TranzAlpine Train Journey: Christchurch to Greymouth

Name: TranzAlpine Train Journey: Christchurch to Greymouth
Price: 243.75 NZD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4.35 (341 reviews)

Overview

Available languages

Chinese (Taiwan)

Chinese

English

Mobile ticket

Experience the South Island’s striking natural landscape by taking a train one way between Christchurch and Greymouth. Along this journey you’ll see epic vistas, travel the edges of the ice-fed Waimakariri River, traverse the Southern Alps, and see miles of native beech forest.

Additional Info

Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap

Wheelchair accessible

Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller

Service animals allowed

Public transportation options are available nearby

Transportation options are wheelchair accessible

Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Children must be accompanied by an adult

Wheelchair accessible, please advise at time of booking if travelling with a wheelchair

Please arrive at least 20 minutes prior to scheduled departure and check in at the station to receive your boarding pass

This train passes through the Southern Alps, please dress for the alpine conditions

Cancellation Policy

All sales are final. No refund is available for cancellations.

What To Expect

One of the world’s great train journeys, traveling coast to coast through forests and farmland and through the spectacular Southern Alps. The TranzAlpine operates a daily return service between Christchurch and Greymouth. From the comfort of world-class carriages, you will see the fields of the Canterbury Plains and farmland, followed by the spectacular gorges and river valleys of the Waimakariri River. The train then climbs into the majestic Southern Alps to Arthur’s Pass National Park, before descending through lush beech rain forest to the West Coast town of Greymouth, a great base for visits to Punakaiki and the always-popular glaciers. While on board enjoy the journey in award-winning world-class carriages with specially designed seats. Awaken your senses in the open air viewing decks or sit back and enjoy the GPS triggered audio commentary available through headphones at every seat. All trains have a licensed café carriage providing snacks and light meals.

What‘s Included

All taxes, fees and handling charges

One way Rail Journey

GPS-triggered audio commentary

Alcoholic drinks (available to purchase)

Food and drinks ( available to purchase)

Hotel pickup and drop-off

Excess luggage charges (where applicable)

Options

Scenic Plus

Scenic Plus
Included Food and Beverage

Scenic

Christchurch to Greymouth: 4.5 hour train journey from Christchurch to Greymouth

Reviews

4.35

341 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

216

Very relaxing
Sharon F,Apr 23, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
What a fantastic experience. So relaxing. Train so comfortable , clean and also very quiet . Views are worth seeing. Cafe was very nice. Staff all lovely. I decided to stay in Greymouth for the night to have a look around , next time I wouldn’t bother. 1 hour would be enough time.
5 star Tranzalpine
Carly H,Apr 19, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00
Such a stunning train with near new facilities, carriages and comfort. Staff were friendly and knowledgeable and couldn't fault the experience at all
Great way to sit back and...
Janet S,Apr 17, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00
Great way to sit back and enjoy the scenery without having to pay attention to the road. Recommend downloading the app to get more info about the journey.
Must do!
logan v,Apr 14, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00
Just an unbelievable ride. This is some of the most spectacular views anyone will ever see on their lives. A must do!
Great one-time experience. Book in advance and try to get seats on the right side of the coach for the best views.
xBeeC,Apr 7, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
4.00
Took the Christchurch to Greymouth route and booked the Scenic Plus. It’s pretty pricey and there’s a lot of marketing buzz around the Tranzalpine journeys, so our expectations were set high from the start. We arrived at the station well ahead of time. The check-in and luggage management process were all top notch. The staff at the counter are very warm and friendly. There is a separate counter section for scenic plus check in. We had a long wait until the train arrived and before we could board and there was a 15-minute delay in our departure time. But we were enjoying the sunrise and change of colours on the horizon so we didn’t mind the delay. The interiors in the scenic plus coach have the panoramic windows just like on any panoramic express trains and there are no overhead bagage counters in this coach due to the windows. There is an open carriage to take in the views during the journey, make use of that and enjoy the beautiful scenery. The service inside is friendly and attentive. The paper menu in the scenic plus takes you through what to expect for meal service and can also be taken home as a souvenir from the trip. However the food courses were a little underwhelming - the meat in the main course was dry and tough, and the dish itself was very heavy on beetroot. Everything is fresh though. I enjoyed the bakes and the dessert. The weather unfortunately on our travel day was very rainy throughout so we could barely enjoy the views or the open carriage, but I believe on better days it could be delightful. Greymouth station is much smaller than Christchurch so it can get a bit chaotic upon arrival as everyone alights and make their way out. Be careful to use the washroom in the train before arriving at Greymouth station as the toilets at the station were a bit rank. Overall I’d rate this train journey good to try on a good weather day to be able to enjoy all the beautiful scenery. Book ahead as it does get booked out. Try to get seats on the right hand side of the train (in the direction of train travel) The open carriage gets windy so layer up
Not for disabled people
Diane M,Apr 6, 2026
- Review from Viator
2.00
There appears to be no assistance for disabled Travellers. I struggled the whole trip and never got approached by staff to offer assistance..if you do have a policy regarding disabled travellers there was no evidence of this and the staff were not educated. 9 I never had anything to eat or drink as the canteen was so far away. I would not recommend this trip to anyone with any sort of disability travelling alone. Maybe you shoud see how air nz operate Diane Matthews l
The train travel was very...
Jenny M,Apr 5, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00
The train travel was very good, seats very comfortable, service excellent, and the meals first class.
Great experience
Amy O,Mar 29, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00
Great informative comfortable trip! Lots of historical and geographical information about the area as you travel. Comfortable seats and easy to access cafe!
Disappointing
Alan K,Mar 28, 2026
- Review from Viator
3.00
Yes, you see some great scenery - but no better than many other such experiences you will have in nz, either by car or on foot, and at a luch higher cost. Not worth the price.
A little boring on the...
Robert W,Mar 25, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00
A little boring on the Canterbury plains but then wow as soon as we hit the hills - fantastic scenery and well worth the wait. Seating comfortable and all together a great experience.

