The best Milford Sound boat cruises
How to choose which cruise company to take around the fjord
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The dark pyramid of Mitre Peak rising above the water. The fjord opening to the Tasman Sea. The road to get there which tunnels through solid rock and passes beneath the boughs of ancient trees. Milford Sound is iconic, dramatic, and one of the most popular places to visit in New Zealand.
The essential Milford Sound experience is a two hour boat trip around the fjord. Cruises show off waterfalls and wild scenery, but there is also the chance of seeing dolphins, seals, and Fiordland crested penguins.
There are many Milford cruises to choose from, and even more tour companies ferrying visitors to Milford from both Queenstown and Te Anau.
Each cruise company claims to get closer, be smaller, have fewer crowds, or stand out in some way from the rest of the crowd.
Choosing from the many transport options and cruise vessels can seem daunting; let me reassure you that there is no bad option (after all, no matter how you travel or who you travel with, you’ll be looking at the same scenery).
The recommendations I have listed here are the Milford tours and cruises I have personally experienced, and enjoyed.
The short version
If driving yourself, set off from Te Anau and book onto the first cruise of the day with RealNZ
If you’re taking a tour, Luxe Tours is a top choice — they depart from Te Anau and from Queenstown.
Trips from Queenstown are very long. I don’t recommend driving; consider a fly back, or fly cruise fly option to make this a more manageable day.
How to choose which Milford Sound cruise to take
There is a range of vessels cruising the fjord, but don’t worry too much about which one to choose. The day trips all follow a nearly identical itinerary on the water, and seem to set off at similar times – you’ll see the boats trailing each other around the fjord.
All boats, regardless of size, get up close to the waterfalls, and weather conditions permitting, out to the Tasman Sea.
Smaller boats advertise more boutique experiences, and on the face of it, it would seem that the smaller boats offer a less crowded cruise experience. However, in my experience the passenger-to-space ratio remains the same regardless of the size of the boat. You’ll be shoulder to shoulder with other passengers no matter which boat you go on.
The bigger boats, while they might take more passengers (companies like RealNZ and Southern Discoveries cater to the large tour groups coming from Queenstown and Te Anau) but they also have more viewing areas and more opportunities to escape the crowds.
On the RealNZ boats I have been on, I’ve found the lower decks very quiet, with most people packed onto the upper levels. The larger boats also have better amenities, in terms of seating, food, drinks, and so on.
The differences between the cruise experience are so marginal, I would focus more on the time you hope to be on a boat, and less on the which boat you take.
The best cruise to take if you’re self driving to Milford Sound
Timing is more important than the boat when it comes to choosing a cruise; the boats all follow a similar route, and see the same things.
If you plan on driving yourself to Milford Sound, leave from Te Anau and plan to get on the first boat trips of the day (usually around 9am). That way, you’ll avoid the masses of people arriving on tour buses around midday and stepping onto 1pm cruises.
Avoiding those peak sailings will make the biggest difference to your experience; you can stop for the scenery along the Milford Road on your way back to Te Anau.
RealNZ
RealNZ operate several of the boats in Milford Sound.
The Sovereign and the Monarch are the largest, while the Haven is a little more dinky; the Mariner is the most atmospheric, as it’s in the style of a sailing ship. I would choose the Mariner for maximum effect, but in reality I scarcely notice the differences in the boats, as I have always spent most of my time outside looking at the scenery.
Cruise Milford
If you want a small boat, Cruise Milford is the only family-owned operator in the fjord.
Travelling with a tour
Although taking an organised tour means you’ll be part of the midday crowds, bus trips take a lot of the pain out of travelling such a long distance (from Te Anau you’re looking at around 4 hours driving for the day; from Queenstown, a mighty 8 hours driving at the very least).
There are a plethora of companies offering day trips to Milford Sound from both Queenstown and Te Anau.
There isn’t a great deal of difference between all of the offerings (the stops are more or less the same). Choosing between them mostly comes down to whether you mind being in a large tour bus, or if you would prefer to be in a smaller van.
RealNZ
Glass-roofed coach and cruise
I have also visited Milford Sound with RealNZ, and although a larger company, their operation is seamless (they operate several of the boats in Milford Sound, as well as the buses to get there) . As far as buses go, the glass-roofed coaches from Queenstown are perfectly comfortable.
Tours from $292 from Queenstown, or $249 from Te Anau
Luxe Tours
A small group tour and a cruise
If small group travel is your preference, Luxe Tours has vans that limit numbers to 13 people. You’ll also get the added benefit of a warm and friendly local guide, and a morning tea break with snacks. Although this is purely for the purposes of getting to Milford Sound (travellers in both small vans and big buses end up on the same boats on the sound) the smaller vehicle can make the journey more comfortable and personalised.
Luxe Tours is run by a Te Anau family, and they keep things friendly, local, and sustainably focused. I can highly recommend them.
Tours from $399 from Queenstown, or $339 from Te Anau
Glenorchy Air
Fly, cruise, fly
There’s a small handful of companies flying to Milford Sound, and to be frank there isn’t a great deal of difference between them.
Prices for a fly-cruise-fly hover around $750, with only minor differences between companies (both Glenorchy Air and Air Milford meet Southern Discoveries boats in Milford Sound).
One crucial difference is that Glenorchy Air guarantees a window seat on all of their flights – Air Milford has some aisle seats – and you’re paying for the view, so you might as well get it.
Opt for the 9am flight so you meet the earlier cruise in Milford Sound, ahead of the coach tours.
Fly cruise fly from $669 per adult.
Overnight cruises on Milford Sound
Spending a night on Milford Sound is one way to enjoy peace and quiet in the fjord. RealNZ runs overnight trips onboard the Milford Mariner, which is designed to look like a traditional trading scow.
Snacks, meals, kayaking, and commentary from a nature guide is all included, but transport to or from Milford Sound costs extra.
Thank you for reading
All words (and typos and other errors) are my own, based on my own travels.
During my time on the road, I’ve found many wonderful places — galleries, restaurants, viewpoints and more. I’m sure you’ll find others. If there’s somewhere you think I should know about, contact me at hello@petrinadarrah.com, so I can share with other travellers in future work.
If you’re disappointed with one of my recommendations, I’d love to know that too; places change, or close, so I appreciate updated information.
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AUTHOR BIO
I’m a freelance travel writer from New Zealand with bylines in National Geographic Travel, Conde Nast Traveler, Travel + Leisure and more.
I’ve travelled up and down beautiful Aotearoa and I love sharing my recommendations for the best places to visit in New Zealand.
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