Lyttelton Shore Excursion - Guided Walking Tour and Picnic
Overview
Available languages
5 hours
Mobile ticket
Escape the crowds and enjoy an incredible day in the great outdoors, on this stunning guided Crater Rim Walk. Lyttelton Harbour is nestled inside an extinct volcano crater. You will be met at Lyttleton Port by your guide, and transported in a 12-seater van to Sumner Beach for hot drinks at a cafe overlooking the ocean.
Godley Head Loop Track is undoubtedly one of the best hikes in Christchurch, an undulating track with breathtaking coastal views, historic WW2 landmarks, and quaint little beaches. The distance is approximately 8 km / 5 miles, taking around 3 hours to walk, with lots of time to stop and enjoy the scenery.
Morning tea is served at Godley Head, followed by a picnic lunch at Boulder Bay, a secluded beach looking out over Pegasus Bay, and the majestic Southern Alps. Seals, dolphins, and birds are often spotted.
After the walk, your guide will return you to Lyttleton Port, or if time allows you will also have the option of being dropped into Christchurch City to explore.
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 meeting your guide at Lyttelton Port, you will be transported in a 12-seater van to Sumner Beach (approximately 10 minutes drive), where 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
Snacks
Lunch
Port pickup
Coffee and/or Tea
Transport by air-conditioned minivan
Gratuities
Options
Guided Walk and Picnic
Duration: 5 hours: The best choice for Lyttleton cruise guests! We will meet you at the port, and return you to either Lyttelton or the city.
Picnic: Morning tea, lunch, and water is provided, along with coffee/tea at a cafe on the way to the start of our walk.
Path of the Gods: Lyttelton to Sumner, Godley Head, then you can choose to be dropped back to Lyttelton or into Christchurch City to explore.
12 seater Van: Air conditioned
Pickup included
Reviews
65 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
LOVED this experience!!
gilesa2013,Mar 17, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Helen and Dave were excellent guides, with attention to all details and keeping the pace suitable for all participants. The lunch exceeded expectations and the views were stunning! Highly recommend!
Do this amazing hike with thoughtful extras!
bbjackson1,Mar 14, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00First, I wanted to know that we took this as part of an excursion we planned on our own from our cruise stop in Lyttleton Port. Second and most importantly , Helen and Dave were fabulous guides. They took us to an amazing local café on the beach for morning coffee and tea, gave us lots of details about the local history, including background on the Māori. Helen & Dave provided all the essential & quite a few especially thoughtful extras: walking sticks, reusable NZ water bottles that we could take with us, sunscreen and a hat for those who forgot them. Helen even lent her own hat to someone whose cap kept blowing off due to the very high winds during our trek.. There were so many extras: an amazing lunch in a reusable bento box, healthy snacks for a break on the journey, and an amazing lunch spot. We truly loved the sustainable nature of this tour, our amazing guides, and the fantastic scenery from the beach to the history to the crater. We can’t say enough about our fabulous and this amazing local company, Crater Rim Walks. Definitely plan hike with them if you are. In Lyttleton! You will not be disappointed.
Crater Rim Walk an Excellent Adventure!
Betty K,Mar 13, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00I stepped out solo for this adventure after feeling inspired by a thumbs up on a Celebrity cruise FB group. The Rim Walk met my expectations for experiencing something off the beaten path. Wonderful guides, Nicole and Ita, were thoughtful, knowledgeable, and communicated well before and after. Just do it, you will not regret!
Excellent excursion/great value
Valerie C,Mar 9, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00This was an amazing experience. The company took care of everything. They provided a hot beverage, water, snacks and lunch, poles, and even backpacks. The guides, Emma and Herb were lovely and helpful. The scenery was beautiful. This was one of our favorite experiences of our trip. Highly recommend.
Amazing hiking experience
Explorer22385965139,Feb 28, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We thoroughly enjoyed our hiking trip with Emma! She first took us to a lovely coffee shop, then drove us to the trail while giving us interesting facts/history about Lyttleton. On the trail, the scenery was absolutely breathtaking, and the hike was not too difficult. Emma was very attentive and engaging, and thoughtfully provided us with backpacks, water, snacks, and lunch. We would definitely recommend this tour!
Crater trek
phyllis s,Feb 22, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00This is a small group hiking opportunity through the beautiful countryside around the Lyttleton area. The hike is around the top of a large crater that helps form Lyttleton and the area. Herb and Vicki were great guides, and provided local information and historical information relevant to the area. There are several steeper ups and downs that have to be accomplished on the hike. We were able to take these at our own pace with Vicki taking care that we were with the group. I would recommend this hike for people that are in pretty good walking/hiking shape.
Zero stress all fun hiking tour!
JonB290,Feb 18, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Had an excellent excursion with Nicole and Dee on our crater rim walk. Skip the cruise tours and sign up for this one. It's zero stress and all fun. You'll get a drive around Christchurch and just the right amount of trail hiking with all the accessories you'll need and excellent tour guides. All the other reviews are spot on. It's a beautiful hike and the communication beforehand makes it easy to arrange.
Unforgettable day run by a fabulous crew with beautiful scenery
OnAir35296980706,Feb 10, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We had the best day walking the Crater Rim. We could not have asked for a better guide with Nikuru. She was just a lovely person, very knowledgeable about the area and was fine with stopping whenever we wanted a drink or to take a photo. Nicole prepared a beautiful lunch and morning tea for us. If you like walking and beautiful scenery I cannot recommend this tour highly enough. The scenery is incredible. Not only did we have a beautiful day, Crater Rim Walks were fabulous to deal with from start to finish. Thank you so much for a wonderful day. 😊
Great experience and hike with Dee. Just beautiful!
phmeyer,Jan 19, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Amazing views and hike with Dee. Communication and transportation was wonderful. Don’t hesitate to book with them!
Fantastic hiking excursion!
Kristen W,Jan 10, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Of all the tours we took in New Zealand, this was undoubtedly our favorite. The day started with a visit to a wonderful coffee shop on the beach before being transported to the hiking area. The hike itself was absolutely beautiful. We are active and in our 40s and did not have any difficulties with the hike, but there are rolling hills that might not be suitable for all. There was time to go at your own pace and stopping points where the guides would teach us about the area. We had two amazing guides who could not have been better - they were informative, conversational, attentive, and ensured that everyone in the group was progressing through the hike. They were also very thoughtful about taking photos of guests (even from a distance) and sending them to each guest. They certainly helped make the trip very enjoyable. In addition, the picnic lunch was delicious. A pleasant surprise is that we were given a reusable water bottle that served as a souvenir. Finally, we had a great group to hike with that make the excursion that much more enjoyable. I realize that is a factor that cannot be controlled but it was a bonus! Overall, this was an absolute gem of an excursion and highly recommended!
From NZ$300.00
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