Milford Sound Nature Cruise with Southern Discoveries
Overview
Available languages
1 hour 45 minutes
Mobile ticket
Discover Milford Sound with the experts. For over 70 years, we've shared our passion for the natural wonders of Milford Sound. Our premium catamarans are purpose-built for uncrowded comfort and unbeatable views.
More space means better memories. Enjoy ample room to roam, inside and out. Get closer to the spray of waterfalls and snap epic photos of Mitre Peak or Stirling Falls from outdoor viewing decks, or relax in the cosy interior cabins.
Immerse yourself in nature, not a crowd. We ensure a premium experience for all. Complimentary tea and coffee plus options to pre-order a picnic lunch or choose the To Kai buffet on selected departures.
Cruise with the original Milford Sound experts and discover the wonders of this unique fiord—all without feeling rushed.
Additional Info
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Service animals allowed
Specialized infant seats are available
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Please advise of your country of origin at the time of booking
Car Parking: On arrival at Milford Sound you can park at the Milford Sound carpark. Please allow 10 minutes to walk from the main carpark to the Milford Wharf Visitor Centre. Alternatively, you can park free of charge at Deepwater Basin Carpark and walk over to Freshwater Basin to the Cruise Terminal. This walk is approximately 30 minutes in duration, so additional time will need to be allocated in order to do this comfortably and arrive at the terminal 15 minutes prior to your cruise for check-in.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What To Expect
Your journey starts here, check in with friendly staff at least 15 minutes prior to departure.
Fiordland National Park (Te Wahipounamu)
Fiordland National Park is in the southwest of New Zealand’s South Island. It’s known for the glacier-carved fiords of Doubtful and Milford sounds. A beech forest trail on the sandy Milford shore offers views of towering Mitre Peak.
What‘s Included
Multi-lingual app for commentary available: App Store and Google Play search Southern Discoveries
FREE Tea and coffee
Live commentary on board from our passionate skipper
Picnic lunch (if option selected)
Nature Cruise of up to 2 hours
Food and drinks, unless specified
Hotel pickup and drop-off
Alcoholic Beverages
On arrival at Milford Sound you can park at the Milford Sound carpark at a fee of $10 per hour.
Options
10:30am Cruise & Picnic Lunch
10:30am Nature & Picnic: Enjoy a freshly packed Picnic Lunch onboard your Milford Sound Nature Cruise.
11.15am Nature Cruise & Picnic
11.15am Nature Cruise & Picnic
12.45pm Nature Cruise & Lunch
12.45pm Nature Cruise & Lunch
12.45pm Nature Cruise only
12.45pm Nature Cruise only
1.30pm Nature Cruise & Buffet
1.30pm Nature Cruise & Buffet
1.15pm Cruise only
1:15pm Nature Cruise: 2-hour Milford Sound Nature Cruise with complimentary Tea & Coffee
1.30pm Nature Cruise & Picnic
1.30pm Nature Cruise & Picnic
3.15pm Cruise & Picnic Lunch
3.15pm Cruise & Picnic Lunch
3.45pm Nature Cruise & Picnic
3.45pm Nature Cruise & Picnic
11.15am Nature Cruise & Buffet
11.15am Nature Cruise & Buffet
10:30am Cruise only
10:30am Nature Cruise
3.45pm Nature Cruise only
3.45pm Nature Cruise only
3.15pm Cruise only
3.15pm Cruise
11.15am Nature Cruise only
11.15am Nature Cruise only
1.30pm Nature Cruise only
1.30pm Nature Cruise only
1.15pm Cruise & Picnic Lunch
1:15pm Cruise & Picnic Lunch: 2-hour Milford Sound Nature Cruise with freshly packed Picnic Lunch.
1.15pm Nature Cruise & Buffet
1hour 45min Milford Sound Nature Cruise with a freshly made Buffet Lunch.
Reviews
362 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Mother Nature shows its glory
Michel E,May 10, 2026
- Review from Viator
4.00Although it had been raining all night this enhanced the vista with all the water falls in there prime So excellent
Excellent views of spectacular scenery
BenjyBear,May 9, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
4.00Lovely cruise with plenty of room on deck to enjoy the views. Excellent guide who kept us all entertained. We say dolphins and seals and the scenery was spectacular.
Southern Discoveries Milford Sound
Excursion48427341858,May 3, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Had a really great experience with Southern Discoveries on the Spirit of Milford cruise (10:30 AM trip on 02/02/2026). It was such a fresh and memorable way to see the beauty of Milford Sound — absolutely stunning! The trip started right on time, so definitely recommend arriving at least 30 minutes early. There’s about a 15–20 minute walk to the check-in area, and parking machines can get busy, so getting there early makes things much easier. Staff were super friendly both at reception and on the cruise. The captain did a great job explaining everything clearly and guiding us to the best spots — really helpful, especially for international visitors like us. The crew were also lovely and even helped us take some nice family photos. Overall, a smooth, enjoyable trip and highly recommended if you’re visiting Milford Sound 👍
Skip the Food and Take the Plane.
o2mpx,Apr 30, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
3.00Part of overall New Zealand tour with another company. Got up early to catch 7:30am bus to Milford Sound along with rest of tour group. Bus had stopped for a couple of additional pickups; with a couple of vantage points and toilet breaks along the way, boarded boat for 1:15pm departure which included buffet lunch. As crowds board the boat, all are queued up for buffet in chaos. Food is poor as expected with such focus on high volume. There are boxed lunches available, perhaps a better choice. Dinning, food, restroom areas cleanliness average. The Sound pales in comparison with Norwegian fjords with a few waterfalls. Cruise time is 2 hrs only. Elected to fly back instead of enduring 4hr bus ride. The flight is highly recommended with returning to Queenstown in only 45min which included a bit of flight seeing by the pilot.
Milford Sound Coach & Nature Cruise with Buffet Lunch
lynnewA2327JB,Apr 28, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00A long day trip not to be missed - well worth the fare. Awesome scenery around every corner between Lake Te Anau through the Homer Tunnel down into Milford Sound. Capped off with the 2 hour cruise out to the Tasman Sea opening seeing spectacular waterfalls and a NZ fur seal if youre lucky basking in the sun. Vaughan , our fantastic coach driver , provided interesting commentary -friendly banter and some laughs. You felt safe in his capable hands along roads which needed his professional attention. Highly recommend him. Vaughan helped make it a very memorable day.
Great experience
playlevelgames,Apr 21, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We were booked with another cruise originally but ended up doing our actual tour with Southern Discoveries day-of. The tour guide was great and so was the captain, the experience was amazing itself and I can’t recommend it highly enough. Something that everyone should do in their lifetime.
Still plenty of room on this smaller boat.
Roving52932361653,Apr 19, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Great commentary, great boat handling skills getting up close to different areas. Amazing scenery. Coffee could do with a brand change?
Lovely Experience
O8582UVkiras,Apr 11, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Cruise was great value and we had a wonderful experience. The cruise was comfortable and we were kept well informed about the surroundings. Very interesting facts about the fiord.
Mean
Roam60666662918,Apr 11, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00It was so cool good comatree must do photos dont do it justice
Milford cruise
Karl B,Apr 11, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00This was a fantastic attraction to cruise & very informative & staff very helpful & friendly, highly recommended
From NZ$179.00
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