Milford Sound Tours: The 15 Best Ways In

Premium Milford Sound Small Group Tour & Cruise from Queenstown - Te Anau gives you a sensible first break

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3,001 reviews · from $216Our pick

Review of the 13-hour Milford Sound small-group tour from Queenstown, with scenic stops, guided commentary, picnic lunch, and a two-hour cruise.

“The trip and the experience and the scenery were all superlative. I do have a bit of a hearing problem, but with the fan motor going at the back of the van and the young lady, talking in a high-pitched voice may be a bit too fast and a lot of strange names and never repeating any of them. I had to ask her when we got to our stops what she had said about everything… And on the way back, she told about all the restaurants all the hotels all the bars, all the places to visit and everything. I then even could not think of that I needed…”

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Queenstown: Milford Sound Coach & Cruise Full-Day Trip

2.Milford Sound Coach & Cruise Full-Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 2,592 reviews · from $144

Ride from Queenstown to Milford Sound for a full day of rainforest views, waterfalls, wildlife, local commentary, lunch, and a scenic fiord cruise.

“Great day great activities, our guide Carl made sure we got there regardless of the few challenges he was facing made sure we got there on time, safe and everyone accounted for. Great day out on Pure Milford”

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Milford Sound: 2-Hour Small Boat Scenic Cruise

3.2-Hour Small Boat Scenic Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 2,561 reviews · 2 hours · from $101

Cruise Milford Sound on a small boat, reaching waterfalls, cliffs, seals, dolphins, and penguins with live commentary and hot drinks.

“Long drive out to the ship from Te Anua. But worth it. Limited food options so don't go hungry. The Sound is awesome. And the 2 hour boat ride was just enough. We had a great time and very glad we took the time to do it.”

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Small Group, Award Winning Milford Sound Day Experience & Cruise

4.Small Group, Award Winning Milford Sound Day Experience & Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2,416 reviews · from $235

Review of Altitude Tours’ small-group Milford Sound trip from Queenstown, with scenic stops, picnic lunch, cruise, tips, and honest value advice.

“Amazing day visiting Milford sound! We were blessed with a rare sunny day and our guide made extra stops for us to admire the beauty! At the end they also offer for you to fly back via Venice flight if weather permits, DO IT. Absolute highlight of the experience and trip!”

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Milford Sound Fly-Cruise-Fly Tour from Queenstown

5.Milford Sound Fly-Cruise-Fly Tour from Queenstown

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,792 reviews · from $462

Fly from Queenstown to Milford Sound, cruise beneath towering cliffs, and return by a different scenic route in just 4.5 hours.

“Such a great way to enjoy the scenery in New Zealand through flying and get to Milford Sound for the cruise. Micheal, the pilot made sure we had an enjoyable and safe flight over. One of the highlights of our NZ trip!”

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From Queenstown: Milford Sound Full-Day Trip by Plane & Boat

6.Milford Sound Full-Day Trip by Plane & Boat

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 1,558 reviews · 5 hours · from $447

Fly from Queenstown to Milford Sound, cruise beneath waterfalls, spot wildlife, and return over Fiordland on a scenic five-hour trip.

“This was a great way to see Milford Sound from Queenstown. We were prepared to make the drive, but that would have been a mistake. They picked us up at our hotel, drove us to the airport flight center, and flew us over incredible picturesque territory, including Milford Sound before landing at a small airstrip by the docks where the sight-seeing boats leave from. They bus us the two-minute trip to the docks and organized which boats we were going on. All was done for us. The boat trip was comfortable and provided a great tour of the Sound. The return trip on the airplane was on a different route;…”

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2-Hour Milford Sound Scenic Cruise

7.2-Hour Milford Sound Scenic Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,520 reviews · from $104

Review of Mitre Peak Cruises’ 2-hour Milford Sound trip, with waterfalls, wildlife, hot drinks, practical tips, value, and honest drawbacks.

