- Flat, easy riverside path through the heart of Christchurch, running from Christchurch Hospital on Oxford Terrace to Margaret Mahy Playground.
- Punts drift past for most of the day, one of the best free sights in the city.
- Passes Victoria Square, the Botanic Gardens boundary, and the cafes and bars of Cambridge Terrace.
- Old bridges, big trees, and a steel sculpture made from beams salvaged after the earthquakes.
Quick facts
| Location | Christchurch, South Island |
| Distance | 4 km |
| Time needed | 2 hours with photo stops |
| Difficulty | Very easy |
| Wheelchair access | No |
| Route | Round trip |
| Elevation | Flat |
| Wet feet | No |
| Toilets | Yes |
| Dogs | Yes, on leash, check current rules |
| Mobile coverage | Yes |
Getting there
The Avon River Walk, also called the City Promenade Walk, starts at the Christchurch Hospital end of Oxford Terrace, right beside the Christchurch Botanic Gardens. There is on street parking around the hospital and Botanic Gardens, but parking is no longer free. Christchurch City Council now charges for parking at the Botanic Gardens and Hagley Park car parks, $2 for the first hour and $1.30 for each additional hour, up to a maximum of $4.60 for three hours, seven days a week between 8am and 5pm. Bring coins or a card, or budget a bit more time to find a free spot on the surrounding streets.
If you want to make a day of it, allow an extra hour for the Botanic Gardens themselves, and another half hour for photos of the punts and the historic bridges along the promenade.
The walk
From the hospital end of Oxford Terrace, the path follows the Avon River past eels lazing in the shallows before opening out at Victoria Square, a historic marketplace and a popular spot for events. From there the route continues into Cambridge Terrace, where the path runs between the river and a strip of bars and restaurants.
Keep an eye out for the water wheel marking the site of Christchurch’s first flour mill, built on a small island in the river in the late 1800s. A little further along, an old bandstand sits close to the water, and punts glide past regularly, especially on fine afternoons.
Near the bridge you’ll pass a steel sculpture made from beams recovered after the Christchurch earthquakes, a sobering thing to see up close, alongside one of the city’s old red phone boxes. If you’re standing at the sculpture you’re on Kilmore Street, a one way street. Walk east with the traffic for about 1.2 km, turn left into Park Terrace, and walk roughly 220 metres to the park entrance. The walk finishes at Barbadoes Street, at the end of Margaret Mahy Playground.
What you’ll see
Native trees and English oaks line the banks for most of the route, with ducks, swans and the occasional eel in the water. The Botanic Gardens side of the walk backs onto 30 hectares of gardens that began with an English oak planted on 9 July 1863, now home to one of the best plant collections in the country.
Closer to the city centre, the promenade passes historic bridges, the Victoria Square marketplace, and the punts that give this stretch of the Avon its postcard look. Punting on the Avon is a genuinely relaxing way to see the city, and the boatshed doubles as a small restaurant well away from the traffic.
Who it’s for
This is an easy, flat walk that suits almost anyone, families with kids, visitors with an hour or two to kill, photographers after the punts and bridges, or locals after a lunchtime stretch of the legs. There is no wheelchair access noted for the full route, so check conditions if that matters to you. It’s not a wilderness walk, it’s a city walk, so don’t expect solitude on a fine weekend.
When to go
Any time of year works, since the path is flat and mostly paved or well formed. Summer brings the punts out in force and the Botanic Gardens are at their best. In winter the path can get wet and slippery in places, so take a bit more care underfoot and allow extra time.
Common questions
How long is the Avon River Walk?
It’s 4 km one way, and takes about 2 hours at an easy pace with stops for photos. Add an hour if you also want to explore the Botanic Gardens.
Where does the Avon River start?
The Otakaro Avon River rises from springs well west of the city, around Avonhead and Fendalton, then winds through the city centre. This walk only covers the central promenade stretch, from Christchurch Hospital to Margaret Mahy Playground.
Can you take dogs on the Avon River Walk?
Dogs are allowed on leash along the promenade paths. Christchurch City Council’s dog rules require leads on paths through green spaces like this one, and dogs are kept out of the river, wetland, and planted margins along corridors such as the Otakaro Avon, to protect wildlife. One person can walk up to four dogs in public, with a maximum of two off leash in areas where off leash is allowed. Check the current council rules before you head out, especially if you’re walking more than one or two dogs.
Is there parking near the start?
Yes, around Christchurch Hospital and the Botanic Gardens, but paid parking now applies at the Botanic Gardens and Hagley Park car parks during the day. Free on street parking can still be found a short walk away.
Is it safe to let dogs near the water?
The Otakaro Avon River is one of the Canterbury rivers where toxic algae can appear from time to time, which is a particular risk for dogs. Check current health warnings before letting a dog swim or drink from the river.
Important stuff
- Dogs must be on a leash on the promenade paths, and are not allowed into the river, wetland, or planted margins along the corridor. Check the current Christchurch City Council rules for full detail.
- A maximum of four dogs per person is allowed in public, with only two off leash at a time in areas where off leash walking is permitted.
- Toxic algae can appear in the Otakaro Avon River at times. Check current Environment Canterbury health warnings before dogs go near the water.
- Paid parking now applies at the Botanic Gardens and Hagley Park car parks, 8am to 5pm, seven days a week.
- Toilets are available along the route. Paths can be wet and slippery in winter, so take care on the bridges and boardwalks.
- Mobile coverage is good for the whole walk.
My honest take
We parked near the hospital and walked over to the lake first, drawn by the noise, which turned out to be model boat racers zipping around Victoria Lake. From there we crossed the footbridge into the Botanic Gardens, and the information centre just inside the gate gave us a good map of both the gardens and the CBD. We spent close to an hour wandering the gardens before leaving by the southern bridge next to the hospital.
The promenade itself is an easy, flat walk, over several bridges and along a river that has clearly recovered a lot since the earthquakes. Watching the punts glide past is genuinely one of the nicer, quieter pleasures in the city centre, and the steel sculpture made from twin towers beams near Kilmore Street stopped us in our tracks, seeing steel ripped apart like paper is not something you forget. If you’ve got the time, walk it slowly. Rushing kind of defeats the point.
Other walks nearby
Back to Christchurch Walks.
