Arthurs Pass Day Trip From Christchurch via Castle Hill
4
Arthurs Pass Day Trip From Christchurch via Castle Hill
By Cheeky Kea Ltd
What is Travellers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
About
Arthur’s Pass – A National Park located deep in the Southern Alps of New Zealand. You will be traveling on the Great Alpine Highway through the ever-changing remarkable landscapes. This tour highlights an example of great engineering, spectacular waterfalls, and famous filming locations.
The day will begin with a collection from your chosen accommodation before we hit the road towards Arthur’s Pass, our knowledgeable and friendly guide will point out those stunning views along the way. While on this tour with us, you will see a variety of green fields rugged mountain ranges, lush forests and ice-fed
lakes and rivers!
There are plenty of stops along the route, so we won’t be spending all day in the van
Although it is pretty comfy. You can hop on a Jetboat and grab an action thriller tour of where it all began or walk through the thick forest and check out a waterfall. Of course, we will also stop at those must-see Instagram-worthy spots too!
Lowest price guaranteeReserve now & pay laterFree cancellation
Ages 4-100, max of 40 per group
Duration: 8h
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Live guide: English
More
Written guide: German, Italian, French, Spanish
Print or digital reading material such as a guide, map, brochure, etc.
More
- Great pre packed lunch you can enjoy at any stage on the tour
- Bottled water
- Classic kiwi soda
- Kiwi classic snacks
- Air-conditioned vehicle
- WiFi on board
- All Fees and Taxes
- Start:Multiple pickup locations offered.
- Bus Interchange (Intercity stop), Christchurch Central City, Christchurch 8011, New ZealandWe only pick up from locations we have been notified of. Please make sure you let us know your pick up location will be the bus interchange. Please be waiting at the Intercity Bus Stop on Lichfield Street. It is recommended that you arrive 5 minutes prior to your pick up time.
Pickup details- For a smooth pick-up process please be waiting at your selected pick-up location at least 5 minutes before your scheduled pick-up time. Your vehicle may be delayed due to previous pickups. Please be patient and wait 10 minutes before calling the office. Our drivers cannot wait for late customers. No show / late customers will not be refunded. We only pick up from locations that have a pickup noted. Please make sure you have let us know your pickup location. For hotel pickups please be waiting at or Infront of reception. Please see pick up times below 07:55 Hotel Elms 08:03 Scenic Hotel Cotswold 8:08 Sudima City 08:10 Crowne Plaza 08:12 Novotel City 08:14 Distinction 08:17 Christchurch City Hotel 08:20 Christchurch Bus Interchange (Intercity stop) 08:24 Breakfree 08:27 Rydges Latimer 08:30 Urbanz 08:33 Fino 08:35 The George 08:40 Hotel Give 08:55 Commodore Christchurch Airport 09:00 Sudima Christchurch Airport
Hotel pickup offeredDuring checkout you will be able to select from the list of included hotels.Airport pickup offeredDuring checkout you will be able to select from the list of included airports.- Christchurch Intl Airport, Christchurch New Zealand
End:This activity ends back at the meeting point. - Not wheelchair accessible
- Pushchair accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 312127P9- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Most travellers can participate
- Travel time is included in the Tour Duration.
- 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 40 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: 312127P9
From
$225.00
per adult
Select date and travellers
Similar experiences
Itinerary
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
About the operator
Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
- brianT1477OS0 contributionsA day well spentJacob did wonderful job explaining the high points of trip. The food was outstanding. The sandwich was delicious but the bake goods toped everything! Drive was long but the van was new and comfortable.Written 6 February 2025
- Corine S0 contributionsStunning tour of Mt Cook and surrounding lakes!Joseph was an excellent tour guide. He is incredibly knowledgeable about New Zealand and about the whole Mt Cook area. He is very professional and allowed us to see and do everything we would expect on this tour. We were blown away by Mt Cook and the glaciers! The day was sunny and clear and we got to see all the lakes and mountains. First rate experience!Written 5 February 2025
- T_J_MX0 contributionsGreat service but pricyGreat service that provides an efficient way to commute great distances from one area to another. Drivers were excellent but van space was very cramped. WiFi provided and most appreciated.Written 5 February 2025
- O8906QNsandraw0 contributionsGreat guide, beautiful scenery.We had a great day in the Southern Alps with Jacob. He was knowledgeable, considerate and funny, and a good and safe driver. The scenery was stunning. Thanks Jacob!Written 29 January 2025
- 846marcellas0 contributionsThey cancelled our tourI have no rating as my tour was cancelled the day before which had us searching for an alternative tour. I am not sure why this was done since we paid for the trip.Written 26 January 2025
- C7J0 contributionsLovely drive with fantastic views.This was a fantastic day. Nick our driver was excellent he drove well and kept us well informed throughout the journey. We made a couple of refreshment stops where he advised what was good and he was spot on. The journey went through interesting terrain and the lakes were wonderful. At Mt Cook he took us to a place with 3 walks available and offered advice on the most suitable for us. A throughly enjoyable day and would happily travel with them again.Written 20 January 2025
