Things to do in  Fiordland & Milford Sound

With its jagged sea cliffs, plunging glacial valleys, and thundering waterfalls, it’s easy to see why Milford Sound is one of New Zealand’s most visited natural wonders. The headline act of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Fiordland National Park is a vast coastal wilderness, fringed by ancient forests and home to fur seals, bottlenose dolphins, rare black coral, and Fiordland crested penguins.

Sprawling along New Zealand’s southwest coast, Fiordland National Park represents the country at its most photogenic: jagged mountains, rugged glacial valleys, and glittering fjords. This UNESCO World Heritage Site harbors some of New Zealand’s most impressive natural wonders, including Milford Sound, Doubtful Sound, and Lake Te Anau, as well as rare Fiordland penguins, dolphins, seals, and sea lions.

While tour buses flock to nearby Milford Sound, the wild and remote landscapes of Doubtful Sound are equally impressive and much less crowded. Framed by looming cliffs and peppered with rocky islets and waterfalls, this natural fjord is three times longer and has 10 times more surface area than Milford Sound. Reachable only by boat, it’s a highlight for adventurers exploring the UNESCO–listed Fiordland National Park.

With a stark profile and dramatic location, Mitre Peak’s bare summit towers 5,551 feet (1,692 meters) above Milford Sound. The flanks of Mitre Peak drop steeply into the water, affording spectacular views of the mountain, whether you’re cruising past the base, kayaking in Milford Sound, or swooping by on a scenic flight.

New Zealand’s spectacular Fiordland region is home to Lake Te Anau, the 2nd-largest lake in the country. Explore the lake from the township of Te Anau near the lake outflow, or take a cruise along one of the three fjords forming arms that extend into the old-growth forest on the lake’s western flank.

The Te Anau Glowworm Caves are one of New Zealand's most mesmerizing natural wonders, boasting a labyrinth of grottoes, tunnels, dramatic rock formations, and underground waterfalls. Adventure abounds—visitors can cruise across Lake Te Anau, scramble through the caves, and marvel at a glittering canopy of tiny glowworms.

Nestled within Fiordland National Park, Lake Manapouri is surrounded by the majestic Cathedral Range and dotted with 33 islands. Forested slopes descend into the water, creating impressive waterfalls and isolated sandy coves perfect for swimming and picnics. It is also the jumping-off point for travel to Doubtful Sound.

Soaring peaks dive into lush forests on the 4-day Milford Track, New Zealand’s most famous hiking trail. Often called the “finest walk in the world,” the Milford Track travels through the UNESCO-listed Fiordlands, a dramatic setting crisscrossed by a network of suspension bridges, winding waterways, narrow trails, and open valleys.

After you’ve cruised on the surface of Milford Sound and looked up at its lofty peaks, take a journey underwater at the Milford Discovery Centre and Underwater Observatory, commonly called the Milford Sound Observatory. The large underwater viewing room is 32 feet (10 meters beneath the water, and you’ll see coral, fish, birds, and other wildlife.

Carved by glaciers and now covered in beech forests and tussock grass, Eglinton Valley is an important conservation site in Fiordland National Park. It’s one of the only valleys in the park with road access, so many travelers pass through this scenic spot en route between Te Anau and Milford Sound.

At 531 feet (162 meters), Bowen Falls is the highest in Milford Sound and a must-see attraction. There’s a constant flow of water here, whatever the weather, unlike some of the fjord’s rain-dependent temporary waterfalls. While you can’t currently walk here, you can see Bowen Falls on a Milford Sound boat ride or on scenic flights over Fiordland National Park.

Stirling Falls, called Waimanu Falls in Te Reo Māori, is a 495-foot (151-meter) high waterfall in Milford Sound. When it rains—which it often does in Fiordland National Park, the wettest place in New Zealand—many temporary waterfalls gush from the mountains, but Stirling Falls is a permanent feature of the landscape. It’s usually seen from cruises on Milford Sound.

Whether you’re driving or taking a guided tour, passing through the Homer Tunnel—which pierces the Darran mountains—is the only way to reach Milford Sound by road. If you’re imagining a wide, brightly lit subterranean expressway, think again: The 0.75-mile (1.25-kilometer) tunnel is narrow, steep, and unlit—except by your car’s headlights.

Don’t expect to see any monkeys at Fiordland National Park’s Monkey Creek—though you might see alpine parrots. This glacier-fed spring beside the Te Anau Milford Highway (State Highway 94) is a popular place to stop and admire the views on the trip to Milford Sound, and the water’s so pure you can refill your bottle here.