Gondola only
The return ride
The ticket this guide books
- CoversRide up and down
- Use itAny time in opening hours
- CancelFree up to 24 hours before
Price it for your group
Christchurch Gondola tickets and what each one costs
Christchurch Gondola return ride to the Port Hills
★ 4.6 · 472 guest ratings
Short answer
Christchurch Gondola tickets cost NZ$45 for an adult return at the gate, with a child fare, a family fare, one-way fares for walkers and combos with the tram that cost less than separate tickets.
Fare essentials
Choose from 4 options
What the gondola costs for your group
Set how many are going and the starting fares multiply out.
- Gondola returnThe ride only · for each guest from $26
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View - Gondola and puntPlus the Avon · for each guest from $50
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View - Gondola and tramPlus a tram day · for each guest from $48
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View - Tram, punt, gondolaAll three rides · for each guest from $72
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View
Starting prices from GetYourGuide, converted at the ECB reference rate. You will see the exact price when booking.
A return ride, a one-way walker's fare, a family ticket, a year-long pass or a combo with the tram: here is what each costs at the gate, what it covers and which offers are real.
Editorial team, christchurchgondola.top · Updated November 8, 2026 · 7 mins to read
Main facts
- Return, adultNZ$45 at the gate; booked through this guide it starts from $26.1
- Child and familyNZ$22 for ages 5 to 15, or NZ$123 for 2 adults with up to 3 children.1
- Under 5No charge, as long as an adult comes along.2,3
- One wayNZ$25 adult, NZ$12 child or NZ$62 family, bought on the hill.4,5
- Annual PassNZ$99 per adult for 12 months of gondola and tram rides.6,7
What a return ride to the summit costs
The operator's own ticket page sets the return fare at NZ$45 for an adult and NZ$22 for a child, and a family ticket at NZ$123.1 Those are the prices you meet if you simply walk up to the desk in Heathcote on the day. The Christchurch Gondola price for a child applies from age 5 to 15, a family means 2 adults with up to 3 children, and anyone younger than 5 rides at no charge.1,2
The listing this guide books is called Christchurch: Gondola Ride. It starts from $26, and 472 reviewers have rated it 4.6 on average. It is a return ticket for the date you pick, and you may turn up at any point while the gondola is open; the 10 AM time that appears at checkout is a placeholder, not an appointment. Changing your mind costs nothing until 24 hours out, and you pay later.
Whichever way you buy, the ticket gets you up the hill and back down, plus the Christchurch Discovery Ride at the top, which ChristchurchNZ lists as included.8 The tracks around the summit station cost nothing either, anything from a 15-minute amble to a walk of several hours.9 What the fare does not include is getting to the base station: transport is extra for single tickets and combos alike.10
Every fare in one place
Gate prices by ticket and traveller
| Ticket | Adult | Child | Family |
|---|---|---|---|
| Return ride | NZ$451 | NZ$221 | NZ$1231 |
| One way | NZ$254 | NZ$124 | NZ$624 |
| Annual Pass | NZ$996 | NZ$406 | NZ$2406 |
| Tram and gondola | NZ$8219 | NZ$2719 | NZ$20419 |
| Punt and gondola | NZ$8520 | NZ$4720 | NZ$24020 |
| Christchurch Pass | NZ$12221 | NZ$5221 | NZ$32221 |
Operator gate prices; under-5s ride free on every ticket. Prices can change, so check before you go.2
Ages, families and the rules on children
The age bands are simple. Adult fares start at 16, child fares cover 5 to 15 inclusive, and the family fare is valid for two adults and up to three children.16 A teenager who has turned 16 therefore pays the full adult fare, which catches out families who expected the child band to reach the end of secondary school.16
There is no lower age limit for the ride itself. The operator only asks that children ride with an adult.3 Its terms add a ceiling in the other direction: at most five children or infants can accompany one adult on the gondola.17 A grandparent taking a whole cousin group up the hill on a school holiday may need a second adult along.
Older visitors should know there is no reduced rate for them. The operator states plainly that it offers neither senior prices nor SuperGold Card discounts at any of its attractions.18 Pensioners pay the adult fare, so the cheaper routes for them are the ones open to everyone: a combo, a promotion, or the Annual Pass if they live in Christchurch and ride often.
