Premium Milford Sound Tour Including Cruise, Flight and Lunch

based on 42 reviews

Duration:9 hours (approx.)
Location: Queenstown, South Island

From $442.66

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This small group day trip includes a stunning boutique Milford Sound cruise with TripAdvisors No. 1 rated cruise provider and an amazing scenic flight back to Queenstown.

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

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

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

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). 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.
12. 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.
13. Queenstown
Lastly you take to the skies on the amazing scenic flight from Milford Sound back to Queenstown. Your friendly and knowledgeable pilot will provide commentary during the flight, pointing out hidden lakes and waterfalls and the history of the areas you're flying over. Flight admission included in tour price.

ADDITIONAL INFO

• Specialized infant seats are available
• Public transportation options are available nearby
• Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
• Suitable for all physical fitness levels
• Children aged 7 years old and below are required to travel in a child safety car seat. If you don't have a car seat one can be rented from us (with 24 hours’ notice).
• 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.
• 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.
• Return scenic flight may be cancelled due to weather conditions. In this situation your return transport will be via mini bus and you will receive a partial refund.
• Scenic Flight restrictions are 116 kg
• Flights are always 'On Request' until confirmed with our partner airline

CANCELLATION POLICY

Posted By : 120rachelles
Absolutely a must see! It's hard to describe the most awesome views on earth which is what you'll experience on this adventure. Sara was out guide and was really great. We learned a lot and are so glad we booked this. We recommend doing the flight back. Again, the views through Milford Sound are extraordinary from the sky, and it's a short 35 minutes vs. 5 hours driving back in a shuttle bus. The only thing we didn't like was the people in the bus with us. There was an obnoxious family of 5 right next to us and in front of us the entire trip there. They were rude, unappreciative, and didn't care about the views. We felt like we couldn't engage with Sara because we'd be yelling over them. They definitely put a damper on the trip.
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2023-12-16 15:22:15

Posted By : Shearer962
A once in a lifetime experience which I would recommend to anyone. Big thank you to all members of the cheeky kiwi team especially our drive and guide Reece and his apprentice Jeff..
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2023-12-16 13:49:18

Posted By : BoardingPass787427
Even though we had overcast skies, and could not do the sightseeing flight (we rode back in the van), we still found the drive and the cruise portions of the tour to be stunningly beautiful. Chris, who was our driver and tour guide, was cool. He has a joyful enthusiasm for sharing the beauty of New Zealand and some of his history. He also has a funny sense of humor.
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2023-12-03 13:13:43

Posted By : christopherbZ7950QB
Wonderful experience, Brian was great as our driver. The cruise was incredible and the flight home had amazing views. Highly recommend!
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2023-12-02 23:39:46

Posted By : sc19562023
Amazing tour. The scenery was spectacular. There was slight rain the day we went but the rain actually made the scenery even more spectacular because of the numerous waterfalls that appear because of the rain. A must do tour when you visit New Zealand
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2023-11-13 13:14:50

Posted By : nancywX2768XA
We found the tour to be so well-organized and pleasant. The driver was informative and professional, and we appreciated the small number on the tour (12 or so) and the small group on the boat (maybe 60 people?) Best of all, the company was able to accommodate our last-minute request to change our return trip to flying rather than the bus. Recommend highly, especially after hearing some of the experiences of others on different tours.
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2023-10-28 02:15:07

Posted By : D6095VVandyl
I highly recommend this tour.

There were only 14 people on the bus portion of our tour, and the bus was only 17 passengers anyway, so even if it had been full it's still an intimate experience. The pickup from Queenstown was easy, and the Cheeky Kiwi reps were responsive to my inquiries about the pickup time and other trip details. We had both an experienced tour guid and a guide-in-training during the visit, but it was a total benefit as both were very familiar with the area.

The initial part of the drive is beautiful, but if you need some sleep this is the time to do it because you'll want to be awake and alert once you get into the Eglinton Valley. There were sufficient stops along the way to grab photos, including as we waited for traffic through the one-way tunnel. But photos and descriptions won't capture the beauty and majesty of the Milford Sound - you have to experience it yourself!

The cruise is just under 2 hours, if I recall correctly, and there are plenty of photo ops. I recommend getting out on deck and onto the bow of the ship for some of the best views and photos. We had plenty of space, though your experience may differ if you are visiting during a busier season. The crew is skilled at spotting wildlife - we were lucky enough to spot a couple penguins.

The flight back is exciting and takes about 40 minutes. The views are incredible, and you see tons of alpine lakes and waterfalls that are otherwise difficult/impossible to see or access. There's often a bit of wind during takeoff and landing, so be prepared for some bumps along the way. Our pilot was confident and pointed out excellent highlights during the flight.

Once you land in Queenstown, you'll get connected with a taxi driver to drop you at your hotel or wherever you'd like to go. This was a bit chaotic and there seemed to be some miscommunication among the drivers, but it all worked out.

A few other details:
- The picnic lunch is good, and a sufficient amount of food. They're responsive to your dietary needs, so be sure to ask/indicate what those are when booking the tour.
- Bring a raincoat/layers even on a sunny day - the cruise will get close to some waterfalls and if you're outside you'll get a bit wet, and it's windy on the sound so a hat is a good idea...
- ...but don't wear a ball cap or other cap with a brim on the cruise - it'll blow away! Consider a beanie.
- Bring a water bottle.
- Be sure to take tons of photos!
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2023-10-24 00:34:40

Posted By : X8483AZkarenb
Wow! An incredible day. The views are amazing. Cannot recommend this tour highly enough. Even the packed lunch was both generous and delicious. Then came the flight - finished off a wonderful day in style (without the long bus journey). One of the best tours we have had.
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2023-10-21 03:44:07

Posted By : 303ashw
What amazing local knowledge and insight into the areas. We as a family of 5 enjoyed the entire trip there and back in the comfort of the tour bus. Flight was cancelled due to bad weather, and refund for flight was processed before qe even got back to queenstown. Highly recommend !! Steve and reece were amazing guides !!
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2023-10-14 16:43:59

Posted By : bradmichelle1964
Enjoyable day hosted by Sinchan; amazing views, informative and fun bus trip, wonderful cruise, and highlighted by the fantastic flight back to Queenstown. Totally recommend this tour travelling by land, sea & air. Thankyou
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2023-09-27 00:26:02