Milford Sound Premium Coach & Cruise from Queenstown with Lunch
Description
The best way to experience Milford Sound from Queenstown. We take care of the driving while you sit back and enjoy the stunning views from our premium coaches with panoramic windows, glass roofs, and USB charging ports. Your friendly driver shares stories about the area's history and unique ecology, with well-timed stops to snap photos of the amazing views. Our free multi-lingual commentary app is available on both the Coach and Cruise in eight languages. Arrive in Milford Sound feeling refreshed and ready to cruise the fiord. Get ready for unobstructed views of thundering waterfalls and the towering cliff faces. Our premium Nature Cruise comes with options to pre-order a picnic lunch or choose the To Kai buffet on selected departures. This trip takes care of all the transportation, including round-trip travel from Queenstown to Milford Sound and a seamless connection to your cruise. All you have to do is enjoy the experience.
Tour Options
Itinerary
6.30am Coach pick-up from Southern Discoveries Visitor Centre (if you selected the 6.30am tour option) 7.00am Coach pick-up from Southern Discoveries Visitor Centre (if you selected the 7.00am tour option) • Travel on a premium glass-roof coach, equipped with reclining seats, extra legroom, air-conditioning •USB charging ports and onboard toilet • Experienced, local coach drivers provide engaging and informative commentary, and show you the best short walks and photo stops along the Milford Road • Coach connects with our Milford Sound Cruise • FREE tea and coffee
Queenstown, New Zealand, sits on the shores of the South Island’s Lake Wakatipu. It's from here you will set off on a day trip with Milford Sound's original Cruise operator, Southern Discoveries, from Queenstown into Milford Sound to enjoy a beautiful experience of Milford Sound on a premium, low-emission coach with a delicious & freshly cooked international style buffet onboard your cruise. Discover the native wildlife, towering waterfalls and majestic mountains of the fiords in Milford Sound.
Te Anau is a beautiful town on the South Island of New Zealand. It’s known as a gateway to Fiordland National Park and Milford Sound. The region is home to endangered, flightless takahē birds and abundant trout in Lake Te Anau. Enjoy a short break here on your way to Milford Sound, in order to break up the journey, grab a coffee, and stretch your legs.
This beautiful valley is glaciated with steep sides and a flat floor. It's between half a kilometre to two kilometres wide and has a shingle riverbed floor, which is constantly being changed by the Eglinton River. This is an incredible stop you will make as apart of your journey to Milford Sound with Southern Discoveries.
Lake Gunn is a strikingly beautiful lake in the South Island of New Zealand.
Enjoy a stroll among small lakes with stunning reflections of the Earl Mountains, should weather be permissive on the day. This is an easy, short walk off the Milford Road.
The Cleddau River is a beautiful river of New Zealand. It flows into the head of Milford Sound. You'll see many parts of this river as you journey along the Milford Sound road.
Take in great views of the upper Hollyford Valley while you fill up your water bottle from this glacier fed spring. Friendly Keas (a New Zealand alpine parrot) love this area so it's a great stop for some kea spotting.
At an altitude of 945 metres above sea level and 1.2 kilometres in length, the unlined road tunnel allows access through sheer rock to Milford Sound with a gradient of 1 in 10. Completed in 1953, traffic lights control the traffic flow through the tunnel. An incredible part of your journey along the Milford Road.
Should weather and time permit, enjoy a short walk here as a part of your Milford Sound day trip with Southern Discoveries. Dramatic views of a rock chasm and waterfalls formed by the rushing waters of the Cleddau River. This is an easy walk along a well maintained trail and is approximately 20 minutes in length.
Milford Sound is a fiord in the southwest of New Zealand’s South Island. It’s known for towering Mitre Peak, plus rainforests and waterfalls like Stirling and Bowen falls, which plummet down its sheer sides. The fiord is home to fur seal colonies, penguins and dolphins. Milford Discovery Centre and Underwater Observatory offers views of rare black coral and other marine life. Southern Discoveries cruises are the best way to explore.