One-way fares for walkers
Single-direction tickets exist for people who want to walk one leg. The current one-way fares are NZ$25 for an adult, NZ$12 for a child and NZ$62 for a family.4 You buy them at the base station or at the retail store in the summit station, not as a separate online product.5 That suits anyone who climbs on foot and rides down, or who rides up and walks the old settlers' route towards Lyttelton.
The walk most people pair with a one-way fare is the Bridle Path, the old route over the hill that, in ChristchurchNZ's words, early European settlers walked between the port and the town.24 Its grades and times are on the walks page. Here the point is money: walking up and riding down costs NZ$25 for an adult, against NZ$45 for the return.4,1
Mind the clock if you plan to buy your one-way fare at the top. Up top, the cafe, the history ride and the gift shop shut half an hour ahead of the final cabin down.25 The store is where single tickets are sold on the hill, so reach it before it shuts, and remember that the final cabin goes down an hour after the advertised closing time.5,15
Match the fare to the plan
Which gondola ticket fits your visit
Find the plan that sounds like yours and read across to the fare.
If Up and back, nothing more
The return ticket
NZ$45 at the gate or from $26 here, with the Discovery Ride included.1,8
If Walk one direction on the hill
A one-way fare
An adult pays NZ$25; buy it at the Heathcote desk or in the shop up top.4,5
If Parents with school-age children
The family ticket
NZ$123 for two adults travelling with up to three children aged 5 to 15.16,1
If Several visits within a year
The Annual Pass
NZ$99 per adult buys 12 months of gondola and tram rides.6,7
If The heritage tram as well
The tram and gondola combo
NZ$82 per adult, and the rides can fall on separate days.19,22
Three ways to buy
Gondola alone or bundled with the city rides
Two rides
Gondola and tram
Hill views plus a tram day
- CoversGondola and a tram day
- Reviews837
- CancelFree up to 24 hours before
Three rides
Tram, punt and gondola
All three city rides
- CoversGondola, tram and a punt
- PuntBook a time slot first
- DaysNeed not be the same day
Offers and discounts worth knowing about
The operator runs occasional promo codes for set promotions, and children riding free at the gondola during KidsFest is the example it gives; those codes work for online purchases.23 In 2026 the offer let up to three children in free with each paying adult from 4 to 19 July, in the winter school holidays.28 It applied only to single-entry tickets, never to combos.29
Printed discounts work differently. Entertainment Book vouchers, deals from your accommodation and coupons from travel guides must be shown in person at the attraction, and they are not valid for online bookings.27 So a Christchurch Gondola discount from a hotel leaflet means buying at the desk, not ahead on your phone. The tram and the gondola also accept the Hāpai Access Card.30
Locals have more options. The operator lists yearly discounts for Christchurch ratepayers and offers for several accredited charities, on top of its combos and the Annual Pass.31 For a visitor on a short stay, the realistic savings are a combo with the tram or a punt, the family fare, and free entry for children under 5.22,2
From the desk to the ride down
How a gondola ticket is used
Before the day
Book, or plan to pay at the desk
No time slot is needed, and the booked ticket works any time in opening hours.11
At the base
One line for everyone
All visitors, pass holders included, go past the reception desk in Heathcote.12
Going up
About 10 minutes
Cabins seat up to four people on the 852-metre run to the summit.13,14
At the summit
Discovery Ride and tracks
The history ride comes with the ticket; the walking tracks are free.8,9
Coming down
Before the last cabin
Cabins keep running down for an hour after the posted closing time.15
The Annual Pass, and who it suits
The Tram and Gondola Annual Pass costs NZ$99 for an adult, NZ$40 for a child and NZ$240 for a family.6 It gives unlimited entry to both the gondola and the heritage tram for 12 months.7 The operator works the adult pass out at NZ$1.90 a week and the family pass at NZ$4.62 a week, which is how it pitches the card to residents.32
Set it against the single fares: NZ$45 for a gondola return and NZ$42 for an adult day on the tram.1,33 For someone living in Canterbury who takes visiting friends up the hill a few times a year, the pass pays for itself quickly. For a one-off holiday visit it rarely does, so look at the combos further down instead.
