Antarctic Centre: Immersive Christchurch Experience
4.4
390 Ratings
Christchurch

Experience the wonders of Antarctica in Christchurch at the International Antarctic Center. Brave storms, meet penguins, and immerse yourself in the beauty of this icy continent.

Duration: 5 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • International Antarctic Centre - The International Antarctic Centre transports a slice of this astounding continent to Christchurch, with a range of immersive experiences that allow everyday visitors to see, touch, feel and fall in love with Antarctica.
    Brave an Antarctic storm, go off-road in a Hägglund, befriend a husky, mingle with the penguins,…
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What's Included
  • Admission to the International Antarctic Center
What's Not Included
  • Excess luggage charges (where applicable)
Additional Information

The International Antarctic Centre brings a part of the awe-inspiring Antarctic right to Christchurch, offering a variety of engaging experiences which enable regular visitors to explore and adore Antarctica. Dare to endure an Antarctic tempest, adventure off-road in a Hägglund, hobnob with penguins, soak in the four-dimensional depiction of Antarctica…

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Location
International Antarctic Centre
38 Orchard Road, International Antarctic Centre
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.4
(390 Ratings)
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1 star
Wendy_m
Apr 18, 2025
Fun activity - It was a great fun experience, with lots to do & see. Very interesting & hands on. Can easily spend several hours there.
Review provided by Viator
Travelsdg
Apr 14, 2025
Fun and Factual exposure to the Frozen Continent - A great exposure to the fascinating world of the Antarctic - from Geology, Environment, Weather, Politics, Wildlife, to working and living on that continent. Mostly self-guided, with timed videos, tours, and exhibits - highly recommend the Huskie and Blue Penguin exhibits and the tracked vehicle trip! Spent about 2.5hrs there and could easily come back and discover more. Nice café there that offers food as well as hot and cold beverages.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Rae
Apr 11, 2025
We spend over three hours... - We spent over three hours there! It was great! We appreciated being told about the 4D movie as we were waiting for the storm to get to not stand around.
Review provided by Viator
Daniel
Apr 9, 2025
Great experience especially as a family - The Antarctic center has it all, animals, heaps of great information and experiences like the arctic storm or vehicle expedition.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Billv361
Apr 5, 2025
Don't miss this great attraction - The guide books say to allow ~2 hours for this. That may be true if you just do the "experiences" and watch the videos, but there is so much more to this place. my wife and I spent 3 1/2 hours and could have stayed a little longer. There is a ton of great information if you take the time to read it all. we also spent a long time talking to one of the staff who turns out to be a scientist who had spent time at the Pole. she was a wealth of additional information. Also, the center offers a senior discount, so it made it a very affordable place for us to visit.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Bethhx5944zw
Apr 4, 2025
Great Activity - A great experience and time well spent. Staff were excellent and knowledgeable. Displays are well set up for all ages. Value for money.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
K3206vbcarols
Apr 2, 2025
Great place to visit in Christchurch - It was a really interesting place to visit with well organised activities and good coffee! I would definitely recommend it.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sherpa51450565315
Apr 4, 2025
Antarctic centre review - Very good afternoon. Especially liked the storm room. Very cold in shorts. Very interesting, and the ride in the vehicle was well worth the visit.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Northstar19735205114
Apr 16, 2025
Penguin Experience - Not value for money - Locals. Our children had wanted to do the Penguin Experience for sometime but needed to wait until they were 8. Two very excited children were left very underwhelmed by what they thought would be seeing a lot of penguins. You receive the exact same speech as the already included general ticket entry, only this time taking place up a couple of steps with the same view as everyone else. One penguin active and seperate crew had later advised they were still adjusting to daylight savings. Had we known we wouldn’t have booked it then. You do get to go to a staff area and view any penguins receiving care, which had one that the kids could see for a minute before closing the lid again. Nice taxidermy for the kids to feel the feathers though. Staff very pleasant and knowledgeable. We waited afterwards for the 3pm feeding of the penguins and got the exact same discussion and saw all the penguins out and swimming. Kids really enjoyed this! I would recommend saving your money and just do the already included feeding as it’s far better!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Passport17642626414
Apr 19, 2025
Buy tickets from the entrance rather TripAdvisor - But tickets from International Antarctic Center is much cheaper. We spent NZ $227 for two adult and two kids from TripAdvisor But the entrance ticket price was NZ $199
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Check Availability
From $38
From $38
up to 9 guests
1 - Adult
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Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).