Milford Sound Nature Cruise with Southern Discoveries

Overview

Available languages

German

Portuguese

Korean

English

Chinese (China)

French

Spanish

1 hour 45 minutes

Mobile ticket

Discover Milford Sound with the experts. For over 70 years, we've shared our passion for the natural wonders of Milford Sound. Our premium catamarans are purpose-built for uncrowded comfort and unbeatable views.

More space means better memories. Enjoy ample room to roam, inside and out. Get closer to the spray of waterfalls and snap epic photos of Mitre Peak or Stirling Falls from outdoor viewing decks, or relax in the cosy interior cabins.

Immerse yourself in nature, not a crowd. We ensure a premium experience for all. Complimentary tea and coffee plus options to pre-order a picnic lunch or choose the To Kai buffet on selected departures.

Cruise with the original Milford Sound experts and discover the wonders of this unique fiord—all without feeling rushed.

Additional Info

Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller

Service animals allowed

Specialized infant seats are available

Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Please advise of your country of origin at the time of booking

Car Parking: On arrival at Milford Sound you can park at the Milford Sound carpark. Please allow 10 minutes to walk from the main carpark to the Milford Wharf Visitor Centre. Alternatively, you can park free of charge at Deepwater Basin Carpark and walk over to Freshwater Basin to the Cruise Terminal. This walk is approximately 30 minutes in duration, so additional time will need to be allocated in order to do this comfortably and arrive at the terminal 15 minutes prior to your cruise for check-in.

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

What‘s Included

Multi-lingual app for commentary available: App Store and Google Play search Southern Discoveries

FREE Tea and coffee

Live commentary on board from our passionate skipper

Picnic lunch (if option selected)

Nature Cruise of up to 2 hours

Food and drinks, unless specified

Hotel pickup and drop-off

Alcoholic Beverages

On arrival at Milford Sound you can park at the Milford Sound carpark at a fee of $10 per hour.

What To Expect

Your journey starts here, check in with friendly staff at least 15 minutes prior to departure.

10 minutes • Admission Not Applicable

Fiordland National Park (Te Wahipounamu)

Fiordland National Park is in the southwest of New Zealand’s South Island. It’s known for the glacier-carved fiords of Doubtful and Milford sounds. A beech forest trail on the sandy Milford shore offers views of towering Mitre Peak.

1 hour 45 minutes • Admission Included

Options

12.45pm Nature Cruise only

11.15am Nature Cruise & Buffet

11.15am Nature Cruise & Picnic

3.45pm Nature Cruise only

10:30am Cruise only

10:30am Nature Cruise

3.15pm Cruise only

3.15pm Cruise

3.45pm Nature Cruise & Picnic

1.30pm Nature Cruise & Buffet

1.15pm Cruise only

1:15pm Nature Cruise: 2-hour Milford Sound Nature Cruise with complimentary Tea & Coffee

3.15pm Cruise & Picnic Lunch

1.15pm Nature Cruise & Buffet

1hour 45min Milford Sound Nature Cruise with a freshly made Buffet Lunch.

10:30am Cruise & Picnic Lunch

10:30am Nature & Picnic: Enjoy a freshly packed Picnic Lunch onboard your Milford Sound Nature Cruise.

1.15pm Cruise & Picnic Lunch

1:15pm Cruise & Picnic Lunch: 2-hour Milford Sound Nature Cruise with freshly packed Picnic Lunch.

12.45pm Nature Cruise & Lunch

1.30pm Nature Cruise & Picnic

1.30pm Nature Cruise only

11.15am Nature Cruise only

Reviews

4.62

305 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

241

Fantastic
R8918OEkirstyf,
Nov 26, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Incredible experience with prompt & professional service, up close to waterfalls & seals, informative & entertaining commentary. Definitely worth it
A day we’ll never forget
angelashaw76,
Nov 24, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
This is an amazing trip. The coach cruise fly option is the way to go. It was the highlight of our holiday so far. Southern Discoveries and Air Milford was a perfect combination. Handovers and communication and commentary throughout the day was excellent. Advice: book the premium coach seats ( if available) ; take your own lunch ( we didn’t eat the buffet but the queue looked hideous) ; fly back ( it seems a lot to pay at the time but if this is your special trip of a lifetime, you won’t regret it)
Spectacular
550archanas,
Nov 23, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
It was absolutely incredible with breathtaking scenery such as forests and waterfalls. I would recommend going on a rainy day like we did, as the rain creates many more waterfalls. Our guide, Peter and driver, Nick were amazing. Peter had many facts, recommendations and stories as well as a great sense of humour, while Nick had such skill driving though those narrow winding roads. The cruise was spectacular and we saw seals and their pups as well as dolphins. Overall amazing experience.
Amazing trip don’t miss this it was the highlight of a wonderful place !
Compass49586006181,
Nov 23, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
This was the highlight of our nz holiday. Ellie was our tour guide and she made the trip so special. She had local knowledge of all the wildlife , history from the gold rush era, post war stories and lovely Māori legends . We stopped at amazing lakes, waterfalls and pretty valleys . Then the highlight was the boat cruise through the Milford sound seeing amazing scenery with more interesting facts and stops at waterfalls and we luckily saw the seals . Such a safe driver Gopy through tricky mountains and tunnels . Highly recommend this company they are excellent!!
Tour through the South
xochi45,
Nov 20, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Great tour! We went to see Milford Sound but you definitely get to see so much more. Our tour guide was really fun and shared a lot of local information. We drove though beautiful countryside and then went on the tour. It's a long day but worth it. You will see the most beautiful mountains. There is a lunch option which I would recommend, you get it once you get on the boat.
Milford Sounds
soniab730,
Nov 19, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
4.00
Cruise was great, they left on time and staff were friendly. Scenery magnificent and the option of pre purchase lunch or buy snacks on the cruise was good
Very enjoyable and good value.
JackieH2623,
Nov 19, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Well presented boat, well trained, pleasant staff. Appropriate, informative commentary which wasn't over done. Wonderful scenery. Good value for money.
A MUST SEE
travelworld59,
Nov 15, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
One of the best tours. The scenery is breathtaking! We were lucky enough to not only have a great weather but to see the dolphins, the penguins, and the seals. The waterfalls are gorgeous and the view to Tazman sea is fantastic. Would love to mention our tour guide, Ellie, and the driver Nick. Ellie was very knowledgeable and friendly and both were kind enough to make numerous picturesque stops for us to take pictures and to take in this natural beauty. Would HIGHLY recommend them. Would also like to give a shout out to George at the booking office for his help and guidance and for being so very friendly. Thanks y'all. A
Wonderful Milford Sound Cruise Experience
Scenic23642714651,
Nov 7, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
A great experience with Southern Discoveries. The views were excellent, staff very friendly, and the boat was not crowded (10.30am departure) as we beat the tour buses. The skipper was extremely knowledgeable and was clearly an experienced local. We absolutely loved it!
Wonderful experience
Sally J,
Nov 7, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00
An amazing cruise. Beautiful scenery, great commentary. We got to see Fiordland Crested Penguins which was an added bonus. Friendly staff and the 10:30am cruise didn't many people on it. Highly recommend