Milford Sound, South Island, New Zealand

4.5 (5.765 reviews) Spent More than 3 hours Ranking #4 in South Island Bodies of Water

MILFORD SOUND FIORDLAND EXTRAORDINAIRE

The tour business in te Anau is quiet at present, so checking availability will help visitors. We chose this tour because of the chance to see more sights and the tour company owner. Les, spent some time arranging this tour for us even though numbers were low. The tour guide, Jamie, was fantastic and well versed in the local scenery and history. We had a leisurely drive over a usually hard road with bends and hill and often large numbers of vehicles, mainly busses. We had many stops along the way arriving in Milford with time to spare for the afternoon boat. A good lunch was available at a cost. The boat trip was really good and the crew, Hamish, the skipper and Julia the hostess, made the two hour trip most interesting with their individual comments along the Sound. A well worth the cost tour, saving us doing the two hour and near 120km drive. The weather is not always perfect in this part of the country, but every day can produce different scenic effects.
South Island review images

Address

, Te Anau, New Zealand, Postal Code: 9679.

Mobile

+64 3-441 1137

Website

http://www.realjourneys.co.nz/en/destinations/milford-sound

Current local date and time now

Monday, May 06, 2024, 8:05

User Ratings

4.5 based on (5.765 reviews)

Excellent

79%

Good

16%

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Reviews

4Gail F 5:00 PM Dec 14, 2022
Stunning landscapes
There's no doubt that Milford Sound is one of the most stunning places to visit in New Zealand. I first visited about 10 years ago and at that time there had been lots of rock falls on the Milford Road when I was there and access wasn't guaranteed. I was fortune that the road was open on restricted hours and I got there but a shortened boat trip on Milford Sound due to the Homer tunnel being closed by late afternoon. It was raining and low cloud on the day but still worthwhile. Staying in Te Anau for a few days this week I decided to drive up to Milford as it was fine weather and enjoy seeing the dramatic scenery on the Milford Road on the way, especially driving through the Homer tunnel. While waiting for the green light to proceed through the tunnel a couple of cheeky Kea landed on my car, pecking at the rubber surround of the windscreen and fixtures for the roof rack. They are big birds when seen up close. Arriving at Milford and it's amazing. I saw a sign for car parking and turned left into the parking area and then over to the cafe to get a coffee and something to eat. Went back to the car park and saw a sign inside the car park advising a parking fee of $25. This is outrageous because there's no sign of cost before entering. As I only intended to stay for around an hour or so this annoyed me a lot. If I had known I would have parked at a rest area and walked a short distance. What I object to is the sneaky way that you don't find out about the $25 minimum fee until you're actually driven in and you're trapped. Camera surveillance operating. I spoke to other people and they also found it confusing. Today I spoke to some local people in Te Anau and the feedback was that it was to discourage locals from going there. They want overseas visitors because they are more likely to spend money on the boat trips. I've travelled all over New Zealand and visited many scenic attractions that have car parking provided but no parking fee. It's disappointing to see a natural treasure commercialised in this way. It's not the New Zealand that I grew up in.
5AixTex 5:00 PM Jan 8, 2023
Breathtaking
A fiord boat ride was the #1 thing we wanted to do in New Zealand, and it lived up to our expectations. We were very pleased with Mitre Peak: commentary was complete without being overdone/disruptive, and the boat was very comfortable with plenty of windows, which is a good thing since there are always a few people who park themselves on the deck and won't move. Skies were sunny on the day we went but I think it would be just as enjoyable if it were raining: i.e. don't worry if sky is overcast on the day you go. Highly recommend this experience for everyone.