From Te Anau: Milford Sound Cruise & Glass-Roof Coach Tour
Recommended by 93% of travelers
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Te Anau, New Zealand
- 7 hours 45 minutes (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Cruise Milford Sound and travel the scenic Milford Road without having to self-drive on this handy day tour from Te Anau. Travel to the UNESCO World Heritage–listed Fiordland National Park by luxury coach, stopping en route at the Mirror Lakes and Monkey Creek before boarding a catamaran for a cruise. Journey past waterfalls and steep-walled pinnacles such as postcard-perfect Mitre Peak. Audio commentary is available in multiple languages.
- Travel through the unbelievable Homer Tunnel with an experienced driver
- Admire the scenic views rather than the road with coach transport
- Relax on a 90-minute cruise of Milford Sound
- Listen to audio commentary in multiple languages for a richer experience
What's Included
- 1.5-hour sightseeing cruise on Milford Sound
- Local guide
- Live commentary on board
- Air-conditioned vehicle
- Restroom on board
- Gratuities
- Food and drinks, unless specified (contact the operator to advise of any dietary requirements)
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Kiwi Country63 Town Centre, Te Anau 9600, New Zealand
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Operating hours.10:15 am
Itinerary
Board your panoramic coach in Te Anau, referred to as the "Gateway to Fiordland."
En route to the fjord, your driver-guide will take you past the ancient beech forest of the Eglington Valley, pausing at the Mirror Lakes for a leg stretch and photo op. Continuing on through the Upper Hollyford Valley, you’ll be mesmerized by Christie Falls before entering the Homer Tunnel, drilled through the solid mountain rock.
Brace yourself for the grandeur of the Cleddau Valley, where you’ll follow a footbridge over the Cleddau River to the Chasm to view the river’s turbulent whirlpools, before descending to Milford Sound.
From your cruise boat, indulge in the splendor of your surroundings as you glide past waterfalls that splash down vertical, glacier-carved rock walls. Hear commentary about natural wonders such as the postcard-perfect Mitre Peak, which rises 5,551 feet (1,692 meters) from the water. Don’t miss the wildlife such as New Zealand fur seals, bottlenose dolphins, and the rare Fiordland crested penguin.
Lunch is included on board the cruise, before you re-board your coach for the return journey to Te Anau.
En route to the fjord, your driver-guide will take you past the ancient beech forest of the Eglington Valley, pausing at the Mirror Lakes for a leg stretch and photo op. Continuing on through the Upper Hollyford Valley, you’ll be mesmerized by Christie Falls before entering the Homer Tunnel, drilled through the solid mountain rock.
Brace yourself for the grandeur of the Cleddau Valley, where you’ll follow a footbridge over the Cleddau River to the Chasm to view the river’s turbulent whirlpools, before descending to Milford Sound.
From your cruise boat, indulge in the splendor of your surroundings as you glide past waterfalls that splash down vertical, glacier-carved rock walls. Hear commentary about natural wonders such as the postcard-perfect Mitre Peak, which rises 5,551 feet (1,692 meters) from the water. Don’t miss the wildlife such as New Zealand fur seals, bottlenose dolphins, and the rare Fiordland crested penguin.
Lunch is included on board the cruise, before you re-board your coach for the return journey to Te Anau.
1
Lake Te Anau
1 minute • Admission Ticket Free
2
Mirror Lakes Walk
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
3
Monkey Creek
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Homer Tunnel (Pass By)
4
Milford sound Hwy
2 hours • Admission Ticket Included
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Near public transportation
- Most travelers can participate
- If you have selected the picnic lunch option, please contact the operator directly to confirm whether you prefer the chicken or vegetarian option, or to advise of any other dietary requirements.
- While we do our best to operate with a glass-roof coach, these vehicles may not always be available due to operational requirements
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 40 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
Bev_L
Very knowledgeable driver who was an expert bird song imitater. Awesome peaks & hundreds of waterfalls
Reviews
4.6
based on 138 reviews
Bev_L, Feb 2026
Very knowledgeable driver who was an expert bird song imitater. Awesome peaks & hundreds of waterfalls
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Kia Ora Bev_L,
Thank you for your lovely review! We’re so pleased to hear that your driver made such a positive impact on your day, bird imitating and all. We really appreciate you choosing to travel with us!
Many Thanks,
Madeline
Maria_S, Jan 2026
The drive down to Milford and teh Sound itself is spectacular.
It's a long day trip for just 1.75 hours on the boat in the Sound
Caron_R, Jan 2026
Richard was the perfect driver and sooo knowledgeable about everything we saw, passed and history.
Thank you Richard.
