Milford Sound Coach, Cruise and Flight Sightseeing Tour from Queenstown

Recommended by 92% of travelers

Badge of Excellence

Te Anau, New Zealand

9 hours (approx.)
Pickup offered
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

Why travelers loved this

4.7

· Mabel_B ·

Mar 2026

Great experience overall, and the services provided were excellent. The guides were all very pleasant and knowledgeable. The views were spectacular.

· Deborah_A ·

Feb 2026

Absolute must do! Carol our driver and guide was amazing, boat was great and flight back was spectacular.

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Overview

Explore Milford Sound on a full-day tour from Queenstown with a combination of a scenic coach ride, sightseeing cruise, and return flight over the pristine mountain wilderness. Avoid the hassle of self-driving through the beautiful landscape and let an experienced driver take the wheel on the mountainous roads. Look out for rare South Island wildlife on the cruise, then save time with a flight back to Queenstown.

Soak in the scenery during the stunning morning drive to Milford Sound
See isolated parts of Fiordland National Park on the return flight
A picnic lunch can be provided for an extra fee
Includes round-trip transfers from select Queenstown hotels

What's Included

35-40 minute scenic fixed wing plane flight back to Queenstown
Complimentary pickup and drop-off from set locations
Scenic Coach Tour to Milford Sound from Queenstown
Numerous scenic stops on the drive to Milford Sound
2 Hour Cruise around Milford Sound / Piopiotahi with Mitre Peak Cruises

Lunch

You may bring your own lunch. Alternatively, a picnic lunch may be organized at an additional cost. Please contact Milford Sound Scenic Flights to prebook - lunchbox is received in Milford Sound

Meeting and Pickup

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Pickup details

Departure Point: Various bus stops throughout Queenstown (to be advised after booking) Directions: Directions to the Coach pick up points can be supplied. Please contact local operator to request Dates: Daily Return point: Drop-off to your accommodation in Queenstown

Operating hours
.7:00 am

Itinerary

In the early morning, your climate-controlled coach picks you up from designated locations in Queenstown, then sets out for Milford Sound.

Along the route, get great photo ops at the Mirror Lakes, Knobs Flat, Eglinton Valley, Monkey Creek Bridge, and the Chasm.

Upon arrival in Milford Sound after around four hours of driving, board your boat for the leisurely sightseeing cruise. Soak in the scenery of dramatic fjords and snow-capped mountains as your boat glides along the water.

When your cruise ends, transfer to the airstrip in Milford Sound to catch your flight back to Queenstown. Get aerial views of Fiordland National Park, an immense land of rugged mountains, massive glaciers, dense forest, and numerous lakes.

When your plane lands in Queenstown, your tour ends with drop-off at your accommodation. Have the option to upgrade to add a picnic lunch.

Te Anau

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Milford Sound

Admission Ticket Free

Fiordland National Park (Te Wahipounamu)

40 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Lake Wakatipu (Pass By)

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Infants must sit on laps
Not wheelchair accessible
Infant seats available

Most travelers can participate
Infants are classed a 11kg or under due to seatbelt restrictions on the flight - if over this weight they are classed as a child
Infants and Child car/booster seats available at an extra cost booked directly with the supplier, otherwise please bring your own along.
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 15 travelers

Supplied by

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Featured review

Karen_K

Absolutely perfect day! The drive out with our guide Do was excellent. She gave great commentary and made several stops to beautiful scenic roots along the way. I loved Do's playlist! Her info and insights on the areas we passed was helpful and entertaining. The cruise on Milford Sound was beautiful. The flight back to Queenstown was an excellent way to see the beauty of Milford Sound and Queenstown from another perspective. The plane ride was bumpy but our pilot was excellent. Highly recommend this awesome experience.

Reviews

4.7

based on 72 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Wow

David_N, Apr 2026

It’s a long bus ride, so strongly recommend the flight back to Queenstown from Milford. Scenery is awesome, our guides were great trhoughout the day

Great experience overall,...

Mabel_B, Mar 2026

Great experience overall, and the services provided were excellent. The guides were all very pleasant and knowledgeable. The views were spectacular.

Awesome Experience

Karen_K, Feb 2026

Must do trip

Deborah_A, Feb 2026

Absolute must do! Carol our driver and guide was amazing, boat was great and flight back was spectacular.

It’s like a fun road trip...

