Christchurch to Arthur's Pass Day Tour: TranzAlpine Train & Lunch
Overview
Available languages
10 hours
Mobile ticket
Discover the breathtaking Southern Alps on this Arthur's Pass day tour from Christchurch. Travel in premium comfort through Canterbury's alpine region, then return on the world-famous TranzAlpine train—one of the world's most spectacular rail journeys.
Your Kiwi guide shares Māori history and insights as you cross Canterbury's braided rivers. Stop at Waimakariri Gorge for riverside walks and an optional jet boat experience.
Explore Castle Hill's limestone formations that inspired Middle Earth, visit alpine lakes including Lake Pearson and Lake Lyndon, and stop at Otira Viaduct Lookout. Lookout for the Kea—New Zealand's alpine parrot.
At Arthur's Pass Village, hike the Devils Punchbowl Track to a 154-meter waterfall or explore village shops. Your highlight awaits—the return journey aboard the TranzAlpine train with open-air viewing carriages.
Travel carbon-neutral in a premium Mercedes Sprinter and enjoy an included lunch and expert guiding with your small group. 100% Kiwi-owned.
Additional Info
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What To Expect
As we make our way through the Selwyn District, you will be greeted by Springfield, where we will then make our turn off towards the team at Alpine Jet Thrills. Here there are walks, views of the Waimakariri river, and sheep cuddles to enjoy. Looking for more adventure? Add on a 30 minute thrilling jet boat experience on one of the region’s most famous rivers (extra booked and sold separately).
Lake Lyndon
Quick photo stop at Lake Lyndon (Te Hāpua Waikawa), nestled at the base of Porters Pass. Known as one of the region's colder alpine lakes, capture reflections of surrounding peaks.
What‘s Included
Expert Kiwi guide with live commentary (English)
Free WiFi, USB charging and bottled water ports onboard
TranzAlpine train ticket (Arthur's Pass to Christchurch)
Lunch and kiwi snacks
Hotel pickup and drop-off from 16 central Christchurch locations
Premium Mercedes Sprinter transport with air conditioning
Small-group tour for personalized attention
100% carbon-neutral tour—all emissions offset
Jet boat experience at Alpine Jet Thrills (optional on the day)
Pickup points
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Options
Christchurch to Arthur's Pass Day Tour: TranzAlpine Train & Lunch
Pickup included
Reviews
91 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Fun Day Trip to Mountains
Kathleen J,,Jan 23, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Nicely paced tour with very knowledgeable guide. We chose to do the Jet Boat add-on adventure which was really fun. We did not get to do the train portion of this trip because the train had been involved in an accident earlier in the day. We were refunded the amount for the train ticket immediately.
A great day out!
Adrian H,,Jan 17, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00A brilliant tour -we saw so much! The additional Jet boat trip was amazing and well worth doing! Clive , our guide was brilliant- friendly, punctual and a wealth of knowledge about South Island. Highly recommend!
Train ride and views
Sridhar R,,Jan 12, 2026
- Review from Viator
3.00Van/Guide wasn’t having enough experience about the details. Trans Alphin train experience was wonderful, it was scenic and breathtaking views
They literally just stole 175$ of me....
rominafR8628YM,,Jan 10, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
1.00I am so upset! I had an amazing tour last weekend to Mount Cook, so booked another tour today to Arthur's Pass incl. Train ride. Due to the bad weather, the tour had to be cancelled. However, the train tickets of 175 NZD are non refundable which no one tells you at the point of purchase. I am not being offered to have this tickets rescheduled either. This is not right! Refund my ticket or offer me to have it rescheduled. It's 175$, which buys me a lot of beautiful things. Are you doing this to all your customers?!?! Happy to delete this review once a resolution has been found.
Beautiful sights, wonderfully planned
Pamela O,,Jan 10, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00This was a nice tour! Our guide was a bit quiet but very nice. He drove us quite a long distance to see beautiful sights. My favorite was the hike to Devil’s Punchbowl Falls. It was raining, but we had umbrellas and rain jackets. The “400 steps” was well worth it! The waterfall was gorgeous!! We were given snack bags and lunch. And we had the chance to ride the jet boat, which was incredibly fun. This was a well-planned, fun tour! Pack an umbrella and rain jacket just in case! And sunglasses for the jet boat
Alpine by train and bus
YuetHoong L,,Jan 9, 2026
- Review from Viator
4.00Our guide Dianna is informative throughout the drive. Castle Hill probably is the most exciting and beautiful place in this journey, huge remarkable rock stacked and scattered along the hill, amazingly eye catching. A little too long stop at the jet boat place especially for those not joining the activity. The train passing through the alpine, the scenery was beautiful but not the best I ever seen. The lunch is a bit too little with no meat at all, disappointed.
Great full-day tour!
hazelrabbit,,Jan 7, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Enjoyed this all-day trip that included 8 locations, half which consisted of 45-60 minute stops/walks and half which were a literal 5-10 minute stop to see the location, hear about its historical significance and take a few photos, and then get back on the van to the next spot. 3 highlights included walking amongst the Castle Hill limestone boulders, a sacred site in Maori legend, the Devil’s Punchbowl, which is a 400-step climb to a beautiful waterfall. (There is a bridge to cross before the steps and allows for great views and photo opps.) We made it up about 100 steps and returned to the village to grab beverages and see the cheeky Kea birds. The third highlight – the transalpine train ride – is the final leg of the tour. We were very excited to experience the ride and views, but keep in mind it’s a slow-moving train. While it allows for good sightseeing (there is also one car that has open viewing for picture-taking), at that point we had been sightseeing and van riding for about 7 hours, and the slow-moving train made me nod off a couple times. Other good points were the small group number and the guide who was knowledgeable and respectful of the country’s history. For the price of the tour, one low point was the box lunch, which was half a sandwich, chips, and a dry scone and dry brownie, although eating lunch on the beach was great. Would do the trip again.
Wonderful and beautiful day!!
Jill P,,Jan 7, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Joseph was a great guide! We loved all of the stops along the way. The scenery was beautiful and we learned a lot about New Zealand. It was nice to have some active stops where we got to walk around. Great energy and caring from our guide
Awesome Experience
Nagendra V,,Dec 30, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Excellent experience; a soft-spoken, knowledgeable guide. Comfortable coach and unforgettable return journey on the transAlpine Train.
Arthur’s Pass and Back
Ges W,,Dec 29, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Fantastic experience with an incredibly knowledgeable and friendly guide. The jet boating is a must!
From NZ$440.00
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