Short Campervan Trips from Christchurch: Canterbury Round Trips

Quick summary: Every trip on this page is a campervan or motorhome round trip from Christchurch, so you finish where you started. They range from a single night on Banks Peninsula to several days among the lakes of the Mackenzie Country. Combine two or three into a longer loop, or pick one for a weekend away.

Trip	One-way distance	Driving time	Nights
Akaroa and Banks Peninsula	Around 85 km	Around 1 hr 20 min	1–2
Waipara Valley	Around 60 km	Around 45 min	1
Hanmer Springs	Around 135 km	Around 1 hr 45 min	1–2
Kaikōura	Around 180 km	Around 2 hr 30 min	2
Arthur’s Pass and Castle Hill	Around 150 km	Around 2 hr	1–2
Inland Scenic Route 72	Varies	Varies	1–3
Lake Coleridge and the high country	Around 105 km	Around 1 hr 30 min	1–2
Timaru and the South Canterbury coast	Around 160 km	Around 2 hr	1–2
Lake Tekapo	Around 225 km	Around 3 hr	2–3
Lewis Pass	Around 200 km	Around 2 hr 45 min	2
Aoraki/Mount Cook	Around 330 km	Around 4 hr 15 min	3–4

Which trips can you combine?

Several of these destinations sit naturally together. Kaikōura and Hanmer Springs are linked by the Inland Kaikōura Road, making a popular loop of three or four days with a stop in the Waipara Valley on the way home. Lake Tekapo and Aoraki/Mount Cook pair easily, around 105 km apart, and the Inland Scenic Route 72 makes a scenic return to Christchurch. Arthur’s Pass and Lake Coleridge share the high country west of the city.

Our round-trip itineraries put these combinations into day-by-day plans.

Which Canterbury trips suit a short RV hire?

For a hire of two or three days, the closest destinations work best: Akaroa, Waipara, Hanmer Springs and Castle Hill all involve less than two hours of driving each way. Kaikōura and Lake Tekapo suit three days or more, so you aren’t spending most of the trip on the road.

What if you want to go further?

Beyond Canterbury, the road continues to Queenstown, Fiordland and the West Coast. Our sister site covers those regions route by route, including the Mackenzie Country to Aoraki/Mount Cook and the classic South Island loop from Christchurch.

Frequently Asked Questions