Liza_W, Feb 2026

It’s like a fun road trip with stunning views and many photo opps. The boat cruise was above and beyond expectation. So glad we chose this tour. Amy R is a great tour guide and provided lots of information along the way.

Milford sound drive/fly tour

Ian_w, Nov 2025

it rains 260 days a year, and apparently they often cancel flights if you've booked a bus one way and a flight to get back to queenstown. the refund for the cancelled flight from viator was significantly less than the cost if you booked direct with the tour company. then, if you choose to get a chopper back, the cost is ridiculous.

Amazing

Larry_J, Oct 2025

We did the plane ride for return. Well worth it for the sights and time. Beautiful experience, loved every minute

Response from Host, Oct 2025

Kia ora, Thank you for giving us 5-stars. We’re so glad to hear you enjoyed the flight. We agree, it is the best way to take in the views of Fiordland. Ngā mihi nui, Milford Sound Scenic Flights

Excellent tour guide with Shelley!

Rita_R, Apr 2025

Plan for a very full day. The trip there is planned with great stops along the way to either use a toilet or grab a snack or even just to see something interesting along the way.

Response from Host, May 2025

Kia ora Rita, Thank you very much for taking the time to leave us a 5-star review and share your experience. Seeing Milford Sound / Piopiotahi and surrounding area by coach, cruise and scenic flight is a wonderful way to see all of the incredible views. We thank you for your recommendation and for including us on your adventures. Kind regards, Milford Sound Scenic Flights

coach, bus, fly the only way to see Milford Sound

Janine_H, Mar 2025

We had the best day. Everything went so smoothly. Tour Guide Tommy was awesome. A must do when in Queenstown. Flying back was amazing defiantly value for money. I found Viator by googling online and found the reviews positive so thank you to everyone for their good reviews we made the right choice by booking through them.

Response from Host, Mar 2025

Kia ora Janine, Thank you very much for taking the time to share your experience. We will be sure to pass along your wonderful feedback to Tommy. We are so glad you enjoyed exploring Milford Sound / Piopiotahi by road, cruise and flight. We thank you for your positive feedback. Best wishes, Milford Sound Scenic Flights

Fabulous Day, worth the splurge!

Bob_F, Feb 2025

It was a fantastic day from start to finish. Pick up was easy. Our guide, GT, was a delight. The drive was nice. It was a great group. The boat trip on the Sound was great and the flight back was breathtaking and so worth it!

Milford Sound and Scenic Flight Tour

Dennis_C, Feb 2025

Our tour was through Altitude. Our tour guide, DO was very knowledgeable and told us a lot about the land. She made the 5-6 hour tour very enjoyable. Milford Sound is a must do if you are visiting Queenstown. We took the flight back from Milford Sound and the cost was well worth it value.

Response from Host, Feb 2025

Kia ora Dennis, Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with us. We're so glad to hear how much you enjoyed your Coach, Cruise and Flight with us. We'll be sure to pass your kind feedback to Do. Being able to explore Fiordland by land, sea and air is the ultimate experience. Thank you for your support and recommendation. Kind regards, Milford Sound Scenic Flights

Milford on a clear sunny day... WOW.

John_S, Jan 2025

Loved it. Mercedes van tour to Milford, boat ride, flight back on what turned out to be a clear sunny day, was exceptional. Bus driver Chelsea Rogers was really wonderful, knowledgeable and charismatic and the pilot who flew us back to Queenstown was also great. Thanks for a brilliant day. Highly recommend.

Response from Host, Jan 2025

Kia ora John, We appreciate you taking the time to leave us a 5-star review. We're happy to hear how much you enjoyed your Coach, Cruise and Flight with our team and will be sure to pass along your feedback to Chelsea. We thank you for your recommendation. Thank you for choosing to explore Fiordland National Park with us. Best wishes, Milford Sound Scenic Flights

Magnificent Milford Experience

Briina_M, Jan 2025

Absolutely amazing! We did the coach, cruise and scenic flight to experience everything in one day. Magnificent! The coach was a small group which I appreciated after seeing the massive bus loads of people. Nev was our driver and we couldn’t have asked for better. He knew the roads like the back of his hand and shared a lot of awesome history about South Island and everywhere we journeyed. Our pilot Andy was incredible too. So calm and patient. Also very knowledgeable about the sounds and landscape we flew over. Finally, shout out to Ritch for getting us home safe at the end of the trip! My advice is book the trip! You won’t regret it.

