This post is about how to get to Christchurch from Queenstown.
What is the most popular way to get from Queenstown to Christchurch?
Driving/renting your own car/campervan. If you’re looking for a cheap campervan rental, you can sometimes find good last minute discounts with Wicked Campers on BookMe.co.nz.
How far is the Christchurch from Queenstown drive?
According to Google Maps, going the most popular way, the distance from Queenstown to Christchurch is 481km which will take a little under 6 hours.
Sometimes, particularly in winter, sections of this road will be closed due to snow and storms…especially Lindis Pass.
If this is the case, you can usually go the long way via Moeraki and Oamaru. This route is longer at 551km, and will take a little longer with a 6.5 – 7 hour timeframe.
If you aren’t able to drive to Christchurch from Queenstown, there are some other options available to you.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Drive
2. Bus/shuttle
3. Plane
4. Hitchhike
HOW TO GET TO CHRISTCHURCH FROM QUEENSTOWN
The Port Hills in Christchurch are super fun to explore.
1. THE QUEENSTOWN TO CHRISTCHURCH DRIVE
The Queenstown to Christchurch drive takes about 5 hours and 40 minutes to cover the 481km according to Google Maps.
In my experience, set aside 6 hours if you’re planning to drive straight through without any sightseeing minutes. The roads are pretty cruisey most of the way, but there are some parts where you can get stuck behind slower vehicles. And you’ll likely want to stop off somewhere to stretch your legs.
Planning to stop and enjoy some sights along the way? Here are a few of the best things to do between Queenstown and Christchurch:
- Visit Lake Tekapo. The Mt John Walk is amazing.
- Explore the Omarama Clay Cliffs.
- Take a detour to Mount Cook to do the Hooker Valley Track
- Stop at Fairlie Pies. Nom.
- Visit the NZ Alpine Lavendar Farm from December to March.
2. THE QUEENSTOWN TO CHRISTCHURCH BUS
At the time of writing, InterCity offers a Queenstown to Christchurch bus every day of the week.
Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday: There’s a direct service departing at 8.05 am and arriving at 4.15 pm. The price is usually $60 for a seat on this service.
Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday: You can get from Queenstown to Christchurch on the bus via Dunedin (you wait in Dunedin for an hour to switch buses). This departs at 8:00 am and arrives in Christchurch at 7.05 pm. The cost is usually between $92 and $115. It’s a long day, but if you’ve got no choice, then you can make it work.
3. PLANE
Queenstown and Christchurch both have domestic airports. Air New Zealand flies direct, unfortunately at the time of writing Jetstar does not.
Air New Zealand offers four direct flights a day between the two destinations. Tickets can be found for under $100 if you book far enough in advance. The normal is in the range of $150 to $250 one way.
The Jetstar options aren’t worth talking about as you have to go via Auckland and they’re much more expensive (this is at the time of writing).
Get to/from Queenstown Airport and Christchurch Airport is easy enough.
And what about a charter flight?
That is possible and if you really need to get to Christchurch, can be a better option than the alternatives, especially with a larger group. Get in touch with the team at Air Milford with all your trip details and they’ll be able to give you a quote.
4. HITCHHIKING TO CHRISTCHURCH
Hitchhiking to Christchurch from Queenstown is reasonably easy, but given the long distance can take a full day.
I have hitched between the two destinations in one day before but it took quite a few rides. It’s not a hitchhiking mission I’d love to do in one day during winter.
If I was trying to hitchhike in winter, unless I was lucky and got a ride all the way through I’d plan to spend one night at Lake Tekapo to break the trip up and make sure I’m not stuck somewhere cold with nighttime looming. There’s a couple of good hostels there.
Hitchhiking out of Queenstown is easy, but I’m always surprised by how little traffic there is one you get past Cromwell. That said, it can work in your favour with people more likely to pick you up if you’re somewhere random (at least most of the time).
If someone is taking a detour on this route, I’ll usually decline, opting to stick to the route Google Maps suggests.
If you have any questions about how to get from Queenstown to Christchurch leave a comment below or email me jub@churnewzealand.com.
I haven’t written much about Christchurch yet, but I can tell you that the Godley Head hike is awesome.
Hey, it’s Jub here. I’m the guy behind Chur New Zealand, helping you have the best time hiking, trekking, walking…whatever you want to call it…in NZ. I’m based in Queenstown and am always out and about exploring trails, old & new. If you have any questions, reach out.