Start your day by meeting our friendly local guide at or near your Queenstown accommodation. You'll travel in style in a premium Mercedes van designed for touring with only 15 seats onboard. The first leg of our journey to Milford Sound transports you from Queenstown through the picturesque Southland farming country and the charming town of Te Anau, where we'll make a brief stop by the lakeside for refreshments.
Lake Te Anau is in the southwestern corner of the South Island of New Zealand. The lake covers an area of 344 km², making it the second-largest lake by surface area in New Zealand and the largest in the South Island. It is the largest lake in Australasia by fresh water volume.
From here, we welcome you to the Fiordland National Park and the renowned Milford Road. This corridor to the fiord unveils a different side of New Zealand, with its majestic mountains, winding rivers, and the cheeky Kea bird. Throughout the journey, your guide will make multiple stops for photo opportunities, short walks, and will entertain you with fascinating local facts and stories.
See the picturesque Eglinton Valley
Enjoy a beautiful short nature walk and view the famous Mirror Lakes.
The Homer Tunnel is a 1.2 km long road tunnel in the Fiordland region of the South Island of New Zealand, opened in 1953. New Zealand State Highway 94 passes through the tunnel, linking Milford Sound to Te Anau and Queenstown, by piercing the Darran Mountain range at the Homer Saddle.
Upon reaching Milford Sound, embark on a 1hr 45min nature cruise that takes you beneath the towering peaks of the fiord. This small boat cruise, accompanied by a knowledgeable onboard nature guide, allows you to explore the edges of the fiord, revealing its impressive waterfalls and unique wildlife, which may include dolphins, penguins, fur seals, and native birdlife.
After your cruise, rejoin the van to commence the return journey to Queenstown. Sit back, relax, and take in the views. This day tour spans approximately 12-13 hours, and our smaller vehicles and attentive guide ensure your comfort and entertainment throughout the journey.
On arrival back into Queenstown, your guide will return you back to the same location they picked you up from, or you can choose to be dropped in Queenstown.
We had an exceptional experience! The fiordlands are stunningly beautiful, and our guide, Amandine, was knowledgeable, funny, and made the long trip fun and comfortable.
Had an amazing trip would highly recommend this tour huge shoutout to James our tour guide for an awesome day.
Our guide, James, was amazing. Friendly, down to earth and super informative. The itinerary allowed for plenty of photo ops and regular comfort stops, which made the long drive feel effortless. Massive thanks to James and Altitude Tours for a fantastic day out!
We were the last pickup on the Millford Sound Premium Small Tour and Cruise. The bus was 15 minutes late. The bus operator allowed the previous groups to split up. All the window seats were filled. My wife and I were separated and had to sit in different parts of the van. Twelve hour trip and we are unable to sit together. Unacceptable for the money we paid. The bus operators should have made groups sit together
We loved our day trip to Milford Sound! Mac was a spectacular tour guide and driver. He was hilarious and also very knowledgeable about the region and history. Logistics were super easy with clear communication, pick up and drop off, and a solid packed lunch. And the van was very comfortable too. The boat cruise was beautiful and we had a great time in the rain (and snow!) viewing all of the waterfalls and some seals. Spending the day with Mac and the other awesome travelers in our van made the experience a 10/10 - above and beyond our expectations!
The tour and cruise was amazing and well worth the money. We experienced a cold and overcast day but was able to see dolphins and penguins and multiple waterfalls. I would overall recommend this tour since we didn't have to drive the distance from Queeenstown to Milford Sound and just enjoy the scenery.
Our tour guide Chase is so good, he mentioned all historical information of Mirror Lakes, Eglinton Valley and most highlights one is the Milford Sound's waterfalls! We enjoyed the scenic views and very supportive tour guide ! Highly recommended the Altitude Tours! Thank you! 🥰
This was a wonderful trip. 12 people in the van. Good views from the windows. Driver had lots of information for us. Good stops on the way to Mil.ford Sound. The cruise was great. We enjoyed the entire experience.
Amazing experience! We were a little worried that the long drive time would be discouraging as we booked this excursion for the last day of our trip; however, our guide, Will, filled the drive time with plenty of great stops and commentary. The best photos of our trip were taken on this excursion. We saw dolphins and penguins on the Milford Sound boat cruise, which I honestly didn’t anticipate seeing at all. It was unreal! So very glad we ended our trip on that remarkable note.
James our guide was great, the time flew and James was awesome. Thank you James from Altitude Tours
We had a great day on this trip. Our driver / guide was great (16th October) on the glass roof 6.30am tour. She gave lots of interesting information about the sights we saw and the stops. The scenery is stunning, I particularly enjoyed the drive as we passed through farmlands, along the Otago lakes and through Fiordland to Milford Sound. The boat trip was great, well organised on a smaller boat with plenty of view points on the upper and lower decks. We visited on a sunny day, but I’ve heard rainy or misty days are just as beautiful. We got up close to a waterfall for a ‘glacial facial’ and were lucky to see bottlenose dolphins racing alongside our boat. We also saw a couple of young fur seals lounging on the rocks. At a stop on the trip into the Fjord we saw the cheeky kea parrots who put on a show as well as running all over the van roof. The ride back was equally as beautiful with chill time to enjoy the scenery. The stops were well planned to grab coffee and some snacks - and the mirror lake was my favourite view stop. Amazing day! Thank you.
