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Milford Sound Cruise: Premium Small Group Tour
4.9
1,550 Ratings
Queenstown
Embark on a premium small group tour from Queenstown to Milford Sound. Enjoy a boutique cruise with Cruise Milford, wildlife spotting, and a picnic lunch. Book now!
Duration:
13 hours
Cancellation:
1 day
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Highlights
- Queenstown - Your tour begins in the breathtaking city of Queenstown. As we leave the city, your guide will set the stage for today’s adventure and highlight some of the area’s top attractions.
- Lake Wakatipu - Departing Queenstown, we wind around Lake Wakatipu, offering stunning views of ‘The Remarkables’ Mountain Range and the lake. Photo stops are a must.
- Devil’s Staircase Lookout Point - Continuing around the lake, we pass through Devil’s Staircase. This elevated, winding part of the road is famous for dramatic photos and sets the tone for the day ahead.
- Lake Te Anau - After more breathtaking mountain, river, and farmland views, we arrive in Te Anau, home to Lake Te Anau, New Zealand’s second-largest lake. In this picturesque town, we’ll take a break and perhaps meet some local wildlife. Continuing along the lake, we stop at Te Anau Downs, the starting point for the Milford Track, to hear stories and admire the views.
- Eglinton Valley - Leaving Te Anau and entering Fiordland National Park, we stop in Eglinton Valley. With views reminiscent of Lord of the Rings, this valley follows the path of an ancient glacier through Fiordland. As one of the first major attractions upon entering the park, it sets the stage for an increasingly impressive journey.
- Mirror Lakes Walk - Our next stop is Mirror Lakes for a short stroll to see the famous reflections of the Earl Mountains. On the right day, a well-taken photo can make it hard to tell which way is up.
- Lake Gunn - Continuing along the Milford Road, we come across Lake Gunn. Named after a famous explorer and popular for fishing, we often stop here for photos and to enjoy the tranquility.
- Hollyford River - A short drive away, we start passing the Hollyford River, a beautiful and powerful river filled with large boulders and rapids. Falls Creek, feeding into the river, is the first of many impressive waterfalls in the area.
- Darran Mountains - As we climb in altitude and go deeper into the Darran Mountains, we stop to admire and photograph the views. This area is also home to Kea, the world’s largest alpine parrot. Keep an eye out for these large, cheeky, and colorful birds that never fail to entertain.
- Homer Tunnel - To descend towards the sea, we enter the awe-inspiring hand-built Homer Tunnel, learning about its incredible history. Emerging from the tunnel, the valley descends sharply towards Milford Sound, with hundreds of waterfalls cascading down the mountainside on rainy days.
- 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).
- Mitre Peak - On the boat cruise, marvel at the awe-inspiring Mitre Peak, the iconic Milford Sound mountain, with its steep triangular peak rising high above the reflective waters of Milford Sound.
- Pops View Look Out - Next, we stop to admire the elevated views of the divide in the Southern Alps, near the start of the Routeburn Track. Here, the guide will share stories of ancient Maori explorers.
- Queenstown - Sadly, we must head back to Queenstown, but your day is not over with a fully guided return trip and many stops and breaks along the way.
What's Included
- Water available & snacks provided
- Lunch
- Cruise Entry
- Small Group & Fully Guided Tour
What's Not Included
- Gratuities
- Optional extras and activities - please select the tour option you want at time of booking
- Child safety car seat available for NZ$20 (notify 24 hours prior to tour)
- Picnic lunch for infants (0 - 3)
Additional Information
Premium small group tour including a boutique Milford Sound cruise designed for an immersive viewing experience, and picnic lunch from Queenstown. There is no better way to see this most famous of attractions!
Highlights:
• Milford Sound Cruise
• 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.
