What To Expect

What‘s Included

Reviews

• Excellent day trip to Doubtful Sound

  Petra H,,Dec 29, 2025

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  RealNZ is a fantastic company. Very professional and with a family business vibe. We took a trip to Doubtful Sound from Queenstown and had a fabulous driver Ula. Then a trip across Lake Manipuri, another bus drive with Michelle, who did really great commentary and then finally the cruise along Doubtful Sound, which was peaceful and awe-inspiring

• I'd rather have a Doubtful sound than Milford if I could.

  SATOMI G,,Dec 29, 2025

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  Take a bus to Manaupol, transfer to a boat across the lake, and then take another bus to the next dock, from where you will have a three-hour cruise. It was so much more adventurous and exciting than Milford, where we had to leave the bus for five hours. The description didn't go into too much detail, but there is a coffee stand on board where you can buy burgers and sandwiches.

  

  

• What a beautiful place this is

  tann710,,Dec 28, 2025

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  This trip is amazing and the scenery are so beautiful. Tour driver and ferry operator gave wonderful narrator of the trips and are very helpful. They have plenty of opportunities to take pictures.

  

  

• Absolutely fantastic experience

  frg0125,,Dec 12, 2025

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  Absolutely fantastic experience from check-in to finish. The entire operation was flawless. The meal boxes were excellent—fresh, satisfying, and generously portioned. Every transition, from boat to bus to boat and back again, was seamless, stress-free, comfortable, and genuinely enjoyable. The staff were wonderfully friendly, adding to an already exceptional day. And the weather? Perfect! I wouldn’t be surprised if RealNZ arranged that too! This is the second activity I’ve done with RealNZ, and once again, everything ran perfectly. I couldn’t be more satisfied.

• Great piece of pure nature to visit

  450wimm,,Dec 8, 2025

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  In comparison with the Milford sound, this is quite a different landscape, much more open, but also with more side channels and islands. The experience itself was great, the first boat ride is mainly a transfer, but then when you are taking the bus to cross the pass you get explanations and then also on the boat(s) - I found the explanations not of the same level as what I experienced doing the Milford sound trip with the same company (those were better explained) and the audio was also often much harder to hear on the boats on this trip, which didn't help. But from a nature perspective, this is a very stunning landscape that you will see - the fact that we had blue skies on the day obviously made it amazing.

• South Island Must Do!

  Senlie T,,Nov 30, 2025

  - Review from Viator

  5.00

  The trip was run professionally. Staff are friendly and helpful, great commentary and the scenery was breathtaking. Highly recommended.

• Marvelous tour of the Doubtful Sound

  Kris D,,Nov 22, 2025

  - Review from Viator

  5.00

  We did the tour when the weather was not good, so we feared the worst. But much to our surprise the tour was actually very nice. The rain created a huge number of temporary waterfalls and the clouds added so much to the mystic atmosphere of the fjord. The entire tour, including the bus ride to Lake Manapuri, the boat trip on the lake, the bus ride to Deep Cove and the boat tour in the fjord are highly recommended.

• Doubtful Sound via Lake Manapouri

  Jackie A,,Nov 19, 2025

  - Review from Viator

  5.00

  Real NZ did a great job of making all the connections very slick. The most amazing trip of a lifetime. Lake Manapouri is stunningly beautiful and then you get to Doubtful sound after a coach trip over the Wilmot pass. All of the drivers, Captains and crew gave great commentary and were very friendly. Doubtful Sound did not disappoint! Thoroughly recommend this trip.

• Fantastic cruise....

  Karen G,,Nov 18, 2025

  - Review from Viator

  4.00

  Fantastic cruise. Beautiful scenery. So glad we had chosen it. Been to Milford so decided to go Doubtful sound this time.Very friendly staff at RealNZ who operate the cruise. Was disappointed that because l had booked to catch bus from Te Anau the pick up time was wrong. It was the actual check in time at Manapourie . Only because l wasn’t familiar with the area l went to see where pick up was from. That’s when RealNZ staff member told me my check in time was wrong. If l had rocked up at the time said on paperwork l would have missed my tour. That would have been disappointing.

• Triumph of marketing over actually experience

  Pbson,,Nov 15, 2025

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  3.00

  I am tired out after this tour. About an hour on boat across lake and same on bus before cruise started… Yes it is a lovely place but is was not the unspoiled wilderness as painted in the advertising as it was just us and c 150 others!!!

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