Milford Sound Premium Coach & Cruise from Queenstown with Lunch
Overview
Available languages
12 hours 30 minutes
Mobile ticket
The best way to experience Milford Sound from Queenstown. We take care of the driving while you sit back and enjoy the stunning views from our premium coaches with panoramic windows, glass roofs, and USB charging ports. Your friendly driver shares stories about the area's history and unique ecology, with well-timed stops to snap photos of the amazing views. Our free multi-lingual commentary app is available on both the Coach and Cruise in eight languages.
Arrive in Milford Sound feeling refreshed and ready to cruise the fiord. Get ready for unobstructed views of thundering waterfalls and the towering cliff faces. Our premium Nature Cruise comes with options to pre-order a picnic lunch or choose the To Kai buffet on selected departures.
This trip takes care of all the transportation, including round-trip travel from Queenstown to Milford Sound and a seamless connection to your cruise. All you have to do is enjoy the experience.
Additional Info
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Please advise of your country of origin at the time of booking
Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
Sunscreen and insect repellent advisable
Appropriate child restraints are NOT provided by the operator. These must be provided by the parent or caregiver - without this you may be turned away and unable to travel - please be prepared.
Please make sure you arrive at least 15mins before your departure time.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What To Expect
6.30am Coach pick-up from Southern Discoveries Visitor Centre (if you selected the 6.30am tour option) 7.00am Coach pick-up from Southern Discoveries Visitor Centre (if you selected the 7.00am tour option) • Travel on a premium glass-roof coach, equipped with reclining seats, extra legroom, air-conditioning •USB charging ports and onboard toilet • Experienced, local coach drivers provide engaging and informative commentary, and show you the best short walks and photo stops along the Milford Road • Coach connects with our Milford Sound Cruise • FREE tea and coffee
Queenstown
Queenstown, New Zealand, sits on the shores of the South Island’s Lake Wakatipu. It's from here you will set off on a day trip with Milford Sound's original Cruise operator, Southern Discoveries, from Queenstown into Milford Sound to enjoy a beautiful experience of Milford Sound on a premium, low-emission coach with a delicious & freshly cooked international style buffet onboard your cruise. Discover the native wildlife, towering waterfalls and majestic mountains of the fiords in Milford Sound.
What‘s Included
Multi-lingual app for commentary available: App Store and Google Play search Southern Discoveries
Informative commentary provided by local coach driver
Return transport from Queenstown to Milford Sound on premium glass-roof coach
USB charging ports on board coach
Milford Sound Nature Cruise of up to 2 hours
FREE tea and coffee onboard the cruise
Spot diverse wildlife while on the cruise
Freshly prepared Lunch
Alcoholic drinks (available to purchase)
Appropriate child restraints are not provided by the operator and must be supplied by yourselves.
Options
7:00am Departure with Buffet
7:00am Departure with Buffet
8:30am Departure with Picnic
8:30am Departure with Picnic
6:30am Departure with Picnic
6:30am Departure with Picnic
Reviews
577 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Our tour guide Vaughan...
Sohel A,,Jan 23, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Our tour guide Vaughan was the best, he was so informative about the origins of each location regarding the settlers and Māori heritage involved. Made really funny jokes and kept the the long 8 hour journey as entertaining as it could possibly be. Would highly recommend especially with him
The bus driver was...
Donna N,,Jan 23, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00The bus driver was informative and kind. The buffet was delicious and offered a variety of food. The cruise was smooth and seemed to be the right amount of time.
Amazing tour of Milford Sound
Jessica W,,Jan 21, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Amazing tour to Milford Sound. Large, air conditioned coach, with just the right amount of stops for photos and bakeries. I upgraded to the flight back, and it was nothing short of magical. Emphatically recommend. Ellie and Shale were lovely guides.
Wow, we had an amazing...
Andrew B,,Jan 20, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Wow, we had an amazing day at Milford Sound. Greg our guide shared so much knowledge on the way. The boat trip was breathtaking. Thank you.
The hot box bus
Audrey D,,Jan 19, 2026
- Review from Viator
2.00Tour ended up being a 13 hour day, 7 of those hours were spent on a bus with the air not working…. The bus was freezing in the morning when we left Queenstown and so awfully hot as the day progressed and the sun came out, I asked the driver if the aircon was working as the sun was beating on all glass panels (top and sides) with no protection at all, myself and other riders had jumpers wrapped over our heads to try and protect ourselves from the heat and sun, we were told the aircon was on and at the final stop some tweaks were made to the aircon and it started working. I would never ride on one of these busses again. Please install curtains of some kind for those days the bus becomes a hot box and ensure the air conditioning works properly. Milford sounds was beautiful
Great picturistic scenes awaits!
Kimberly S,,Jan 17, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00This business tour started in the am and ended in the pm. We enjoyed our day and took in some breath taking scenes. Bus driver was excellent. If you cant do long rides or suffer from motion sickness this tour will not be for you. This tour was great!
Scenery is fantastic but bus ride detracts
Thomas B,,Jan 13, 2026
- Review from Viator
3.00Please note —This tour is 80% bus ride on a 2 lane road for 8 hours. The boat ride is one of a kind—but the weather—even in summer, because of the latitude—45 degrees —can be cold. Would recommend staying at a hotel as close as you can and renting a car for the day. Food on the boat is not good.
10/10 Booking
Christina D,,Jan 13, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Amazing experience !!! I would definitely recommend to my friends when I get home. Everything ran fabulously. Yoda was a fantastic tour guide. We really appreciated how much of his knowledge he shared with us along the way :)
Mesmerising experience
Sridhar R,,Jan 12, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Very mesmerising trip we cherish and enjoyed as family. Wonderful experience. Travel from Queenstown to Milford sounds ride was quite long and need to be patient enough
Amazing!
margaretparks88,,Jan 10, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00While the bus ride to Milford Sound was long, it was incredibly scenic, and our guide Greg made it enjoyable with his wealth of knowledge and stories. The Milford Sound cruise itself was absolutely incredible—truly breathtaking and unlike anything we’ve ever seen. Greg went above and beyond by helping us book a flight back to Queenstown so we could see the fiords from a new perspective, and we are so glad we did. That flight ended up being the highlight of our entire vacation. The flight with Milford Sound Scenic Flights felt very safe, and our pilot Andy was kind, professional, and informative.
Related Experiences
Operated by Southern Discoveries