Christchurch Half-Day City Tour: Food, Stay & Travel Guide

✈️ Transportation Flew from Sydney to Christchurch on Emirates Flight EK412—the service was amazing！ Landed and hopped on a public bus straight to our hotel. 🏨 Accommodation We stayed at The Salisbury—located in the city but not right in the center (takes 2-3 bus stops to reach major spots). The hotel has a warm, Chinese-speaking front desk that gave us tons of travel tips！ We asked about safety for evening strolls (no car), and they advised heading back by 9 PM (in November, it gets dark around then). Tested walking back from Riverside around 9 PM—few people on the street, but quiet and safe！ Bonus: Though not in the city center, we chose it because it’s a 10-minute walk from Apex’s city car pickup point—perfect for grabbing a ride to Tekapo the next morning 🚗！ 🗺️ City Walk Route Suggestions Riverside Market → Cardboard Cathedral → New Regent Street → Floating House → The Tannery 1️⃣ Riverside Market 🛍️ Check public holiday hours—they may differ from regular days！ If you’re hunting for the two popular bakeries (for fresh bread 🥐), go early—we arrived in the afternoon and they’d sold out！ The market also has cute boutique shops and general stores—great for leisurely browsing！ 2️⃣ Floating House & Botanic Garden 🏡🌳 The “Floating House” (a quirky art installation) hides in the atrium of the Christchurch Arts Centre—snap a quick pic (5 mins max！). For a better green fix, head to the Christchurch Botanic Garden next door—it’s even more lush than Sydney’s Royal Botanic Garden！ Stepping in feels like instant healing 🌿. 3️⃣ Dinner 🍝 We ordered 3 appetizers + 2 pastas + 2 drinks—total came to 156.5 AUD (similar to Sydney prices！). With wine, it’s ~80 AUD/person. The food was delicious—highly recommend！ 4️⃣ Cardboard Cathedral 🕊️ On the way back to the hotel, we passed this iconic landmark—too bad it was closed！ We snapped a night shot, but it’s worth visiting during the day to explore inside. 🌟 #TravelWith100kFollowers #TravelEditors #NewZealandTravel #SouthIsland #ChristchurchDayTrip #ChristchurchFood #ChristchurchHotel #TravelPlog #TravelGuide #GraduationTrip