This tour was brilliant from start to finish. Our guide Will was very knowledgeable and super funny. Just the right amount of commentary versus easy listening music. Plenty of toilet stops and photo opportunities. I would highly recommend this trip to anyone. Thanks Will we had so much fun. And thanks Altitude. T-Bone
Amazing and well organised tour. Despite the day being nearly 13 hours long, the drive there and back went by really quickly. Our guide Katy was amazing and had heaps of great local knowledge about the area and all its history, flora and fauna. The tour includes lots of stops on the way to Milford Sound for photos and the provided lunch was bigger than I was expecting which was a bonus.
A great day made better by our guide Nev. It was raining so we were worried about how good the experience would be but Nev assured us the waterfalls would be lovely because of the rain. He was right! Also despite the rain, the boat ride had good views (probably better on a clear day though). Boxed lunch was surprisingly tasty and I appreciated the tour accommodating for gluten free. Periodic stops for coffee and scenic views broke up the day. Great experience overall!
Just amazing ! Well worth the money, we did a small group booking in a Mercedes Van & lunch was provided through Altitude tours. Nev was our driver for the day and he made the trip very entertaining....he is a funny guy, and so knowledgeable.
It's 💯 worth it. We probably seen hundreds if not thousands of waterfalls. Mairi was an amazing guide. So knowledgeable and delightful person. Her music playlist was spot on. Thank you for an amazing Day.
Amandine our driver and guide was incredible!! She spent 13 hours with us and 8 of those hours driving and she did a phenomenonal job. We had so many stops and photo opportunities and the Milford Sound cruise was just spectacular. It was well worth the long trip. The picnic lunch was also really really good. Couldn't recommend Altitude Tours any more!!! Amazing!!
This is a great bus trip and the lady we had was so friendly and made the day amazing. I can’t remember her name.
The trip was amazing and the guide was Alegra she was very informative helpful and one of the best I have had. Would definitely recommend in future
This experience was absolutely incredible! A bucket list must-do!! The mountains , snow, the lakes , the seals , birds , baby sheep were epic highlights. The tour guide was warm , friendly , knowledgeable & responsible.
All very well organised. Small group was much better than all the big coach tours we saw and I’d particularly like to thank our guide & driver Allegra who was bright, cheerful, knowledgeable and funny! Her “rambling” was charming and fun and made the times between stops a delight. Highly recommend!
My family and I attended the Milford Sound Premium Small Group Tour & Cruise with the Altitude company. Pick up from our Queenstown hotel was on time. Amy, our guide, was cheerful, knowledgeable, and spot on with her times and recommendations, etc. The tour itself was an excellent display of national park scenery, numerous stops, and the cruise on Milford Sound. The chicken picnic lunch was tasty and ample. Thoroughly enjoyed our time, with our family ages ranging from 10 years to 80 years. Would definitely recommend the experience, and greatly facilitated by Amy.
Allegra, the native Queenstown guide, was very knowledgeable and funny. She made the long ride interesting. The scenery was breathtaking. The itinerary was tight abd efficient. Pickup and drop-off process was very clear. The van was comfortable.
ticked a bucket list item off and what an amazing experience. Definitely recommend this trip to anyone interested.
A long day but well worth it! Katy was an excellent driver and had lots of good information to share. We lucked into a clear beautiful day at Milford. The lunch was amazing. If only I could figure out viator rewards (that don’t appear and there is no contact form!)
Overall an amazing experience. The guide, Will, was fantastic and it was a spectacular day of sight seeing and wild life. We saw multiple kea along with other birds.
Will was an excellent tour guide and an excellent driver too! He kept us on time, entertained with stories about the area which made the 6 hour drive easy. We saw seals, dolphins, penguin and even a Kea! The boxed lunch was delicious. Unfortunately our flight return was cancelled due to weather but even the return ride was not bad. Well worth it.
Thanks for good day ever best.
Malov was a fantastic guide. He gave us lots of information about what we were seeing along the way and had fun stories. The tour was great. Having a small group made the trip very pleasant. It was a long day in the car, but the van was comfortable.
This tour was a mixed bag. Nevel, our driver/guide, was great but weather negatively affected everything. Due to heavy rain, we missed a few stops that were part of the tour. Then, the first 1/2 of the cruise was in the rain, and lastly, our return flight got canceled. Milford Sound is pretty cool but I did not think it was as awe inspiring as the hype, so I was a little disappointed. We did see a penguin, seal, and dolphins. Do not plan or keep your trip if its pouring rain. Really, while difficult, the company should have offered a cancelation. We did get to see snow at the tunnel.