- Y9463CHdaniellet0 contributionsMajestic sceneryThe labelling of the Tour needs to be clearer. Those on board the Tour thought that it would be by train solely. We were quite suprised when the Tour guide who picked us up explained that the first part of the Tour towards Arthur's Pass was by coach and that if we hadn't purchased the full tour, return was by coach along the same route. One of the passengers who wanted to do the return trip by train was not able to contact the tour agency and had to go back by coach. This can be quite frustrating. However, the scenery is just majestic! A little bit more precision provided to would-be travellers can add even more to the experience.Written 18 January 2025
- GL7030 contributionsFantastic Day tripWe really enjoyed this trip. Great scenery, and Francois, our guide for the day, was amazing. Very friendly, knowledgable, kept us on time but no one was rushed. He made the trip a fun day for us. We added the JetBoat option and train back to Christ Church - recommend doing those as well to get the full experience.Written 14 January 2025
- rogeralanb0 contributionsA truly memorable experienceSuch a great trip. Francois was such a great host and driver. A truly memorable experience. Highly recommended for couples.Written 13 January 2025
- Sylvia W0 contributionsGreat dayOur guide Paul was terrific. The itinerary was also great. A nice walk at Jetboat stop for those that didn’t jump on a boat. Castle Hill and Alpine Train ride a highlight of trip. Thumbs up.Written 10 January 2025
- Vacationer5132490 contributionsSpectacular scenes.We were given the opportunity to participate in a good number of experiences. Our guide was extremely helpful in providing options for different abilities of the group. The trip was very intense time wise but a great experience in beautiful weather.Written 5 January 2025
- minalim090 contributionsGreat Day TripGrant our driver and tour guide was friendly, detailed, a good driver! He briefed us on the days details, ensure all well and knows info to location well! The view was amazing. We had a great day! Well Done!Written 18 December 2024
- jennybJ8223FH0 contributionsGreat Day TourAlthough the weather was overcast the trip was still great fun and well worth going on. The pickup was easy and the bus was comfortable. Snack bag and bottled water provided from the start which was a great addition. The packed lunch included was also delicious and plentiful! There were enough bathroom stops including at a bakery with delicious food. Stopped twice at Lake Tekapo and Lake Pukaki (once on the way there and once on the way back) so plenty of photo opportunities. Stopped inside the Mount Cook national park with enough time to go for a walk, our guide recommended the walk up some steps to see the Tasman Glacier which was amazing! Definitely worth it. Overall had a great day with an informative and funny guide.Written 11 December 2024
- kirubaks0 contributionsDo not miss out on this once in a lifetime experience!Amazing views! Get your camera ready to shoot some amazing pics and videos. Even in summer, be prepared for changing weather conditions throughout the day.Written 11 December 2024
- tauwit0 contributions10/10 to the Greatsights bus tour guides!Massive appreciation to Stuart, the tour guide, with Greatsights bus. He has exceptional knowledge of the culture and history of new zealand, and his commentary compliments the amazing views on the tour.Written 26 November 2024
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.
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
We perform checks on reviews.
Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
Learn more about our review moderation.
4.0
5 reviews
Excellent
4
Very good
0
Average
0
Poor
0
Terrible
1
Leticia Vitoria C
1 contribution
The tour exceeded my expectations, the New Zealand landscapes are fantastic! The company provides a great service from start to finish, punctual for the start, a very flexible schedule, the car is comfortable and has Wi-Fi. The guide Joseph was great in providing relevant information at all the stops.
Written 7 February 2025
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.
Lynn S
Bozeman, MT5 contributions
Feb 2024 • Friends
Highly recommend this trip with Cheeky Kea. Clive, our guide, was terrific! There were four of us on this day long tour to Arthurs Pass. He queried us as to what we hoped to see, custom tailored it for us, and made this day really special. We were mostly interested in seeing the countryside and he did not disappoint. Clive, a New Zealand native, was extremely knowledgeable and great at explaining the history, geology, topography and present day changes in the area. He fielded all the questions we peppered him with and made our entire day really enjoyable and carefree.
Our first stop was the best meat pie shop you can imagine, for morning coffee and a pie, yum! We headed to the town of Springfield and the Waimakariri River, where the alpine jet boats were located. Due to time constraints on our cruise departure time, we went into the jet boat museum and shop only. We then needed to do a little exercise and stopped at Castle Hill, a limestone rock formed area, where we hiked a loop trail around the limestone boulders. The scenery was outstanding, meadows, ice-fed mountain lakes, mountain ranges, including ski areas, and rivers all the way to Arthurs Pass. We did a brief stop at the awe inspiring Otira Gorge Lookout for pictures, truly a spectacular view and an engineering marvel.