Michael_H, Dec 2025
Overall a good experience and very well organized tour group. The bus is exactly on time the bus driver we had was great keeping people on time and explaining what was going to happen and when. The view coming into Milford sound are amazing and the bus will make a few stops along the way including mirror lake. We got lucky with our group and didn’t have stragglers taking longer than they should. So keep in mind the number of stops they make depends on whether or not the group overall is keeping to the schedule to make the boat cruise portion. I have to say the views on the boat tour were nice but a little underwhelming considering you can get spectacular views on the way in and around queenstown and te anau. So was expecting even more spectacular waterfalls. There were 2 bigger ones and a lot of small ones so I’m assuming that will differ by time of year. Considering how long it takes to get there was a little underwhelming. This is something I would do only once. Definitely better to do a tour bus to Milford unless you’re willing to wake up early as parking at Milford is limited and it’s pretty windy roads.
Michelle_W, Nov 2025
It was a very windy day. The sights along the way were impressive. The picnic lunch was tasty too. A great experience had.
Response from Host, Dec 2025
Kia Ora,
Thank you for your feedback! The drive to Milford Sound really is something special! We’re happy you enjoyed the picnic lunch too.
Many Thanks,
Madeline
Kip_H, Jun 2025
Simply beautiful. The coach driver provided us with many interesting details along the way about local culture, landscape, animals, etc. Milford Sound is one of the most stunning places I've had the opportunity to visit.
Response from Host, Jun 2025
Kia Ora Kip_H,
Thank you for your lovely feedback! We're delighted to hear that you enjoyed the journey and appreciated the commentary by our driver. We appreciate you choosing to travel with us and hope to welcome you back again one day.
Many Thanks,
Madeline
Paul_N, Apr 2025
Well worth doing. The scenery is amazing. The drivers are very professional and knowledgeable. Would highly recommend.
Response from Host, May 2025
Kia Ora Paul,
Thanks for the great review!
We are glad that you had an awesome time with us!
Many Thanks,
Brooke and the team from Great Sights
marian_f, Mar 2025
Went from Te Anau to Milford Sound. Comfortable coach with very informative driver Dwayne. He looked after us very well. Stunning scenery. Very relaxing cruise. Decent lunch.
Colleen_S, Mar 2025
Really enjoyed. Adrian is a wonderful guide and an excellent driver. We felt safe always in that bus on a stormy day. We had interesting stops to see the “belly” and the mirror waters. We kept right to schedule but never felt hurried. The lunch box on the cruise was far better than anything we expected both in taste, quantity and contents. Milford Sound was hard to see through the rain and fog but glad we got the experience. Peaceful and quiet ride back to Te Anaí.
Robecca_F, Mar 2025
If it’s raining Don’t Cancel. The rain enhances the waterfalls. We were fortunate enough for it to rain the whole bus ride to Milford. When we got to the boat it cleared off and was sunny
Judith_B, Feb 2025
Take a raincoat and warm clothes as the weather can change quickly. Ensure you take a power bank as the bus chargers did not work.
Christine_D, Feb 2025
Great experience. Milford was beautiful and the coach and boat well maintained but the number of travellers on the tour made it feel a little impersonal.
Swati_A, Dec 2024
Absolutely stunning views. Have no words to express this beautiful boat ride which captures the essence of New Zealand.
I wish it was not raining while our bus was driving towards it so that we could make more stops to capture some beautiful scenery in our camera.
Debra_M, Dec 2024
Take a rain jacket. Although they say there is a toilet on the bus, they won’t let you use it.
It rained the entire day, which made for many spectacular water falls.
Kanishk_A, Dec 2024
It’s one of those places that’s a must visit. We were lucky to be going on a day with hundreds of waterfall yet the weather has improved for us to be on the deck of the cruise.
Hinewaa_T, Oct 2024
Being driven to Milford Sound listening to the Annette talk about the areas, history, wildlife and weather
Joseph_C, Sep 2024
Good parts: Pick up was easy - maybe because it’s a quieter period but we knew we were booked with Great Sights and there was only one of those coach’s there at Te anau. Driver (Richard) was incredible, chatting the whole way down and very clear. Cruise was amazing, everything you could hope for and once again the guide was amazing. No spoilers but if you’re thinking of doing it, go for it!!! Just be prepared for some disorganisation.
Bad parts: It’s such a shame to write this as simple fixes could make this 5 stars. 1) If you’re getting picked up at Te anau be prepared that most of the seats on the coach will already be taken from people getting on at Queenstown - understandable but simply having seat reservations would fix disappointment or finding it difficult to choose a seat. Also not having reservations meant people were rushing to try and get a good seat or would complain if “their” seat was taken. 2) Whilst we clearly booked to have a picnic lunch included we were informed that they had already confirmed lunches at Queenstown with only those people who were getting on there. Basically meaning anyone getting on a Te anau was left out. Luckily we had seen bad reviews about this so had packed some snacks just incase - I’m not an IT expert but it should be pretty simple to add who is or isn’t having food on the list of names given to the driver on the printed document (based on what level of tour they booked). Did feel disorganised and confused at times.
Conclusion: Amazing experience, just need some better management, admin and organisational skills (all pretty essential for a tour operator). Really hope these issues are sorted for future guests.
Response from Host, Sep 2024
Kia Ora Joseph,
Thank you for leaving feedback on the tour.
