Christchurch Botanic Gardens
Christchurch Botanic Gardens
Christchurch Botanic Gardens
4.5
About
At the heart of Christchurch's reputation as the Garden City, the Gardens are a place of ever-changing beauty. Showcasing flora and fauna of New Zealand and other parts of the world, the Gardens feature one of the finest collections of exotic and local plants in New Zealand. With more than 1.1 Million visitors each year the Botanic Gardens are one of the Christchurch's most popular and well-loved attractions.
Duration: 2-3 hours
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- patrick t43 contributionsGreat city.I loved the city, and I was so pleased to be staying right outside Hagley park which was a beautiful place to walk thru every day, and the botanic gardens were great to see. What I loved about the park the most was the beautiful trees throughout. The quake museum is definitely worth a visit, as it shows the aftermath of the 2011 earthquake, and the riverside market is a must, as you can get every type of food you want there. I just love the layout of the place, and am heading back toNew Zealand in January 2024, and my starting base is 3days in Christchurch before a couple of months around the South Island.Visited February 2023Travelled soloWritten 13 October 2023
- Rotiman1Sydney, Australia2,018 contributionsWell worth exploringWell laid and easily accessible from cbd. Enjoyed simply strolling around and discovering the variety of plants and trees. Small but pleasant cactii and orchid exhibitions. Visitors centre and cafe looked goodVisited October 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 25 October 2023
- Pippa HLondon, United Kingdom87 contributionsBeautiful way to spend an afternoonBeautiful selection of trees and plants! Could spend hours walking through to see everything. A lovely place to spend time. There are a few signs around, but also information in the centre where the cafe is, including some interactive stuff for kids. In particular I liked the NZ section, and the twisted tree!Visited October 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 13 November 2023
- timjstarkShorewood, Wisconsin688 contributionsA place of rest and respite...After a busy, travel day, navigating the Christchurch construction zones, and a hotel laundry stint, I exhaled by strolling through the Gardens and everything was perfect once again... The beauty of these Gardens (not particularly a flower guy), is that they allow anyone to simply "be" in the moment, take in whatever you choose at your pace, smile at others doing the same, and stay for as long as you want. If I had a guidebook or a guide, I imagine that more information and facts would have been placed into my mind, but I am very happy with the joy that I experienced by doing it exactly in the manner that I just described.Visited November 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 28 November 2023
- Angela M9 contributionsGreat for a StrollBeautiful gardens! Many serene walking trails, ducks, flowers, trees. It is well laid out, there are maps at regular intervals, they do offer guided tours but we didn't take one. The cafe is nice and there is a gift shop on site. There are conservatories as well but they close at 4pm (?) and the gardens stay open til dusk so if you're there late in the day you won't be able to get in.Visited November 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 30 November 2023
- Debbie ISydney, Australia210 contributionsDefinitely worth a few hoursI visited the gardens multiple times over a 3 day visit because there is so much to see and lots of roses to smell. Most of the grounds are informal and easy to enjoy whilst strolling throughout and occasionally crossing the Avon River. The more formal rose garden and also the greenhouses are definitely worth a visit. It is a peaceful and restorative place to visit.Visited January 2024Travelled soloWritten 12 January 2024
- Katharine M22 contributionsStunning DahliasThis botanical garden appears to be a re-creation of something out of Oxford and Cambridge. There are loads of UK garden birds who make an appearance. The dahlias are the most profuse and perfect that I have ever seen. The rose garden is beautiful. There are glass houses and a fernery. There is both a traditional and a modern tearoom/restaurant in the grounds. The gift shop is lovely. The garden is completely flat so is an easy walk.Visited February 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 29 February 2024
- AlbywonSydney, Australia13,618 contributionsA local favouriteI grew up in Christchurch and visited the Gardens often in my childhood and teen years. I no longer live in New Zealand but still like to visit when I come to Christchurch. So I visited recently and enjoyed wandering through the Gardens again.Visited February 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 1 March 2024
- TWal1Canberra, Australia2,938 contributionsGreat GardensThese gardens are located with the vast grounds of Hagley Park. They are well designed and feature an array of colourful and beautiful plants. The pathways are easy to walk as most of the area is flat. A very pleasant way to spend a couple of hours relaxing and enjoying the beauty of the gardens.Visited March 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 10 March 2024
- Ben BMinneapolis, Minnesota26 contributionsGreat green oasis next to the CBDLovely green space with amazing examples of foliage from around the world. The Avon River runs along the edge of the gardens. The rose garden is spectacular and the New Zealand garden beautifully wild. I enjoyed a couple of nice walks there.Visited March 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 12 March 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
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4.5
6,820 reviews
Excellent
4,779
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1,835
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191
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10
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5
Sallie S
Austin, TX85 contributions
Feb 2020 • Couples
The beautiful Botanic Garden is in city center, surrounded by a large bend in the Avon River. The large garden features huge trees as well as blooming annuals and perennials. Paths criss cross the park with areas set aside for specific types of plants, e.g. the New Zealand forest, rock and heather garden, etc. There is a beautiful rose garden, a conservatory, and a museum. Admission is free. If you are not up to walking the garden, there is an electric tram that runs along the park paths. The driver provides a commentary about the plants and trees (fee applies). Great way to spend a half day.
