7 reviews of Akaroa Shore Excursion: Banks Peninsula, Christchurch City Tour and the International Antarctic Centre
Read what other Viator.com travelers think about the Akaroa Shore Excursion: Banks Peninsula, Christchurch City Tour and the International Antarctic Centre. What they loved, what they liked and what they think could be improved, it's all here to help you make the most of your next trip.
Results 1-7 of 7
Reviewed by Karen B, April 2013
There is a 1 1/2 hr. drive from the Akaroa dock into Christchurch, but you get to see alot of the beautiful country side. When you are in Christchurch you truly do see what the people are doing to recover from the 2010 earthquake.
Reviewed by Hugh D, March 2013
Very enjoyable, good local knowledge from coach driver. Tour of Christchurch "red zone" was thought provoking. Antarctic visit interesting and fun.
Reviewed by Margaret W, March 2013
A good tour in a very comfortable little coach and bigger coach. It would have been nice to have been taken to a picturesque part of the river and seen a punt in action instead of being told where to go but only having enough time to find the toilet. Good commentary on drive from Akaroa but continuous. Passengers need a break from listening all of the time.
Reviewed by Fred, March 2013
A little disappointing. Christchurch 2011 earthquake devastation was incredible but spent too much time driving around looking at it. The International Antarctic Center was a little too commercial. Penguins were cute.
Reviewed by Mark R, March 2013
The bus ride from Akaroa was beautiful, but 1.5 hours to get to Christchurch was not worth it. Christchurch is still recovering from the earthquakes and there wasn't much left to see. There wasn't enough time to enjoy the Antarctic exhibits which were mediocre at best. No time set aside on the excursion for eating so the whole group had to eat at the small cafe at the Antarctic experience which ate up a lot of the time there. Looking back, we would have just stayed in Akaroa and enjoyed the town.
Reviewed by Sandra Conley C, March 2013
We took the tour while on a cruise in February. Due to the earthquake distruction of the Port facilities in Christchurch, we landed in Akaroa and it is 1:45 hour bus ride to Christchruch. Pretty at first but very long! We met the bus at the beautiful natural history museum in town and had not 1 minute to tour that great facility. Instead we were rushed t o the bus and spent more than an hour driving around the city center looking a vacant lots where buildings were before the quake, buildings still standing buat awaiting demolition, street repairs and buildings that we aabout to fall down. There wan not one stop to exit the bus and take pictures. We would rather have watched a movie! Then to the International Antarctic Museum. For everything there is to see and learn about the Antarctic, this museum misses a wonderful oppurtunity. The circulation patern is in one way and then turn around and backtrack your way out the same way. There is a cold room where you suit up and they lower the temp and turn on the fans for you to experience windchill. I grew up in Idaho where we had real windchill so it wasn't a thrilling experience for me. The movie that is probably pretty good did not run at a time that coincided with our presence there. In the gift shop I looked for the classic Antarctic book, "Endurance" by Livingston and they didn't have it. We did get a ride in one of the snowcats and that was an experience. However, as a whole, we thought the tour was an overpriced waste of time. BTW, this is the first review I have ever made. I don't like to be negative, but in this case I could not resist.
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