Premium Milford Sound Small Group Tour from Queenstown

based on 1312 reviews

Duration:13 hours (approx.)
Location: Fiordland & Milford Sound, South Island

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Premium small group tour including boutique Milford Sound cruise with Cruise Milford, the number 1 Trip Advisor rated cruise company, and picnic lunch from Queenstown. There is no better way to see this most famous of attractions.

Highlights:
• Milford Sound Cruise with Cruise Milford
• Fiordland National Park
• Lake Te Anau, Eglinton Valley, Mirror Lakes, Hollyford River, Homer Tunnel & Mitre Peak
• Wildlife Spotting

While the destinations you will be visiting are truly spectacular, Cheeky Kiwi Travel believe it is our small groups, our guides, the journey and little details that set our tours apart. Secret stops, wildlife viewings, specially designed vehicles and other pleasant surprises ensure our tours are an experience to remember.

Our tours are led by our passionate tour guides, notorious for bringing your journey to life by sharing stories and background knowledge, and run in modern, comfortable minibuses that are packed with extras, ensuring your comfort and safety.

WHAT'S INCLUDED

WHAT TO EXPECT

1. Queenstown
Your tour starts in the stunning city of Queenstown. As we drive out of the city your guide will not only set the scene for your adventure today but also point out and guide you past some of the area’s top highlights.
2. Lake Wakatipu
Departing Queenstown we wind our way around Lake Wakatipu, with amazing views of ‘The Remarkables’ Mountain Range and the lake, stopping for photos is a must.
3. Devil's Staircase Lookout Point
Continuing around the lake we will pass through Devil’s Staircase. This elevated windy part of the road is famous for dramatic photos and setting the scene for the day to come.
4. Lake Te Anau
After more amazing mountain, river and farmland views we arrive in Te Anau, home to Lake Te Anau, New Zealand’s second largest lake. While in this idyllic town we will stop for a break and maybe meet some of the local animals or wildlife. Continuing along the lake we stop at Te Anau Downs, the starting point for the Milford Track, to hear the stories and admire the views.
5. Eglinton Valley
Leaving Te Anau and entering Fiordland National Park we stop in Eglinton Valley. With views worthy of Lord of the Rings, this valley follows the path of an ancient glacier through Fiordland. One of the first major attractions as you enter the park, it really sets the scene for a journey that only get more impressive the deeper you get.
6. Mirror Lakes Walk
Our next stop on this epic adventure is Mirror Lakes for a short stroll to see the famous reflections of the Earl Mountains. Get the right day, take a good picture and no one with be able to tell which way is the right way up for the photo.
7. Lake Gunn
Continuing along the Milford Road we come across Lake Gunn. Named after a famous explorer and popular for fishing, often we will stop at Lake Gunn for some photos and to enjoy the peace.
8.
A short drive away we start passing the Hollyford River a gorgeous and powerful river full of large boulders and rapids. Feeding into the river at Falls Creek is the first of our extremely impressive waterfalls of the area, one of many to come.
9.
Climbing in altitude we go deeper into the Darran Mountains and these views require another stop to admire and take photos. We are also entering the area where Kea (the world’s largest alpine parrot) like to live. Start keeping an eye out for these large, cheeky and colourful birds that never fail to thrill and entertain when found.
10. Homer Tunnel
To make our way back down towards the sea we enter the mind-blowing hand-built Homer Tunnel, hearing the incredible history and stories. Emerging from the tunnel the valley descends sharply towards Milford Sound and on a rainy-day hundreds of waterfalls cascading down the mountain side.
11. Milford Sound
Following the valleys to the sea we arrive at Milford Sound where you will board your cruise with Cruise Milford (the No. 1 Cruise operator in Milford Sound on TripAdvisor).
12. Milford Sound
The Cruise Milford experience offers a boutique cruise on a smaller boat which is less crowded and a crew that offers a much more informative and personal tour of Milford Sound. The smaller boat means you get closer to the wildlife and nature including the New Zealand fur seals basking on the rocks, massive rock faces rising for hundreds of metres out of the sea and the waterfalls cascading from an ancient rainforest high in the mountains. This cruise is unbeatable.
13. Pops View Look Out
Next we pull over to admire the elevated amazing views of the divide in the Southern Alps, close to the start of the Routeburn Track. While here the guide will tell you the stories of ancient Maori explorers.
14. Queenstown
Sadly we must start to head back to Queenstown but your day is not over with a fully guided return trip and many stops and breaks along the way.
15. Mitre Peak
While on the boat cruise you will be able to marvel at the awe-inspiring Mitre Peak, the iconic Milford Sound mountain, with its steep triangular peak rising high up above the reflective waters of the Milford Sound.

