All South Island Tours & Excursions in 2026

If you are looking to experience Milford Sound without the stress of driving the winding roads yourself, do yourself a favour and book with Altitude Tours. From start to finish, the entire day was seamless, comfortable, and spectacularly beautiful. We traveled in a premium, modern Mercedes minibus which made a massive difference for a long day of driving. The large windows were perfect for taking in the dramatic landscapes, and the smaller group size felt incredibly personal—miles away from those massive, crowded tour buses. A massive, special shout-out goes to our amazing tour guide, Katy. She truly made the trip unforgettable. Katy is an absolute gem—incredibly knowledgeable, warm, and her storytelling brought the history and geography of the region to life. She timed all the must-see stops perfectly so we missed the big crowds. She was also very considerate about scheduling toilet breaks, and we never felt rushed during the stops. A bonus experience happened when she spotted a group of Kea on the way back. She made a quick stop so we could safely get up close and watch these cheeky, intelligent alpine parrots check out the bus—an absolute highlight of the trip! The cruise itself through the fiord was breathtaking, getting us right up close to crashing waterfalls. The best surprise of all was a pod of dolphins joining us alongside the boat, leaping through the wake. If you're on the fence about which company to choose, go with Altitude Tours and cross your fingers that you get Katy as your guide. Couldn't recommend them more highly!

We thoroughly enjoyed the lake cruise, BBQ lunch, and farm show. The meeting point was easy to find, making the start of the day stress-free. The cruise itself was lovely, and we enjoyed learning about the history of the area along the way. The BBQ lunch was fantastic, with a huge selection of food to suit everyone. Watching the meat being cooked fresh right in front of us was a highlight, and everything was absolutely delicious. The farm show was both informative and entertaining. It was great to see firsthand how much work goes into farming and how skilled the sheepdogs are. There are also plenty of cute photo opportunities around the property, as well as a gift shop if you’d like to pick up some Kiwi souvenirs. The staff were friendly, welcoming, and helpful throughout the entire experience. Overall, a 10/10 experience from us!

We are so glad we decided to travel with Pure Milford and Ben our driver. From the moment we got on the bus, the service was great. Ben is professional, a great driver, has a great sense of humour and knowledge/interesting. He kept our attention the whole way. Made lots of stops for photo opportunities, which was fabulous. Lunch on the boat was ample and enough fur a snack on the way home. The boat trip was wonderful and the waterfallls spectacular. The scenery at Milford is always majestic. All in all great value!

We had a great experience seeing Milford Sound on this small boutique cruise. Very well organized, with helpful and friendly staff. Great commentary by the captain! We much appreciated the smaller boat and much smaller crowd which made the experience much more private and intimate! Well worth it!

Very popular trip. Lovely ride across the lake to the caves. Very well organised with knowledgeable guides giving a full presentation prior to entering the caves themselves. Magical boat ride around the caves in silence so you can really appreciate what you're experiencing. A 'must do' trip. Don't miss it

Pure Milford - great way to see the sound. The capital and crew were BY FAR the friendliest, most accommodating, and knowledgeable people I've encountered on a short cruise like this. Heck, they will even take your picture without any bother. Boat was clean, free coffee drinks (cappuccino, mocha, etc).

A must do while in Queenstown! My husband and I had the best time on this experience! A quick 10 min drive out of Queenstown, plenty of parking, and really easy to find. There is a lovely brewery/restaurant next to the river to grab a beer/bite before or after the jet boat ride. We didn't eat, but the beers were good! (The food did look good though.) Shotover was running about 10 min behind for the day, so we didn't get on the river at our schedule time, but it was within 10 min. The weather was a perfect fall day, and the sun was out, but it was still a bit chilly on the river. You will get wet, so dress for the experience. Josh, our boat captain, was awesome! He was fun, knowledgeable, and a very skilled driver. He constantly checked-in to make sure everyone was okay and having a good time. You can tell he loves what he does for a living. The views down the river and through the canyons are stunning. The only downfall of the experience is that you can't take photos or videos while the boat is moving. You really have to take it all in and be present in the moment to get the full experience, which is good. The boat gets so close to the rocks and you feel the cold, fresh water on your face -- it is awesome. I would recommend this experience to anyone who visits Queenstown and I would do it again myself.

We had a wonderful two hour cruise around the Milford Sound. The captain gave a great narration throughout the cruise. Educational and entertaining. There were not too many people on board, so one could easily move around to different areas of the boat.