Recommended by 98% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
4.69 (29) Reviews
I liked how the small group made everything feel more organized and intimate, from the drive to the cruise itself. The waterfalls in Milford Sound were mesmerizing, and lunch was just what I needed after the long journey. Booking was hassle-free, which was a bonus.
This tour doesn’t just take you to Milford Sound—it makes the journey unforgettable. The stops along the way are perfectly timed, the guide’s stories add so much, and the small group means no crowd chaos. The cruise is the ultimate reward, with a picnic lunch to top it off. Sorting out the booking was easy, and the memories are priceless.
It was an absolute highlight of my trip! The journey through Fiordland National Park was filled with stunning stops like Lake Te Anau and Mirror Lakes. The cruise offered breathtaking views of Mitre Peak and cascading waterfalls. The picnic lunch was a delightful touch, and our guide was both knowledgeable and friendly. Booking was seamless, so I highly recommend this tour for anyone visiting New Zealand!
One of the most spectacular highlights of New Zealand's South Island is the impressive Milford Sound, located deep in the heart of Fiordland National Park. Plus, it's easily accessible with a day trip from Queenstown.
This small group, fully-guided day tour combines the fantastic return journey to Milford Sound with a boutique Milford Sound Cruise aboard Cruise Milford. It's led by passionate tour guides famous for bringing your journey to life by sharing their stories and rich background knowledge.
Your journey starts with convenient pick-ups from selected Queenstown accommodation. Then, as you drive out of the city, you'll wind your way around Lake Wakatipu, with amazing views of The Remarkables Mountain Range and the lake. Continuing around, you will pass through Devil's Staircase, famous for dramatic photos.
After more amazing mountain, river and farmland views, you'll arrive in Te Anau, home to Lake Te Anau, New Zealand's second-largest lake. While in this idyllic town, you'll stop for a break and maybe meet some of the local animals or wildlife. Then, continuing along, stop at Te Anau Downs, the starting point for the Milford Track, to hear the stories and admire the views.
Next, you'll enter Fiordland National Park and stop in Eglinton Valley. With views worthy of Lord of the Rings, this valley follows the path of an ancient glacier through Fiordland. As one of the first major attractions as you enter the park, it really sets the scene for a journey that gets more impressive the deeper you go.
The following two stops are some of Southland's most beautiful lakes. The first is Mirror Lakes, where you can take a short stroll to see the famous reflections of the Earl Mountains. On the right day, if you take a good picture, no one can tell which way is the right way up for the photo! The second is Lake Gunn, where you'll stop for some pictures and to enjoy the peace.
Driving on, pass the Hollyford River, a gorgeous and mighty river full of large boulders and rapids. Feeding into the river at Falls Creek, it's one of the area's impressive waterfalls and the first of many to come.
Climbing in altitude, you go deeper into the Darran Mountains, and these views require another stop to admire and take photos. You're also entering the area where Kea (the world's largest alpine parrot) likes to live. Keep an eye out for these large, cheeky, colourful birds that never fail to thrill and entertain when found.
To make your way down towards the sea, you'll 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, arrive at Milford Sound, where you will board your 1 hr 45 min cruise with Cruise Milford. The Cruise Milford experience offers a boutique cruise on a smaller, less crowded boat and a crew that provides a much more informative and personal tour of Milford Sound.
The smaller boat means you 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 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 as the adventure is far from 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. It's a spectacular bush walk with dramatic views of powerful waterfalls and water sculpted shapes in the rocks.
Next, you'll pull over at Pop's View Lookout 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.
With a few more secret stops along the way, you'll eventually arrive back in Queenstown to be dropped off back at your pick-up location.
Total Reviews and rating
I liked how the small group made everything feel more organized and intimate, from the drive to the cruise itself. The waterfalls in Milford Sound were mesmerizing, and lunch was just what I needed after the long journey. Booking was hassle-free, which was a bonus.
This tour doesn’t just take you to Milford Sound—it makes the journey unforgettable. The stops along the way are perfectly timed, the guide’s stories add so much, and the small group means no crowd chaos. The cruise is the ultimate reward, with a picnic lunch to top it off. Sorting out the booking was easy, and the memories are priceless.
It was an absolute highlight of my trip! The journey through Fiordland National Park was filled with stunning stops like Lake Te Anau and Mirror Lakes. The cruise offered breathtaking views of Mitre Peak and cascading waterfalls. The picnic lunch was a delightful touch, and our guide was both knowledgeable and friendly. Booking was seamless, so I highly recommend this tour for anyone visiting New Zealand!
We had a fantastic experience enjoying the small group tour guided by Tammy who is exciting, engaged and loves her work, which comes through in her engagement with the participants. The boat trip was also a great opportunity to see Milford Sound, which we had looked forward to for many years.
Loved my tour with Cheeky Kiwi!! Having a smaller group size of 16 people allowed us to get to know each other, stop at more places for photos and on the cruise we went with one other van but it felt like we had the boat to ourselves! Highly suggest booking this trip, a highlight of my time in NZ!
reasonable price with a fantastic experience! so grateful for this tour, hope can visit again in future
Passionate guides an absolutely stunning scenery
The tour was well-organized, and our guide was knowledgeable and friendly, making the long drive to Milford Sound enjoyable. The scenery was breathtaking, and the small group size allowed us to take in the beauty of the area without feeling crowded. The only downside to the tour was the weather, which was out of the tour company's control, but it would have been nice to have had some sunnier weather for better views of the sound.
We didn't want to be on one of those packed Milford Sound tours so this was perfect. We only had 6 people with us and our guide was a legend. You don't get to see all the amazing waterfalls & stops off along the way on the bigger cheaper tours so this is way better value in my opinion.
Very good!
Queenstown, Otago
Queenstown, Otago
Queenstown, Otago
Queenstown, Otago
Queenstown, Otago
Queenstown, Otago
Queenstown, Otago
Queenstown, Otago
Queenstown, Otago
Queenstown, Otago