Full Day Guided Walking Tour and Picnic around Godley Head
Overview
Available languages
6 hours
Mobile ticket
Enjoy a stunning guided walk along the Godley Head Loop Track, one of the most breathtaking hikes in Christchurch. Your guide picks you up from your accommodation and transports you to Taylors Mistake Beach, where the adventure begins.
Take in world-class views as you traverse the ancient crater of an extinct volcano and enjoy one of New Zealand's most beautiful coastlines with an experienced local guide.
This well-maintained loop track spans 8-10 km (5-6 miles) and takes approximately 3 hours to complete, allowing plenty of time to soak in the scenery. Hot drinks at a local café, morning snacks, and a gourmet picnic lunch are all included.
Along the way, you'll see recently restored historic WWII landmarks, an Antarctic cabin, a penguin colony, and charming little huts. Visit Boulder Bay, a secluded beach with views over Pegasus Bay and the majestic Southern Alps. Wildlife sightings may include seals, dolphins, and native birds.
This day tour begins and ends in Christchurch City.
Additional Info
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
Sumner Beach (Cave Rock)
After hotel pick up, your guide will entertain you with the history of Christchurch on the 20-minute drive to Sumner Beach in a 12-seater van. Here you will enjoy a hot drink on the deck of a seaside cafe overlooking the ocean and Cave Rock. This is a beautiful landmark and a great start to the day.
Taylors Mistake - Awaroa / Godley Head Walk
Your next stop is Taylors Mistake Beach (10 minutes drive), a beautiful black sand surf beach, with quaint little baches. Here your guide will hand out backpacks, poles, lunch, water bottles, and snacks, and prepare you for the walk.
What‘s Included
Local guide
Walking poles
Bottled water
Lunch
Coffee and/or Tea
Transport by air-conditioned minivan
Hotel pickup (within a 5 km radius on the city)
Hotel pickups more than 5km outside of the city centre
Gratuities
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Options
Full Day Crater Rim Walk
Our top-notch guided 1-day walk on Banks Peninsula, a small group tour with up to 10 people departing from Christchurch.
Duration: 6 hours
Lunch, hot drinks, water
Air conditioned van
Pickup included
Reviews
163 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
This was an incredibly...
Wendy O,Mar 24, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00This was an incredibly beautiful, 6 mile hike along the permitter of a volcano crater and Godley Head. Our super friendly hike leader Dee gave us historical and cultural information. of the ares. A delicious picnic lunch was also served along with group photos sent to us after the hike. Kudos yo Crater Rim Walks in Christ Church!
The hike was longer and...
Mari T,Mar 22, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00The hike was longer and harder than described. The views were wonderful! Definitely needed the hiking poles at points.
An Added Bonus!
bernadettesY3577NG,Mar 20, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00A great day out hiking around Godley Head with Kate as our guide and a lovely American couple. The views were amazing and the whole day reminded us of how much we enjoy hiking. We were due to do the half day hike, however, due to circumstances, ended up doing the full day - a fortunate twist of circumstances for us, as this is now the option we would thoroughly recommend! The experience was very relaxed and the detour on the way back past Littleton port was a great addition. Thank you so much for a wonderful day!
Amazing experience highly recommend!!
danigK1683AC,Mar 16, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00My husband and I did the Crater Rim Walk with Nicole and it was amazing! It was a perfect day and we had a great time. She was very knowledgeable, accommodating and friendly. We felt very relaxed throughout the day and were able to take the walk at our own pace. I would highly recommend this tour if you are looking to do the Crater Rim Walk with an expert who helps guide you through the trail and makes sure you feel comfortable.
Godley Head Adventure
Jeffrey L,Mar 14, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00great hike with breath taking views, a fun lunch and interesting history about the area. Highly recommend
Godley Bay day hike
Sally G,Mar 13, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00An excellent day. Picked up at our hotel, scenic drive, beach stop, great day hike about 6 miles, beautiful scenery. Lots of interesting info from our guide about the area and history. Great packed lunch.
Godley Head guided walking tour
Wander34845,Mar 8, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00My wife and I enjoyed this hiking experience immensely! We would highly recommend it to anyone who wants to spend a wonderful day seeing some beautiful sights in Christchurch. Our guide, Flick, was very personable and and quite knowledgeable about the history of the area and Christchurch in general. The hike is not difficult at all, and the scenery was very beautiful. The company that provides this experience was very professional. Everything they said they were going to do was done, exactly as promised, and in a first class fashion. Nicole, was the person we interacted with and she was able to resolve a booking problem that Viator had created by triple booking our reservation. I can't say enough good things about this experience. It was the best thing we did during our stay in Christchurch!
Godley Head Day Hike
Tour07385056933,Feb 28, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Kate was a great guide for my husband and I. She let us set the pace and gave us options as to how challenging we wanted our hike to be. We’re an active couple in our 60’s and found this to be awarding day of hiking but not too strenuous.
Attention to Detail
Laura S,Feb 25, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Attention to detail is top-notch on this hike. From ponchos to snacks to lunch and a keepsake water bottle - they think of everything! Ita is an excellent guide. She is knowledgeable about history, plants, and the area. We were lucky enough to be the only two on the hike and thoroughly enjoyed our hike and the time with Ita. She treated us like we were her personal guests.
Very enjoyable and informative walk
Trip37876931757,Feb 15, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We were delighted by the lectures, discussions and chats with our knowledgable and friendly guide Herb and our fellow walkers. Nicole from Crater Rim Walks organized everything very well: timing, pick up and transport back to our hotel. We got a tasty lunch bag and a water bottle as a present and a lasting memory for our walk.
From NZ$300.00
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