Next stop was the Devil's Punch bowl hike near to Arthur's Pass village, where we could either have a bit of lunch or walk up to the waterfall. The views were not disappointing and really special. We then headed back to town to catch our shuttle to the ship. Clive made sure we were not late, which made our entire day stress free.
Cheeky Kea's clean, comfortable, air-conditioned van was perfect for taking in all the sites. We appreciated our"goody" bags with water and local snacks to eat along the way. This tour, with Clive, was definitely one of our best tours on our 16 day trip!
Our first stop was the best meat pie shop you can imagine, for morning coffee and a pie, yum! We headed to the town of Springfield and the Waimakariri River, where the alpine jet boats were located. Due to time constraints on our cruise departure time, we went into the jet boat museum and shop only. We then needed to do a little exercise and stopped at Castle Hill, a limestone rock formed area, where we hiked a loop trail around the limestone boulders. The scenery was outstanding, meadows, ice-fed mountain lakes, mountain ranges, including ski areas, and rivers all the way to Arthurs Pass. We did a brief stop at the awe inspiring Otira Gorge Lookout for pictures, truly a spectacular view and an engineering marvel.
Next stop was the Devil's Punch bowl hike near to Arthur's Pass village, where we could either have a bit of lunch or walk up to the waterfall. The views were not disappointing and really special. We then headed back to town to catch our shuttle to the ship. Clive made sure we were not late, which made our entire day stress free.
Cheeky Kea's clean, comfortable, air-conditioned van was perfect for taking in all the sites. We appreciated our"goody" bags with water and local snacks to eat along the way. This tour, with Clive, was definitely one of our best tours on our 16 day trip!
Written 4 March 2024
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.
WOW, firstly thank you for taking the time to write such a lovely review!
I am so glad Clive was able to make your day so special, he is very familiar with that area and absolutely loves the opportunity to share his knowledge - you were definitely in great hands.
All the best for the rest of your travels and hope to see you on board again soon.
Written 7 March 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Mark_and_Trishy
Portsmouth, England4 contributions
Oct 2024 • Family
An excellent day out in the company of Nick, our friendly and knowledgeable guide. Absolutely stunning scenery and a good variety of stops along the way.
Written 26 November 2024
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.
Yuewei G
1 contribution
Nov 2024 • Solo
Terrible experience with this agency. My trip was affected by a scrub fire. At the pick-up point in the early morning, The tour guide explained tt it would mostly be a trip on the coach, confirming that I can get a FULL REFUND if I’m not joining.
However, Cheeky Kea Tours rejected my refund request on the next day. Aft multiple emails, the agency only agreed to 50% refund as a “gesture of goodwill”. Make a recording when this agency promise you verbally. They can take back their words easily!
However, Cheeky Kea Tours rejected my refund request on the next day. Aft multiple emails, the agency only agreed to 50% refund as a “gesture of goodwill”. Make a recording when this agency promise you verbally. They can take back their words easily!
Written 7 December 2024
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.
We notified Gu Yuewei the day before her tour to Arthurs Pass, providing details about the new itinerary and offering her the option to either cancel for a full refund or proceed with the changes. Gu Yuewei responded, confirming that she wanted to continue.
At the end of the email sent to all customers on the day tour, we noted that "If you want to continue with the tour, please let us know ASAP. There will be no compensation if the tour goes ahead tomorrow and you have decided to join. Alternatively, we can offer a full refund if you wish to cancel before 6 pm tonight." Gu Yuewei responded with "Hi! I’d like to join the tour tomorrow. Thank you!"
I am struggling to understand why Gu Yuewei is now harassing us on social media and review platforms after we informed her of the road closure at the same time we were notified. Despite this, she willingly chose to go ahead with the tour and now claims our driver offered her a full refund.. which he has no Recollection of..
The large scrub fire was entirely out of our control, and we communicated this to her, offering an alternative route so she can still continue on the tour with us.
As a gesture of goodwill, we offered a 50% refund, given the circumstances and the challenges faced by both our team and our customers.
However, she immediately declined the offer and proceeded to harass us across multiple media platforms.
Written 9 December 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Maps62053285355
1 contribution
Feb 2024 • Friends
My first trip to NZ. This has been delightful experience. Beautiful views, just the right amount of hikes and rests (some of us also did a jet ski boating along the way -- super fun!). The guide Clive was experienced, knowledgable, friendly... Highly recommend !
Written 19 March 2024
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.
We are thrilled to have been a part of your first trip to NZ and to hear that you had a delightful experience with us! It's wonderful to know that you enjoyed the beautiful views, the balance of hikes and rests, and even had some fun on the jet ski boating excursion along the way. We're happy to hear that our guide Clive ensured a memorable journey for you. we hope to have the pleasure of welcoming you back for more adventures in the future!
Written 28 March 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
No questions have been asked about this experience
Buy it with
Top rated
*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.