring around Christchurch so much more enjoyable and educational. We've come out with way more knowledge of the local area and such a fun and enjoyable experience. The pick up and drop off to our hotel really topped off the day. Thanks so much Adventure by nature we had an awesome time!

We had a fantastic day out with Alan, climbing various crags with great views over Christchurch/New Brighton. It was a great luxury to be collected and dropped off again from our accommodation and the routes and type of climbing we did was adjusted to suit our ability and aims. As we have only limited experience of sport climbing it was great to learn the basics and more from a pro.

My husband and I had booked a 2 person tour on Feb.5th. Unfortunately due to illness, my husband had to cancel last minute. Joey my guide carried on as planned, introducing me to the sites in Lyttelton and making planned stops at a local bakery to purchase lunch and a second coffee shop for a special morning brew. Joey had a great knowledge of the area and was a great conversationalist. We walked the Godley Head path (part of it is still closed due to the identification of asbestos in the military buildings on route), stopped to enjoy our lunch at a quaint little beach, and had time to dip our toes in at a different beach before heading back to the hotel. The Godley Head path was super easy to navigate (Joey wore sandals), the views were great and the weather cooperated. As an aside, there were bathrooms at the start of the trip but the ones enroute were locked. We were able to complete the Godley head walk ahead of schedule and so he offered to make an additional stop and take me to the Christchurch Botanical gardens for a look around. I was thrilled with this as I had very little time to explore Christchurch outside of the scheduled tour. All in all, it was a really enjoyable day thanks to Joey at Adventure by Nature!

We really enjoyed our experience with our tour guide Sarah. She was courteous, knowledgeable and friendly. She really helped us see the areas of Littleton and Christchurch that we felt were important to see. Good snacks, bouldering, and photography. Great day overall, thanks !

Brilliant day - loved how they adjusted the days climbing for the more experienced climbers. Fabulous day for the kids.