Akaroa Shore Excursion: Banks Peninsula, Christchurch City Tour and Sheep Farm Tour
Overview
Available languages
6 hours
Mobile ticket
Take a guided Christchurch city tour when your ship is docked in Akaroa port, and visit a traditional sheep farm to experience life in rural New Zealand. After seeing the Christchurch city sights, your Akaroa shore excursion takes you into the countryside to feed the animals, watch a sheep-shearing demonstration and see sheep dogs at work.
Additional Info
Wheelchair accessible
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
At time of booking, Cruise ship passengers must provide the following information: ship name, docking time, disembarkation time and re-boarding time
Please note that activity times and schedules can be slightly amended depending on your cruise ships timetable.
Collapsible wheelchairs with removable wheels can be accommodated providing the passenger is accompanied by someone who can assist them board and disembark
Cancellation Policy
If you cancel at least 6 full day(s) before the scheduled departure time, you will receive a full refund.<br>If you cancel between 2 and 6 day(s) before the scheduled departure time, you will receive a 50% refund.<br>If you cancel within 2 day(s) of the scheduled departure, you will receive a 0% refund.
What‘s Included
Sheep shearing demonstration
Local guide
Afternoon tea
Port pickup and drop-off
Covered by Viator’s worry-free policy: guaranteed on-time return to your ship
Food and drinks, unless specified
What To Expect
First you will be collected at the park at the end of Akaroa Wharf (opposite the Akaroa Village Inn) at 10.30am and driven through the village of Akaroa and the Banks Peninsula with stunning views of rolling hills, lakes and coastlines before arriving in Christchurch.
Christchurch Botanic Gardens
After boarding our coaches from the Akaroa Port, we'll take you through to the Christchurch Botanic Gardens & Christchurch Museum via the scenic Banks Peninsula. Explore on your own for 30 minutes.
Options
Akaroa Shore Excursion: Banks Peninsula, Christchurch City Tour and Sheep Farm Tour
Reviews
45 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Variety of experiences and knowledge
Walter S,
Apr 2, 2020
- Review from Viator
4.00Scott was an extremely well read, informed guide who could speak on most any topic. Very low key communicator...pushed no agendas, conveyed info with enthusiasm and interest. Very patient and humble. Sights seen, things learned about --culture, governance, natural resources, history-- and people met... All very enjoyable. One regret: we were unable to stay longer at museum or Botanic Gardens in Christchurch. We wonder if lunch could be done near gardens/museum instead of near river. That way folks could choose their own time spent for each. Plus, there seemed to be more good food places available in Canterbury area.
LOVED The Sheep Farm
pams33,
Mar 4, 2020
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00The visit to the sheep farm was excellent!!! It was informative, funny, and historical. Definitely one of the best shore excursions on the trip. A must do in Akaroa.
Sheep Farm Fun
Lynn M,
Mar 3, 2020
- Review from Viator
5.00We had a great day. Christchurch is still struggling but construction is slowly getting there. Akaroa is a quaint town. The sheep farm was fun and informative and the tea in the garden was very nice. Traffic due to road construction slowed us up a bit but no fault of tour guide. I do wish I had gone to the GiantsHouse. A tour of that and the sheep farm would have been perfect.
An amazing day
simon H,
Feb 28, 2020
- Review from Viator
5.00What a great excursion Janet our bus driver was excellent very knowledgeable didn’t rush the photo stops at all. Christchurch very interesting , the highlight for us was the trip to the sheep farm the owners were so welcoming . Sheep sheering very interesting . Lovely afternoon tea laid on in the owners garden. Book this trip you won’t be disappointed at all.
Not worth it
Nancy F,
Feb 27, 2020
- Review from Viator
2.00This tour was way too ambitious for the time allotted. The owner knows that the tenders from the trip can be delayed and that there is a long term road construction project under way on the very long windy road from the port to Christchurch that causes a significant delay coming and going yet does not give the buyer a heads-up that your tour in Christchurch will be VERY rushed. No time for lunch and just one bathroom break in 6 hours. It's suggested that you grab a takeout on the bathroom break but there is no place to buy anything! Very very disappointing. We stopped for the break beside the botanical gardens and there was no time to spend any time visiting. We rushed through town and stopped for photo opportunities at the two large churches severely damaged in the earthquake 9 years ago. Just a quick demonstration of the dog herding a few sheep at the farm and the owner sheered one sheep. This was a long day and not worth it.
Ship didn't dock but given no hassle refund!
Lee007jon,
Feb 19, 2020
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Unfortunately our ship was unable to dock due to poor conditions. We were devastated to miss this tour. I contacted the operators and given confirmation of a FULL refund within 24 hours of writing an email. So I am giving this 5 star rating purely based on the customer service aspect of getting a refund. It is very reassuring to know that this is available in case your ship cannot get into the harbour.
Good tour of Christchurch
Bob,
Feb 17, 2020
- Review from Viator
5.00Super tour of Christchurch and the surrounding area. Driver gave great commentary and provided good insight into the background and history of the area. Hugh at the sheep farm did a great job of letting us know what life on a sheep farm is like. Tom, the dog was interesting to watch as he worked the herd. Sheep shearing demo was excellent.
Met expectations Met advertised goals
Steve P,
Jan 16, 2020
- Review from Viator
4.00Comfortable van Best part was WETA workshop for me A little tough walking uphill back for me as I have metal parts and bad knees
good
lynda n,
Jan 12, 2020
- Review from Viator
3.00I feel the time is Christchurch was not long enough. The time you went to the bathroom you only had 15 minutes to see the city and get something to eat.
Misleading Tour - A Total Rip-off
taylorsescapes,
Jan 7, 2020
- Review from Viator
1.00This is the tour my husband and I were most looking forward to during our trip to New Zealand and we left feeling underwhelmed, mislead, and cheated out of our money. We booked this tour assuming the sheep farm would be the principal attraction, since it's highlighted as being the main event in photos and prose. Our tour tickets (given out upon arrival to the excursion) even said "Sheep Farm Tour" to distinguish us from the other Canterbury Leisure Tours groups. This tour was 7+ hours. We spent nearly 45 minutes at a sheep farm and another 15 just standing outside waiting for our bus driver to return. 10:25-3:40 was spent sitting on a mini-bus. We drove all the way out to Christchurch and back for a "city tour" (a commentary which consisted of pointing out administrative buildings, food courts, and retail spaces.) We had over an hour of free time for us to buy our own lunches. For some reason we traveled with people from a totally different Canterbury Leisure Tours group, who then split off from us at a different point during the day. We had to miss the only scenic photo stop in the whole driving tour on account of "running late" from lunch. The worst part was that the sheep farm was only 5 minutes from our original departure point, meaning we wasted over 5 hours driving and doing a city tour we imagined would be simple commentary en route to the sheep farm. The sheep farm (Coombe Farm) was lovely, and the owners and their family are delightful. We wish we could've had more time with them. Instead, we got an incredibly rushed shearing demo where we were packed so tightly we couldn't even get photos without muscling past people. There was no opportunity to partake in the shearing, despite being advertised otherwise. We would've so much rather independently visited Coombe Farm than to have paid nearly $200 to sit on a bus and waste our only day in Akaroa.
From NZ$199.00
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