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The clear water of the River Avon beside the Christchurch Botanic Gardens, with lawns and tussocks on one bank and a tree-lined car park on the other

Where to stay in Christchurch

Photographed in 2020. Photo: Michal Klajban, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Places to stay in Christchurch

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About Christchurch

Christchurch Airport is about 11 km by road from Cathedral Square, 15 to 20 minutes on the airport's own estimate. The choice runs from the Central City and the suburbs west and north of Hagley Park to Sumner by the sea, the port town of Lyttelton and Akaroa on Banks Peninsula.

New Zealand. Guide last checked .

Facts and rules

Last checked . Each fact links to its source.

Airport
Christchurch (CHC) at Harewood, about 11 km by road from Cathedral Square, open 24 hours a day. Source
Airport bus
Metro buses leave from Door 9: route 3 runs to the city centre and Sumner every 10 minutes, 15 at weekends, paid by contactless card on the Motu Move reader. Source
Taxes
No local tourist tax was found. GST is 15%, and since 1 April 2024 online platforms collect it on short-stay accommodation booked through them. Source
Entry
EU, UK and US visitors need no visa but must hold an NZeTA before flying, from NZD 17 in the official app. A visit lasts up to 3 months, or 6 months for British citizens. Source
International visitor levy
NZD 100 per person since 1 October 2024, up from NZD 35, paid with each NZeTA or visa application rather than per night. Source
Holiday home rules
Hosts notify the council. An unhosted home in a residential zone takes up to 8 guests for up to 60 nights a year, 180 in Akaroa's residential zone, with bookings of less than 28 days each. Source
Parking with a rental car
On-street meters cost NZD 5 an hour, each showing its own hours and time limit, and are free on public holidays; all-day parking is in the council's central-city parking buildings. Source
Monthly stays
Holiday homes, hotels and motels are outside the Residential Tenancies Act; for a long sabbatical or holiday, an owner can contract into it. Source
Emergency number
111 for police, fire and ambulance; 105 for the police when it is not an emergency Source

Areas of Christchurch

The clear water of the River Avon beside the Christchurch Botanic Gardens, with lawns and tussocks on one bank and a tree-lined car park on the other
Photographed in 2020. Photo: Michal Klajban, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Central City

The heart of Christchurch inside the Four Avenues, rebuilt after the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes, with Hagley Park and the Botanic Gardens on the loop of the River Avon. It suits a first visit on foot and short stays.

Christchurch Airport
about 11 km

Car and parking

On-street meters charge NZD 5 an hour by number plate, with the hours and time limit shown on each meter, and are free on public holidays; the council points all-day parkers to its central-city parking buildings, whose 2026 rates were not published on the pages read.

The cream and red wooden Riccarton House, a two-storey homestead, behind a garden of roses and lupins
Photographed in 2019. Photo: Sgerbic, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Riccarton

A suburb due west of the city centre across Hagley Park, named after the Riccarton estate, whose 1856 homestead, Riccarton House, has a Saturday market in front of it. It suits a base with a car on the airport side of the city.

Christchurch Airport
about 8 km
Cathedral Square
about 5 km

Car and parking

Street parking rules in Riccarton were not verified as of September 2026. The council requires unhosted holiday lets to give guests written parking arrangements before arrival, so ask for them when booking.

A small lawn with benches, a paved path and trees at Merivale Village Green in Christchurch
Photographed in 2019. Photo: Michal Klajban, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Merivale

A predominantly residential suburb north of the city centre, with the small Merivale Village Green among its streets. It suits a quiet suburban base about 3 km from Cathedral Square.

Christchurch Airport
about 8 km
Cathedral Square
about 3 km

Car and parking

Street parking rules were not verified as of September 2026; ask the host, who must give written parking arrangements for an unhosted let.

Sumner Beach with surf, a few people walking on the sand, a rock wall and houses on the cliffs above
Photographed in 2020. Photo: Michal Klajban, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Sumner

A coastal seaside suburb at the end of Metro route 3, which runs from the airport through the city centre. It suits a beach stay about 13 km from Cathedral Square by road.

Christchurch Airport
about 23 km
Cathedral Square
about 13 km

Car and parking

Beach and street parking rules were not verified as of September 2026, so ask the host whether a space comes with the booking.

London Street in Lyttelton with cars parked along the shops and houses on the green hill behind
Photo: Mike Dickison, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Lyttelton

A port town on the north shore of Lyttelton Harbour, separated from the city by the Port Hills, where cruise ships call. It suits a small-town stay by the harbour, with Metro route 8 to the airport.

Christchurch Airport
about 25 km
Cathedral Square
about 12 km

Car and parking

The road tunnel under the Port Hills, State Highway 74, is about 2 km long and toll-free since 1979, and a 1.5 km stretch of the Summit Road has been closed to cars since 2011 (via GetCar). Street parking rules were not verified.

Akaroa's waterfront buildings along the shore of Akaroa Harbour, below a hillside of trees and a row of pines
Photo: Daderot, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Akaroa

A small town on Banks Peninsula, on a sheltered harbour surrounded by the remnants of an ancient volcano, at the end of State Highway 75; French settlers named it Port Louis-Philippe. It suits a slower stay of several nights.

Christchurch Airport
about 85 km
Cathedral Square
about 80 km

Car and parking

About 90 minutes from the city on State Highway 75 over the Hilltop (via GetCar); Akaroa's parking rules were not found. Unhosted holiday homes in its residential zone may be let for up to 180 nights a year.

Guides

Questions

Which part of Christchurch is best for a first visit?

The Central City, inside the Four Avenues, with Hagley Park and the Botanic Gardens on the River Avon. Riccarton and Merivale, about 3 to 5 km out, suit a stay in the suburbs with a car.

How much does parking cost in central Christchurch?

The council's on-street meters charge NZD 5 an hour, each showing its own hours and time limit, and parking at them is free on public holidays. For a whole day, the council points drivers to its central-city parking buildings.

Does Christchurch charge a tourist tax?

No local tourist tax was found as of September 2026. GST is 15%, collected by platforms on short-stay bookings, and visitors pay the NZD 100 international visitor levy once, with the NZeTA.

How many nights can a Christchurch holiday home be let?

An unhosted home in a residential zone can be let for up to 60 nights a year, or 180 in Akaroa's residential zone, with bookings of less than 28 days each. Most commercial zones have no limit on nights.