Response from Host, Jan 2025

Kia ora, Thank you very much for taking the time to share your experience and 5-star review. Traveling to Milford Sound / Piopiotahi by road, cruising through the fiord and flying back to Queenstown is a fantastic way to experience Fiordland National Park. We're happy to hear you enjoyed the journey with Nev, Andy and Ritchie. We'll be sure to pass your feedback to all of them. Thank you for your recommendation. We appreciate your support. Kind regards, Milford Sound Scenic Flights

Go to Milford Sound with a different company.

Emily_L, Jan 2025

Milford sound is amazing and should not be missed. However, I would not use this company to get me there. We started off on the wrong foot when our tour guide scolded us in front of the whole group for getting to the bus right on time (apparently we were supposed to arrive 10 minutes early). It was demeaning. Our tour guide did provide us with information about the region but spoke in the way of a righteous schoolmarm. She had the audacity to tell our group (with 4 people from Colorado, ourselves included) that she was disappointed with the Rocky Mountains in comparison to “her” mountains in NZ. Don’t get me wrong, the mountains in NZ are special and impressive, but there is no need for her to downgrade our country and home, it was upsetting. Lastly, we purchase the flight option home. I understand they don’t control the weather, but our flight was cancelled due to “weather”, however we saw many flights depart Milford sound and flying over our van as we were driving home. Perhaps they should contract with a different, more reliable plane company. All and all, you should experience Milford sound in your trip to Mew Zealand, but I would advise using a different tour company.

Response from Host, Jan 2025

Kia Ora Emily, Thank you for taking the time to write your review. We appreciate your feedback. This is not the experience we pride ourselves on delivering and we thank you for bringing this to our attention. Please know our weather calls are made with safety as our top priority. We appreciate your understanding and have passed your feedback to our team. Best wishes, Milford Sound Scenic Flights

Milford Sound Combination Platter

Joseph_C, Jan 2025

A perfect way to see the area. Ivan was a terrific guide (as well as a safe driver)! Lots of interesting sites along the driving route in a comfortable coach. Van size and crowd about right to keep things going and to meet new friends. We took the flying option back to Queenstown which was a fun and adventurous way to end the day.

Response from Host, Jan 2025

Kia ora Joseph, Thank you very much for your review of our Coach, Cruise and Flight trip. We'll be sure to pass your feedback to Ivan. Being able to explore Fiordland by coach, cruise and flight is a wonderful experience. Thank you for joining us. Kind regards, Milford Sound Scenic Flights

Incredible. Must see experience.

Mike_J, Jan 2025

The bucket list experience you didn’t know was on your bucket list. 10/10 recommend. The coach bus was very comfortable. Make sure to pre-book lunch or pick something up in Te Anau - pre-booking lunch is the easiest way. I recommend coffee and breakfast before you arrive at your pick up spot. You do have the opportunity to get coffee in Te Anau. You will then eat lunch on the cruise. The stops were incredibly scenic and lovely. Milford sound is unlike anything you’ve ever seen. Bring sunscreen because it could be cloudy, but it could be very sunny and you will want sunscreen. We were there on a perfectly sunny day and it was absolutely stunning.And the flight back was like a dream. Stunning and engaging the entire time. The staff was incredible and helpful. This is an experience that you cannot miss.

Response from Host, Jan 2025

Kia ora Mike, Thank you very much for taking the time to share your experience and glowing, 5-star review. We appreciate your recommendations. The views by road, boat and plane are spectacular. Thank you for including us on your Fiordland adventures. Best wishes, Milford Sound Scenic Flights

Perfect way to visit Milford Sound

Mark_O, Jan 2025

Perfect day! We’re very glad that we chose the coach / cruise / fly option since that allowed us to see lots of amazing spots on the way to Milford Sound and then travel back quickly with amazing views from the plane. Kevin was engaging and kept the tour going at a great pace.

Response from Host, Jan 2025

Kia ora Mark, We thank you for your 5-star review. Being able to explore Fiordland by air, road and sea is the best of everything. We're so glad you enjoyed your experience with us. Thank you for joining us. Kind regards, Milford Sound Scenic Flights

Wonderful and well organized tour

yaping_g, Oct 2024

The coach&cruise&flight Milford sound tour is excellent! Original tour date got rain, was able to re-scheduled to 2 days later. I am really glad we were able to make the tour: the coach van driver Do (or Do 20) is really fun, considerate, and views along the way such as mirror lake and waterfall are beautiful. Do took care of everyone really well, connect us to the cruise, and wait with us until handing us all to the pilot. The cruise is great too: offered more close view to all the water falls. The flight back to Queenstown is short (40 min) but offered breathtaking views from air, really enjoyed it. And after flight, a shuttle driver took us back to our stop near hotel. The whole tour is well organized, and we really enjoyed the whole tour!!

