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TranzAlpine Train, Arthur's Pass and Castle Hill Day Trip
4.8
262 Ratings
Christchurch
Embark on a breathtaking journey from Christchurch to Arthur’s Pass on the TranzAlpine train. Experience stunning landscapes, lush forests, and majestic mountains on this perfect day trip for nature lovers and adventure seekers.
Duration:
10 hours
Cancellation:
1 day
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Highlights
- Christchurch Cathedral - After pick-up from your hotel at 7.30am, your guide will drop you to the train station in Christchurch for one of the greatest train journey’s in the world. Travel on the TranzAlpine train & admire the stunning scenery through panoramic windows & open air viewing decks. Disembark the train at Arthur’s Pass National Park where you will meet your guide again.
- Otira Viaduct Lookout - Then drive down to Otira Viaduct which provide impressive views of red flowering rata in summer months & grab the opportunity to spot the inquisitive Kea (alpine parrot) well known for its cheeky nature.
- Devils Punchbowl Walking Track - Your guide will then recommend you some popular walks in the National Park with incredible views.
- Arthur’s Pass National Park Visitor Centre - After your walk enjoy 1 hours free time for lunch at a local cafe & explore the village of Arthur’s Pass.
- Kura Tawhiti Conservation Area - On your return journey, travel by road in a luxurious minivan with a few scenic stops on the way. Take a coffee break & capture stunning mirror images at Lake Person. Then wander through majestic presence of limestone rock formations at Castle Hill Conservation Area. Stretch your legs one last time at Lake Lyndon that regularly freezes in winter months. Return back & drop-off to your location in Christchurch.
What's Included
- Bottled water
- National Park fees
- Transport by air-conditioned late model Minibus
- Fully guided tour except the walks
- TranzAlpine Train from Christchurch to Arthur’s Pass
- Small group
- Pickup and drop-off from selected Central Christchurch Hotels
What's Not Included
- Lunch
Additional Information
Embark on a scenic expedition on the TranzAlpine train from Christchurch to Arthur’s Pass, renowned as one of the most picturesque train journeys globally. Soak in the captivating sights of the Canterbury Plains, Southern Alps, the glacier-fed Waimakariri River, verdant beech woodlands and awe-inspiring panoramas. Traverse hiking trails in Arthur’s Pass National Park featuring impressive mountain vistas & untouched waterfalls. Reflect on nature’s beauty at Lake Pearson & meander among the grand limestone formations at Castle Hill. An ideal day excursion for those passionate about nature, hiking & thrilling adventures.
- A small amount of walking is involved.
- Children must be accompanied by an adult.
- Minimum numbers apply. There is a possibility of cancellation after confirmation if there are not enough passengers to meet requirements. In the event of this occurring, you will be offered an alternative or full refund.
- Fully guided tour except the walks in the National Park & Castle Hill.
Location
Christchurch Bus Interchange
Colombo Street
Your guide will pick you from outside FreshChoice Supermarket (located at 71 Lichfield Street) which is across the road from Bus Exchange.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.8
(262 Ratings)
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Laura_b
Aug 27, 2024
Great fun! - This was a really fun day out in a beautiful part of the world. The tour guide was brilliant- warm, friendly, knowledgeable, and prepared with bottled water, snacks, umbrellas, and ponchos, so we were ready for anything! Remember to bring headphones so you can listen to the commentary on the train.
Review provided by Viator
Laurabrown333
Aug 26, 2024
A really fun day out! - This was a really excellent day trip and a lovely way to see a gorgeous part of the world! Our guide was prepared for everything with so much attention to detail- abundant snacks, ponchos, umbrellas, and loads of local knowledge. The stops were all really beautiful and worthwhile, and the day was well timed. I really appreciated the correspondence before the trip reminding us of what to bring- my one regret is that we didn’t bring headphones to use on the train so that we could listen to the commentary, and it would have been helpful if this had been included in the email advising us what to bring. An absolutely great day out and would highly recommend it to anyone! Thanks to our lovely guide, Anuj, for taking such good care of us!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Carla_l
Jul 27, 2024
a must do when staying in Christchurch - beautiful scenery and fabulous guide! Anush was so knowledgeable and friendly! Authur's Pass, the wonderful train ride- the stop where they filmed Narnia- Casle Hill- it was amazing - recommend you do not miss this one-
Review provided by Viator
Catherin_w
Jul 23, 2024
Take the train to Arthur’s Pass and return the same day by bus. It is worth it. - The train trip was awesome. There was snow on the mountains, rich green vegetation on the plains and many rivers, some with quickly rushing streams while others were interesting creek beds. Our guide whose name I have forgotten (he originally came from Bombay) was fabulous. He had great knowledge, thoughtful ways of helping us take great pictures and was open to all suggestions. Go by train and return by bus. The views are breathtaking and the bus picks up magnificent scenery we missed on the train.
Review provided by Viator
Derek_f
Jul 6, 2024
Highly recommended for a taste of the South Island when you want to see something outside of Christchurch - Prompt pickup - excellent accommodation for folk who might have needed bathroom breaks along the way. Tasty treats were a pleasant surprise. Train trip was relaxing and informative. Many stops for excellent pics plus an unexpected movie tie-in as we were shown where an epic scene from the chronicles of Narnia was shot. Just an excellent and really customer-focused experience.
Review provided by Viator
Jennifer_w
Jun 8, 2024
TranzAlpine Train and More - The TranzAlpine train portion of the journey was gorgeous, but our train car was quite noisy, so if you're expecting a quiet, relaxing journey, you may be disappointed. There is an observation car at the front of the train which is open to the elements, but it was always so crowded, it wasn't worth it to me to try to worm my way into a space. Our tour guide, AJ, was excellent. He was very knowledgable and we learned a lot from him. Arthur's Pass was beautiful, and the hike to the Devil's Punchbowl was worth the 450 steps we had to climb to get there. The hike around the Kura Tawhiti Conservation Area was also lovely.
Review provided by Viator
Dang_t
Jun 2, 2024
Amazing view - Wonderful trip. The guide is very knowledgeable and friendly. I would highly recommend the tour to anyone visiting NZ
Review provided by Viator
Lutheranladysandiego
May 26, 2024
Misty Day Did Not Dampen Our Delight - This was the only day of our three-week trip that had a slight rain. However, the views from the train were still gorgeous and our guide provided us with an abundance of options to enjoy the area. This is the location for much of the Lord of the Rings filming. That alone should be an incentive for many. We loved the abundance of waterfalls, lakes and streams. The alpine rain forest was beautiful.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Czstreet
May 25, 2024
Incredible Journey - This trip was perfect. The train offered fabulous scenery, the hikes were not strenuous, and the guide was excellent. Each stop offered a whole new experience. It's a long day but so worth it. I would highly recommend.
Review provided by Viator
Waynetj7199xp
Aug 27, 2024
Really scenic trip - Very friendly staff did all they could do to make everyone feel welcome. Awesome scenery. Only thing that let the day down was a very long wait for the meal service to be ready on the way back
Review provided by Tripadvisor
