12 Train Trips in Christchurch, With Every Price

1.TranzAlpine Train, Arthur’s Pass and Castle Hill Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 426 reviews · from $254Our pick

Ride the TranzAlpine from Christchurch to Arthur’s Pass, hike to waterfalls, visit Castle Hill, and enjoy guided Southern Alps scenery.

“This was an amazing day trip! We saw so many beautiful sights. Our guide was so prepared with umbrellas and ponchos. Even though we spent a lot of time in the bus, we had multiple stops, including 2 for short hikes. Our guide was kind and knowledgeable. The train was beautiful, so scenic. Loved this day trip-we got to see so much, especially with our limited time here!”

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2.TranzAlpine Train Journey: Christchurch to Greymouth

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 312 reviews · from $151Best value

Review the TranzAlpine from Christchurch to Greymouth, with Southern Alps views, practical tips, food advice, timing, and honest value notes.

“Well organized, very professional staff, comfortable setting, and clean environment. An excellent way to experience the New Zealand Alpines.”

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3.Arthur’s Pass Discovery and TranzAlpine Train – Small Group Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 272 reviews · from $555

Ride New Zealand’s TranzAlpine to Arthur’s Pass, then explore alpine forests, Cave Stream, Castle Hill, and country roads by minivan.

“This was a wonderful trip surpassed my expectations. Both my sister and myself had a great time. Stu our guide made it so special for us and it a memory that we will cherish”

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4.Arthur’s Pass: TranzAlpine Train and Castle Hill Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 270 reviews · 10 hours · from $245

Ride the TranzAlpine to Arthur’s Pass, hike to waterfalls, spot kea, and explore Castle Hill on a scenic 10-hour Christchurch day tour.

“The trip was wonderful, the guide is friendly and helpful. He is always around at all meet up areas that I make me feel secure. Thank you so much!”

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5.Arthur’s Pass and TranzAlpine Train Day Tour from Christchurch

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 202 reviews · from $347

Ride the TranzAlpine to Arthur’s Pass, hike to waterfalls, enjoy mountain views, and visit a working sheep farm from Christchurch.

“This was a terrific tour and our tour guide, Carmen, was EXCEPTIONAL! She had the trip planned down to the minute with every detail thought through such that we had no worries at all. Carmen was/is warm, personable, knowledgeable and very energetic - a true pleasure to be around. We traveled via train to Arthur's Pass and back to Christchurch via van with plenty of scenic and interesting stops along the way to include a 300 step climb to a view of a beautiful waterfall. To say the scenery was breath-taking would be an understatement. This is a great tour to get you outside the city of Christchurch. I 100%…”

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6.Coastal Pacific Train Journey from Christchurch to Picton

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 92 reviews · from $164

Review the Coastal Pacific from Christchurch to Picton, with Kaikoura coast views, dolphins, open-air decks, audio commentary, and practical tips.

“The views, especially along the coast, are wonderful. Friendly staff and fellow travelers were also a plus. And the open air car was fantastic. Unfortunately the commentary wasn’t functioning, which was quite a disappointment. And the food options could be better, though they were adequate.”

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7.Tranz Alpine Train Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 92 reviews · from $465

Ride the TranzAlpine to Arthur’s Pass, hike among waterfalls and mountains, and return to Christchurch by car on a small-group day tour.

“Our guide Craig was incredible!! So knowledgeable about the history of the countryside and made our trip so special with his flexible relaxed style!”

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8.Christchurch to Arthur’s Pass Day Tour: TranzAlpine Train & Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 90 reviews · from $273

Review of Christchurch’s Arthur’s Pass day tour with Castle Hill, Devil’s Punchbowl, lunch, and the scenic TranzAlpine train.

“I traveled solo and this was a great day tour. Our guide Will was very informative and made the day fun. I definitely recommend paying for the jet boat ride, very fun and made me feel very alive! Castle Hill was stunning and we had time to walk around there and also to eat the bag lunch (good sandwich and snacks). There were other brief stops for good photo opportunities. I walked the Devil’s Punchbowl path up to a waterfall and that was enjoyable and worthwhile. I enjoyed the tranzalpine train from Arthur’s Pass back to Christchurch, definitely glad I did that part. Overall, I highly recommend this trip. I…”

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9.Arthur’s Pass with optional TranzAlpine Train (Small Group Tour)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 13 reviews · from $340

Review of the Arthur’s Pass small-group tour from Christchurch, with Castle Hill, alpine stops, lunch, guides, and optional TranzAlpine train.

“We had great views to the mountains of southern New Zealand including such famous place as Castle Hill, and exciting underground journey inside the cave with a river - we went through all this underground river. That was not really easy, aRead more”

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10.Kaikoura Whale Watch Day Tour from Christchurch including Coastal Pacific Train

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 6 reviews · from $316

Ride the Coastal Pacific to Kaikoura, watch whales, see fur seals, and visit a vineyard on this long but rewarding Christchurch day tour.

“The whale watching was terrific. However, the tour itself was very disorganized. They combined several different tours into one. Directions were not very clear and we ended up having to wait for other people to finish their activities. The guiRead more”

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11.2 Day TranzAlpine Train & Glaciers: Christchurch to Queenstown

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1 reviews · from $1,548

Review of the 2-day Christchurch to Queenstown tour by TranzAlpine train, Franz Josef Glacier, Haast Pass, and Lakes Wanaka and Hawea.

“Marissa our tour operator was so helpful in working with our schedule and finding a solution to meet our scheduling conflicts. The small group tour bus trips to get us from point A to B were a wonderful way to see some amazing sights in Read more”

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12.Arthur’s Pass with Optional TranzAlpine Train (Private Tour)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1 reviews · from $496

Review of Christchurch’s private Arthur’s Pass tour, with lunch, Castle Hill, Devil’s Punchbowl, and an optional TranzAlpine train ride.

“Thanks to Nathanael for a wonderful day seeing the country side and Castle Hill rocks. The picnic was wonderful and we had a fantastic time learning about the area. Nathanael did a great job tailoring the trip to our abilities and time constraints. Would definitely recommend this tour”

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