Premium Milford Sound Small-Group Tour & Cruise from Queenstown

Your tour starts in the stunning city of Queenstown. As we drive out of the city, your guide will not only set the scene for your adventure today but also point out and guide you past some of the area's top highlights.

Departing Queenstown we wind our way around Lake Wakatipu, with amazing views of The Remarkables Mountain Range and the lake, stopping for photos is a must.

Continuing around the lake, we will pass through Devil's Staircase. This elevated windy part of the road is famous for dramatic photos and setting the scene for the day to come.

After more amazing mountain, river, and farmland views, we will arrive in Te Anau, home to Lake Te Anau, New Zealand's second largest lake. While in this idyllic town, we will stop for a break and maybe meet some of the local animals or wildlife. Continuing along the lake, we will stop at Te Anau Downs, the starting point for the Milford Track, to hear the stories and admire the views.

Leaving Te Anau and entering Fiordland National Park, we will stop in Eglinton Valley. With views worthy of Lord of the Rings, this valley follows the path of an ancient glacier through Fiordland. One of the first major attractions as you enter the park really sets the scene for a journey that only gets more impressive the deeper you go.

Our next stop on this epic adventure is Mirror Lakes for a short stroll to see the famous reflections of the Earl Mountains. Get the right day, take a good picture and no one will be able to tell which way is the right way up for the photo.

Continuing along the Milford Road, we come across Lake Gunn. Named after a famous explorer and popular for fishing, often we will stop at Lake Gunn for some photos and to enjoy the peace.

A short drive away, we will start passing the Hollyford River, a gorgeous and powerful river full of large boulders and rapids. Feeding into the river at Falls Creek is the first of our extremely impressive waterfalls of the area, one of many to come.

Climbing in altitude, we will go deeper into the Darran Mountains, and these views require another stop to admire and take photos. We are also entering the area where Kea (the world's largest alpine parrot) likes to live. Start keeping an eye out for these large, cheeky and colourful birds that never fail to thrill and entertain when found.

To make our way back down towards the sea, we will enter the mind-blowing hand-built Homer Tunnel, hearing the incredible history and stories. Emerging from the tunnel, the valley descends sharply towards Milford Sound and on a rainy day you will see hundreds of waterfalls cascading down the mountainside.

Following the valleys to the sea, we will arrive at Milford Sound, where you will board your cruise with Pure Milford. Get closer to the wildlife and nature, including the New Zealand fur seals basking on the rocks, massive rock faces rising for hundreds of metres out of the sea, and the waterfalls cascading from an ancient rainforest high in the mountains. This cruise is unbeatable.

While on the boat cruise, you will be able to marvel at the awe-inspiring Mitre Peak, the iconic Milford Sound mountain, with its steep triangular peak rising high up above the reflective waters of the Milford Sound.

After your cruise, do not fear, the adventure is not over. There is the return journey with many more amazing stops. One of the stops during this journey (weather and timing dependent) is The Chasm. A spectacular bush walk and dramatic views of powerful waterfalls and water sculpted shapes in the rocks.

Next, we pull over to admire the elevated, amazing views of the divide in the Southern Alps, close to the start of the Routeburn Track. While here, the guide will tell you the stories of ancient Maori explorers.

Sadly, we must start to head back to Queenstown, but your day is not over with a fully guided return trip and many stops and breaks along the way.