Response from Host, Nov 2024

Kia ora, Thank you for taking the time to share your review. We're sorry to hear the weather disrupted your plans and appreciate the flexibility of rescheduling to another day. The views through Fiordland National Park from the road and sky are spectacular. We're so glad you enjoyed your cruise as well. Thanks so much for joining us. We'll be sure to pass along your feedback to Do. Best wishes, Milford Sound Scenic Flights

Great

Tyler_S, Oct 2024

Very beautiful and educational. Tommy was great. And great playlist during the drive. Airplane ride was incredible.

Response from Host, Oct 2024

Kia ora Tyler, Thank you for taking the time to share your review and experience. We'll be sure to pass along your feedback to Tommy. We appreciate your support. Thank you for joining us for an adventure through Fiordland. Best wishes, Milford Sound Scenic Flights

Wonderful day

michael_s, Mar 2024

Tommy was excellent guide and trip was awesome. From pick up to drop off! Our guide actually made the trip with excellent commentary multiple stops and prompt pick up and drop off.

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Kia Ora Michael, Thank you for sharing your positive feedback. We're thrilled to hear that Tommy provided excellent service and made your trip truly awesome from pick up to drop off, ensuring a seamless and enjoyable experience for you. Thank you for choosing to explore Fiordland with us and giving such a glowing review. Kind regards, Milford Sound Scenic Flights

Excellent March 7 bus cruise Milford sound

Geoff_E, Mar 2024

Graeme the driver was excellent, on time pickup, good commentary on History of areas, good overview of what we were going to do, attentive to making good stops for views and food stops and washroom breaks etc. Would tour to others.

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Kia Ora Geoff, Thank you for your feedback. We're delighted to hear that Graeme provided excellent service during your tour. He will be glad to hear your compliments on ensuring you had a comfortable and enjoyable experience. Your recommendation means a lot to us, and we are glad you enjoyed your time in Milford Sound / Piopiotahi. Kind regards, Milford Sound Scenic Flights

Good time

Russ_M, Feb 2024

The parts that I liked: - local, knowledgable guide - cruised on a small boat (not the large one) - plenty of bathroom stops on the coach/van trip (and the bathrooms were clean) Note, there is some risk of the flight back being cancelled due to the ever-changing weather. In that case, the van is used to take you back (which puts you about 3 hours later arriving back in Queenstown). If that had happened, the trip would have been a real downer. I suggest packing a small lunch w/ drink, there is limited opportunity to buy one while on the trip. In summary, I recommend (as long as you understand the risk)

Response from Host, Mar 2024

Kia Ora Russ, Thank you for taking the time to leave us a 5-star review. We are glad you enjoyed our smaller boat in Milford Sound / Piopiotahi and that we were able to fly with you. We will take on your feedback in regard to the lunch. We appreciate your recommendation and thank you for flying with us. Best wishes, The Milford Sound Scenic Flights Team

Beautiful tour, confirm your pick up location

Donna_E, Feb 2024

Can’t say enough good things about this bus, boat and fly tour! If you love picturesque scenery, this is a must do! You can pre order lunch thru the tour company however I recommend skipping that and buying your lunch when stopping in Te Aneu. My only negative comment is that the Viator booking says they will pick up at our hotel( Hilton) but tour operator contacted us and said they don’t so Viator needs to update their website in regards to pick up locations.

Response from Host, Feb 2024

Kia Ora, Thank you for your 5-star review. You certainly get the best of both worlds with this tour! Te Anau is a lovely stop off. We're sorry that Viator gave you the wrong information in regards to your pick up, and will follow up with them about this matter. We're so glad you enjoyed your experience overall and thank you for joining us. Best wishes, Milford Sound Scenic Flights

Would do this again

Joanne_G, Feb 2024

We enjoyed our small group and fabulous tour guide Sinchan. It was a 4 hour van ride there with breaks. He kept the entire trip interesting and everyone engaged. The ferry ride was beautiful. I would highly recommend the tour. We did do the plane ride back which was fabulous. It brought the whole thing together.