“My family enjoyed this tour. I booked with this company as it's advertised as less people on the boat than some of the bigger boats. The tour was fully booked as it was over the holidays, but it was still pleasant. We found a seat on the top Read more”

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From Queenstown: Milford Sound Cruise and Coach Day Trip

8.Milford Sound Cruise and Coach Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 1,417 reviews · from $152

Travel from Queenstown to Milford Sound by glass-roof coach, stopping for alpine views before a wildlife-rich two-hour fiord cruise.

“A long, tiring day but well worth it. We had amazing weather and the trip on Milford Sound was unforgettable ❤️”

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Award Winning Milford Sound Full Day Tour & Cruise from Te Anau

9.Award Winning Milford Sound Full Day Tour & Cruise from Te Anau

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,198 reviews · from $185

Review of the small-group Milford Sound tour from Te Anau, with scenic stops, a two-hour cruise, wildlife, lunch details, and practical tips.

“We had an amazing experience with Fiordland Tours to Milford Sound. Being picked up right in front of our Airbnb was such a convenient and stress-free start to the day. Andy was our guide, and he was absolutely wonderful—so knowledgRead more”

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Milford Sound: Nature Cruise on a Modern Catamaran

10.Nature Cruise on a Modern Catamaran

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 1,006 reviews · 1h 45m · from $92Best value

Review of Pure Milford’s 105-minute catamaran cruise, with waterfalls, seals, dolphins, live commentary, comfort, access, and practical tips.

“It was awesome!! Even tho it was raining there were waterfalls all around us !! We even got really close to 1 you could feel the spray from the falls!! The crew was very friendly and informative! The boat was very nice with great views from everywhere!! Definitely recommend it!!”

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From Queenstown: Milford Sound Day Trip on Premium Coach

11.Milford Sound Day Trip on Premium Coach

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 976 reviews · 750 minutes - 14 hours · from $170

Review the Queenstown to Milford Sound premium coach tour, with glass-roof views, scenic stops, a two-hour cruise, and practical booking advice.

“Stan was our driver and he was great. Great sense of humour, informative and helpful. Great stops along the way and cafes with decent food. Comfortable seating and views great. Nothing we didn’t like about the trip, Stan was all about getting us there and back and kept to a timeline that was flowing and accommodating to all.”

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Milford Sound: Boutique Small-Boat Cruise

12.Boutique Small-Boat Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 942 reviews · 105 minutes - 12 hours · from $101

Cruise Milford Sound in comfort on a small boat, with close waterfall views, seals, dolphins, hot drinks, and helpful guides.

“Amazing trip very informative guide and getting so close to a waterfall just amazing!!!!”

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From Te Anau: Milford Sound Coach Tour and Cruise

13.Milford Sound Coach Tour and Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 868 reviews · 8 hours · from $110

Review of the Te Anau to Milford Sound coach and cruise, with photo stops, nature walks, lunch, guide commentary, and practical booking advice.

“A wonderful day. The guide (Sebastian) was so knowledgeable and conveyed information along the way in an entertaining way. The coach was comfortable and the sunroof gave an amazing view of the scenery. We had considered driving ourselves but are so glad that we didn't. It was the best excursion on our whole stay in New Zealand. Would highly recommend it.”

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From Te Anau: Milford Sound Coach, Cruise, and Walks

14.Milford Sound Coach, Cruise, and Walks

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 845 reviews · 1 day · from $164

Travel from Te Anau to Milford Sound by small van, nature cruise, and short forest walks, with local guides, lunch, and flexible weather plans.

“The part we most liked about was the drive there, our guide was really knowledgeable with the history of local terrains, flora and fauna, he explained very well how the landscapes were formed. We had very interesting conversations all the way. Lunches were great! Thank you Andrew (Roo)!”

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Milford Sound Coach and Cruise tour from Queenstown

15.Milford Sound Coach and Cruise tour from Queenstown

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 789 reviews · from $152

Review of the 12-hour Milford Sound coach and catamaran cruise from Queenstown, with scenic stops, lunch, guide tips, costs, and drawbacks.

“This tour is a great way to see the sights of Milford Sound without having to drive yourself. The driver provides some great insights to the places you stop and the cruise is lovely at the end although if you are up on the sub deck people get a little pushy trying to all take photos.”

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