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New Zealand
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Canterbury
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Christchurch
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Tours & Activities
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Akaroa Day Tour from Christchurch
1 day
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About this activity
Following a morning pickup by air-conditioned coach from your Christchurch hotel, head out along the road to Akaroa to begin your tour. Pass scenic local highlights such as Governor’s Bay, Gebbies Pass, Lake Ellesmere, Lake Forsyth and Little River, and capture the country’s breath-taking beauty on camera, travel over the beautiful Banks Peninsula, formed following violent eruptions of two ancient volcanoes. The aptly named "Hill Top" gives glorious views of Akaroa Harbor & the remote bays and farmlands. The Akaroa crater nurses the picturesque harbor and Akaroa village, the only French settlement established in New Zealand.
Visit the Barry's Bay Cheese Factory for a cheese tasting of locally made cheeses, the only remaining cheese factory on the peninsula from a bygone era. Next you can enjoy the quaint colonial architecture and wander around the charming 150 year old French harbor side village of Akaroa with its museum of settlers' history, art and craft shops and studios and al fresco cafes and wine bars.
Lunch at the popular Bully Hayes Restaurant nestled in the Akaroa Village, In the afternoon enjoy a 2 hour nature and harbor cruise on the Canterbury Cat, you'll experience a rich variety of marine and bird life in their natural habitat, including the unique and playful Hector's dolphins, as you hear about Akaroa’s fascinating past. The Hector's Dolphin is the world's smallest oceanic dolphin.
In the late-afternoon, hop back aboard your coach for the drive back to your Christchurch hotel, where your tour will come to an end.
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Visit the Barry's Bay Cheese Factory for a cheese tasting of locally made cheeses, the only remaining cheese factory on the peninsula from a bygone era. Next you can enjoy the quaint colonial architecture and wander around the charming 150 year old French harbor side village of Akaroa with its museum of settlers' history, art and craft shops and studios and al fresco cafes and wine bars.
Lunch at the popular Bully Hayes Restaurant nestled in the Akaroa Village, In the afternoon enjoy a 2 hour nature and harbor cruise on the Canterbury Cat, you'll experience a rich variety of marine and bird life in their natural habitat, including the unique and playful Hector's dolphins, as you hear about Akaroa’s fascinating past. The Hector's Dolphin is the world's smallest oceanic dolphin.
In the late-afternoon, hop back aboard your coach for the drive back to your Christchurch hotel, where your tour will come to an end.
Included
- Lunch - (if option chosen)
- Driver/guide
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Air-conditioned vehicle
Not included
- Gratuities
Additional
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Infants must sit on laps
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Please advise any specific dietary requirements at time of booking
- Collapsible wheelchairs with removable wheels can be accommodated providing the passenger is accompanied by someone who can assist them board and disembark
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
Features
Tourism
95%
Cultural
70%
Reviews
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This tour was fantastic! We had a delightful day in Akaroa to include a delicious lunch, time to walk around the town, and a delightful boat ride along the coast and back into the harbor.
Unfortunately it was raining, windy, and cold. And this was a summer day. Activity is weather dependent. Inspite of the weather, I still enjoyed the sites: the greenery, the towering cliffs, the cathedral domed cave, and the ocean. The marine life was awesome: Hector dolphins, fur seals, and penguins. A sunny and calm day would have made this a perfect excursion.
The tour started with a beautiful drive through the plains and hills from Christchurch to Akaroa. Our driver-guide Scotty was amazing -- so informative about the area and what we were seeing along the way! Even though it was a holiday, we were still able to stop at Barry's Bay Cheese Factory, see a video of the cheese making process, sample some of the cheeses, and make our purchases. The free time in small sea-side town of Akaroa provided enough time to visit the shops and enjoy a walk along the harbor shore. Lunch at Bully Hayes was good but nothing special -- there were other dining options nearby that would have been just as good if not better. The harbor cruise was the highlight of the tour. Andrew, the driver-guide on the boat, provided informative as well as humorous commentary through the cruise. We saw lots of Hector's dolphins, and they swam right up to the boat -- some even swam right along the side of the boat! We also saw some fur seals and several sea birds. On the return drive, Scotty took us on a different route back to Christchurch, along the top of the hills/mountains surrounding the Akaroa bays -- the views were absolute beautiful! I would highly recommend this tour it's a great way to see the beauty of the area southeast of Christchurch and experience seeing the rare Hector's dolphins!
This was ok, but was a replacement for a 4-wheeling tour that did not take place. I've been on these types of cruises before and was looking forward to something different. We did see many dophins and a couple of penguins. Although there were so many people on the side of the boat where the penguins were, that I never saw them.