The card has rules. It carries the holder's photo and cannot be passed to anyone else.34,35 Pass holders still queue through the single entry at the base station, because every visit is logged at reception.12 Holders also get 30% off a standard punt if they book it in person or over the phone, and 10% off full-price items at the summit shop, but nothing off at the cafe.36,37,38
Video
A visit to the Christchurch Gondola, start to finish
JC70 on YouTube · The clip loads only after you tap play.
Occasionally we offer promo codes for discounted tickets during specific promotions (such as kids go free at the Gondola for KidsFest).
Before you pay
Inside the fare and outside it
In the ticket3
- A return ride between Heathcote and the summit
- The Christchurch Discovery Ride at the top8
- Entry at any time within opening hours
Paid separately3
Booking here or buying at the base
You never need a time slot: the operator's terms say booking times are not required for the gondola.11 Walking up to the desk is always possible, which makes the answer to how much is the Christchurch Gondola on the day simply the gate fare. Booking ahead mainly buys certainty and the chance to compare the listing price in your own currency.
Booked through GetYourGuide, the ticket stays free to cancel until 24 hours beforehand, and you can reserve it now and settle the bill nearer the time. Transportation earns a 4.7 from its reviewers, value a 4.5. Tickets bought from the operator are cancelled through the gondola itself, by phone or email.39
A ticket in hand does not shorten the line. Queues grow, the operator says, on busy cruise ship days and over the New Year fortnight from 26 December to 10 January.40 On the days a large ship is in port it suggests arriving after 2 PM.41 That advice matters more than the booking channel: a quiet afternoon beats a crowded morning whatever you paid.
Combos against a gondola-only ticket
If you plan to ride the tram or float down the Avon as well, a combo usually beats separate tickets, and the operator's own line is that the more you book, the more you save.42 The Tram and Gondola Combo is NZ$82 for an adult, the Punt and Gondola Combo NZ$85, and the Christchurch Pass with all three rides NZ$122.19,20,21 The rides in a combo can fall on different days, which matters if the weather on the hill is poor on your first morning.22
On GetYourGuide the same bundles appear as listings. The gondola and tram combo starts from $48 and has 837 reviews; the gondola with a punt starts from $50, and the three-ride ticket from $72 with 675 reviews. They share the gondola ticket's terms: no fee to cancel until 24 hours out, and nothing to pay at the moment of booking. The passes page of this guide goes through them ride by ride, including the punting time slot you must reserve separately.
Budget for the journey too, since no ticket includes it. The Gondola Shuttle from Cathedral Square is NZ$15 return for an adult, and a Metro bus ride costs NZ$3.00 on a contactless bank card.43,44 A family with a car pays nothing extra to park, because the base station car park is free.45 Add those costs to the fare before you compare a gondola day with other things to do in the city, and the picture is complete.
FAQ
Quick answers to quick questions.
How much is a return ride for an adult?
NZ$45 at the desk.
The operator lists NZ$45 per adult; booked here the ticket starts from $26, cancellable up to 24 hours ahead.1
Do young children ride free?
Is there a senior or SuperGold rate?
No.
The operator offers neither senior rates nor SuperGold Card discounts, so older visitors pay the adult fare.18
Can I buy a ticket for one direction only?
Do I need to book a time?
No.
Booking times are not required; tickets from this guide work any time within opening hours.11
Is the Discovery Ride extra?
No, it is included.
ChristchurchNZ confirms the history ride costs nothing extra for gondola ticket and Annual Pass holders.8
Does the ticket include transport?
No.
Gondola tickets and combos exclude transport; the shuttle, the bus or a car get you to Heathcote.10
Can combo rides be on different days?
Yes.