Mitre Peak is a beautifully dramatic mountain in the South Island of New Zealand, located on the shore of Milford Sound. It is one of the most photographed mountain peaks in the entire country.
The stunning Lady Bowen Falls is Milford’s highest waterfall. It plunges 162m from a hanging valley into the head of Milford Sound and provides electricity for the Milford Sound township by feeding a small hydroelectric scheme, as well as being the water source for the settlement.
Nestled behind the world famous Mitre Peak, the Sinbad Gully is characterised by extremely steep glacially carved walls punctuated by near vertical granite cliffs. These walls slowed pest invasion into the gully and as a result a number of unique native species remain in the Sinbad. Southern Discoveries is passionate about preserving Milford Sound’s beauty for future generations which is why it’s a key partner in a major conservation project – the Sinbad Sanctuary Project. The aim is to see the valley of New Zealand’s most photographed mountain (Sinbad Gully is at the base of Mitre Peak) become a sanctuary for native species.
Milford’s second-highest waterfall is the Stirling Falls, a staggering 151m in height – three times the height of Niagara Falls, but the 1,300m mountain behind displaces this incredible height. This is the famous waterfall that Hugh Jackman ‘jumped off’ in the movie Wolverine. The sheer drop of the Stirling Falls allows boats to get right underneath – it’s an incredible feeling to have the power of 151m worth of glacial water falling so close to you.
Freshwater Basin, Milford Sound.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Please advise of your country of origin at the time of booking
- Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
- Sunscreen and insect repellent advisable
- Appropriate child restraints are NOT provided by the operator. These must be provided by the parent or caregiver - without this you may be turned away and unable to travel - please be prepared.
- Please make sure you arrive at least 15mins before your departure time.
Reviews(673)
My daughter and I had a great day firstly from the bus ride to the cruise. All the staff were amazing and so knowledgeable. This was a great day out for all the family.
Absolutely fabulous!! A must do if you love nature!! The scenic ride and stops to Milford Sound were worth the day alone. And the beauty of the fiords was simply breathtaking.
Was absolutely fabulous - our tour guide - Vaughan is a must! He is so personable and knowledgeable about the area. From the best snacks to get to the history of cabbage trees - if you are going to tour - ask for him! The tour itself was flawless.
Vaughan the driver was fantastic, bus was very cold (wrap up for the bus and cruise) food on the cruise was awful - had such a dodgy tummy the next morning so don’t waste your money on prepaying lunch - take your own or buy in the cafe on board.
Only evidence of being premium is the price; unable to quantify difference from other offerings via TripAdvisor and other sites or providers. Deeply disappointing and buffet, at best, was average. We travelled on a normal coach of circa 50 people and boat with other coach loads. The saving graces were the views, weather and our driver, Vaughan. There are definitely premium packages offering better value for $100 less per person. TripAdvisor is reviewing why their site changed NZ $ to US $ (aka not interested) - book elsewhere or buyer beware! It cost NZ $310 more ($775 for two adults).
that it is best done on a rainy day because there is much more waterfalls and there is a much higher chance of getting drenched by the waterfalls. It looks better on any day, rainy or sunny. There is optional lunch too!!☺️☺️☺️☺️☺️☺️☺️☺️☺️☺️☺️☺️☺️
Long bus ride, but scenery worth it. Yoda, our driver, was smiling, informative enough without being annoying. He obviously cares about customers and country. The rain during the whole cruise only gave us many temporary waterfalls. Buffet was a 5/10, needs work.
Good timing and lovely coaches/ cruise and commentary, rich lunch takes any worries away. Scenery is world class as expected. Would love to do this again.
Yoda was so friendly, informative and all round great guide for the day! Everything ran seamless, bus was comfortable with the perfect amount of scenic stops
Excellent trip. The driver was very nice and had extensive knowledge about the area, history, geography, plants and animals. He was like an encyclopedia. We learned a lot. We also felt very safe with his manner of driving.
