Arriving at Christchurch Airport: your South Island starting point
Christchurch is the main gateway to the South Island, and for many visitors the first stop before heading to the lakes, the mountains or the coast. The airport is compact and easy — the part worth planning is what happens once you walk out of it.
Step by step, from wheels down
- 1Arrivals
International arrivals clear immigration and biosecurity here; domestic arrivals walk straight out. The terminal handles both under one roof.
- 2Biosecurity
Declare food, plant material and any outdoor equipment. Hiking boots and tent pegs get particular attention — clean them before packing.
- 3Arrivals hall
A pre-booked driver meets you here with your name. If you're arriving on a domestic connection from Auckland, we track that flight too.
- 4Into the city, or straight onwards
Christchurch city is a short run from the terminal, but many visitors head directly to another region on arrival day. Either works as a single booking.
Good to know before you land
- The South Island gets genuinely cold outside summer — bring layers, not just a jacket
- Distances here look small on a map and take much longer than you'd guess
- Mobile coverage thins out on alpine and West Coast routes; download maps and music before you leave
- Petrol stations are sparse between towns, which is one less thing to think about with a driver
- Cards are accepted almost everywhere, including small-town cafés
- Weather changes fast in the mountains — check forecasts the morning of any big drive
Getting out of Christchurch Airport
Most South Island trips start with the same decision: rent a car at the airport, or have someone drive. Visitors who have never driven on the left, are travelling with children, or are landing after a long-haul flight into Auckland usually regret the rental counter.
We collect you inside the terminal and take you where you're staying — city hotel, Akaroa, the ski fields, or straight down towards the lakes. Your driver knows the alpine routes in every season and the timing they actually need.
If Christchurch is the start of a longer trip, one booking can cover the whole thing: the arrival transfer, the touring days, the runs between regions, and the ride back to the terminal at the end.
Met at the terminal, taken to the door
Highway 1 Tours & Transfers is a New Zealand owned private transfer company with NZTA-licensed, P-endorsed drivers. We track your flight, meet you inside the terminal with your name, handle the luggage and take your party door to door — with a fixed price agreed before you fly.
Frequently asked questions
Other arrival guides
- Arrival guide — QueenstownArriving at Queenstown Airport: the spectacular one
Queenstown has one of the world's most photographed approaches — mountains on both sides, lake below. It is also a small, busy airport in a valley where weather matters, so a little planning on the ground side goes a long way.
- Arrival guide — AucklandArriving at Auckland Airport: what happens after you land
Auckland is where most long-haul visitors first meet New Zealand, usually after 12 hours or more in the air. Nothing about the process is difficult, but it helps to know the order it happens in — and to have the ride out of the terminal already sorted.
- Arrival guide — DunedinArriving at Dunedin Airport: further from town than you think
Dunedin's airport sits well outside the city, in farmland at Momona. It is a calm, easy terminal — but the surprise for first-time visitors is the run into town, which is longer than most New Zealand airport transfers.
Other services we offer
A private transfer is only part of what we do. The same NZTA-licensed drivers and vehicles cover tours, hourly hire, airport and cruise work, corporate travel and group bookings throughout New Zealand.
Private, luxury & multi-day travel
Private touring, chauffeur hire, honeymoon travel and a driver for your whole New Zealand trip.
Explore private travelArriving in New Zealand
First-time visitor guides to landing at Auckland, Christchurch, Queenstown, Wellington and Dunedin.
Read the arrival guidesIsland & region guides
What each part of New Zealand is known for, how long the drives really take, and how to travel it without a rental car.
Explore destinationsVisiting New Zealand
Driving on the left, kilometres to miles, money and tipping, the seasons, and travelling without a rental car.
Read visitor infoAirport shuttle alternative
Private airport transfers instead of a shared shuttle — your group alone, direct to the terminal, price agreed first.
Compare the optionsCity taxi, upgraded
A fixed-price private car instead of the taxi rank — city-by-city guides across New Zealand.
See your citySuburb airport transfers
Local detail on the run to Auckland, Christchurch or Wellington Airport from your own suburb.
Find your suburbPrivate day tours & sightseeing
Keep the same driver for the day and shape the route around what you'd like to see nationwide.
See private toursBy-the-hour driver hire
A driver and vehicle held for a block of time — best when your travel starts and finishes in the same town.
Book hourly hireAirport transfers
Flight-tracked pickups and drop-offs at every main New Zealand airport, door to door.
Airport transfersCruise port transfers & shore days
Met at the terminal in Auckland, Tauranga, Akaroa or Picton — back on board well before all-aboard time.
Cruise transfersSki field transfers
Winter-ready vehicles and alpine drivers for Queenstown, Wānaka, Mt Hutt and Ruapehu — gear included.
Ski transfersCorporate & executive travel
Business accounts, client and staff runs, event movements and consolidated invoicing.
Talk to usGroups, fleets & rental car alternative
Multiple vehicles on one booking for larger parties, or a driven alternative to hiring a car.
Rental car alternativeWhat transfers and taxis cost
Plain answers on what moves the price of an airport run in New Zealand, and how a fixed total compares with a meter.
Fares & costsWeddings, balls & big occasions
Private transport for weddings, school balls, corporate events, funerals, large groups and accessible travel.
Occasion transportConcerts & event transport
Ride there and ride home for the big nights — concerts, festivals and events across New Zealand.
Event transport
Please note: by-the-hour driver hire is only suitable when your travel starts and finishes in the same town. If you're finishing somewhere else, book a private transfer or a day trip so your fare covers the driver's travel.