Response from Host, Feb 2024

Kia Ora, Thank you for your 5-star review. You certainly get the best of both worlds with this tour! We're so glad you enjoyed your experience with us and thank you for joining us. Best wishes, Milford Sound Scenic Flights

Wow, what a day!

Christine_K, Feb 2024

Pam was a wonderful guide. We enjoyed her commentary-she was very knowledgeable. The flight was amazing!

Response from Host, Feb 2024

Kia Ora, Thank you for taking the time to leave us and Pam a wonderful review. I've passed along your feedback and am sure she'd be thrilled to know how much you enjoyed your experience. Being able to see Fiordland by road, cruise and flight makes for a truly fantastic day. Thank you for joining us.

Spectacular experience

Anonymous, Jan 2024

Ash our driver was amazing, so knowledgeable, fun and engaging. Milford Sound was spectacular and we were lucky it rained that day so the water was truly flowing. Unfortunately we weren't able to fly back because of high winds but Ash made our return drive comfortable, relaxing and informative.

Response from Host, Feb 2024

Kia Ora, Thank you for taking the time to leave us a review. Will be sure to pass along your wonderful feedback to Ash. Seeing the waterfalls after rain is so special in Milford Sound / Piopiotahi. We hope you're able to join us for a flight on your next visit. Thank you for including us on your Queenstown adventure.

An experience to last a lifetime!

Rian_S, Jan 2024

Just incredible! When it comes to the Milford sounds, it’s always a gamble with the weather. Although it was raining on the day of our tour, Fiordland and Milford sound came to life showing us hundreds of waterfalls only present while raining. It was magical. We booked the coach, cruise, and flight tour and unfortunately, the weather prevented us from doing the flight back. This was a bummer but the bus ride in and the cruise were still a great experience by themselves. During the ride in, our driver Nev gave us a wealth of knowledge about the area. We also stopped multiple times along the way to get a better view of some beautiful spots. Honestly, Nev is the only person who could have made that long drive in and out of Milford sound feel like a breeze. Thank you! My suggestions for people planning on booking: 1. Do the coach, cruise, and flight and hope the you get to fly but be okay if you can’t- they reimburse you the flight if you don’t get to fly 2. Don’t cancel if it’s raining for this is when the mountains come to life 3. Be prepared to bus back either way and bring headphones/movie on an iPad or phone. We will 100% be back and hope the next time we get to see the sound on a good weather day. As they say, you haven’t truly seen Fiordland unless you’ve seen it on a good and bad weather day. Thank you Nev!

Response from Host, Jan 2024

Kia Ora Rian, Thank you for taking the time to leave such a wonderful review. We are so happy to hear how much you enjoyed your trip with Nev and have passed along your wonderful feedback. Milford Sound / Piopiotahi is stunning in all weather. We hope you get to see it on a sunny day next visit. We thank you for your recommendations and look forward to flying with you next time. Best wishes, Milford Sound Scenic Flights

Smooth tour with knowledgeable guide

valeriefoo93, Jan 2024

Shelly’s a wonderful and knowledgeable guide who shared with us lotsa tidbits of information. The whole experience was wonderful and the scenic flight was definitely a once in a lifetime experience.

Must do - worth every penny!

Fred_C, Dec 2023

Great experience and highly recommend doing the coach, cruise and flight package. The coach tour was great - learned a lot about New Zealand and made some nice stops on the way down. Trip went fast as there was so much to see on the drive. Our guide was excellent and when we got to Milford Sound it was a smooth transition to the cruise. Cruise was amazing. The flight back was the highlight of the trip - so glad to not have to take a 5 hr ride back. The 45 minute flight had unbelievable, breathtaking views - a must do!

Response from Host, Dec 2023

Kia Ora Fred, Thank you for leaving us a 5-star review. We are delighted that you enjoyed every phase of your Coach-Cruise-Fly trip with us and that the transitions were seamless. Thank you for joining us and recommending this trip to others. Kind Regards Milford Sound Scenic Flights

Outstanding .. every...

Peter_A, Nov 2023

Outstanding .. every aspect .. 5 hour coach ride, 2 hour boat cruise, 40 min plane trip on return. Do it this way !

Response from Host, Nov 2023

Kia Ora Peter, Thanks so much for taking the time to leave us a review. We appreciate your recommendation. It really is great to see Milford Sound by road, boat and plane. Thanks so for joining us.