3 ways to experience Milford Sound
With its distinctive and awe-inspiring backdrop, New Zealand’s Fiordland region gives travellers a taste of Europe in the Southern Hemisphere.
Picture yourself flanked by towering white-tipped mountains, symmetrically reflected in clear waters on a calm day. Or if New Zealand’s customary clouds have brought rain, imagine swollen rivers and water rushing down hundreds of waterfalls. This is Milford Sound (Piopiotah), one of the country’s most visited tourist spots. Don’t let that put you off. Locals work hard to ensure it remains as pristine as possible.
Milford Sound, within Fiordland National Park on the South Island (Te Waipounamu), is a scenic four-hour drive from the closest international airport in Queenstown. No matter how you arrive, the jaw-dropping journey is a sneak preview of what’s to come.
Here are three ways to see it for yourself.
By water
On the water, glide effortlessly through glacier-carved waterways, engulfed by forested mountains as a fine mist of waterfall spray settles on your face.
Milford Sound is a sheltered body of water so you can expect calm conditions most of the time. Keep your eye out for an abundance of wildlife including dolphins, seals and penguins, and if you’re very lucky, maybe even a whale. Overhead you may spot some tui or kea birds.
The small-boat cruise options are almost endless, with some departing locally at the Milford Sound Marina and others including a coach or flight from neighbouring towns and cities. The cruises range from one-hour sightseeing highlights to overnight excursions.
Milford Sound is so vast that even large cruise ships can enter, typically from the Tasman Sea. They navigate between the towering cliffs so you don’t miss a moment of the view no matter where you’re viewing from the ship.
- Our day trip pick: Milford Sound cruise departing Milford
- Our cruise pick: New Zealand roundtrip from Adelaide with Princess
By air
You’ll truly grasp the magnitude of the region’s scenery and lofty mountain peaks when you see Milford Sound from the air. From above, you can see the sheer amount of water, with rivers and lakes stretching to the horizon.
Sweep past hidden waterfalls only visible from the sky as water cascades over cliff edges. See boundless green forests and a carpet of abundant ferns, and witness ancient glaciers feeding the region’s rivers pure water. On some scenic flights, you can land at a Southern Alps’ mountain peak among the year-round alpine snow.
- Our helicopter pick: Milford Sound Helicopter Flight
- Our fixed-wing pick: Milford Sound Scenic Flight and Cruise Package from Queenstown
By land
For those feeling a little more intrepid, exploring the region on foot is a breath-taking experience in more ways than one. The paths take you along burbling, turquoise rivers dwarfed by unbelievably high mountains. If you’re very lucky, you may spot or hear the plaintive cries of the kiwi – New Zealand’s most famous bird.
With short strolls that only take 30 minutes to three hours up to multi-day tramps (New Zealand for hikes), there are walks through the region’s astounding natural environment to suit every fitness and adventure level.
The Milford Track is the most notable walk, stretching almost 54km. This four-day, three-night tramp traverses rivers, rocks, valleys and mountain peaks and requires a decent degree of fitness to complete. It’s considered one of the great walks of New Zealand. and one of the most scenic walks in the world – and for good reason. To keep the track pristine, visitor numbers are restricted, with thousands of people every year vying for their ticket to hike during the summer months. There are guided tours with meals included or, if you’re up for a challenge, be one of 40 independent trampers hiking the track each day carrying your own food and bedding – the far more rewarding option.
Less extreme but equally as beautiful, there are day hikes and short nature walks, such as the accessible Milford Foreshore Walk. This hike offers the quintessential Milford Sound view which then connects to the Milford Sound Lookout Track, or the more challenging five-hour-return Tūtoko Valley route through lush beech forest.
No matter how you experience Milford Sound, its natural beauty really has to be seen to be believed.