- 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
- Scenic flights cannot be confirmed without full names and weights of all travellers
- If you have dietary requirements. Please kindly indicate it to the special requirements at the time of booking
Location
The Station - Home of Adventure in Queenstown
Shotover Street
This is our central meeting point. If your accommodation is not yet booked, please select this location.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.9
(1550 Ratings)
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Trek36060332390
Aug 1, 2024
Excellent small group tour - We had an amazing trip to Milford Sound with Cheeky Kiwi Travel bus tour. Our tour guide, Lynette, was fantastic, and she made sure the tour wasn't dull by giving a lot of information at each point of interest. We had a lot of stops and were given enough time to take photos. We even had a 30min stop at Te Anau to take our morning tea. The only downside on that day was the weather. The rain was fine as we were able to see lots of waterfalls at the fjord, but there was too much fog. Nevertheless, it was still an amazing experience to see the 8th wonder of the world.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Reiner
Jul 31, 2024
A highly recommended Queenstown to Milford Sound excursion. - A fantastic tour, taking in some of the magnificent sights of NZ. Unfortunately our flight return was cancelled due to windy conditions, but better safe than sorry. Colin our guide was a considerate, caring host with a wide breadth of knowledge on every subject from history to nature, geology to politics. The day was certainly made even better with him and cheeky kiwi tours at the helm.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Gracecr7418ug
Jul 31, 2024
Milford Cruise experienxe - We had a really good time going to Milford sound. Our tour guide Collin did an amazing job from pick up to drop off point. The tour is very personalise, a lot of stop over with a beautiful scenery. His driving also made us feel safe. Well done cheeky kiwi.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Piriyarathk2023
Jul 31, 2024
Good View + Good service at Milford Sound - Ted was very friendly and helpful. He did very good job in taking care of the whole group. Really happy to have him as tour leader for today's trip to Milford Sound that totally made my day so wonderful. I and my wife were really impressive and enjoyed the trip. It's really value for money indeed.!!
From / Pete ( Piriyarath Khoonthanasorn) - Bangkok ,Thailand
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Rosaj291
Jul 30, 2024
Great tour! Great guide! - The tour was well planned with plenty of pit stops on the way. Rob our guide was so lovely and caring for all attendees and really wanted to show us as much as possible of what NZ has to offer!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Baldrick45
Jul 30, 2024
Incredible experience for the whole family - Friendly driver Colin, picked us up in a warm minibus and gave us useful info on our journey to the amazing Milford Sound.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
741lorrainel
Jul 30, 2024
Milford sound tour for families with kids - We were glad we went with the small group tour. It was a rainy and cloudy day so visibility of the mountains in Milford sound was not as good (but the waterfalls were amazing). So it was great that as a small group tour, we made several stops with ample amount of time on scenic places along the way to Milford sound. Moreover, they accomodate kids (can also rent the child seat from them, not all small group tours encourage bringing along kids) so it’s definitely a plus for families. Lynette is an amazing tour guide and driver! We were back in town earlier than expected. The only downside to the tour was the weather as it would have been better if it was less foggy/cloudy.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Explore31897770806
Jul 29, 2024
Great Milford Sound experience - The whole trip was arranged perfectly. Lynette is a superb host and tour guide. She gave us a history tour during the trip and she also gave us proper photo spots where you get precious moments through the tour. I recommend Lynette anytime if your travelling down to NZ.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Constance_n
Jul 29, 2024
Friends reunion - Must if visiting NZ South. Dani was great. Queenstown Hotel pickup on time. Coach was a mini snug but comfy. Stops on the way and back at beautiful spots cut things up so didn’t feel that long of ride. The ship was roomy with waterfalls, seals, and a sunny day complete with rainbows. Awesome
Review provided by Viator
Sheryl
Jul 28, 2024
Amazing tour! - Delightful experience! Our driver/commentator Collin was very knowledgeable and entertaining. His driving skills is superb. He knows every great spot for photo op! The food included in the trip was also good and adequate. It was a long day, but was well worth the travel! Highly recommended! Kudos to Cheeky Kiwi staffs, especially to Collin! 🤩👍🏼
Review provided by Tripadvisor
