Milford Sound Cruise from Queenstown or Te Anau
Recommended by 94% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Queenstown, New Zealand
- 10 to 12 hours (approx.)
- Offered in: English
Overview
Travel to the Tasman Sea on a Milford Sound cruise from Queenstown or Te Anau. Travel in a comfortable luxury coach with a glass roof for premium views of the towering mountains. At Milford Sound, cruise past by the world-renowned Mitre Peak and drift alongside rushing waterfalls as you search for wildlife, including New Zealand fur seals, dolphins, and Fiordland crested penguins. An onboard nature specialist provides expert commentary.
- Cruise the length of the UNESCO-listed fiord in a national park
- Hear expert live commentary from a naturalist guide
- Keep a lookout for penguins, dolphins, and fur seals
- Hotel pickup and drop-off and road transfers by luxury coach
What's Included
- All Fees and Taxes
- Air-conditioned vehicle
- Alcoholic drinks (available to purchase)
- Lunch (but available at extra cost)
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting points
Select a meeting point
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Itinerary
Milford Sound (Pass By)
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Operates in all weather conditions
- Please dress appropriately
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Infants must sit on laps
- Most travelers can participate
- Infant and Child rates are the same for this product
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 180 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
Phoebe_K
We had a great time. The travel from Te Anau to Milford Sound was long, and from Queenstown even longer so would recommend staying in Te Anau or bringing a lot of things to do on the bus ride. Getting to Milford Sound was a rewarding experience, and the 2 hour cruise was lovely. No rain on our day, but it was beautiful nonetheless. Our tour guide on the bus ride, Brian, was amazing and chirpy! Great tour and one to definitely do when on the South Island.
Reviews
4.7
based on 238 reviews
Phoebe_K, Mar 2026
We had a great time. The travel from Te Anau to Milford Sound was long, and from Queenstown even longer so would recommend staying in Te Anau or bringing a lot of things to do on the bus ride. Getting to Milford Sound was a rewarding experience, and the 2 hour cruise was lovely. No rain on our day, but it was beautiful nonetheless. Our tour guide on the bus ride, Brian, was amazing and chirpy! Great tour and one to definitely do when on the South Island.
Lucy_V, Jan 2026
It’s a very long day. I would highly recommend spending the night there or at Te Anau. But if that’s not an option, bring a book and headphones. Whatever you do, don’t miss it.
Gopinath_P, Dec 2025
Levi really knows his stuff. He is very friendly, helpful, and will answer questions. We had a really nice experience.
Hannah_L, Dec 2025
Overall, it was a great experience. The scenery was beautiful on the way by coach. Our driver Gordon (Gordy - as he likes being called) was very informative. The cruise would have been great had it not been for the rain. The waterfalls were beautiful and we even saw some seals on the rocks and playing in the water. The only real downside of this trip was that they didn’t have enough food for passengers to purchase on the cruise boat. More than half of the passengers went without food on the cruise as they only had a few items of cabinet food left. Had we known this earlier, we would’ve bought some lunch at the rest stop.
Eric_P, Dec 2025
The views are spectacular.
The guide is experienced in controlling crowd activities and tume management.
The cruise is an average one compared to others.
If there is extra time and weather is nice and don’t mind the long ride on a crowded bus it is a good choice.
The bus seats are too small for big and tall folks in a 12 hours + trip.
IOANNA_S, Nov 2025
Worth it in every sense. Great guide who knew his stuff. Spacious bus. Incredible unforgettable experience.
Benjamin_R, Jul 2025
it was very good, first time in south island and milford sound, the coach Ross so professional and educative highly recommend
MinhN, Jun 2025
It was a great experience which I’d highly recommend. Milford Sound is amazing, and the scenic road trip there is all worth it.
Reesalat_A, Apr 2025
Most inconsiderate and overall the worst tour company I have dealt with. They left without us for arriving two minutes late. Offered NO refunds nor any rescheduling options that was possible during our stay. Ruined our trip to the south island.
Michael_T, Apr 2025
The whole experience from start to finish was absolutely amazing! Loved the service from our driver Paulie, he is very passionate about his job and about the preservation of the beautiful nature! Absolutely loved the commentary on the coach. 100% recommend this activity when in Queenstown
Elizabeth_K, Apr 2025
Very knowledgeable and interesting talk from our bus driver. Comfortable bus, but the seats were too close together. The reflection from the sky lights on the bus made photography a little difficult. The stops were appropriate. The tour was worthwhile for anyone not confident driving. Another time we would drive a rental though, as we missed the freedom of stopping where we wanted and for as long as we wanted. There seemed to be hoards of tourists at Milford Sound.
Lorraine_S, Mar 2025
It's a very long day but well worth it. You travel through some of the most beautiful country in the world. The cruise of Milford Sound is magical. I would pack some snacks/water as there aren't a lot of stops along the journey.
