Milford Sound Premium Small Group Tour & Cruise from Queenstown
Overview
Available languages
13 hours
Mobile ticket
Milford Sound is arguably the most scenic destination in New Zealand and a must-see for any traveller. Whether seen in sunshine or rain, the incredible views are guaranteed to leave you awestruck. This globally award winning small group tour is for travellers seeking an all-inclusive, uniquely-kiwi, personalised trip from Queenstown to Milford Sound and back.
Our fleet of modern Mercedes vans are fitted with leather seats, panoramic scenic windows, Wi-Fi and Spotify. Enjoy a small-group journey with 15 people maximum for ultimate comfort and undivided attention from your guide.
Let your Altitude Tours guide entertain you with in-depth knowledge of the area, as you travel from Queenstown into the Fiordland National Park on the famous Milford Road. Enjoy many scenic photo stops at both famous locations, as well as your guide's favourite spots.
Enjoy a 1hr 45min boutique uncrowded cruise and picnic lunch while taking in the incredible beauty that Milford Sound has to offer!
Additional Info
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Please bring walking shoes, warm clothes and rain jacket.
Please be aware that Milford Sound is a 5 hour drive from Queenstown (one-way with sightseeing stops). This is a full day excursion, and including the 1hr 45min cruise on the fiord, allow approximately 13 hours door to door.
A packed picnic lunch is included in your experience. The default choice is a chicken, however you can request a vegetarian lunch until 5pm the day prior.
Please bring a reusable water bottle on tour with us. There are multiple locations to refill during the day.
The cruise operator requires all passengers need to be able to board and disembark the vessel without assistance in case of an emergency.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What To Expect
Start your day by meeting our friendly local guide at or near your Queenstown accommodation. You'll travel in style in a premium Mercedes van designed for touring with only 15 seats onboard. The first leg of our journey to Milford Sound transports you from Queenstown through the picturesque Southland farming country and the charming town of Te Anau, where we'll make a brief stop by the lakeside for refreshments.
Lake Te Anau
Lake Te Anau is in the southwestern corner of the South Island of New Zealand. The lake covers an area of 344 km², making it the second-largest lake by surface area in New Zealand and the largest in the South Island. It is the largest lake in Australasia by fresh water volume.
What‘s Included
Packed picnic lunch is included
WiFi on board
Convenient pick up and drop off locations around Queenstown
Tea & coffee available on the nature cruise
Knowledgable and friendly local driver/guides
1hr 45min nature cruise on Milford Sound
Off-the-beaten track scenic photo stops en route
To reduce single-use plastic, we do not provide water bottles. We recommend anyone travelling NZ to have their own reusable water bottle. There are several locations to refill during the day.
Pickup points
Mercure Queenstown Resort
21 Sainsbury Road, Fernhill Queenstown New Zealand
Hotel St Moritz Queenstown - MGallery Collection
10-18 Brunswick Street, Queenstown New Zealand
Copthorne Hotel & Apartments Queenstown Lakeview
88 Frankton Road, Queenstown New Zealand
Rydges Lakeland Resort Queenstown
38 - 54 Lake Esplanade, Queenstown New Zealand
Kamana Lakehouse
139 Fernhill Road Queenstown New Zealand
Rendezvous Heritage Hotel Queenstown
91 Fernhill Rd Queenstown New Zealand
Queenstown Holiday Park Creeksyde
54 Robins Road, P O Box 247 Queenstown New Zealand
Crowne Plaza Queenstown By IHG
93 Beach Street, Queenstown New Zealand
Options
6am Summer Departure & Lunch
Nature Cruise: This tour includes a 1 hr 45 min nature cruise on Milford Sound.
Packed Picnic Lunch : This option includes a packed picnic lunch box. The default selection is chicken, with options to change to vege.
Standard Van: This tour is conducted in our standard premium Mercedes touring vehicles.
Pickup included
6.30am Glass Roof Van & Lunch
Cruise : This tour includes a 1 hr 45 min nature cruise on Milford Sound
Packed Picnic Lunch: This tour includes a packed picnic lunch. The default option is chicken; please get in touch if you would prefer a vegetarian
Glass Roof Mercedes Sprinter: This option connects to our 6:30am departure which offers a guaranteed glass-roof top van.