Written 7 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
StaceyCheer
Arapuni, New Zealand161 contributions
Feb 2020
We did the guided tour as part of the Christchurch Attractions package with the trams. We probably wouldn't normally have chosen to do the tour if it wasn't part of a package, but we are very pleased we did it as we had a fabulous time. Our guide was Mike, who was very knowledgeable, and funny with a great sense of humor. It was an un-seasonally chilly morning but we were wrapped up with blankets so were quite cozy. The gardens themselves are beautiful, with massive trees, paths alongside the Avon river, and wonderful structured gardens. Even if you are not a "gardener", I would highly recommend having a look around these gardens.
Written 9 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hannah
81 contributions
Feb 2020
Beautiful grounds, take the trolley guided tour for a good overview. Parking on site is the easiest, no need to park further. It is a 3 hour limit until 6pm, and you can easily go back and move your car if staying longer. Well kept up and lots to see and do here.
Written 5 December 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Craig H
31 contributions
Nov 2019
Really lovely gardens and close to other attractions. The park is very large so plan for a visit allowing plenty of time to meander through and perhaps have a break at the cafe. Try another perspective by having a ride down the picturesque Avon river on a punt.
Written 5 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sam
Melbourne, Australia45 contributions
Jan 2020 • Couples
A beautiful place to relax. There are plenty of sitting areas. The Botanic Garden tour costs $20, you can get a $2 discount coupon from iLEX. There are many parking space inside the Botanic garden. Tour guide Mike was very friendly, fun and knowledgable. The tour took 1 hour.
Written 2 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Qisiang R
Melbourne, Australia375 contributions
Jan 2020
I am in total agreement with all the other reviewers before me-this is one of the most impressive and beautiful city gardens that I have the pleasure and privilege to visit. All the giant redwood trees in this garden looks very healthy and thriving. According to its website the oldest tree is probably only about 150 years old however, the size of these trees have already reached "giant" size status in both girth and height. I can see in the future these trees will become more accessible for future generations to appreciate as compared to those in the Mariposa Grove, California. Getting to the garden is easy, you can just walk from the Christchurch city centre. (It takes about 4 hours from San Francisco to get to Mariposa Grove, and during winter months it may not be possible). There are other giant trees apart from Giant Redwood-the corky bark oak (Quercus Suber), black walnut and a red gum with a very big girth. The garden is very well laid out to cater for different types of plants and flowers. Pending on the time of your visit, you could see azalea in bloom in spring, rose garden in summer etc. It also help the lay out when there is a river flowing through it. The sweeping lawns throughout the garden are cleverly used to contrast the giant trees. For the children there are quite a good variety of ducks and birds around. I would definitely recommend this place to vist especially if you love garden and giant trees.
Written 2 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Anne D
Sydney, Australia64 contributions
Jul 2022
Christchurch Botanical Gardens runs over a very large area with many smaller areas such as a children's playground and pool in the middle, the information center and café combined with a well though out museum. It was lovely to walk through the grounds. There are plenty of duck to feed but pick up some cheap bread for the supermarket as they don't supply duck food. The café in the information center was very reasonable.
Written 8 July 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Family
Christchurch, New Zealand8 contributions
Nov 2022
Their chocolate dessert for $18 having three layers of sponge with caramel and ganache with berry compote was best value and delicious and the best of the three desserts we had, enough to share for two people
Delicious steak with duck fat potatoes and asparagus.
