Small Group: Milford Sound Day Tour & Cruise from Queenstown

Overview

Available languages

English

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.

Admission Not Applicable

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.

Admission Not Applicable

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

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

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

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

Reviews

4.90

2,478 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

2290

150

Altitude tours/Milford Sound
luchappaerts,,Mar 1, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Mc Ely was a fantastic guide and carefull driver , all day long. We saw extremely beautiful nature. Boattrip was also very beautiful 10/10
Great tour, great tour operator
Gregory N,,Feb 28, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00
This is a must-see tour. The small bus format is so much more convenient than the big busses. Unfortunately there are few places to stop so ALL the tours converge which is unavoidable. But smaller tours have a bit more flexibility which helps. Great staff super helpful.
Great Wedding Anniversary Trip
Trevor A,,Feb 28, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00
We had a great day out and was looked after by our driver - Stu. It is a long day but very enjoyable day out. Driver told us some great history and stories on different locations on the way. We stopped several times along the way for toilet breaks and some breakfast/morning tea in Te Anau. The cruise was great at Milford Sound the water was flat and the waterfalls amazing. Would definitely recommend to others.
Small group tour Milford sound
lindalV7879DY,,Feb 28, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
This was one of the best days of my life and I’ll remember it forever. Milford sound is like no other place on earth and I highly recommend going with Altitude. Our tour guide and the boat cruise were amazing and since the journey to Milford sound and back is quite long it’s very nice to have a smaller bus with comfortable seats.
Thanks Amy Rain for not only sharing but also loving New Zealand’s unique scenery
523cathieb,,Feb 27, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
An awesome experience. Great friendly, cheerful and very knowledgeable Amy Rain. Right down to the pronouncement of the Māori kupu.
Fabulous experience
gnolect,,Feb 27, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Everything has already been said. This is a top quality tour from start to finish. Small buses of 15 people make the flow mush easier. Unfortunately there are few food and bathroom stops available so all the tours, big busses included, need to use the which was mass confusion, but our tour operator did the best they could to insure we had a positive experience. It is a 4 hour drive from Queenstown to Milford Sound. I highly recommend booking a bus tour with flight return. It lets you see the scenic stops on the way to the cruise, but then skip the long ride back with a scenic flight. It was well worth it!
Memorable trip with the best guide
Katrine B,,Feb 26, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00
Huge shout out to our guide Malo who made this an unique experience! He filled the day with lots of fun facts, personal experiences and stories, recommendations, and tips&tricks for the Cruise. Generally speaking, the trip is a long day regardless of which trip you book, but definitely worth doing a smaller coach where fewer people have to (dis)embark at every stop. Lunch was pretty great for a pre packed sandwich+sides and definitely kept us full the rest of the day. A lot of short stops just to take photos which was tiring but happy we went on all of them now that I’m looking back
AMAZING DAY AT MILFORD SOUND
rachellJ776RX,,Feb 26, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
We had an amazing day traveling to Milford Sound. Will was a fantastic driver who engaged the group right from the beginning of our trip. He was knowledgeable about NZ wildlife and shared his insights as a local, which lended authenticity to our day. The clear roof was a bonus and the short stops for photos along the path to the Sound were fun. One thing to note is that since the Mercedes vans are newer, they only had usb-c connections for charging. Our time on the water at Milford Sound was more than amazing and we sat at the front of the boat. This will definitely get you wet so bring a slicker --- but is worth it!
Milford Sound Day Tour
Zac S,,Feb 25, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00
Long bus drive, but with heaps of views along the way, with some stops for either restroom break, coffee stop, or views. Had Thomas as our driver, he was really good. Super cheerful, gave us fun facts the whole ride, got us chatting amongst ourselves, and with him. Me and him chat about whatever came to mind for a lot of ride back, had a great time.
Fabulous Experience
peterbJ1862IR,,Feb 25, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Fabulous experience. Altitude Tours were professional from start to finish. Chelsea was more than a bus driver and tour guide. She has lived and worked in adventure tourism around Milford & Fiordland most of her life. The 4 hour drive down from Queenstown passed in a flash with the evolving scenery. Engaging commentary from Chelsea and knowing where to stop on the way to see the best sights and avoid the crowds from the big coach companies. The boat was not the smallest or the biggest so we got to see the most in comfort on a 2 hour cruise. Do NOT drive the winding mountainous road to Milford. You'll miss the best sights and not get the history and nature insights that make it memorable. And exhaust yourself in the process. Take a small group coach tour with a great organisation like Altitude where the staff have a real commitment to the precious environment and their customers' safety and enjoyment.