Pickup included
7.30am Departure & Lunch
Nature Cruise: This tour includes a two hour nature cruise on Milford Sound
Packed Picnic Lunch: This tour includes a packed picnic lunch. The default option is chicken; please get in touch if you would prefer a vegetarian
Standard Van: Our 7.30am departure is conducted in out standard premium Merceds touring vans
Pickup included
Reviews
2,499 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Excellent experience
Mary H,Mar 15, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00James did a great job sharing his local knowledge and obvious enthusiasm for the trip
Great trip to Milford Sound
Guide39476347623,Mar 14, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Had a great day to Milford Sound with Jono as our guide. Very knowledgable and really engaged well with the group. Milford Sound was amazing.
Great Experience with Stuart
D7440ADnicolek,Mar 14, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00A very well organised trip. Clear instructions prior to the booking with pick up times etc. A nice lunch provided with the option for any dietaries. The thing that made it for us was our driver Stuart. He was extremely attentive, full of facts and made our journey all the more fun! Thanks again Stuart. Adam & Nicole
Altitude Tours with James made a much advertised destination far exceed my expectations
T8212DOderekk,Mar 13, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00A fantastic all day experience, our guide/driver James gave us just the right amount of information of where we were about to go and how long each part of the trip would take. He also gave interesting details about the area and where to look, I liked the way he would give you the info and then switch off the mike and allow you time to digest the info giving you time to just absorb the whole experience, before switching back on for more relevant info as the trip progressed. He drove the 16 seat bus superbly, negotiating the twisty road with just the right pace, but without the need to hang on. He stopped at all the interesting view points and as I am a driver who likes twisty roads I would strongly recommend taking the tour with James as you would be hard pressed to negotiate that road with such skill yourself and of course you would miss a lot of the scenery.
Guide was personable and...
Nancy E,Mar 12, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Guide was personable and knowledgeable Bus and boat were comfortable We made several stops along the way there for pictures and greats Great trip
Long day but worth it!
Bonnie A,Mar 12, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00We were a little leery about the long bus ride to and from Milford Sound, but James, our guide/driver, filled the trip with lots of great information and humor. James was a delight, a very safe driver, and was always making sure that we were well taken care of! The drive to Milford Sound is broken up into lots of stops and photographing opportunities - amazing scenery! We hadn't had time for breakfast with such an early pickup, but a small stop in a town allowed us to grab a snack. The drive home is a long drive, but be prepared to relax, maybe take a nap and leave the driving to James. It is a long day, but well worth the time to see a lot of the beautiful South Island, and worth the money to have a driver/guide take care of you - thank you James :)
Props to Will :) - great tour guide
838ronnyt,Mar 11, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Our tour guide Will (aka Jeff :P) was absolutely great and it's because of him that we give 5 stars. He could teach some stand up comedians a lot about crowd work. He gave great information and told hilarious stories, we felt safe with his driving, it was really perfect. Milford sound itself was beautiful... but well, after doing lots of scenic hikes and beautiful tours in New Zealand, we found this boat tour on the fjord a little bit overrated. I must say that we had lots of clouds and rain in Milford Sound, so maybe that was why we didn't get the hype so much. There were some highlights on the boat tour though: We saw dolphins and seals and got the chance to get the "glacial facial" that Will announced. :) The lunch was not amazing, but we already knew it would be sth simple, so we brought lots of own food and just picked the best parts out of the lunch box.
Great experience
Z3286DGthomash,Mar 11, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00James was a great tour guide. It was a great day and lots of fun.
Altitude is a must for your Milford Sound trip
S3810BEtaram,Mar 11, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00I went on the Altitude trip to Milford Sound and it was absolutely amazing! The drive there was spectacular and one real benefit with Altitude was having a smaller vehicle. This meant we could stop at so many smaller more hidden viewpoints that’s the bigger tour buses would have had to miss! The cruise itself was of course superb and we got to enjoy the lunch provided which was great. I was expecting the drive back to feel really long after the cruise but the views are enough to keep anyone mesmerised. Big shoutout to our driver James who kept us all thoroughly entertained with really interesting facts about New Zealand on both the way there and back. I have lived in Queenstown a while but glad to say I learned a lot. 10/10 experience, I would definitely recommend Altitude for your Milford trip.
Fantastic Milford Sound tour! Even better after 2 days of rain!
Travellikealocal28,Mar 9, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00If you’re heading to Milford Sound, do yourself a favour and go with this small group tour. Our guide, Chase, was the perfect mix of knowledgeable, entertaining, and genuinely enthusiastic about the places we visited. He made plenty of scenic stops along the way so we could take photos and actually enjoy the journey, not just rush through it. Milford Sound is spectacular on its own, but having someone like Chase guiding the day makes the whole experience even better. Great stories, great stops, and a relaxed, friendly vibe throughout. Highly recommend!
From NZ$379.00
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Operated by Altitude Tours Milford Sound Experience