Will, the driver and guide was great! It was a full seated trip, we were on the last row in the van. My wife normally gets motion sickness, but thanks to Will's driving skills, she did not get sick at all. Milford Sound is a must go if you are in the area. Small group, also means smaller boat hence closer to the water falls.
Outstanding in every way. The sights were amazing and the expert guide and host Chelsy Rogers made it even better.
Our guide Chelsea was so knowledgeable about the area. Told us stories of growing up in a town on the way to Milford Sound. She was wonderful - it didn’t feel like a 12 hour excursion.
Great tour great day!!! Would recommend
This was a wonderful trip. Amy, our tour guide, was very knowledgeable and enthusiastic, stopping at some wonderful locations on the way to show us the key sights. It was great to travel to Milford with a professional driver as we were able to concentrate on the views rather than the road. I would highly recommend this trip to others.
Had one of the best days I’ve had in ages! Tour guide was fantastic! Full of knowledge and really accommodating. Very enthusiastic and full of energy. Very spacious and comfortable bus. Open rooftop is a great option. The cruise was incredible! Had cloudy weather but didn’t detract from the experience! Highly recommended both the tour bus and the cruise.
I initially booked with Luxe tours ,my booking was cancelled 3 days before du to flood and their van been decommissioned, i turn to the duo big operators Viator &Get your guide and found altitude with better discount via get your guide . My experience was perfect ,the bus confortable ,turn sharp on time ,even some passengers didn't show up the bus waited over the 5 minutes limit,contacted the center thats was really customer service at its best . Our guide NEV is an absolute gem ,he will go the extra mile to make you happy,you can feel he is passionate about his job ,the picnic was a treat ,Nev escorted us till the boat taking extra care of our needs . Altitude is your adress for this tour and their premium small group is the best option . I choose the 7:30 Departure and it was very good ,my only advise is if you can have phone charger and WiFi.
Milford Sound, what an absolutely fabulous day from start to finish. Ashleigh our tour guide was wonderful. Her experience & knowledge shone through all day. Welcoming, patient & thoughtful with everyone. We loved the small group experience & comfort of the bus. Our picnic lunches were also a yummy surprise. All in all would absolutely 100% recommend Altitude tours to Milford Sound.
We had a wonderful experience, with exceptional service and special attention from Sinchan. He was incredibly accommodating, engaging, and extremely knowledgeable. He had an answer to every question we asked and was always courteous and friendly throughout the trip. Milford Sound is absolutely breathtaking, with plenty of amazing photo opportunities. The entire cruise crew were friendly, welcoming, and professional, which made the experience even more enjoyable. A truly memorable experience and one we would highly recommend!
Our driver was great, van was comfortable. We made multiple stops to see absolutely beautiful sites. Boat ride was wonderful. Opted to take the helicopter ride back, well worth it!
James was fantastic and very patient with our tour group!!! It was a long drive but James taught us lots of things about the South Island. We saw some wildlife including Keas and had a fantastic time at Milford Sound.
Yes, it is a long drive; you can't avoid it without paying considerably more for a small plane flight, which may not be possible. However, our driver broke up the journey there with sensibly placed stops at a toilet stop, a cafe and a sightseeing point. The stops are brief, but it would take forever to get there if they weren't. Our driver Andy, was excellent, with good NZ wit. Though it was a grey day, Milford Sound was still awesome, and one of the highlights of our NZ travels. For the return, we only stopped once, but it didn't feel that long and the views from the van were spectacular all the way.
This was a great experience loved it Would recommend it if you come to queenstown book it Tri factor experience
Excellent intro to Fjordland park and misnomer Milford Sound.! Plenty of stops on the way for loo breaks, and scenic pictures. The journey to Milford Sound was just as amazing as the boat ride there. Ashleigh was an amazing guide and ensured that we saw all the key sites and local wildlife!
Katy was a thoughtful guide who helped make the trip and long drive memorable. I loved seeing the mountain parrots in the wild.
Everything was perfect. Big shout out to Ellegra, our driver and guide. The weather was perfect, raining, and the waterfalls were pumping.
Absolutely incredible full day trip and can’t recommend it highly enough. Ash our guide was amazing and extremely knowledgeable of not just Milford Sound but everything along the way. The drive out to Milford was just as beautiful as the boat trip on the main attraction. Had plenty of stops along the way to take some incredible photos at some great locations. Absolutely must do day trip.
This experience was far better than I thought it would be. We had James as our tour guide/driver. I was expecting mostly just a bus ride but his tour was full of awesome facts and info about the areas we were driving through. The only downside was the supplied lunch was pretty sub-par! I’ve told everybody that if they’re going to Queenstown they have to do this trip (and ask for James he really made the trip extraordinary)
Great tour, well organised, lux van and knowledgeable guide.
It is a wonderful tour and a must in your visit to Queenstown, you can’t leave the city without visiting this gift from our Mother Nature. The tour company Altitude es the best for this tour and his driver and leader of the tour NEV was really the guy who did a wonderful day for all of us at the tour.
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