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.
It was great to go with then, they explaned well more over the driving was very comfortable. Intact stoped in few place of interest and allowed us to take snaps. Nick & Alia where very informative and cheerful all the time.
Beautiful trip, but communication could have been better We really enjoyed our Milford Sound excursion. Both the bus ride and the cruise were breathtaking, and we got to see so much along the way. Getting information beforehand was frustrating, though. Our tour was scheduled for 6:30 am, and the email we received the day before said to check in at 6:10 am. I emailed with a few questions but never heard back. There was no information about parking either, which would have helped since we were going to be away all day. We found street parking a couple of blocks from the meeting point, only to find out at the end that we were being dropped off somewhere else. The bus also picked up two couples along the way. It would have been helpful to know whether that was an option for us too. We’re glad we went, but better information about parking, pickup and drop-off—and someone answering our email—would have saved us some unnecessary stress.
Excellent activity. Lynette, our guide handled that coach like an extension of her own body. she was amazing, very knowledgeable and filled in the gaps nicely with information shared in light , conversational and entertaining way the cruise itself was spectacular in the rain. made the most of it and got right underneath the water fall and got a good soaking. by choice mind you, plenty of folks opted to stay dry but I didn't travel 30 days across multiple continents and the entire pacific to let a little water get in the way of the full experience
Loved this tour. The glass top coach was fantastic giving uninterrupted views of the beautiful landscape. Vaughan our guide was amazing with a great sense of humour and very knowledgeable giving great insight into the places we stopped at along the way. Plenty of photo opportunities and a decent number of stops along the way. The cruise itself was lovely with the buffet lunch simple but delicious and plenty of food so noone should go hungry. Highly recommend especially if you can get Vaughan as your guide.
It was a wonderful experience with my tour guide Chelsea . She was enthusiastic informative and ensured to get best view points. The vehicle was wonderful and captain lounge wonderful. The Milfrod sound also lived up to my dream being misty , deep , and awe inspiring .
First class operation. Stan, our bus driver, was funny and provided a lot of insight. Highly recommend the buffet on the boat as well.
Great tour leader with lots of info! Amazing Milford Sound in the rain, best time to go to see hundreds of waterfalls !
Southern discoveries were amazing, went above and beyond. We got a complementary taxi to and from our lodge. Keith the driver/ tour guide was exceptional with his knowledge. He made the long journey fun. Nothing was a problem. Milford was amazing, even thought the weather rainy. Would highly recommend. Thank you!
Breathtaking scenery. A well organized day. Yoda was our driver and was fantastic with the perfect amount of interesting commentary. The bus was so beautiful, very well maintained and the glass top is just genious. Perfect number of stops. Highly recommend. Four stars instead of five as the only let down was Southern Stars, the cruise operator. They really have too many on the boat in my opinion. Especially since there is a buffet lunch and by the time you wait in the long buffet line then fight for a table and seat to eat your lunch at, the cruise is well underway and you have missed some of it. I think the cruise operator should not take so many people.
Milford sounds is a must do activity. The cruise was awesome-would have been more beautiful if it was actually raining. We actually sighted a group of 6-7 dolphins during our cruise. Food provided on board was extremely satisfying too-good varieties of option with unlimited refills if you choose the buffet lunch option. The drive takes up most of the time; cruise is roughly around 2 hours only.
Fantastic experience which the whole family enjoyed. Definitely a highlight of our trip and one we’ll never forget. Our driver, Yoda was amazing, he was very knowledgeable and professional the whole time. We even encountered snow on our trip in September which was a first for some of us. Milford sound is a must do for anyone considering it.
Love the whole trip! We took the trip with Southern Discoveries. Our driver “Brownie” is very nice and humorous, and he entertained us the whole trip on our way there. He has been working on this for many years and even knows all the bumpers and speed cameras on the road! He stopped at many good places for us to take pictures. We paid extra to get the first row seats, to avoid car sick, and it is worth of the money. I did not get motion sickness and enjoyed the whole trip. We also ordered the lunch buffet and the food was excellent, considering it is for a day trip and on the ship! The ship is very large and stable, so I did not get motion sickness! The day we went there is sunny and we saw rainbow and many waterfalls. Some passengers even saw tine penguins although we were not able to see. However we saw many dolphins jumping out of the water! Overall, great experience with Southern Discoveries!
