Private Milford Sound tour
The great road through Fiordland to the fiord, with the option to fly home over the Alps.
From NZD $800 per person
Every tour is private, for your party alone, and runs on demand.
The day in brief
-
Duration
Full day, approx. 12.5 hours, or approx. 8 to 8.5 hours flying home
-
Departs
6:30 am, door to door
-
Returns
Approx. 7:00 pm, or approx. 2:30 to 3:00 pm flying home
-
Activity
Easy, with short optional walks along the Milford Road
-
Lunch
Included, a packed lunch enjoyed on board the cruise
The eighth wonder of the world
Milford Sound is a sheer-walled fiord where waterfalls fall a thousand feet into dark water and the peaks lift straight from the sea. Rudyard Kipling is said to have called it the eighth wonder of the world. It lies at the end of one of the great roads of the world, and this day gives that road the time it deserves.
We leave at half past six, and for a reason. The run down is direct, with a stop at Te Anau, so that you are on the water late morning. Nearly every other day trip out of Queenstown reaches the fiord together in the early afternoon, and this one is already out on it by then. The road and its stops are still to come, on the way home, once the traffic is behind us.
Along the Milford Road
Beyond Te Anau the road enters Fiordland National Park and the country changes. The Eglinton Valley opens into broad river flats edged with beech forest, the peaks close in on both sides, and the last stretch climbs into a rock amphitheatre with waterfalls coming off every wall.
Through the mountain
The Homer Tunnel takes the road straight through the mountain and drops it into the Cleddau Valley, walls of granite streaming with waterfalls, down to the fiord.
On the water
You board late morning, ahead of the early-afternoon arrivals, for a cruise of about an hour and three quarters, out beneath Mitre Peak, close to the thundering Stirling and Bowen Falls, the fur seals on the rocks, and often bottlenose dolphins and Fiordland crested penguins.
Lunch is packed for you and enjoyed on board the cruise.
Scenes from the day
Two ways home
By road, the afternoon gives the Milford Road the time the run down could not. There is the Chasm, when the track is open, where the Cleddau River has carved the rock into smooth sculpted basins, and then, back through the tunnel, Monkey Creek, where the kea come to see who has arrived and the water runs clear enough to drink, the lookout over the Hollyford Valley, a short walk through red beech at Lake Gunn where the birdsong is the loudest thing in the forest, and Mirror Lakes in the last of the Eglinton, before an evening arrival in Queenstown. Or, as an upgrade, a scenic flight lifts you out of Milford and over the Southern Alps and has you back in Queenstown in about forty minutes, taking four hours off the day.
Flights out of Milford depend on the weather, which is exactly why this day starts on the road. If the aircraft cannot fly, your guide and vehicle are already there, the drive home simply goes ahead, and the flight is refunded. The day always finishes.
Included in your tour
-
Your own vehicle and guide
A private luxury vehicle and dedicated driver-guide for the whole day.
-
Door to door
Hotel pick-up and return in Queenstown.
-
The Milford Road
Guided stops the length of the road.
-
The cruise
About an hour and three quarters on Milford Sound.
-
Lunch
A packed lunch, enjoyed on board the cruise.
-
The details
Bottled water and all park entry.
Not included: drinks beyond lunch, and the scenic flight home, which is an upgrade arranged on request, subject to weather and availability.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the Milford Sound day from Queenstown?
How long is the Milford Sound day from Queenstown?
About twelve and a half hours door to door by road, leaving at 6:30 am and back by about 7:00 pm. Flying home instead has you back in Queenstown between about 2:30 and 3:00 pm.
Why does the day start so early?
Why does the day start so early?
So that you are on the water late morning. Nearly every other day trip out of Queenstown reaches the fiord together in the early afternoon, and a 6:30 am start puts your cruise ahead of them. The stops along the Milford Road come on the way home, when the road is quiet again.
Is lunch included?
Is lunch included?
Yes. A packed lunch is enjoyed on board the Milford Sound cruise.
Can we fly back to Queenstown?
Can we fly back to Queenstown?
Yes, as an upgrade. A scenic flight takes you home over the Southern Alps in about forty minutes. Flights depend on the weather and are confirmed on the day. If the aircraft cannot fly, your guide drives you home and the flight is refunded.
Is the tour private?
Is the tour private?
Yes. Your party has the vehicle and the guide to itself for the whole day.
Travel it privately
Tell us your dates and who is travelling, and we will shape the day around you.
Travel it privately
Tell us your dates and who is travelling, and we will shape the day around you.
