Castle Hill: Kura Tawhiti - Guided Tour from Christchurch
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Castle Hill: Kura Tawhiti - Guided Tour from Christchurch
By Adventure by Nature
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About
Small-group tour including lunch, transport and a local guide to Castle Hill/Kura Tawhiti.
Visit, country towns, mountain passes, alpine lakes and the amazing boulder fields at Castle Hill/Kura Tawhiti. A day trip from Christchurch City into the mountains and back again.
Castle Hill/Kura Tawhiti is an amazing labyrinth of giant limestone boulders. The area is rich with cultural and recreational significance and has been granted Tōpuni status “A symbolic cloak of protection”.
Your guide will show you around, if you like you can have a go at bouldering and test your climbing skills, or use your time here to explore the endless maze of boulders. We stop here for lunch at Castle Hill.
Lowest price guaranteeReserve now & pay laterFree cancellation
Ages 0-65, max of 8 per group
Duration: 7h 30m
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Live guide: English
More
- Air-conditioned vehicle
- Coffee and/or Tea
- Lunch
- Snacks
- Entry/Admission - Castle Hill Rocks
What's not included- Breakfast
- Start:Multiple pickup locations offered.
- Zeroes Coffee Ltd, 81 Cashmere Road, Cashmere, Christchurch 8022, New ZealandIf you have your own transport you can meet us at Zeroes Coffee Ltd, Cashmere Road, Cashmere, Christchurch, New Zealand. Park on the opposite side of the road in the free parking area and meet your Guide outside the Cafe.
Pickup details- In the city centre, we also have a pick-up point opposite the Canterbury Museum on Rolleston Ave.
Hotel pickup offeredDuring checkout you will be able to select from the list of included hotels.Port pickup offeredDuring checkout you will be able to select from the list of included ports.- The Lyttelton Harbour Information Centre, 20 Oxford Street, Lyttelton 8082, New Zealand
End:This activity ends back at the meeting point. - Infants must sit on laps
- Not wheelchair accessible
If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 210847P3- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Most travellers can participate
- This tour includes 3-3.5 hours of travel from Christchurch to Castle Hill following state Highway 73 (The Great Alpine Highway)
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s cancelled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
- This experience requires a minimum number of travellers. If it’s cancelled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 8 travellers
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
- If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 210847P3
From
$399.00
per adult
Select date and travellers
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About the operator
Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
- snoopytang0 contributionsWonderful day in Christchurch by kayakingWe had wonderful kayaking day with our guide Ned. The water a little bit wavy and Ned taught us how to handle it. It was really fun.Written 22 December 2023
- 985shelleyo0 contributionsCaving and boulder adventureGreat 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.Written 15 December 2023
- tscott1590 contributionsExcellent Kayaking TripThis was an absolutely wonderful experience, easily the best of our trip to Christchurch. During our vacations we always like to get out and do some more adventurous experiences that have a physical component, hiking, paddling, etc. and this 100% fit the bill. The views were wonderful and our guide Nate was just a wealth of information about the area, wildlife, and history. Everything about the experience was so professional and just made us want to explore more of what they have to offer. I highly recommend reaching out on you next trip to Christchurch.Written 1 December 2023
- 473skyb0 contributionsPerfect challengeNathaniel 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.Written 31 July 2023
- Elizabeth B0 contributionsBest experience EverAlan 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!Written 4 April 2023
- ExploringDiscoverer50 contributionsI had so much fun on my Cave stream and Castle hill tour!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!Written 28 March 2023
- Passport070631683210 contributionsFab intro to sport climbingWe 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.Written 17 March 2023
- Kim M0 contributionsHad a wonderful day with my guide Joey on an Adventure by Nature private walking tour from Christchurch to Godley HeadMy 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!Written 13 February 2023
- GrandyCaro0 contributionsBrilliantBrilliant day - loved how they adjusted the days climbing for the more experienced climbers. Fabulous day for the kids.Written 25 December 2022
- katems940 contributionsAwesome Day of ClimbingI had the best day climbing with Arna in the Port Hills. It was my first time climbing outdoors and I had so much fun. Arna helped me feel comfortable on the rock and gave me some good pointers for improving my technique. There are lots of different grades of climbing at the crag so there is definitely a climb for everyone of all abilities. I even got to have a go at abseiling! Thanks so much for such a great day!Written 11 March 2022
- katems940 contributionsMust-Do AdventureAmazing trip to Castle Hill/Kura Tawhiti and Cave Stream. My guide, Robbie, was very knowledgeable and friendly and tailored the tour to suit my interests. I had a great day walking around the boulder fields, trying some bouldering, and making my way through Cave Stream's underground river and waterfalls. Highly recommend. Thanks so much for an awesome day!Written 9 March 2022
- 576sebastiaank0 contributionsSea kayakingWe did the 1 day sea kayaking tour around the Littleton area. Sarah was a great guide and we had a beautiful day, with great lunch and a lot of nice coastline & wavesWritten 17 February 2020
- ddannecker20130 contributionsBest Tour Guide EverMike gave us what we both described as the best tour we have ever been on, and we have been on a lot of tours. Pick up was a breeze, and he was a great driver. He was very knowledgeable about the hike, and provided great guidance on how to follow the multiple paths around Castle Hill. The stop at the pie shop was perfect, and lunch was delicious, especially after the long hike. He took excellent photos of us that we would not have been able to capture otherwise. He is a great conversationalist, and taught us not just about where we were but New Zealand and its history in general. We would highly recommend this tour and this touring company, and we would book with them again.Written 14 January 2020
- davidyK4442XO0 contributionsAwesome hike with great views of the coastlineThis was a great hike to see the coastline of Christchurch and wildlife. My guide Mike was well informed and knew all the good spots. Would highly recommend to all.Written 2 January 2020
- zdw840 contributionsExcellent tourVery professional and kind guides. Beautiful views with sound local knowledge. Customer service was warm and thoughtful.Written 31 December 2019
These reviews are the subjective opinions of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Walter C
11 contributions
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.
Written 12 December 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks you for taking the time to post this review for others to see.
Written 29 January 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
No questions have been asked about this experience