Now's Good! It is the perfect time to experience spectacular Milford Sound. From thundering waterfalls to sky-high mountains and lush rainforests, Milford has it all. Experience the spray of a waterfall as you cruise close to sheer rock faces. Informative, participative, and relaxed, this is the perfect way to experience Milford Sound to the fullest.
Cruise in style on board the newly refurbished Milford Haven. More than a boat, the Haven is a cruising bar and restaurant. Enhance your cruise with something from our café-style menu and pair it perfectly with a fresh craft beer or local wine.
The Milford Haven boasts a large rooftop deck with 360-degree views of the fiord. You can also choose to explore the fiord from the comfort of the cosy lounge, or there is a window seat for everyone in the café.
Take the time to enjoy the best of Milford Sound with our leisurely cruise aboard the Milford Haven, Milford Mariner or M.V. Sinbad. Exploring the length of the fiord you’ll learn about the history of the region and benefit from the knowledge of your specialist nature guide. Experience the cool spray of a waterfall as you move in close to sheer rock faces or watch out for dolphins, seals and, in season, the rare Fiordland crested penguins.
Our experienced skippers tailor the cruise to take into consideration weather and recent wildlife sightings, ensuring you’ll see the best that Milford Sound has to offer on the day.
Informative, participative and relaxed, this is the perfect way to experience what’s been called the “eighth wonder of the world”.
Extra information
Great viewing from both the outdoor decks and indoor lounge
Restaurant quality food & beer on tap
Barista coffee and tea available (extra cost)
The cruise will be aboard the Milford Haven, Milford Mariner or the M.V. Sinbad
Milford Sound is in remote Fiordland, with no WIFI available, the perfect place to unplug and recharge
All ages are welcome on our cruises
Getting there
The journey to Milford Sound via the famous Milford Road is just as remarkable as the destination itself.
Milford Sound is around 5-6 hours (one-way) from Queenstown and around 3 hours from Te Anau.
If you are self-driving from Queenstown, try to stay overnight in Te Anau as the trip to Milford and back from Queenstown can get very tiring. Also, leave plenty of time to stop at the many scenic trails and lookouts along the way.
Really excellent cruise and incredible views. Staff all friendly and very knowledgeable, especially our bus driver, Ryan, across from Queenstown who made sure the journey was as good as the cruise
Such a beautiful trip. Easy pickup. So glad I went with RealNZ. It seemed to be the only bus with a glass roof, which was definitely needed to appreciate the soaring views of glaciers and mountains along the way. Driver Nathan had great commentary, learnt a lot along the way. Appreciated the photo stops and comfort stops. Milford Sound cruise was seamless, and breathtaking. 100% recommend.
This trip was incredible, if you are visiting Queenstown/Te Anau it is an absolute bucket list trip!! The pickup was really easy - RealNZ sent a taxi to pick us up from our hotel in Queenstown, which included in the price. Our driver Paulie absolutely made the trip - he provided insightful and funny commentary for almost 6 hours non-stop on the way to Milford Sound and had such detailed knowledge of the flora and fauna in the region. The bus has windowed ceilings, so you can see a very wide angle view, which gives an incredible view of the mountains for the entire drive. The bus also stops several times on the way, including in Te Anau (if coming from Queenstown), and several points in Fiordland, to take in the view and get some picture. The boat tour is also incredible - I would recommend bringing your own lunch rather than getting the included lunch, and spending as much time as possible on one of the viewing decks! The whole experience was incredibly well planned, with almost no effort on our end, and completely seamless. Again, if you are in Queenstown or Te Anau, this is an absolute must!!
Our tour guide, Nathan, was just excellent! He literally narrated non-stop for the entire trip to Milford Sound, filled us in with all the interesting and worthy sights/things to take note. Obviously he wouldn't have done it without good knowledge of what is going on, not to mention on all the wonderful pit stops he made. Wonderful trip! Make sure you get Nathan of RealNZ.
Our day trip coach driver/tour guide Nathan was a wealth of knowledge and loads of fun to be with our entire 10hrs Milford Sounds day trip! Super friendly, very passionate with sharing his knowledge and very attentive towards us travelers. We felt very safe, and came back from our trip full of knowledge of the entire route heading to and from Queenstown to Milford Sounds! Great awesome experience on the RealNZ cruise, the boat was very large, plenty of space for people to take pics and nice sparkly clean toilets. Awesome experience getting up and close to the waterfalls but skipper was amazing to get us close enough without drenching us passengers! Can't recommend RealNZ enough!
Our super bus driver/guide was SO right that the heavy rain we were having would make our cruise on Milford Sound an EPIC trip! The combination of rain and Milford Sound, along with hanging out on the bow of the Milford Haven and getting drenched, made for an awesome experience and life-long memory! If you have any flexibility in your Milford Sound tour dates, shoot for a rainy day. And get outside!
