Lyttelton Shore Excursion: Combined Antarctic Centre and Christchurch City Tour

Experience the best of Lyttelton with a shore excursion that combines a visit to the International Antarctic Centre and a city tour of Christchurch. Encounter adorable Blue Penguins, brave an Antarctic Storm, and explore the fascinating history and beauty of the city.

Duration: 6 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Lyttelton Harbour - The tour begins and concludes in Lyttelton.
  • Leisure Tours - Experience travel with Leisure Tours.
  • Sign of the Takahe - A prime location to enjoy breathtaking views of the City, Canterbury Plains, and Southern Alps.
  • Mona Vale - Enjoy a stroll through Mona Vale Gardens, featuring charming gardens, ponds, and a…
What's Included
  • Worry-free Shore Excursion Guarantee
  • Driver/guide
  • In-vehicle air conditioning
  • Live commentary on board
What's Not Included
  • Food and drinks
  • Gratuities
Additional Information

Merge a visit to the International Antarctic Centre, featuring cute Blue Penguins, a simulated Antarctic Storm in the Ice and Snow room, a 4-D Movie, and a thrilling Hagglund ride on a custom-built track, with a half-day exploration of Christchurch. This includes a look at the city’s recovery from multiple earthquakes in 2010 and 2011, a tour of…

Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
4.6
(217 Ratings)
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Alona_r
Apr 9, 2026
Although Christchurch is... - Although Christchurch is a small city, it has a nice downtown area that can be explored. The Antartica expeirence is amazing. It provided us a good understanding about survival in Antartica.
Review provided by Viator
Monique_d
Apr 6, 2026
We had a wonderful day... - We had a wonderful day touring Christchurch & the International Arctic Center. Our guide, Scotty was great and very knowledgeable! Would definitely recommend this trip.
Review provided by Viator
Preston_s
Mar 31, 2026
Beautiful - Drive was very beautiful. Guide was very knowledgeable about the towns. The driver made the trip very interesting.
Review provided by Viator
Juliepb5060vz
Mar 26, 2026
Fantastic time! - We had a wonderful time! Our guide was friendly and knowledgeable. Great communication for where to meet when getting off the ship. Would highly recommend!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Andrew_j
Mar 25, 2026
Great experience - highly recommend - Very good experience and a very professionally run company. Perfect from start to finish and I think Scotty is the best guide I've ever had anywhere, informative, funny and kept us on time all day. The sights visited were good and the Antarctic Centre is very good
Review provided by Viator
John_p
Mar 24, 2026
Fabulous day. Joseph was... - Fabulous day. Joseph was our guide and he was so knowledgeable about everything from things to show us on the way between sites and about everything we did. There wasn’t a question he couldn’t answer. The Antarctic Center guide was also fantastic Just a great day full of things to see and do.
Review provided by Viator
Derrick_c
Mar 13, 2026
Christchurch scenic highlights and International Antarctic Centre - We had 2 guides/drivers (Joseph and Pete) and both were very knowledgeable and provided excellent insight on the history of Christchurch before and after the devastating 2010-2011 earthquakes. The International Antarctic Center exceeded our expectations with their interactive and immersive activities. The highlights included experiencing the harsh conditions of an Antarctic storm and traversing in all-terrain Haaglund vehicle. Definitely worth taking this tour!
Review provided by Viator
Trip02254076591
Mar 7, 2026
This is a do not miss tour!!!! It’s a must! - Scotty was an exceptional guide. Information was broad, deep and fascinating. Very enjoyable and worthwhile. The tour of the Antarctic Center was fantastic! Seeing the penguins was very interesting! The entire experience at the Antarctic center was terrific! It was very fascinating ,and very realistic. Scotty also told us where to have a terrific meat and cheese pie for lunch. This is a do not miss tour! We loved Scotty!!!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Robert_s
Mar 5, 2026
Fabulous Tour - A fabulous experience. A traffic guided tour with lots of commentary (Scottie!). Visited gardens, Mountain View points but the highlight is the Antarctic center, the base for many countries’ Antarctic research. Don’t visit Christchurch without seeing it!
Review provided by Viator
Donna_e
Mar 1, 2026
Book it for the Antarctic experience for sure! - Had a blast at this center, learned a lot, fun riding the Haggland's and seeing the penquins. The Center docent was very knowledgeable and hearing his stories of adventures on the continent were amazing.
Review provided by Viator
From $109
up to 15 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).