Doubtful Sound Wilderness Cruise from Queenstown

Name: Doubtful Sound Wilderness Cruise from Queenstown
Price: 464 NZD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4.67 (251 reviews)

Overview

Available languages

English

12 hours

Mobile ticket

Be struck by the beautiful silence of Doubtful Sound as you cruise the crystal waters and take in the breathtaking scenery. Journey across Lake Manapouri, cross over the 670-meter high Wilmot Pass and enjoy a 2 hour and 45-minute cruise through pure serenity that is Doubtful Sound.

This trip is a round trip of approximately 13 hours. If you wish to pre-order a picnic lunch, please contact the supplier directly after booking.

Hotel pick up/drop off from select locations is available - please call RealNZ directly to find out if there is a pick up close to your accommodation.

Please be sure to arrive at your pick up location 15 minutes before your scheduled departure.

Additional Info

Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Children must be accompanied by an adult

Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately

Please wear comfortable shoes, waterproof jacket and warm clothing

Please note: During survey the Patea Explorer will be substituted with another vessel from the RealNZ fleet

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

What To Expect

Fiordland National Park (Te Wahipounamu)

Cruise around Doubtful Sound in the beautiful Fiordland National Park.

Admission Not Applicable

Doubtful Sound Overnight Cruise

Take in the scenery and wildlife aboard our comfortable catamaran. Our on board nature guides will be giving an informative commentary throughout the journey.

2 hours 45 minutes • Admission Not Applicable

What‘s Included

Live commentary on board

Food and drinks

Gratuities

Options

Doubtful Sound - Queenstown

Reviews

4.67

251 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

197

Great day at Doubtful Sound!
sylviamegret,,Feb 8, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Incredibly knowledgeable guide. It was a fun day and a beautiful trip. The Real NZ is a very professional tour group. I highly recommend!
Great day out on Doubtful Sound and Manapouri Lake
BrettH1304,,Feb 8, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
We took the All Day Doubtful Sound trip with Baruch from Queenstown. We had a wonderful day. It was our anniversary so made for a special day. Our guide/bus driver Baruch was excellent; friendly, fun, professional and so knowledgeable all wrapped up! We really enjoyed all Baruch's knowledge on all things Kiwi! Very careful driving, even on the bumpy windy roads (which weren't that much). Everything about the tour was organized well; buses and boats. Our guide on the Doubtful Sound cruise was excellent. The picnic lunch was delicious. We would definitely take another Realnz tour.
No Doubt— Doubtful Sound Cruise a Must
Jill N,,Feb 3, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00
The most amazing trip!! Doubtful Sound is spectacular. Well worth the bus/boat/bus ride to get to the cruise. Real NZ operators were friendly and knowledgeable and the setting could not have been more beautiful. Highly recommend!!
A wonderful unique day....
Pip S,,Feb 3, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00
A wonderful unique day. Don’t forget the bug spray although we were saved by other lovely people on the trip. You can get food on the boat which we were told you could not. Some people pre ordered lunch but I’m not sure how they did this.
This is a long day from...
Neil O,,Feb 1, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00
This is a long day from Queenstown but absolutely worth it for the scenery and commentary on route and for the stunning tour of Doubtful Sounds.
Unforgettable experience
tamer t,,Jan 21, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00
It show a lot of new zealand true nature And well organized people who did a good job very friendly With a good service we thank them
Beautiful Doubtful Sound
Sharon C,,Jan 17, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00
Doubtful Sound is wonderful. We enjoyed it equally with our visit to Milford Sound a few years ago. Highly recommend visiting both. Milford Sound is accessible by car and Doubtful Sound is only accessible by bus and a lake boat. The transit is worth the extra transit time, for its sheer beauty and remote location. A favorite experience is the pause of silence near the end is the excursion We highly recommend both Milford and Doubtful Sound
Doubtful Sound a fun day.
Susan M,,Jan 12, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00
Very well organized. NZ is a top quality operator. I think I like Milford Sound better but this was a fun experience.
Long day, but it's worth...
Michael M,,Jan 8, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00
Long day, but it's worth doing! Just give yourself time before/after because you'll be taking a 2 hour bus to a 1 hour ferry to another 1 hour bus to a roughly 2.5 hour cruise, then coming back the same way you came. It's a long day! But the cruise is done so well that it's worth the effort. Great logistics getting you from point to point. It's a little rough on the 2nd bus because it's a convergence of multiple groups all going to the same place so it's a bit hectic. But once you're on the boat for the cruise, you'll get to relax and enjoy. Get a bit of food and drink, then start seeing some great sights on the cruise. Beware though - bring sunscreen and insect repellent (if you didn't know of sand flies, you will after this trip) so you can protect yourself. Consider ordering lunch ahead for more premium choices, but the ferries have decent food you can buy once there.
A very long day for a few hour cruise. Views were beautiful but not very peaceful because of the boat engine noise.
Sharon C,,Jan 6, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
3.00
While the cruise was interesting and beautiful, most of the day was spent in a bus getting there and back from Queenstown. It was very, very crowded and loud which made the peaceful experience, I had read about Doubtful Sound non-existent, except for approximately three minutes when they turned the large boat’s engine off.