Milford Sound boat tours are the day cruises on the fiord itself, with no coach or flight attached. You make your own way to the water, board, and spend up to 2 hours 15 minutes out to the Tasman Sea and back.
The most-reviewed small boat on the fiord: 1 hour 45 minutes with coffee, tea and biscuits on every sailing. No food is sold on board, so bring lunch, and pay the car park by card.
From $110 per person
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
A modern catamaran with big windows, indoor and outdoor seats, and cameras that put the view on screens inside. Good on a cold or wet day. Food, drinks and parking are extra.
From $94 per person
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
Two hours on a small boat that stops often along the walls, with indoor and outdoor decks, live commentary and free tea, coffee and hot chocolate. The longest cruise here with room at the rail.
From $96 per person
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
The big boat: up to 180 aboard, a Classic cruise of 1 hour 40 minutes or a Signature of 2 hours, and the operator's app for commentary. The car park is paid on top.
From $102 per person
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
The longest cruise here, up to 2 hours 15 minutes, with a nature guide on board, a commentary app in several languages and free tea and coffee. Up to 75 passengers.
From $116 per person
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
A boutique cruise of 1 hour 45 minutes, rated 4.9 on 3,207 reviews, with coffee, tea and biscuits on every sailing. You meet the crew at their counter.
See this tourA boat tour here is a cruise and nothing else. You get yourself to the water, check in at the Milford Sound Visitor Terminal, and board a boat that runs the length of the fiord to the Tasman Sea and back. The shortest sailing takes 1 hour 40 minutes; the longest runs up to 2 hours 15 minutes.
On the way you pass under Mitre Peak and close to the permanent falls. Skippers edge the bow in under Stirling Falls and past Lady Bowen Falls, and point out seals on the rocks. On a wet day many short-lived falls run down the walls as well, so rain does not spoil the trip.
What a boat tour does not include is the road. There is no coach and no pickup. You drive in, sleep nearby, or arrive on a coach that sells the cruise on its own. That is why these fares are the lowest on the site, $94 to $116 a person.
A road day from Queenstown costs $151 to $250 and gives you about two hours at the fiord. A boat tour costs $94 to $116 for the same two hours on the water. If you already have a car, the difference is the price of the coach.
Coaches from Queenstown arrive around the middle of the day, and their passengers fill the boats at that hour. Sail early or late and you share the deck with fewer people. One traveller on the big boat found it very crowded and would drive in and hike next time.
The smaller boats nose in under the falls and along the walls. On the 2-hour small-boat cruise, Leyla G. felt the spray reach the deck and watched dolphins swim alongside, and Sergio's captain manoeuvred in to show the boat a penguin.
If you are staying in Te Anau, the drive is about two hours each way; DOC puts the round trip at 240 km. A boat tour fits that day without anyone else's timetable.
Both put you on the same water. The difference is who gets you there and how long your day is.
| A boat tour | A coach day from Queenstown | |
|---|---|---|
| Starts | At the terminal, at the time you book | In town, early; one leaves at 7:20am |
| Time on the water | 1 hour 40 minutes to 2 hours 15 minutes | About 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours |
| Whole day | About two hours, plus your drive | 12 to 13 hours |
| Getting there | Your car, or a bed nearby | In the fare |
| Car park | NZ$10 an hour, card only | Not needed |
| Fare, per person | $94 to $116 | $151 to $201 |
See the boutique cruise from $110
If you have a car and a night in Te Anau, the boat tour is the better value. If you have neither, compare Milford Sound tours from Queenstown or Milford Sound tours from Te Anau.
The longest cruise on the grid, with a nature guide on board, a commentary app in several languages and free tea and coffee. Up to 75 passengers.
Check availabilityDriving in for the first time? Our guide to visiting without a tour covers the road, fuel and parking. The terminal and the car parks are on the visitor guide.
Still weighing the options? Our guide to choosing a tour lays every format side by side.
Would a road day or a flight suit you better? Every tour is compared on Milford Sound Tours.