Premium Milford Sound Small Group Tour, Cruise & Picnic Lunch from Queenstown
Overview
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Milford Sound Tour & Cruise, this small group, fully-guided day trip combines the amazing return journey to Milford Sound with a boutique Milford Sound Cruise. Led by our famously passionate tour guides, notorious for bringing your journey to life by sharing their stories and rich background knowledge, and run in modern, comfortable minibuses that are packed with extras, ensuring your comfort and safety.
Description
Highlights:
- Boutique Milford Sound Cruise
- Fiordland National Park
- Lake Te Anau, Eglinton Valley, Mirror Lakes, Hollyford River, Homer Tunnel & Mitre Peak
- Wildlife Spotting
Itinerary:
1. Queenstown - Your tour starts in the stunning city of Queenstown. As we drive out of the city your guide will not only set the scene for your adventure today but also point out and guide you past some of the area’s top highlights.
2. Lake Wakatipu & Devil's Staircase – Departing Queenstown we wind our way around Lake Wakatipu and through Devil's Staircase, with amazing views of ‘The Remarkables’ Mountain Range and the lake.
3. Lake Te Anau – After more amazing mountain, river and farmland views we arrive in Te Anau, home to Lake Te Anau, New Zealand’s second largest lake. While in this idyllic town we will stop for a break and maybe meet some of the local animals or wildlife. Continuing along the lake we stop at Te Anau Downs, the starting point for the Milford Track, to hear the stories and admire the views.
4. Eglington Valley – Leaving Te Anau and entering Fiordland National Park we stop in Eglinton Valley. With views worthy of Lord of the Rings, this valley follows the path of an ancient glacier through Fiordland. One of the first major attractions as you enter the park, it really sets the scene for a journey that only get more impressive the deeper you get.
5. Mirror Lakes – Our next stop on this epic adventure is Mirror Lakes for a short stroll to see the famous reflections of the Earl Mountains. Get the right day, take a good picture and no one with be able to tell which way is the right way up for the photo.
6. Lake Gunn – Continuing along the Milford Road we come across Lake Gunn. Named after a famous explorer and popular for fishing, often we will stop at Lake Gunn for some photos and to enjoy the peace.
7. Hollyford River & Falls Creek – A short drive away we start passing the Hollyford River a gorgeous and powerful river full of large boulders and rapids. Feeding into the river at Falls Creek is the first of our extremely impressive waterfalls of the area, one of many to come.
8. Darran Mountains – Climbing in altitude we go deeper into the Darran Mountains and these views require another stop to admire and take photos. We are also entering the area where Kea (the world’s largest alpine parrot) like to live. Start keeping an eye out for these large, cheeky and colourful birds that never fail to thrill and entertain when found.
9. Homer Tunnel – To make our way back down towards the sea we enter the mind-blowing hand-built Homer Tunnel, hearing the incredible history and stories. Emerging from the tunnel the valley descends sharply towards Milford Sound and on a rainy-day you will see hundreds of waterfalls cascading down the mountain side.
10. Milford Sound – Following the valleys to the sea we arrive at Milford Sound where you will board your cruise! Our Milford Cruise partners offer a boutique cruise on a smaller boat which is less crowded and a crew that offers a much more informative and personal tour of Milford Sound. The smaller boat means you get closer to the wildlife and nature including the New Zealand fur seals basking on the rocks, massive rock faces rising for hundreds of metres out of the sea and the waterfalls cascading from an ancient rainforest high in the mountains. This cruise is unbeatable.
11. Mitre Peak – While on the boat cruise you will be able to marvel at the awe-inspiring Mitre Peak, the iconic Milford Sound mountain, with its steep triangular peak rising high up above the reflective waters of the Milford Sound.
12. Pop's View Lookout – Next we pull over to admire the elevated amazing views of the divide in the Southern Alps, close to the start of the Routeburn Track. While here the guide will tell you the stories of ancient Maori explorers.
13. Queenstown – Sadly we must start to head back to Queenstown but your day is not over with a fully guided return trip and many stops and breaks along the way.
Please note: Individual and total weight restrictions apply to specific aircraft and flights. Maximum weight limit 116 KG
Cancellation Policy
Terms: Tours will only run if at least 5 people have booked on the tour, we reserves the right to alter the tour due to weather or operational needs.
A full refund will be issued for cancellations made a minimum of 10 days prior to the scheduled departure time.
