Arthur's Pass SH73 — Trans-AlpineHighway.

Distance

235 km

Duration

1 day

Climb

1,600 m

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Curated by Rider · Updated Jun 2026

Overview

Arthur's Pass SH73 — Trans-Alpine Highway.

State Highway 73 crosses the Southern Alps between Canterbury and the West Coast — one of New Zealand's finest cross-mountain routes. The road climbs through the Canterbury Plains, enters Castle Hill Basin (a karst landscape of enormous boulders), crests Arthur's Pass (920m), and descends through the dramatic Otira Gorge to the West Coast.

Quick facts

SurfacePaved

Distance235 km

Days1

Total climb1,600 m

DifficultyModerate

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Day-by-day

The route.

ROUTE

8 stops

ChristchurchStart · Start in Christchurch. Head west on SH73 across the Canterbury Plains.

Darfield & Plains EntryScenic Point · The plains give way to the first foothills. The Southern Alps wall appears ahead.

Castle HillScenic Point · Limestone boulders the size of houses scattered across an alpine basin. Sacred Māori site. Used in filming The Chronicles of Narnia.

Craigieburn ForestScenic Point · Beech forest ski area. Kea Alpine Parrots are common here — the only true alpine parrot in the world.

Arthur's Pass Village (920m)Mountain Pass · Alpine village in the pass. The Arthur's Pass National Park visitor centre has good information. Kea sit on motorcycles if left unattended.

Otira GorgeScenic Point · The steepest section: the road drops 300m in 3km through a tight gorge. Remarkable engineering.

HokitikaRestaurant · The Jade (Pounamu) capital of New Zealand. The Hokitika Gorge (10km detour) has impossibly turquoise water.

More routes in NZ

Kaikoura Coast SH1 — Christchurch to Picton Pacific DriveNZ · 340 km Lewis Pass SH7 — Canterbury to West CoastNZ · 215 km Banks Peninsula — Akaroa Summit Road from ChristchurchNZ · 165 km

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