Maggie_F, Mar 2025
It’s a long day but oh so worth it! The coach was comfortable and Dan was an excellent driver. Please be aware if you are prone to any motion sickness, you might feel queasy on the ride going through all the mountains. Additionally loved hearing the history, the folktales, and nature lessons.
Helen_S, Mar 2025
Great trip. Bus driver Chaos was an excellent driver and shared lots of knowledge of the area in a super fun way.
Yuyu_F, Mar 2025
This was simply an amazing experience! Our tour bus driver Danny was entertaining as well as informative! The front desk staff at Queenstown was super helpful and such a pleasure to do business! Went to Milford Sound cruise and it was the best coffee and chai latte in the country! Highly recommend this first class company!
Daphne_K, Feb 2025
A beautiful drive and then boat ride through the sound. Bruce was a great tour guide. It is a long day but so worth it to see one of the most beautiful places in the world. We even saw some seals sunbathing.
Mathieu_N, Jan 2025
This tour is a great way to go to Milford Sound and experience the fjord from Te Anau. Our bus driver Dean was very entertaining and knowledgeable. He made sure we made the most of our drive through the national parks giving us lots of insights on how the landscape was formed. The cruise was amazing and the boat very comfortable. The downside was that although we got told food could be purchased at the kiosk for lunch there was not any lunch available 5 minutes after the cruise departed. Our only option was to purchase buffet tickets which were very expensive given we were only after a light lunch. Our advice would be to pack your own lunch to take on the boat.
Kim_D, Jan 2025
Lovely trip on the Sound. Crew were all so nice and cheerful. Really comfortable boat. Coach driver Bruce was good driver and provided perfect amount of info
Julia_P, Jan 2025
This Milford Sound is amazing ans highly recommend. Just make sure to apply sunscreen or you will get bad sun burn. The views are remarkable.
Benjamin_G, Nov 2024
Truly the most incredible views and nature experiences of a lifetime! It was a long day but the views and memories make every moment worth it.
Katherine_S, Nov 2024
Paulie was such a phenomenal driver and guide, I had the most lovely of times learning about the area and appreciating the great views. He’s clearly very experienced and knows so much about the area.
Michael_V, Nov 2024
The jokes of the driver and is knowledge. Some of the scenery on the way down. Probably wouldn’t recommended a 11 hr bus ride for a 2 hour cruise
Mojdeh_A, Oct 2024
The scenic bus trip , the pie shop in Te Anau ( apple and blueberry pie) and the cruise was great experience.
Rebecca_G, Oct 2024
Brandon was an absolutely terrific guide - trip hit exactly the right balance of informative and relaxing.
Franie_O, Aug 2024
Love the experience. I highly recommend this activity. Me and my friends enjoyed it. We will visit Milford again.
Charlie_O, Aug 2024
Had a wonderful day. Our driver Brian clearly explained the plan of the day at the start and was very helpful. He was very knowledgeable about NZ and kind in taking photographs and helping anyone who needed it. The stops were fantastic on the way and the bus comfy. Milford Sound itself is amazing and we saw dolphins, seals and penguins. Would definitely recommend.
Emmanuel_T, Aug 2024
Extremely long trip, about 5 hours going to Milford Sound but you won’t get bored as the views are stunning and the driver will stop at some areas along the way for photo opportunities. It’s like being in a fantasy movie, we even got to drink the crystal clear water from Monkey Creeks and it was so cold and refreshing. The driver, Paulie, was so enthusiastic about the tour, he knew the place very well and gave interesting commentaries along the way. To be honest, I couldn’t believe he talked for almost 5 hours going to Milford. The Milford Sound wasn’t as great as there were only very few waterfalls, which we already expected since it is winter season and dry. I’m sure Milford Sound is magnificent during spring and/or summer so that’s something you need to consider if you are after all the waterfalls. Overall, it was a great experience, not only Milford Sound but also the stops that we did. Definitely a must do activity if you are in Queenstown already!
JHENMING_L, Jul 2024
RealNZ did good Job, they’re time table you don’t need to worry trip be too rush, and driver Brain very patient and professional to introduce every place, he spoke very clearer, even I not native English speaker, I can understand, next time I still will choice RealNZ
Edson_E, Jul 2024
Some of the best views of NZ's natural landscapes I have seen in my life.
Would recomnend it to all my friends
Graeme_P, Jul 2024
scenery, pete&chow who were our drivers ,we had issues with 2 of our coaches, they handled the situation beautifully. both good storytellers a great sense of humor, went out of their with passengers, also in trying to get a flight back to Queenstown for me &my partner.
From $137.02
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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Milford Sound Cruise from Queenstown or Te Anau
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