What‘s Included
Small Group & Fully Guided Tour
Cruise Entry
Picnic Lunch
Water available & snacks provided
Picnic lunch for infants (0-3)
Pickup from hotels not listed
Meeting points
Select a meeting point
Options
Reviews
3,113 reviews
Great Trip to Milford Sound
martinw685,,Feb 25, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We had a wonderful day trip to Milford Sound with Cheeky Kiwi Travel. Glen was our tour guide and although he's only been in New Zealand for 5 months he was very knowledgeable and told many interesting stories. We got very lucky with the weather. We heard that it rains 60% of the time in Milford Sound but we were lucky enough to have a beautiful sunny day with blue skies. The tour was very well organized. We stopped for two bathroom breaks and a breakfast break on the way to the Sound We also stopped at many beautiful places to take photos. Everyone was supplied with a picnic lunch (which was tasty) and we could eat it on the bus or on the boat. The drive was gorgeous, particularly Mirror Lake since there was no wind. The Sound was also beautiful. The mountains are almost vertical and there are so many waterfalls to enjoy. The boat we were on was smaller than some of the other tour boats but this provided better viewing and a more intimate experience. The drive to the Sound took about 6 hours including stops for photos, breakfast and bathroom breaks. We opted to fly back to Queenstown which took only 45 minutes and provided a different view of the beautiful landscape. We had a wonderful day and I recommend Cheeky Kiwi Travel!
Glen was great! In...
James a,,Feb 25, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Glen was great! In addition to the boat tour itself, we loved all of the viewpoint stops along the way. We had an amazing time!
Can't Miss!
FarAway50692447360,,Feb 25, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Absolutely fantastic way to see Milford Sound from Queenstown! Our driver/tour guide was absolutely fantastic, very entertaining, and all around great. Appreciated the smaller group size as it meant that we were able to see more at each location. Milford Sound itself is a can't miss destination in New Zealand and no visit to the South Island is complete without it! We very much appreciated all of the stops along the way to look around and take photos rather than just driving by. We ended up signing up for a helicopter ride back, as the ride back otherwise would take 4-5 hours, which also ended up being incredible.
Great time
erfanah2024,,Feb 25, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Benny was a great tour guide and driver! It was a long day but he made it enjoyable. Would highly recommended
Highlight of my whole trip - recommend doing flight back if can afford it
Jessica B,,Feb 25, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00It’s hard to put into words how incredible this was. I did the bus drive to Milford sound and then the flight back. The bus stopped along the route a few times for scenic stops which were all gorgeous. The mirror lakes in particular were stunning. My tour guide was such a nice and fun person who made me feel comfortable as a solo traveler. The cruise through Milford sound was spectacular. I was in awe. There’s a point where the boat goes close to a waterfall and you have the option of staying dry inside or getting out on the deck and getting wet. If you’re comfortable, I recommend standing outside - it was a fun and special experience. On the way back, the scenic flight was stunning. Just beautiful. Yes it came with a price tag but I have no regrets about that. The flight also gets you back to town quicker than the bus, so if you have limited time in Queenstown and wanna squeeze a little extra time out, that might be good to know. The flight is subject to weather conditions and I’m very grateful that the weather was safe and mine went ahead. From what I’ve heard, the bus ride back doesn’t really make any stops and everyone is pretty much quiet and sleeping. I visited New Zealand and Australia in my trip, and this Milford sound excursion was probably the highlight of my whole trip.
Jeff the great Cheeky Kiwi
Paul T,,Feb 24, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Our driver Jeff was very personable and knowledgeable about the area. Jeff was very punctual and our tour was run like a well oiled machine. As far as we know everybody on board enjoyed his personality. We got to see some amazing sites along the way and including the boat ride. We felt it was a great value for the length of the tour, all we got to see, and for the lunch and snacks along the way. We will highly recommend cheeky Kiwi and Jeff to our friends.
Thank you Danny from Cheeky Kiwi for the Special visit to Milford Sound.
Seaside40472365500,,Feb 23, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Danny from Cheeky Kiwi was our tour guide. He was amazing. He ensured we were all comfortable and safe. He had a special music mix to suit the different falls etc when we went through on the way to the Sound. He made us feel special. Couldn't thank him enough for a wonderful amazing and unique experience. Great lunch packs as well. X
Small group travel at its best
YnnaC,,Feb 23, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Despite the long drive, the breaks are very well-paced, so it doesn't feel as long as it is. Our driver/guide, Joe, also shared several fun facts and creation stories, which helped pass the time. (There was plenty of downtime to simply zone out during the drive too.) The small group format allowed for the flexibility that made the tour special, from skipping stones at Lake Gunn (props to Joe for finding and bringing premium stones) to staying longer at a stop to observe a Kea who decided to make a last-minute appearance. The cruise is two hours long and good fun. I suggest bringing waterproof gear in case you feel like participating in the "glacial facial," which I highly recommend that you do.
Supercalifragalisticexpealidocious
ericaR8363RH,,Feb 23, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Great sites to see, entertaining driver. She did a super job. One suggestion: consider adding small mics for each passenger as it’s a little hard to hear all the passengers. It will make the experience feel more collective, collaborative, participatory and help all the passengers to get to know each other better. It will also be easier to respond to the driver’s questions and comments.
Fun Journey From Queenstown to Milford and back
Odyssey55018394126,,Feb 23, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Such a great day out, the coach journey was smooth and fun and time flew by - Danny was a great driver and entertainer The cruise was incredible, we arrived with plenty of time and as soon as it was finished Danny was there after with jokes and more fun facts Would highly recommend cheeky kiwi
From A$321.57
Queenstown, New Zealand
- Free cancellation
Reserve Now & Pay Later - available
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