Queenstown

Trip departs Queenstown at 6.45am. Travel on a brand new, premium glass-roof coach, equipped with reclining seats, extra legroom, air conditioning, USB charging ports and on board toilet. Enjoy as your local coach driver provides you with interesting and informative commentary as the breath-taking scenery unfolds around you. They'll show you all the best short walks and photo stops along the Milford Road. This coach will connect with our 1hr 45min Milford Sound Nature Cruise. After your cruise, you will meet your pilot and make your way to the Milford Sound Airport for a truly unforgettable Scenic Flight from Milford Sound back to Queenstown. The ultimate Milford Sound experience!

20 minutes

Te Anau

Te Anau is a beautiful town on the South Island of New Zealand. It’s known as a gateway to Fiordland National Park and Milford Sound. The region is home to endangered, flightless takahē birds and abundant trout in Lake Te Anau. Enjoy a short break here on your way to Milford Sound, in order to break up the journey, grab a coffee, and stretch your legs.

30 minutes

Eglinton Valley

This beautiful valley is glaciated with steep sides and a flat floor. It's between half a kilometre to two kilometres wide and has a shingle riverbed floor, which is constantly being changed by the Eglinton River. This is an incredible stop you will make as apart of your journey to Milford Sound with Southern Discoveries.

10 minutes

Mirror Lakes Walk

Enjoy a stroll among small lakes with stunning reflections of the Earl Mountains, should weather be permissive on the day. This is an easy, short walk off the Milford Road.

15 minutes

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Interpretation panels show the effect of avalanches on the Milford Road and provide information on the wildlife of the Eglinton Valley. Visitor amenities include toilets and a telephone (card payment only).

10 minutes

Lake Gunn (Pass By)

Lake Gunn is a strikingly beautiful lake in the South Island of New Zealand.

N/A (Pass By)

The Cleddau River is a beautiful river of New Zealand. It flows into the head of Milford Sound. You'll see many parts of this river as you journey along the Milford Sound road.

Monkey Creek

Take in great views of the upper Hollyford Valley while you fill up your water bottle from this glacier fed spring. Friendly Keas (a New Zealand alpine parrot) love this area so it's a great stop for some kea spotting.

10 minutes

Homer Tunnel (Pass By)

At an altitude of 945 metres above sea level and 1.2 kilometres in length, the unlined road tunnel allows access through sheer rock to Milford Sound with a gradient of 1 in 10. Completed in 1953, traffic lights control the traffic flow through the tunnel. An incredible part of your journey along the Milford Road.

Milford Sound

Milford Sound is a fiord in the southwest of New Zealand’s South Island. It’s known for towering Mitre Peak, plus rainforests and waterfalls like Stirling and Bowen falls, which plummet down its sheer sides. The fiord is home to fur seal colonies, penguins and dolphins. Milford Discovery Centre and Underwater Observatory offers views of rare black coral and other marine life. Boat tours are a popular way to explore.

2 hours 30 minutes

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Exchange your pass and board your Nature Cruise. Your journey on the water starts here!

10 minutes

Bowen Falls (Pass By)

The stunning Lady Bowen Falls is Milford’s highest waterfall. It plunges 162m from a hanging valley into the head of Milford Sound and provides electricity for the Milford Sound township by feeding a small hydroelectric scheme, as well as being the water source for the settlement.

Stirling Falls (Pass By)

Milford’s second-highest waterfall is the Stirling Falls, a staggering 151m in height – three times the height of Niagara Falls, but the 1,300m mountain behind displaces this incredible height. This is the famous waterfall that Hugh Jackman ‘jumped off’ in the movie Wolverine. The sheer drop of the Stirling Falls allows boats to get right underneath – it’s an incredible feeling to have the power of 151m worth of glacial water falling so close to you.

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Nestled behind the world famous Mitre Peak, the Sinbad Gully is characterised by extremely steep glacially carved walls punctuated by near vertical granite cliffs. These walls slowed pest invasion into the gully and as a result a number of unique native species remain in the Sinbad. Southern Discoveries is passionate about preserving Milford Sound’s beauty for future generations which is why it’s a key partner in a major conservation project – the Sinbad Sanctuary Project. The aim is to see the valley of New Zealand’s most photographed mountain (Sinbad Gully is at the base of Mitre Peak) become a sanctuary for native species.

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Your Pilot will escort you to the Milford Sound Airport, where you will depart for your return Scenic Flight to Queenstown. Marvel at many of the pristine alpine lakes and waterfalls that Fiordland National Park is recognised for, including the Sutherland Falls which span 580m (1900ft). This is an unforgettable way to see this beautiful part of New Zealand. Flight time is 35 minutes.

10 minutes

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Mitre Peak is a beautifully dramatic mountain in the South Island of New Zealand, located on the shore of Milford Sound. It is one of the most photographed mountain peaks in the entire country.