Milford Sound with Kids: Which Day Works for a Family

Is it worth it with children?

For most families, yes. The cruise is short, the boats have warm cabins, and there is always something moving: a seal on a rock, a waterfall close enough to feel, a penguin in spring. The walks on the road are short and easy. The hard part is the time in a vehicle, and that is something you control by where you sleep the night before.

Nathan's family did the long coach day from Queenstown with young children and says letting someone else drive made it worth every cent. Brian J., on a small van from Queenstown, felt driving there and back themselves would have been too much. Both are right: the day works, but not if a parent is also the driver.

Which day fits which age

Car seats are the detail families most often miss. Some operators supply a booster seat, and some do not supply child seats at all: the Te Anau coach day asks parents to bring their own restraint and may turn a child away without one. Read the line on each card, and ask the operator if it is not clear.

How long each kind of day keeps a child in a seat

The number that matters most with children is not the fare. It is the hours in a vehicle. Here is how the options compare:

• A road day from Queenstown: 11 to 13 hours door to door, most of it seated.
• A day from Te Anau: 7 to 8.5 hours, with the drive about two hours each way.
• Fly, cruise, fly: about five hours from Queenstown, with weight limits on the plane.
• A cruise only: 1 hour 40 minutes to 2 hours 15 minutes on the water, plus your own drive in.

Babies and toddlers are cheaper than you might expect on some trips. The 2-hour smaller boat is free for children under three, and the one-way flight back to Queenstown prices babies up to one at an infant rate when they sit on a parent's lap with an infant belt. If you are booking for a baby, check the infant line on each card before you choose. When the day is long, you know your children best: if they struggle past six hours in a car, stay in Te Anau and keep the Queenstown days for later.

What children tend to love

• Waterfalls up close. The boats nose in until the spray reaches the deck.
• Seals and penguins. Fur seals rest on the rocks, and the Fiordland crested penguin breeds from July to November. Jack's family saw both on a cloudy day.
• Kea on the road. These big mountain parrots come right up to cars. Look, but do not feed them.
• Easy walks. The Mirror Lakes walk is 400 m return and about ten minutes, and DOC calls it great for children.

Every animal and when to see it is on the wildlife page, and the short walks with their lengths are on the things to do page.

What to prepare for

Three things decide whether the day goes well. The first is toilets: on the road there are public toilets only at Te Anau, Knob's Flat and at the water, and the small vans have none on board. The second is food: no shops sit between Te Anau and the fiord, and some boats sell nothing, so pack snacks. The third is the cold. Even in summer the deck is windy, and children tire of rain jackets fast.

The best tour options for a family

If you are staying in Te Anau, the Te Anau day of walks and a small-boat cruise is the one children talk about afterwards, as long as they are five or older. Mary's two children were the only kids on board, and the guide kept them busy with birds and plants on the walk. For younger children, a shorter day with a booster seat in the fare works better: the 15-seat day from Te Anau runs seven hours, and Elaine C.'s group had plenty of photo and bathroom stops.

If you are in Queenstown and the children are old enough for a long day, the small vans make it easier than a coach. Mona's family took one and paid extra to fly back. If you drive yourself, a cruise with warm seats inside is the gentlest option: the modern catamaran has large windows and screens showing the view, so a cold child can still see the falls. Alica's family took it in a dry spell. Every day from Te Anau is compared on Milford Sound tours from Te Anau, and every cruise on Milford Sound boat tours.

Tips for the drive

• Stop at the Mirror Lakes and The Chasm on the way in: both are short and step-free.
• Fill the tank in Te Anau; there is no fuel on the road.
• Expect a wait of up to 20 minutes at the tunnel lights in summer.
• Take the last sailing of the day if you want a quieter boat.

The road stop by stop is on our page about the road, and the weather month by month on the weather page.

What to add for a family

At the water, the foreshore walk takes 20 to 30 minutes and has the best land view of the peak. It is an easy leg-stretch before the drive back. Families with older, steady walkers can add the self-guided day walk on the Milford Track, 3 to 4 hours with a boat across; the path is rocky, as Brodie B. found, so it suits teenagers better than toddlers. If somebody in the group would rather fly than walk, Milford Sound scenic flights lists every flight, with weight limits on each.

Rain does not spoil a family day here. The waterfalls are at their best after a downpour, the boats have warm cabins, and the short walks are under forest. Pack dry clothes for the drive home and snacks for the wait at the tunnel lights. The only part rain can stop is a flight, so if you have booked a plane, keep a road day in mind as your back-up.

Family-friendly days, from the cruise to the van

Milford Sound: Nature Cruise on a Modern Catamaran

A modern catamaran with large windows, indoor and outdoor seats, and cameras that show the view on screens inside. Parking is extra.

From $94 per person

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Milford Sound: Small-Group Tour from Te Anau

An eight-hour day from your Te Anau hotel: morning tea with fresh baking, a driver-guide, a cruise with commentary and a packed picnic.

From $180 per person

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Milford Sound: Premium Small Group Tour from Queenstown

A premium van of 15 at most from Queenstown, a nature cruise of 1 hour 45 minutes and a packed picnic lunch, with pickup around town.

From $239 per person

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