The Christchurch 360 trail

It could have been along a track in the hills, on a lamp post in Riccarton or in the middle of a marsh. This swanky swirl is the logo of The Christchurch 360 Trail, one of the cities best-kept secrets.

The Christchurch 360 Trail is a breathtaking experience that took more than 25 years to create.

The whole trail is about 135 km long and encircles the entirety of Christchurch. It wonderfully showcases the diversity of the city, featuring not just the plants and animals but also man-made historical and cultural points of Christchurch.

As you amble, uncover layers of Maori history and two centuries of colonial to post-modern architecture. Adventure along some of Christchurch’s best-known trails and many new ones too.

On your journey, pass through restored wetlands, preserved coastal dunes and river stopbanks topped with walkways. Explore a braided river bed, home to rare, endangered New Zealand native birds.

Creep over craggy cliffs to gaze over the city and the sea for the best views in Christchurch. 

Follow clear spring-fed streams as they slip, lazily, through the suburbs. Gaze up at the mighty Kahikatea as it towers skywards within a hidden inner-city forest.

Don’t let the length stop you from doing the walk though as the trail is broken up into 8 individual and easily walkable sections that you can do in a day.

The various routes on average take around 7 hours to walk and each provides a showcase for the discovery of extensive diversity in ecology, history, culture, and architecture.

Due to how close they are to Christchurch all the tracks are super accessible and very well maintained meaning all the planning that’s required is working out what’s for lunch.

The Christchurch 360 is perfect for a spontaneous adventure! The only question is where will you start?