I'm very sorry to hear you didn't get your picnic lunch, can you please email info@greatsights.co.nz with your booking reference and we will look into this further for you.
Many Thanks,
Brooke and the team at Great Sights
Annette_C, Sep 2024
Great full day out. We were lucky enough to see penguins and seals as well as so many waterfalls.
Our boat captain even went under Stirling Falls for us to have a glacial facial as he called it.
We had a great time even with all the liquid sunshine.
Irena_R, Jun 2024
Our bus driver/guide Adrian was a bit rude at the start, the bus wasn’t clearly marked, we weren’t sure if it was our tour, and he was not overly helpful to start with.
He was though, very knowledgeable about the area and we enjoyed his commentary.
I am vegetarian and specified on booking, but received a boxed chicken sandwich - had to pick off the meat so I could eat 😳 The guide could have given me a voucher to purchase another sandwich on board, he said I would have to contact head office, not my problem basically.
The skipper/guide on board the cruise was very arrogant and opinionated, we are Aussies and he didn't stop criticizing us the whole time. It was funny at first but after almost 2 hours of it, not so much. Even some of the staff agreed with us, he does it all the time.
Anne_N, May 2024
Great trip to Milford sound. Road was narrow but our bus driver was very skilled. The boat ride was fantastic and the captain is very enthusiastic and entertaining. Magnificent views of all the falls. Highly recommended.
Andrew_B, Mar 2024
Really good tour bus driver excellent commentary on the journey beautiful scenery on the drive in and a magic boat ride out the fiord awesome scenery I would highly recommend this tour from either Queenstown or Te Anau 10out of 10 .
Steve_B, Mar 2024
The tour of Milford Sound was excellent and the bus driver was informative and engaging however as the bus picked up passengers in Queenstown and The Anau and seats were not allocated this caused problems amongst the passengers
GRAHAM_D, Mar 2024
The route by bus from Te Anua was a little longer than I expected but unavoidable if you want to experience the fantastic sights of Milford Sound. A wonderful day in a magical place.
Joyce_R, Jan 2024
We loved stopping at Mirror Lake for photo ops. The cruise was windy, a little cold and cloudy which changed the color of the water. There had been rain the past couple of days and more rain coming but it was still great seeing the sound. The guides were great pointing out the different points of interest along the cruise.
The only problem we had was the meeting point. It is very vague and there is no RECEPTION AREA inside that cafe. You just wait outside for a bus to arrive and ask if your name is on their itinerary. Most buses start in Queenstown, stop in Te ANAU for bathroom breaks and to pick up more passengers then go on to Milford Sound. There were atleast a dozen buses and only one said Pure Milford and that wasn’t ours.
Kaye_R, Nov 2023
We had knowledgeable tour guides (bus & boat) & the scenery was stunning. There were enough stops on the bus trip to get great photos and the boat was amazing.
David_M, Oct 2023
My wife and I arrived about 30 min early to the pickup point, which was in Te Anau and was routinely shared by several tour operators. After seeing a half dozen other buses load up and depart, and sending a message to Great Sights about “where was our bus?”, which was not promptly answered, we found our Great Sights guide in an “unmarked” bus, i.e., it looked like many of the other buses that were picking up people, and there was no indication it was from Great Sights. It had been there for a while before We found it, and we ended up leaving about a half hour later than scheduled. The operator should have informed us through the app of the different bus being used. The communication about the pickup, then, was rather poor and, but for our efforts, we conceivably could have missed it.
Other than the casual pickup, our guide seemed very good and experienced.
Michael_K, Aug 2023
I was quite disappointed that our email confirmation start time said 9:50am. Our bus driver didn’t arrive until about 10:25am then said we will leave at 10:45am. We eventually left at 10:50am. Wasted a whole hour waiting around which I wasn’t to please about. I’d understand if there was something that slowed them down on the road but we didn’t get told anything and it didn’t seem like anything went wrong. Apart from that the cruise was very nice and a good experience
Response from Host, Sep 2023
Sorry Michael, it's likely to have been an issue with the hotel pickups in Queenstown. Sometimes clients can sleep in or are waiting in the wrong place, and this delays everything. I'll investigate and if it's something else to blame I wil llet you know
Kind regards
Cris
Joanna_T, Jul 2023
Great driver, stopped at a couple of gorgeous views for photos. Excellent picnic lunch. The boat cruise was fantastic, very comfortable boat and scenery unbelievable, all in all a very memorable day.
B_M, May 2023
The bus driver was knowledgeable and provided a good commentary during the trip to Milford. The cruise itself was very interesting and scenic and the on-board staff were great. A good sandwich lunch was provided and other snacks were available on board. A fine way to see the Sound.
ruth_b, Feb 2023
We went on a clear sunny day, which made this trip truly wonderful. Coach driver made the journey there informative as we stopped at lakes and mountain viewpoints. The boat we eventually took to look at the stunning fiords and waterfalls was comfortable with interesting commentary. The packed lunch we were provided with was generous and good.
From $131.60
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From Te Anau: Milford Sound Cruise & Glass-Roof Coach Tour
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