Destinations

Milford Sound

The Eighth Wonder of the World.

Milford Sound is located 287km from Queenstown or a 4 hour drive. Milford Sound is known as a fiord located in the Southwest coast of the South Island attracting people from all over the world. The journey into Milford Sound is full of pristine rainforest, open valleys, native NZ birdlife, waterfalls, seals, dolphins and on occasions whales and Blue Penguins.

Milford Sound is a true natural wonder and a location that has a rich history dating back over 1000 years when Maori first set foot and then more recently discovered by Captain Cook in 1823. We are proud and privileged to be able to showcase this great location on our day excursion departing 6.30am and 7.30am daily from Queenstown.

Milford Sound FAQ's

On average it typically rains 182 days a year in Milford Sound, however don’t let that put you off visiting, Milford Sound is beautiful in all weather, more rain = more waterfalls!

The drive is approximately 4 hours from Queenstown to Milford Sound, however when you join us on our Milford Sound day tour, we will make plenty of stops on the way to make it a pleasant and relaxed journey and to ensure you get to experience the best of the scenery.

A day trip from Queenstown on our small group tour is a fantastic way to see Milford Sound, without having to do the long drive yourself. You’ll get to meet our local guides who have a real passion for the region and will provide interesting commentary on the area.

When visiting Milford Sound it is recommended that you enjoy a cruise through the sound to experience its beauty and see the waterfalls and wildlife up close.

We are always keeping an eye on the weather and in touch with the road crews to ensure we are able to arrive and depart from Milford safely.

It is certainly one of the wettest places in New Zealand and the world with an average of 182 rainfall days every year. The environment benefits from so much rain creating the rich forests and beautiful waterfalls seen on a tour to Milford Sound.

As it is actually a fiord, Milford Sound was formed by the erosion of glaciers millions of years ago.

Well just to make it confusing, Milford Sound was incorrectly named and is actually not a sound but a fiord. A sound is formed when a river is flooded by the sea whereas a fiord is formed by the erosion of glaciers.

We make no promises on the weather, we’ve seen Milford Sound in pouring rain and stunning sunshine, and either way it is absolutely brilliant. Just make sure when visiting Milford Sound to be prepared for all weather, it has its own microclimate so whilst the weather may be one way in Queenstown or Te Anau it can be completely different once you arrive in Milford Sound.

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