And to reiterate, our Real NZ bus driver/guide provided wonderful commentary while providing a comfortable and safe ride. Its a long day from Queenstown, but his commentary and music made for a great trip. Thank you!
If you are travelling from Queenstown it will take around 5 hours to reach Milford. Te Anau to Milford is around 2 hours 30 minutes. This timing allows for toilet and photo stops along the way. If driving, make sure you fill your vehicle with petrol in Te Anau before travelling to Milford as there are no petrol stations at Milford Sound or en route. For more details, refer to our Driving Times webpage.
At Milford where do you park and go to check in?
Please allow up to 45 mins - 1 hour to park your vehicle and transfer to the Milford Sound Visitor Terminal, where you must check in for your cruise 20 minutes prior to departure. Car parking at Milford Sound is organised by Milford Sound Tourism (MST). The main parking area is approx. a 10 minute walk to the terminal. Parking in Deepwater Basin is approx. a 25 minute walk from the terminal.
Parking fees will apply in the main car parking area operated by Milford Sound Tourism. The cost will be $10 per hour.
What is the Milford Sound Levy?
The Milford Sound Levy is paid to the Milford Sound Tourism authority and helps to maintain, preserve and develop the Fiord. For more information, see the Milford Sound Tourism website.
What weather can I expect in Fiordland?
Fiordland’s weather is what gives the region its unique character. Rainfall is what makes Fiordland a land of lakes, rivers, streams, waterfalls and fiords. Visitors should always be prepared to enjoy some rainfall during their stay. It is recommended to bring sensible clothing for cool and wet weather to fully appreciate your stay.
The temperatures you can expect in the different seasons are as follows:
Spring (September-November) 10-19 Celsius / 50- 66 Fahrenheit
Is it worth going to Milford/Doubtful Sounds on a wet day?
Many say you have not seen Fiordland unless you have seen it in the rain. When it rains in Fiordland the landscape is dramatic - rock faces stream with waterfalls, mist hangs around the tops of the mountains and rivers and streams rage. From a dry comfortable vantage point on the bus or boat, this landscape is spectacular for sightseeing.
What is the difference between Milford and Doubtful Sounds?
Our places. Our experiences. Milford and Doubtful Sounds, NZ.
Milford Sound at the mountainous north end of Fiordland National Park is the classic fiord - a deep water inlet between steep sided high mountains. Milford Sound is a middle-sized fiord at around 13 kms in length and it is famous for its dramatic scenery, especially Mitre Peak. This fiord is the most accessible of Fiordland National Park’s 14 fiords and it can be reached by bus, car or flight connections from Queenstown.
Doubtful Sound is located in the heart of Fiordland National Park where the mountains are still very impressive but not as high as Milford Sound. Doubtful Sound is three times longer and has a sea surface area roughly ten times larger than Milford Sound. Its three arms are Hall, Crooked and First Arm. It is famous for its wilderness scenery and wildlife sightings. To get to Doubtful Sound visitors first take a launch trip across Lake Manapouri and drive over Wilmot Pass.
Visitors with enough time choose to visit both fiords as they have different characters.
How likely are we to see wildlife in Fiordland?
While we cannot guarantee you will see wildlife, sightings of fur seals are reasonably common in both Doubtful and Milford Sounds. A pod of bottlenose dolphins resides in Doubtful Sound so you have a good chance of seeing these fascinating mammals, and in Milford Sound dolphins are occasional visitors. In both sounds the rare Fiordland crested penguin can at times be observed.
What are the driving conditions to Milford like in the winter?
Driving conditions during winter (May to September) can be difficult. Extreme care is needed as freezing temperatures mean the road can ice over in shaded places. During the winter it is mandatory to carry snow chains in your vehicle as the road can sometimes be covered in snow. These are available for hire from petrol stations in Te Anau and Queenstown.
If you are not confident about driving in winter conditions then take a RealNZ coach to Milford Sound so you can relax and take in the stunning scenery.
What happens if the weather changes and we can’t fly out from Milford?
Your travel agent or the outlet where you purchased your Milford Sound trip will refund the flight component of your ticket. You will return to Queenstown by coach.
What is the difference between a sound and a fiord?
Throughout Fiordland the fiords are officially mapped as sounds. Strictly speaking, they should be called fiords.
A fiord is a glaciated valley - typically narrow and steep-sided - that has been flooded by the sea after the glacier’s retreat. A sound, on the other hand, is a river valley flooded by the sea following a rise in sea levels or depression of the land, or a combination of both.
Do I need to bring a car seat for my child?
Car seats are not mandatory on our coaches, and we do not have then available for hire. Parents are more than welcome to bring their own car seats.
Daily coach connections from Te Anau. Sit back, relax and take in all the views along the Milford Road.