This was a spectacular tour. Vaughn was an incredible guide full of knowledge of every area. Smooth driving and always looked out for group. I can’t recommend this enough.
This is a wonderful day trip that is well worth it. The tour guide was very informative & friendly. The cruise was great. We saw cheeky kea's, a seal & 3 fjordland crested penguins. The cruise meal was delicious & the staff were very friendly & helpful. Brilliant day! ❤️
Very rushed and crowded as you follow at least four or more other buses so every stop is rush to get spot. Driver Vaughn was great and nothing he can do about that. The cruise again if you can find one that is less crowded better and food is mediocre but ok we did the buffet and it was ok but nothing to pay so much for take. Sandwich and do lunch on your own. All in all not bad glad I did it but would probably not go again
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.
Our tour guide Amy is very delightful, professional and helpful. She made us feel safe and comforable during the long rides (6 hours in total). We enjoyed her company depsite the long trip. The tour itsself is nice as well.
The bus ride and driver were great. When we got on the boat it was disorganised and chaotic. The food was awful from the buffet. There had been boat cancellations and our boat took on many more passengers so we were all squished on. The other people they added to our cruise also had most of the tables reserved so we didnt have anywhere to sit and had to share with randoms or eat standing up or away from our group. Milford Sound itself was incredible but the boat service and experience was very sub par.
Good experience to explore Milford Sounds with an informative driver who knew the roads conditions. Save the hassle of driving yourself as it’s a long day and a long unfamiliar drive, especially with kids and in a different country. Shout out to Greg, who showed us the hot spots to avoid the crowds. We thoroughly enjoyed it. Sights, experiences and was overall comfortable.
Everyone should do it if they are on the South Island. The driver, Keith, was very knowledgeable ,courteous and a professional. The view was magnificent and breathtaking.
Great day tour in a comfortable coach with a knowledgeable driver. The tour is long but with plenty of stops along the way which makes for an amazing day
We had a very knowledgeable bus driver and the scenery was amazing but there were a few things that weren’t what I was expecting. Firstly, the bus windows and roof were fogged up for about the first 2-3 hours of the trip, so we couldn’t see the scenery without constantly wiping the windows ourselves. The air conditioning in the bus was cold, despite the heater being on. We were advised it needed re-gassing, this was why it also wasn’t defrosting the windows. It probably shouldn’t have been being used for tours if this was the case. We did not stop in many of the places listed. We only made one toilet stop on the way back and on the way there we made three stops but only one which was in the published itinerary. We enjoyed the day, but I would advise to lower expectations of the tour and food and enjoy the scenery.
What an amazing experience! This trip was absolutely worth every cent. Our guide was a standout — super knowledgeable, very respectful, and always making sure we had enough breaks and felt well-rested. The glass bus was a real highlight because everyone had a great view the whole way. The ferry ride was brilliant, and I loved the lunch options. The buffet was fantastic, but you can also choose a picnic box or bring your own food. Snacks and drinks are easy to grab on the boat too. The ride back was so comfortable that most of us drifted off to sleep. I’d recommend this tour to anyone heading to Milford Sound — it’s a must-do.
Very beautiful day, very long but worth it. Hamish was very informative. Would definitely recommend.
The coach was clean and the seat was comfortable. We stopped at multiple places on the way to Milford Sound to take pictures and the commentary by the driver Vaughn was super entertaining and interesting! If anyone else buys this package, I hope you get Vaughn as your driver because he drives safely, is friendly, and you’ll learn a lot from his commentaries!
It’s a long day but well worth it. The buffet on the cruise was delicious. Milford Sound was great to see.