The operator lets you use the rides in a combo on separate days if you prefer.22
Sources
- Christchurch Attractions (operator of the Christchurch Gondola) · Christchurch Gondola: tickets and visitor information ↩
- Christchurch Attractions (operator of the Christchurch Gondola) · Frequently asked questions ↩
- Christchurch Attractions (operator of the Christchurch Gondola) · Christchurch Gondola: tickets and visitor information ↩
- Christchurch Attractions (operator of the Christchurch Gondola) · Frequently asked questions ↩
- Christchurch Attractions (operator of the Christchurch Gondola) · Frequently asked questions ↩
- Christchurch Attractions (operator of the Christchurch Gondola) · Tram and Gondola Annual Pass ↩
- Christchurch Attractions (operator of the Christchurch Gondola) · Frequently asked questions ↩
- ChristchurchNZ (regional tourism agency) · Top family activities ↩
- Christchurch Attractions (operator of the Christchurch Gondola) · Christchurch Gondola: tickets and visitor information ↩
- Christchurch Attractions (operator of the Christchurch Gondola) · Terms and conditions ↩
- Christchurch Attractions (operator of the Christchurch Gondola) · Terms and conditions ↩
- Christchurch Attractions (operator of the Christchurch Gondola) · Frequently asked questions ↩
- Christchurch Attractions (operator of the Christchurch Gondola) · Christchurch Gondola: tickets and visitor information ↩
- Christchurch Attractions (operator of the Christchurch Gondola) · Christchurch Gondola: tickets and visitor information ↩
- Christchurch Attractions (operator of the Christchurch Gondola) · Christchurch Gondola: tickets and visitor information ↩
- Christchurch Attractions (operator of the Christchurch Gondola) · Frequently asked questions ↩
- Christchurch Attractions (operator of the Christchurch Gondola) · Terms and conditions ↩
- Christchurch Attractions (operator of the Christchurch Gondola) · Frequently asked questions ↩
- Christchurch Attractions (operator of the Christchurch Gondola) · Packages and combo deals ↩
- Christchurch Attractions (operator of the Christchurch Gondola) · Packages and combo deals ↩
- Christchurch Attractions (operator of the Christchurch Gondola) · Packages and combo deals ↩
- Christchurch Attractions (operator of the Christchurch Gondola) · Frequently asked questions ↩
- Christchurch Attractions (operator of the Christchurch Gondola) · Frequently asked questions ↩
- ChristchurchNZ (regional tourism agency) · 11 ways to spend the day in Lyttelton ↩
- Christchurch Attractions (operator of the Christchurch Gondola) · Christchurch Gondola: tickets and visitor information ↩
- Christchurch Attractions (operator of the Christchurch Gondola) · Christchurch Gondola: tickets and visitor information ↩
- Christchurch Attractions (operator of the Christchurch Gondola) · Frequently asked questions ↩
- Christchurch Attractions (operator of the Christchurch Gondola) · KidsFest 2026 ↩
- Christchurch Attractions (operator of the Christchurch Gondola) · KidsFest 2026 ↩
- Christchurch Attractions (operator of the Christchurch Gondola) · Frequently asked questions ↩
- Christchurch Attractions (operator of the Christchurch Gondola) · Frequently asked questions ↩
- Christchurch Attractions (operator of the Christchurch Gondola) · Tram and Gondola Annual Pass ↩
- Christchurch Attractions (operator of the Christchurch Gondola) · Christchurch Tram ↩
- Christchurch Attractions (operator of the Christchurch Gondola) · Tram and Gondola Annual Pass ↩
- Christchurch Attractions (operator of the Christchurch Gondola) · Frequently asked questions ↩
- Christchurch Attractions (operator of the Christchurch Gondola) · Frequently asked questions ↩
- Christchurch Attractions (operator of the Christchurch Gondola) · Frequently asked questions ↩
- Christchurch Attractions (operator of the Christchurch Gondola) · Frequently asked questions ↩
- Christchurch Attractions (operator of the Christchurch Gondola) · Terms and conditions ↩
- Christchurch Attractions (operator of the Christchurch Gondola) · Information for cruise ship visitors ↩
- Christchurch Attractions (operator of the Christchurch Gondola) · 2026-2027 cruise season ↩
- Christchurch Attractions (operator of the Christchurch Gondola) · Packages and combo deals ↩
- Christchurch Attractions (operator of the Christchurch Gondola) · Gondola Shuttle ↩
- Metro Christchurch (Environment Canterbury) · Fares ↩
- Christchurch Attractions (operator of the Christchurch Gondola) · Christchurch Gondola: tickets and visitor information ↩