In our ‘Complete Guide’ series, we’re going to be visiting some of New Zealand’s most popular tourist destinations and getting the inside track from our GO Explore followers on the best places to stay, eat, drink, sunbathe and more. Instead of just finding out what the guidebooks tell you, find out what the locals and the travellers think when it comes to the best place to get an ice cream, the best fish and chips and the best cocktail you’ll ever taste!

Known as the Garden City, Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island located in the Canterbury region. It’s a great starting point for any South Island road trip whether you are heading north to Nelson or south to Queenstown and Dunedin. The city has a distinctly ‘English’ feel to it with its tree lined streets and the Avon River running through the city. Christchurch is known throughout the world following the terrible earthquake to strike the city in 2011 but the people of Canterbury are resilient and the city has been reborn over the last seven years and is now thriving again. Within a short driving distance of the city centre is the stunning Banks Peninsula and the French town of Akaroa. With so much to see an do in the city, we’ve turned to our GO Explore fans to get the lowdown on the best places to stay, where to eat and some of the best activities – let’s get GOing!

Best accommodation in Christchurch

As you would expect from the biggest city on the South Island, Christchurch has no shortage of accommodation options. All the big name chains are found here which can be great for special offers or if you have a favourite, however there are also some great independent hotels and motels in the city which have received some great recommendations from our GO Explorers. Whether you are looking for five star luxury or budget backpackers, we’ve tried to cover all the bases. We’ve also thrown in a couple of options that are located outside of the main CBD for those who are looking for something a bit more laid back.

Best Places to eat out in Christchurch

Always a tricky one to narrow down, we had tons of tips from our GO Explore fans on places to eat out in Christchurch. From cheap street eats to gourmet dining, the recommendations came flooding in. We’ve tried to pick out those that kept cropping up time and time again and we also put it out to our GO Rentals team in Christchurch to see if they agreed – after much debate, here are the top ten places to eat out in Christchurch according to GO Explorers!

Best things to see in Christchurch

Christchurch is a beautiful city with so much to see and do. Below we talk about some of the best activities in and around Christchurch but sometimes it’s the simple things that really make this place special. Everywhere you go it seems like there is something cool to see – whether it’s the stunning views over the Banks Peninsula, the damage caused by the earthquakes or the amazing recovery work the city has undergone since 2011. Christchurch is a photographer’s dream destination so we have picked out some of our favourite images that have been sent in by our GO Explorers and some of our favourite views of Christchurch.

Rent the perfect car for your adventure

Recommended vehicle for exploring Christchurch

TESLA MODEL 3

New Model

Explore Christchurch in comfort and style in the brand new Tesla Model 3 – our first all-electric rental car in the GO Rentals fleet.

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