The 8 Shore Excursions in Akaroa We Keep Recommending

1.Akaroa Shore Excursion: Banks Peninsula and Christchurch City Sights Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 228 reviews · from $89Our pick

Review of Akaroa’s Banks Peninsula and Christchurch tour, with scenic drives, earthquake sights, gardens, timings, value, and practical cruise tips.

“It was a nice tour winding roads to get to Christchurch. Seeing the city sights was really cool. There were some buildings damaged from a resisted earthquake which was said but interesting to see. What was really sad to hear that most of their historic buildings are long gone.”

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2.Shore Excursion Guided Sea Kayaking through Akaroa Marine Reserve

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 160 reviews · from $83Top rated

Paddle Akaroa’s volcanic bays with a small guided group, spotting Hector’s dolphins, penguins, seals, birds, and dramatic rock formations.

“Lots of fun! Our guide Jake was awesome, very knowledgeable about the local wildlife and scenery, threw some cute jokes in there as well. Got to see some amazing rock formations and lots of local birds. My husband and I have very little experience on a kayak and Jake was really patient with us and took his time to help guide us in the right direction.”

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3.Akaroa Shore Excursion: Banks Peninsula, Christchurch City Tour and the International Antarctic Centre

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 135 reviews · from $124

Review of Akaroa’s Christchurch and Antarctic Centre shore excursion, with Banks Peninsula views, penguins, Hagglund ride, timing tips, and value advice.

“The weather was not great!. We made a 45 minute stop in Christchurch, but there was not much we could do because it was raining. We ducked into the art museum and ran thru the botanical gardens. We drove to the International Antarctic Center where they were not prepared for the crowds. They did not have enough help nor enough food for us! After eating rapidly, they escorted us thru the center at a much too rapid pace. We did not have time to look at displays or enjoy the center!”

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4.Akaroa Shore Excursion: Christchurch City Tour and Jet Boating

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 54 reviews · from $173

Review of Akaroa’s Christchurch city tour and Waimakariri River jet boat ride, with itinerary details, costs, timing, tips, and honest drawbacks.

“Enjoyed this thoroughly. The jet boat experience was very enjoyable and we were the only boat on the river. The Banks Peninsula and Christchurch city tour were very informative and interesting. Woudl recommend this tour.”

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5.Akaroa Shore Excursion: Banks Peninsula, Christchurch City Tour and Willowbank Wildlife Reserve

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 26 reviews · from $123

Review of Akaroa’s Banks Peninsula and Christchurch shore excursion, with Botanic Gardens, earthquake sites, and kiwi viewing at Willowbank.

“This was a very informative and interesting tour. There was a bit of confusion as to which bus was going where at Akaroa but all sorted out at The Museum first stop. The tour around Christchurch was very informative. The Willowbank Wildlife Reserve was well worth a visit and as our group of 5 was the only group going here we had a guide from The Reserve just for us. Our guide was excellent. Our return trip to Akaroa was eventful when we had a double tyre blowout. We were about 20 minutes from Akaroa at this time so our driver phoned another driver in Akaroa and arranged for him…”

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6.Akaroa Shore Excursion: Akaroa Harbour and Giants House Local Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 19 reviews · from $61Best value

Review of Akaroa’s 2.5-hour shore tour, with harbour views, Summit Road, Barry’s Bay cheese, and the remarkable Giants House.

“The bus trip was nice. I have a bad knee and it was hard to get up the hill to the Giant House. It was interesting Art work.”

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7.Akaroa Shore Excursion: Banks Peninsula, Christchurch City and Giants House Tour

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 14 reviews · from $121

Review this Akaroa shore excursion to Christchurch, Banks Peninsula, and the Giant’s House, with practical advice on timing, value, and sightseeing.

“First, we were crammed into a minibus with totally inadequate legroom. Second, there were long drives to and from Christchurch and the city itself had little to offer. Giants House was great, although we did not have enough time there due to our late arrival.”

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8.Akaroa Shore Excursion: Akaroa Harbour and Sheep Farm Local Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 11 reviews · from $71

Review of Akaroa’s small-group shore tour, with harbour views, Barry’s Bay cheese, sheepdogs, shearing, tea, and farm hospitality.

“We really enjoyed this excursion to the sheep farm. It was fascinating to watch Hugh's dog do his job. Hugh explained a lot about the industry, the sheep and the wool. We were invited back to his yard where his wife had hot tea and scones with clotted cream and jam waiting for us. I highly recommend this trip for all ages.”

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