Private Castle Hill Day Tour Shore Excursion

Departing from Lyttelton, the tour begins with a drive west across the Canterbury Plains, where rolling farmland stretches towards the Southern Alps. After around 45 minutes, we stop in the rural township of Darfield—a great chance to pick up a coffee or sample a local bakery treat before continuing the journey. The next stop is Springfield, home to the giant pink doughnut, where your guide will share the story behind this quirky landmark while you capture a fun photo.

From Springfield, the road follows the Great Alpine Highway, climbing over Porters Pass and passing Lake Lyndon and high-country stations before reaching Castle Hill/Kura Tāwhiti. Here, enormous limestone boulders rise dramatically from the landscape, a place once covered by an inland sea and now recognised with Tōpuni status for its cultural importance to Māori. Your guide will lead you through the maze of rock formations, pointing out the best viewpoints, hidden passages, and sharing local stories.

A picnic lunch among the boulders provides time to relax before enjoying some free time to explore, snap photos, or simply take in the mountain views. In the afternoon, we retrace the scenic route along the Great Alpine Highway and return to Lyttelton, arriving in time for your cruise ship departure.