To give best service I suggest serving salad at same time as main meal not five minutes late. I would appreciate all three desserts to be served at the same time next time. NO excuses as quiet at the time.
Delicious steak with duck fat potatoes and asparagus.
To give best service I suggest serving salad at same time as main meal not five minutes late. I would appreciate all three desserts to be served at the same time next time. NO excuses as quiet at the time.
Written 13 November 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Pam G
3 contributions
Jan 2020
Magnificent trees all shapes and sizes and an endless array of plants and flowers In these city centre gardens.which have the River Avon flowing through them. Very family friendly with paddling pool and playground. We walked through here on almost a daily basis seeing something different each time. A lovely place to relax sitting in the sun or enjoying the cafe at the visitor centre.
Written 1 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
roaming_kiwi58
Christchurch, New Zealand2,818 contributions
Dec 2020
We live in Christchurch and always enjoy a walk through our city's Botanic Gardens. This time we were specifically on the hunt for penguins in the Pop Up Penguins which are scattered through the city until the end of January 2021. There is one outside the Ilex Centre. Here there is a cafe and also a shop and info centre. There is some nice stuff in the shop. Very pleasant and well maintained gardens.
Written 31 December 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We plan to visit CHC botanic garden on Nov 1,2024. Which flowers will bloom at the time normally ?
Written 6 October 2024
We are going to South Island NZ mid of August 2020 with my whole family of 6 adults and 1 child. Shall I go to Botanic garden? I believe it is end of wiinter time. Thanks all
Written 22 February 2020
Yes I believe you will find it a worth while experience 99.9% of the trees in NZ are evergreen
Written 22 February 2020
I am bringing a group of 45 late 70's early 80's folks to Christchurch the first week of May 2020.
We only have a quick afternoon there.
Can I squeeze Botanical Gardens. Quake City and Cathedral Square stops in.
Am i choosing the right things for this time of year? Wondering if the Botanical Gardens will be worth it?
Paul in Iowa, USA.
Written 17 January 2020
Botanic gardens took me a full day. But if you want to have a nice lunch there is a nice cafe in the middle. And the heritage rose garden is beautiful. You could do it quicker than we did - but it’s worth it. Cathedral square is literally the courtyard of a church, so it doesn’t take long. If you go to the gardens is might be worth having a look at the old University. It is a beautiful old building with cafes now, right across from the gardens.
Written 18 January 2020
We will be visiting Christchurch in January. Will there be a significant number of plants in bloom at that time? Thank you
Written 29 October 2019
Sorry only just saw our question. Yes definitely and a huge beautiful rose garden all out in bloom.
Written 19 January 2020
Gene S
Christchurch, New Zealand
More than likely there will be begonias is the greenhouse in flower. There could be several other plants in bloom depending on what the gardeners have been planting in some of the rotational beds.
Written 9 December 2017
hello,
please let me know where exactly is the free car parking located. Please help with the street name. Are there enough parking spaces or its very limited.
Thank you
Thank you
Written 8 November 2017
You can get to the car park off Armagh St near the start of Park Tce and the end of Rolleston Avenue. You can drive through the park passed the tennis courts on the right and on to the car park on the left under the trees near the children's playground which is on the other side of the pedestrian bridge over the Avon River. It is quite a big car park and during the week it is usually easy to find a car park sometimes on a nice sunny weekend the carpark fills up. If there are festivals it becomes impossible to get a park.
Written 9 November 2017
Hello, we will be visiting Christchurch Botanic Gardens on or about 23rd April, 2017. Please advise if there are any autumn leaves color to see?
Thanks
Written 7 April 2017
I work at the Gardens, and yes, the Gardens are looking spectacular at the moment. Full of Autumn colours...dress warmly.
Written 17 April 2017
We are driving campervan to the garden, is there any campervan parking allocated, any charges?
Written 27 March 2017
The parking was free at the Botanical gardens, with many parking places and most of them large enough to accomodate a camper van. We saw many there when we visited.
V Williams
Written 27 March 2017
please privide me with the location of the botanic gardens in christchurch. thank you very much
Written 25 November 2016
By the museum away from the cathedral square. There is an i-site at one of the entrances. Hope you find it
Written 17 December 2016
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