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Milford Sound Experience - 7:30am Coach, Cruise & Fly

Drive the Milford Road in, cruise the fjord, then fly home over the Alps.

The no-compromise Milford day: a max-16 small group along the famous Milford Road, a two-hour nature cruise on the fjord, then a 40-minute scenic flight back to Queenstown instead of five more hours in a seat.

⭑ 5.0 1,837 Google reviews 📍 New Zealand ⏱ 9 Hours, 30 Minutes 👥 Up to 48 🔥 Active

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5.0 from 1,837 Google reviews

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Overview

Everyone who visits Milford Sound faces the same maths: it is one of the best places in New Zealand, at the end of one very long road. This trip solves it. You travel in by small van with a guide, cruise the fiord, then fly back over the Southern Alps while everyone else settles in for another five hours in a seat.

The 7:30am departure collects you from or near your Queenstown accommodation in a Mercedes Sprinter with a maximum of 15 passengers, panoramic windows, leather seats and USB charging. The road runs through Southland farmland to a coffee stop in Te Anau, then into Fiordland National Park with stops at Eglinton Valley and Mirror Lakes before the Homer Tunnel drops you into the Cleddau Valley. At the fiord a two-hour small boat nature cruise takes you past the waterfalls, cliffs and rainforest to the Tasman Sea end. Then the finale: a fixed-wing scenic flight back to Queenstown over remote valleys, braided rivers, glaciers and alpine lakes.

The whole thing takes about nine and a half hours, with a packed picnic lunch, Wi-Fi in the van and guide commentary included. If weather grounds the flight, you come home in the van with a movie on. Bring a reusable water bottle, warm layers and a rain jacket, and expect sandflies at Milford.

Why you'll love it

  1. 1

    Small group, maximum 15 passengers

  2. 2

    Mercedes Sprinter with panoramic windows and USB charging

  3. 3

    Eglinton Valley, Mirror Lakes and the Homer Tunnel

  4. 4

    Two-hour small boat nature cruise on the fiord

  5. 5

    Scenic fixed-wing flight back over the Southern Alps

  6. 6

    Packed picnic lunch included

More photos

Itinerary at a glance

1 7:30am · Queenstown pickup

Collected from or near your accommodation in a 15-seat Mercedes Sprinter and away south along Lake Wakatipu into Southland farmland and lake country.

1 Mid-morning · Te Anau coffee stop

A cafe and toilet stop at the gateway town before the road enters Fiordland National Park.

1 Milford Road · Eglinton Valley, Mirror Lakes, Homer Tunnel

Scenic stops in the beech-lined Eglinton Valley and at Mirror Lakes, then the climb to the Homer Tunnel and the drop into the Cleddau Valley towards the fiord.

1 Early afternoon · Two-hour nature cruise

A small boat carrying 60 to 75 passengers runs the length of the fiord past the waterfalls and cliffs, with commentary and your picnic lunch to eat on the way.

1 Afternoon · Fly back to Queenstown

Board a fixed-wing aircraft at Milford Sound airport and cross the Southern Alps, over remote valleys, alpine lakes, braided rivers and glaciers, landing back in Queenstown around nine and a half hours after you left.

What's included

✓ What's included

  • Guided transport from Queenstown to Milford Sound in a small van
  • Two-hour small boat nature cruise in Milford Sound
  • Scenic fixed-wing flight from Milford Sound to Queenstown
  • Packed picnic lunch
  • Complimentary on-board Wi-Fi
  • Guide commentary

✕ Not included

  • ✕Single-use water bottles (bring a reusable bottle; there are plenty of places to fill up on the day)
  • ✕Drinks and snacks at the cafe stops
  • ✕Travel insurance

Common questions about this trip

  • Where does the tour leave from?
    Pickup is early morning from or near your Queenstown accommodation for the 7:30am departure. Give us where you are staying when you book and your exact pickup time is confirmed the day before. You fly back into Queenstown Airport at the end of the day.

  • What if the flight can't operate?
    The flight depends on weather at both ends and the pilot's call. If the flyback is cancelled you return to Queenstown in the van with your guide, with a movie on for the drive. The operator reschedules the whole tour if the Milford Road itself is unsafe.

  • Is lunch included?
    Yes, a packed picnic lunch is included and is usually eaten on the cruise. Tell us about any food allergies when you book so the operator can prepare it. You can also buy food at the Te Anau stop; there is nothing for sale at Milford Sound or on the boat.

  • What should I bring?
    Layers for all weather, a rain jacket, sunscreen, insect repellent, comfortable shoes and a reusable water bottle. Keep bags small: the flight back is on a light aircraft with strict weight and balance limits, and there is no room for suitcases.

  • How fit do I need to be?
    The walks at the scenic stops are short and optional, the boat has plenty of seating inside and out, and the flight is seated. Guides can give you a steady arm into the van but cannot lift passengers.

  • Are there toilets?
    Yes, at the scheduled cafe and comfort stops, at the Milford Sound terminal and on board the cruise boat.

  • Where do I sit?
    Seating in the van is first come, first served; tell your guide if you have a preferred spot. The cruise has open decks and indoor seating and you move around freely.

  • What costs extra?
    Drinks and snacks at the cafe stops and travel insurance. Everything in the title is included: the guided drive in, the cruise, the flight home and lunch.

  • What's the cancellation policy?
    For standard daily tours, cancellations made more than 48 hours before departure get a full refund, and cancellations within 48 hours are non-refundable. Requests to change or cancel must be made by phone or email. The operator also sells optional Change and Cancellation Protection at booking, which lets you move your booking to another date up to 6:00pm the day before departure or claim a 75% refund. If the operator cancels for weather or safety and cannot offer a suitable alternative date or product, it refunds the affected portion of the booking. Wanderlust handles the refund for you, refunds mirror the operator's terms 1:1 (including if the operator cancels) and we chase it on your behalf.

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What travellers say

Reviews from real travellers

Public reviews of the operator who runs this tour on the ground.

The operator's track record

5.0 on Google · 1,837 reviews

Review excerpts below are from Tripadvisor.

⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑
via Tripadvisor
"It was a great way to see the absolutely amazing Milford Sound. Also got to see three baby Kea birds which was a very cool added bonus."
T

Tia B

Tripadvisor review

⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑
via Tripadvisor
"Just the right amount of commentary versus easy listening music. Plenty of toilet stops and photo opportunities. I would highly recommend this trip to anyone."
A

AussieGolfah

Tripadvisor review

⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑
via Tripadvisor
"A very gorgeous tour of Milford “Sound”. It involved a long but lovely drive from Queenston (4hrs) even in the rain"
s

simmsylee

Tripadvisor review

Traveller reviews, source shown on each · shown as excerpts.

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