This was an amazing day. While it may seem long, the drive does take a fair few hours but with opportunities for scenic photos and a coffee/toilet break it goes by really quickly. The Milford Sound cruise, food and commentary was also really well done. I can’t comment on the bus trip home because we decided to fly back which was totally worth the additional outlay. Our driver and guide Hamish and our pilot Josh really made the day!
Stan was a fantastic driver and guide. The whole day was fabulous with lots of waterfalls and beautiful scenery!
our first leg of the tour was to waterstone farm, which was incredible. we were able to feed the livestock and was pleasantly surprised with the animals. the animals were gentle creatures who knew that it was feeding time, what a treat for us! at the end of the tour we witnessed the farmer sheering a sheep! took all but 2 minutes! all in all the waterstone farm did not disappoint. the extra plus was Hadish (sp?), our driver. he is a delight. he gave us time to rest on the drive out since we had an early start. got us to our destination safely and then to our next stop where we changed vehicles. onto the coach we go with Keith. i can’t say anymore wonderful things about Keith. we made stop at the most beautiful spots, on our way to milford sound. he drove the coach like a rockstar, i give drivers so much credit! then the arrival to milford sound…if i had a sound affect it would be a bright sound, possibly with horns blowing. mind blowing is truly an understatement. if you’re ever visiting queenstown, please make the trip out to milford sound, absolutely worth the trip!
This tour was in a big bus which makes the ride comfortable. I also appreciated the stops a long the way to break it up. Milford Sound is gorgeous and really neat to see the waterfalls. We didn't see any wildlife on our excursion. The lunch food was not our taste, I wish they would say what the menu is ahead of time. Yoda was our driver and he was very friendly.
The entire experience was amazing!!! Would highly recommend Southern Discoveries - the entire process was easy and the whole day was planned well. We had lots of beautiful little stops along the way which made Queenstown even more special. Special shoutout to our tour guide Yoda who did a great job with the tour, giving us great local information and being so friendly! Milford Sounds itself is heaven on earth! Nothing prepares you for it honestly - overall would do it again in a heartbeat 🙏🏽
It's long, but worth it! The most spectacular views driving into the Sound can be seen from the coach. I'm glad we did this instead of flying. The tour guide was friendly and knowledgeable, and he stopped at several places for us to get out and take pictures.
Excellent trip. Keith was super fun and informative. Milford sound is beautiful. Even tho it was cold and a bit wet, I would recommend this tour again and again.
Our tour guide Yoda was amazing. He gave us so much information about how the landscape and the country has changed as well as so much information about the natural resources. You could really tell he loves his country. I especially like the surprise stop at the farm on the way back. It felt like back home. (I live in the Midwest in the US.) Seriously, one of the best tour guides we’ve ever encountered!!!
It was a rainy day so didn't see much. No toilets on the bus. Usb-a plugs only, couldn't charge usb-c phone. On the plus side, the coach chairs were comfortable, the guide was great and the buffet was delicious.
A great day and made better by bus driver STAN with humour and professionalism he made it a even better day thanks Robert &Barb
Our driver Yoda was amazing and Milford sound was unbelievably beautiful however this company lies to you Bought tickets for this tour instead of others as it stated toilet onboard bus. Later had this confirmed by them via email. Checked with them the day before tour and had this confirmed again. On the day the bus we were on had no toilet, NONE of the buses on this schedule had a toilet. They simply continued this lie to get & keep our money. Would not book with this company again, how many lies do they tell to get your money. Re the Milford Sound cruise - don’t bother with the buffet, you lose approx 25 min of cruising views while lining up for food which was cold, tasteless etc - think rock hard cold garlic bread. Take your own food and enjoy the scenery for the whole time aboard.
Great experience would do it again in an instant. Breath taking and amazing views of this beautiful part of New Zealand.
Excellent guide and wonderful trip. Coach was very comfortable and guide stopped at perfect intervals along the way.
Well organised, friendly knowledgeable driver - well done Nick. Disappointing lunch - too “Asian oriented” - needed more and better quality western options
The scenery is unbelievable, world class. The commentary from our amazing bus driver Vaughan was the icing on the cake!! Make sure you get Bus 1 with Vaughan as the bus driver.
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