ADDITIONAL INFO

• Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
• Public transportation options are available nearby
• Specialized infant seats are available
• Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
• Suitable for all physical fitness levels
• Minimum numbers apply. There is a possibility of cancellation after confirmation if there are not enough passengers to meet requirements. In the event of this occurring, you will be offered an alternative or full refund.
• A moderate amount of walking is involved.
• Due to uneven surfaces, this tour is not recommended for those with walking disabilities or using a wheelchair.
• Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately.
• Children aged 7 years and below are required by law to travel in a child safety car seat. If you don't have a car seat one can be provided (See Exclusions) Please advise at time of booking.
• Scenic flight weight restrictions are 116 KG
• Dietary requirements for picnic lunch to be noted at time of booking
• Scenic flights cannot be confirmed without full names and weights of all travellers

CANCELLATION POLICY

Posted By : Jahna_T
What an awesome trip! Cam was our guide for the day, he had a cool chill vibe, very knowledgeable and funny! This was my first time to Milford Sounds and the views were spectacular. Definitely would recommend to anyone to book a trip. The lunch provided was yummy, healthy and filling with a little chocolate treat.
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-05-31 02:34:24

Posted By : 559lawrencef
Excellent day out. Our driver and guide from Cheeky kiwi, Barry, was very informative and happy to help with any queries. We were a little late being collected but the company kindly bought us all coffee at the first stop to say sorry. It wasn’t needed by them but a nice touch.
The trip to Milford Sound was remarkable, a must if you are in the area.
We have booked a few excursions with Cheeky Kiwi and have found them to be first class, professional tour operators.
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-05-30 23:21:45

Posted By : Pioneer10461108446
The tour guide really made it very memorable and enjoyable for us. Each stop has been detailed about its history with some fun facts. The drive has been very smooth and on time. Really worth the money spent. Kudos to Jeff!!
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-05-30 08:52:35

Posted By : Danielle_S
Had a great time and Cam was a great guide. The views are amazing and I really enjoyed the boat ride. Nice captain and staff as well. I recommend
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-05-28 17:07:32

Posted By : ryanf117
This was one of the highlights of my trip to New Zealand. I'm glad I specifically went with this tour as it is smaller and more intimate. Driver Ben was hilarious, informative and enthusiastic throughout the entire day. He genuinely cared about us knowing the outstanding history of Milford. Early morning pickup and long day is absolutely no problem. Enough stops along the way with interesting presentations from driver and a very considerate public lunch. The cruise was out of this world. Can't recommend this tour enough.
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-05-28 03:40:56

Posted By : fionasN3874MN
It was totally amazing. Milford Sound is such a beautiful place. Weather was perfect hence not being able to see the plethora of falls but certainly no complaints here. Massive shout out to Cameron the guide. Such a great tour guide, extremely knowledgeable and very passionate about his country, people and culture. Absolute champion.
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-05-28 02:20:06

Posted By : Toni_K
We chose this tour because it was listed as a premium small group tour. This was not the case. As soon as the tour van arrived, it appeared to be very disorganised. I went up to the guide and he said that the bus was full and that he is not here to pick us up, 5 - 10 minutes later he returns and says yes I was meant to pick you up. He didn’t check our names off or look at our ticket and we were confused if we were even on the right tour. After which we were cramped to the back of the bus and he then took off at break neck speed, in the dark and it was an extremely uncomfortable trip to Milford Sound.

The main problem was the size of the bus. It was a small mini van with 15 seats. Everything was smaller including the seat sizes and aisle. On this tour, there were 16 people and the driver. Everything was extremely cramped and it made for a very miserable day considering we spent over 10 hours in the van (6 hours to get to Milford and 4 hours to return to Queenstown).

The guide was not very informative and actually spent most of the time flirting with the young female passenger that had to sit next to him on the bus. He also proceeded to tell us constantly how we would feel during this trip and to brag about his favourite spots to hike or camp. I found this both unprofessional and condescending. It would have been better to have some music on the ride than listen to him talk about these things.

By the time we got to Milford and because we were so uncomfortable on the 6 hour drive, it diminished the amazing / beautiful scenery of the place and we were also already dreading the trip back to Queenstown with no stops. We spent most of the boat ride trying to recover and relax.

This tour being advertised as a premium experience should reconsider what they would define as “premium”. We chose this more expensive tour because we thought we were going to be more comfortable and treated to a more premium experience. I am lost for words that this tour got so many 5 star reviews (another reason why we chose this tour).

Overall what was meant to be a magical day to a beautiful and unique place ended up being a nightmare from the start and ended 13 hours later.
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-05-27 21:56:31

Posted By : Jo-Anne P
Awesome views and Cameron (our driver / tour guide) was great! He knows the place really well and shared excellent stops for photo op. My kids didnt make any fuss and the whole day tour was comfortable for them. Highly recommended!
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-05-27 20:56:19

Posted By : DayTrip04849739719
This tour was the best and gived us wonderful memories.
Not only Milford Sound but also on the way to Milford Sound, we could see special scenics.
We had a long trip but wherever we saw was beautiful extraordinary.
So we didn't feel so long.

Brian the driver was very kind man. My son had a car sick but he was very considerate.
My son got better and could enjoy trip.

It's hard to explain for me about this tour's splendor.
But if you love nature, I recommend extremely.
Thanks for everything!
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-05-27 08:12:52

Posted By : JK_B
5+ Stars tour. First of all Renee’ our tour guide was the best of the best. She made the whole day perfect. We got educated and we all had fun. By the end of the tour we all felt like family. Wow, what a tour with a super great tour guide.
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-05-27 05:57:32