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
8:30am Departure with Picnic
8:30am Departure with Picnic
7:00am Departure with Buffet
7:00am Departure with Buffet
6:30am Departure with Picnic
6:30am Departure with Picnic
Reviews
624 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Greg is the best
Clement K,Mar 29, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Greg was a great tour guide The bus ride is quite long Milford sound itself was beautiful The buffet was a typical mass market buffet, so don't expect too much. But again, the driver Greg was phenomenal
A day of spectacular beauty.
Robert G,Mar 28, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00What an incredibly beautiful day this was. Breaking up the bus trip on the way to the ship, with beautiful sights, was perfect. I couldn’t recommend this more highly.
A curtain of waterfalls
Christine R,Mar 27, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00I thought we wouldn’t have a good day because of the rain but actually it turned out to be a great day. We saw so many waterfalls, it was stunning. Nick our driver and Peter our guide were very knowledgeable and entertaining, thank you for a great day.
Excellent
Paul F,Mar 26, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Its a long day but well worth it! Commentary was informative and the Milford Sound cruise was amazing
A Great Day - Milford Sound
John R,Mar 25, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00It is a long day, around 5 hour coach journey each way from Queenstown. The coach journey is surprisingly good, with incredible views; the driver (Greg) was knowledgable and added a lot of fun to the day. The boat trip was excellent as was the onboard buffet. We were fortunate, insofar as the weather was in generous spirit and the Sound was pretty much like a mill pond. The trip was very well organised, the coach and boat journeys ran like clockwork.
Beautiful Excursion
Alyssa C,Mar 24, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Excellent narration by driver/tour guide. Beautiful and diverse scenery- Worth the all day itinerary!
Worth the time and cost!
Alys H,Mar 24, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00I hemmed and hawed about booking this excursion. It’s a long day, it’s a larger portion of our travel budget and there is no guarantee about the weather. However, it was so worthwhile. Our drive/guide, Keith, was so knowledgeable. The drive to Milford Sound was full of NZ history, geology, stories…it was fantastic! The boat was great, lunch was great (even for the vegetarian in our group), but I have to say the drive was the highlight for me. Also, we had a beautiful sunny day, and in some ways I wished it had trained because there were waterfalls we didn’t see as it had been dry - so all weather is good weather for this trip! Some tips: - bring warm layers (the bus can be cold!) - bring snacks - bring water - of course sunscreen and sunglasses as well Super worthwhile the time and cost commitment!
Happy Traveller
Andrea K,Mar 22, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00What an absolutley fabulous day from Queenstown to Milford Sound and back again. Travelling alongside magnificant mountains with a mystery all of their own and through beautiful farmlands made for a very pleasant coach ride. Our driver and tour guide, Vaughan, added to the experience with his local knowledge and friendliness. Stops along the way at locations of interest were beautiful and welcome 'additions'. Milford Sound, or more correctly Milford Fjord, lived up to every expectation. Giant granite cliffs rising from the deep with many waterfalls tumbling down their sides just oozed awe and wonderment. Slowly cooked beef cheeks, my favourite, raosted vegetables, salads, Asian inspired dishes and a particularly delicious vegetarian option made for a great lunch. My compliments to the chefs and kitchen staff. Don't be scared of, but come prepared for a little bit of drizzle, as the amount we had made for the resultant extra water gushing down the vertical granite sides. A great day out and money well spent. Happy traveller, Andrea
Great way to see Milford Sound
bret k,Mar 18, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Coach ride was very informative and a lot of fun. Cruise was great. Saw several dolphins. The Milford sound is an incredible place. So much epic beauty!
It is better to go to...
Deborah C,Mar 15, 2026
- Review from Viator
3.00It is better to go to Milford after heavy rain. The bus stopped in places that's not worth it. Mirror lakes yes beautiful and on the way back the farm was cool. Boat was nice. Food was average.
Related Experiences
Operated by Southern Discoveries