From NZ$243.75

4.35

(341 reviews)

Check availability

Want a private experience? Upgrade to a private tour

Related Experiences

Operated by Great Journeys New Zealand

TranzAlpine Train Journey: Christchurch to Greymouth

Overview

Available languages

Chinese (Taiwan)

Chinese

English

Mobile ticket

Additional Info

Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap

Wheelchair accessible

Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller

Service animals allowed

Public transportation options are available nearby

Transportation options are wheelchair accessible

Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Children must be accompanied by an adult

Wheelchair accessible, please advise at time of booking if travelling with a wheelchair

Please arrive at least 20 minutes prior to scheduled departure and check in at the station to receive your boarding pass

This train passes through the Southern Alps, please dress for the alpine conditions

Cancellation Policy

All sales are final. No refund is available for cancellations.

What To Expect

What‘s Included

All taxes, fees and handling charges

One way Rail Journey

GPS-triggered audio commentary

Alcoholic drinks (available to purchase)

Food and drinks ( available to purchase)

Hotel pickup and drop-off

Excess luggage charges (where applicable)

Options

Scenic Plus

Scenic Plus
Included Food and Beverage

Scenic

Christchurch to Greymouth: 4.5 hour train journey from Christchurch to Greymouth

Reviews

4.35

341 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

216

Very relaxing
Sharon F,Apr 23, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
What a fantastic experience. So relaxing. Train so comfortable , clean and also very quiet . Views are worth seeing. Cafe was very nice. Staff all lovely. I decided to stay in Greymouth for the night to have a look around , next time I wouldn’t bother. 1 hour would be enough time.
5 star Tranzalpine
Carly H,Apr 19, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00
Such a stunning train with near new facilities, carriages and comfort. Staff were friendly and knowledgeable and couldn't fault the experience at all
Great way to sit back and...
Janet S,Apr 17, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00
Great way to sit back and enjoy the scenery without having to pay attention to the road. Recommend downloading the app to get more info about the journey.
Must do!
logan v,Apr 14, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00
Just an unbelievable ride. This is some of the most spectacular views anyone will ever see on their lives. A must do!
Great one-time experience. Book in advance and try to get seats on the right side of the coach for the best views.
xBeeC,Apr 7, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
4.00
Took the Christchurch to Greymouth route and booked the Scenic Plus. It’s pretty pricey and there’s a lot of marketing buzz around the Tranzalpine journeys, so our expectations were set high from the start. We arrived at the station well ahead of time. The check-in and luggage management process were all top notch. The staff at the counter are very warm and friendly. There is a separate counter section for scenic plus check in. We had a long wait until the train arrived and before we could board and there was a 15-minute delay in our departure time. But we were enjoying the sunrise and change of colours on the horizon so we didn’t mind the delay. The interiors in the scenic plus coach have the panoramic windows just like on any panoramic express trains and there are no overhead bagage counters in this coach due to the windows. There is an open carriage to take in the views during the journey, make use of that and enjoy the beautiful scenery. The service inside is friendly and attentive. The paper menu in the scenic plus takes you through what to expect for meal service and can also be taken home as a souvenir from the trip. However the food courses were a little underwhelming - the meat in the main course was dry and tough, and the dish itself was very heavy on beetroot. Everything is fresh though. I enjoyed the bakes and the dessert. The weather unfortunately on our travel day was very rainy throughout so we could barely enjoy the views or the open carriage, but I believe on better days it could be delightful. Greymouth station is much smaller than Christchurch so it can get a bit chaotic upon arrival as everyone alights and make their way out. Be careful to use the washroom in the train before arriving at Greymouth station as the toilets at the station were a bit rank. Overall I’d rate this train journey good to try on a good weather day to be able to enjoy all the beautiful scenery. Book ahead as it does get booked out. Try to get seats on the right hand side of the train (in the direction of train travel) The open carriage gets windy so layer up
Not for disabled people
Diane M,Apr 6, 2026
- Review from Viator
2.00
There appears to be no assistance for disabled Travellers. I struggled the whole trip and never got approached by staff to offer assistance..if you do have a policy regarding disabled travellers there was no evidence of this and the staff were not educated. 9 I never had anything to eat or drink as the canteen was so far away. I would not recommend this trip to anyone with any sort of disability travelling alone. Maybe you shoud see how air nz operate Diane Matthews l
The train travel was very...
Jenny M,Apr 5, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00
The train travel was very good, seats very comfortable, service excellent, and the meals first class.
Great experience
Amy O,Mar 29, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00
Great informative comfortable trip! Lots of historical and geographical information about the area as you travel. Comfortable seats and easy to access cafe!
Disappointing
Alan K,Mar 28, 2026
- Review from Viator
3.00
Yes, you see some great scenery - but no better than many other such experiences you will have in nz, either by car or on foot, and at a luch higher cost. Not worth the price.
A little boring on the...
Robert W,Mar 25, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00
A little boring on the Canterbury plains but then wow as soon as we hit the hills - fantastic scenery and well worth the wait. Seating comfortable and all together a great experience.