Private Milford Sound Tour from Queenstown

The great road through Fiordland to the fiord, with the option to fly home over the Alps.

Milford Sound is a sheer-walled fiord where waterfalls fall a thousand feet into dark water and the peaks lift straight from the sea. Rudyard Kipling is said to have called it the eighth wonder of the world. It lies at the end of one of the great roads of the world, and this day gives that road the time it deserves.

We leave at half past six, and for a reason. The run down is direct, with a stop at Te Anau, so that you are on the water late morning. Nearly every other day trip out of Queenstown reaches the fiord together in the early afternoon, and this one is already out on it by then. The road and its stops are still to come, on the way home, once the traffic is behind us.

Beyond Te Anau the road enters Fiordland National Park and the country changes. The Eglinton Valley opens into broad river flats edged with beech forest, the peaks close in on both sides, and the last stretch climbs into a rock amphitheatre with waterfalls coming off every wall. Then the Homer Tunnel takes the road straight through the mountain and drops it into the Cleddau Valley, walls of granite streaming with waterfalls, down to the fiord.

Included in your tour

• Private luxury vehicle and dedicated driver-guide for the whole day
• Door-to-door hotel pick-up and return
• Guided stops the length of the Milford Road
• Cruise on Milford Sound, approx. 1 hour 45 minutes
• A packed lunch, enjoyed on board the cruise
• Bottled water and all park entry

Not included: Drinks beyond lunch; the scenic flight home, available as an upgrade.

Optional upgrades

• A scenic flight home over the Southern Alps, by fixed-wing aircraft or helicopter, taking about three hours off the day.
• Flights depend on the weather and are confirmed on the day. If the aircraft cannot fly, your guide drives you home and the flight is refunded in full.