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
3.45pm Nature Cruise & Picnic
3.45pm Nature Cruise & Picnic
12.45pm Nature Cruise only
12.45pm Nature Cruise only
10:30am Cruise & Picnic Lunch
10:30am Nature & Picnic: Enjoy a freshly packed Picnic Lunch onboard your Milford Sound Nature Cruise.
1.15pm Cruise only
1:15pm Nature Cruise: 2-hour Milford Sound Nature Cruise with complimentary Tea & Coffee
12.45pm Nature Cruise & Lunch
12.45pm Nature Cruise & Lunch
11.15am Nature Cruise & Picnic
11.15am Nature Cruise & Picnic
3.15pm Cruise & Picnic Lunch
3.15pm Cruise & Picnic Lunch
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.
3.15pm Cruise only
3.15pm Cruise
1.30pm Nature Cruise & Buffet
1.30pm Nature Cruise & Buffet
1.30pm Nature Cruise & Picnic
1.30pm Nature Cruise & Picnic
11.15am Nature Cruise & Buffet
11.15am Nature Cruise & Buffet
10:30am Cruise only
10:30am Nature Cruise
11.15am Nature Cruise only
11.15am Nature Cruise only
3.45pm Nature Cruise only
3.45pm Nature Cruise only
Reviews
355 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
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
Great cruise
Wrightlewisuk,Apr 10, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Fantastic cruise. Staff were friendly. Captain has great knowledge and the location was incredible
Overall the cruise was good ,crowded for photos as people tend to step in front of you.
Mary D,Apr 8, 2026
- Review from Viator
4.00Seating for those not engaging in dining was weird. Need to tell customers to plan for more time parking and walking to cruise ship. Maybe less crowded ships would have been better and would have been more easy move around.Going through the Sound was awesome .
Queenstown to Milford Sound - Churtastic
190nsd,Apr 7, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Absolute 'Churrrrr' day out, from the Coach trip with Ellie and Shayle always smiling and engaging to Nick and the team on the boat with an abundance of interesting facts and figures all day. Appreciate it guys thanks, Best Regards Richard and Wendy
Magical
donnarF9290BR,Apr 3, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Omg what amazing day as a New Zealander what a privilege to live in this beautiful country to see how untouched Milford sounds is .As for the cruise itself was amazing . lovely staff that are quite happy to chat away to you so thank you very for the highlight of my day and my year I will definitely come back again so magical
Terrible disappointment in company
chriscA4303TP,Apr 3, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
1.00Booked over a month in advance and had printed confirmation in hand. Was told we were not in their system as having a tour booked and there was no room on the bus. This was incredibly frustrating and not very professional for a tour company.
Amazing tour, unforgettable experience.
congra222,Mar 28, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We had a great experience from start to finish. The coach to Milford Sound was comfortable and our drivers were informative and hilarious. The cruise itself was mind blowing. We loved being on the small boat and getting right in the mist of the waterfalls. We also got to see seals and even hear them bark. Truly a remarkable day and tour!
Milford Sound experience WOW
Brian C,Mar 23, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Staff knowledge and skills in manoeuvring vessel into the best position to take photo's and to experience the sounds at their best was incredible. Loved every minute of experience, would thoroughly recommend to everyone to experience with this organisation.
From NZ$179.00
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Operated by Southern Discoveries