Can you drive to milford sound

The engineering feat of the Homer Tunnel will amaze as you travel underneath the mountain. The operation of blasting through the rock to make the tunnel is truly staggering. On arrival at Milford Sound your guide will provide you with our delicious picnic lunches and take you to the wharf ready to board the boutique Cruise Milford vessel.

The skipper and crew will give you a warm welcome and will be your personal guide throughout the cruise as they mingle amongst the guests.

Your local driver-guide will meet you after the cruise to continue your journey in the Fiordland National Park. The only tour to visit the Hollyford Valley we will take you to a spectacular cascading waterfall followed by our famous picnic in the park for morning or afternoon tea.

If the amazing Fiordland rain makes an appearance, we will take you to the historical Gunns Camp where the log fire will be offering a warm welcome. This is the only remaining camp that was used for the building of the road to Milford Sound. There will be time to explore the museum, camp shop and historical cabins. Our coaches are small and comfortable with quality leg room, and numbers are limited to We will guarantee you the best possible day.

Queenstown to Milford Sound and back three and a half hours each way in one day in your own car is not recommended. The road is a well-maintained highway but there are sharp corners, steep inclines, avalanche zones, and traffic can be busy in summer, so you do need to be an experienced and confident driver. In winter the road can get icy so you may need to carry chains, but signs as you drive out of Te Anau will let you know if so.

These tours run daily, they do have a few photos stops included, and some are on buses with panoramic glass ceilings for maximum view potential! Envy Experiences are local tour operators who run sustainable Milford Sound day trips with their electric Tesla Model X.

The car has vertically-opening doors, a panoramic glass ceiling and loads of room, ideal for a long day of sightseeing.

I took my parents on this one when we went to Fiordland after I wrapped up my New Zealand road trip, and although we only got half way the road was closed due to avalanche risk , we still had a brilliant few hours visiting some breathtaking viewpoints and photo stops. Not sure if you have enough time to spend an entire day travelling to and from Milford Sound? There are Milford Sound scenic flights available from both Te Anau and Queenstown, and you can choose from a scenic flyover, a flight with a landing, or a flight with a cruise included.

Speaking from experience. Queenstown to Milford is a long drive, a total of km taking three and a half hours without traffic, photo stops or breaks for food. Hikers will catch a boat from Glade Wharf to the other side of the lake to kick off their four day adventure through the mountains and valleys. This expansive valley looks like it could be straight out of Lord of the Rings, with tussock-covered plains flanking a glacial river that flows down the middle.

The mountains of Fiordland create a stunning backdrop to this little town. Mossburn is indeed very small with a population of approximately people.

Spot the West Dome and Mount Hamilton mountain ranges from the town. But when compared to neighboring towns, Mossburn is one of the cheapest places in the region to fuel up. So, stop here and fuel up to save a few bucks! Te Anau is a bustling town and is the last main town before you hit Milford Sound.

I highly recommend spending the night here so that you can enjoy the many activities on offer in and around Te Anau. First up is the glow worm caves, a must-do in Te Anau. This tour takes about 2.

This guided cave tour allows you to get up close with thousands of glow worms. Choose from one or three-hour cruise options and explore hidden coves and corners of the lake. The three-hour cruise also includes a short nature walk through remote bushland.

It is a 60 kilometer-long track 37 mies but you need to allow days to complete. This is an extremely popular track, especially in the summer months.

Although a long trail, fit hikers can manage. The restaurant options in Te Anau are fantastic. Although only a small town, Te Anau boasts lots of amazing places to stay. I almost always stay here when exploring Milford Sound. The reason? Well, I like to take my time on the road from Te Anau to Milford Sound stopping along to way to enjoy hikes and viewpoints. The only way to do this is to stay in Te Anau or Milford Sound itself which is much more expensive!

If you can spend a little more I love staying at the Aden Motel. They have studio,1 bedroom, and 2 bedroom apartments that are absolutely beautiful. Of course, if you have a larger budget then check out the Fiordland Lakeview Motel and Apartments. They also specialize in apartments but some of their rooms have magnificent views of the lake. There are lots to choose from all the way from large houses to private rooms.

The best part is that they work out cheaper for the luxuries you get! A 5-minute detour from the main road, on a clear day this viewpoint offers a great degree vantage point over the town of Te Anau, Lake Te Anau, as well as the Southern Alps. Or let the kids have a little run around before continuing back on your drive. As one of the best things to do in Fiordland National Park , this easy minute walk leads you through native forest to gorgeous Lake Mistletoe which is home to native ducks, frogs, and other lake life.

I personally would only do this hike if you think the Key Summit or Lake Marian Track mentioned below are a little too hard for your group. Te Anau Downs is just 30 kilometers This track requires you to get a water taxi from the jetty next to the Fiordland National Park Lodge.

This track is incredibly popular and rightly so as it features glacial valleys, rainforest, and cascading waterfalls. I recommend staying at the Fiordland National Park Lodge for a peaceful stay close to the park and the start of the trail if you plan on hiking it. Otherwise, just stop here for a quick walk out onto the jetty to check out the views of the mountains.

On a calm day, the reflections are breathtaking. This will be your first stop upon entering Fiordland National Park, you will notice the scenery change to steep rocky mountains covered in native beech forest. The valley here is covered in a golden yellow tussock which makes for a very dramatic photo. This is one of the few valleys that you can drive through in Fiordland National Park. You may even spot a short-tailed bat here — a weird and wonderful creature that crawls along the forest floor in search of food.

There are a couple of places in the Eglinton Valley that were filming locations in the Lord of the Rings movies. Why not test out the East Eglinton Track. Be warned though, this is a challenging track and I only recommend it for experienced hikers. A high level of fitness and experience in the backcountry is also advised as you will need to cross a river on this track. I always stop on the side of the road to take cool pictures like the one above.

A very short meter return track leads you to the dreamlike Mirror Lakes. On a clear day, you will get outstanding reflections of the Earl Mountains on the still lake — a perfect photo opportunity. For such a short 45 minutes total walk, it truly gives you a taste of the wilderness of Fiordland National Park.

Spot mossy trees, stony beaches, and unique birdlife. At meters feet above sea level, Lake Gunn is stunning. The surrounding mountains seemingly disappear into the flat surface of the lake. You can also spot paradise ducks here. This track is right next to the popular Cascade Creek campsite , meaning it can get quite busy in the morning before campers depart for Milford Sound. However, early in the morning, the calm winds let the mountains reflect off the surface of the lake.

It runs from Greymouth all the way to Invercargill. Did you know — Fiordland has more earthquakes than anywhere else in New Zealand. It is easily one of the most popular hikes in Milford Sound offering breathtaking panoramic views from the top. This track starts from The Divide Shelter Parking lot and combines rainforest with panoramic mountain scenery making it a firm favorite with tourists heading to Milford Sound.

The track gains a steady elevation of meters feet but you will be rewarded with stunning views when you emerge from the forest after the climb.

Occasionally areas in the front of the boat would start to get a little bit packed, so we often found the stern back of the ship to be a perfect place to go and take unobstructed pictures of the amazing surrounds! With it being such a nice day, the comfy interior, which still afforded fantastic views through the windows, was virtually empty. This was a great place to relax and hide out!

Some cruises take a minute tour of Milford Sound but we chose a tour that ran for nearly two and a half hours. Our verdict: We thought this longer Milford Sound tour was most definitely worth it. After coming all the way out this way, why rush the experience and see the entire Milford Sound?

A full two and a half hours out on the water accomplished that for us. There are even longer options if you want to consider doing an overnight journey and bunk up on the ship. The cabins that opened up to the outside looked pretty comfy! Whether starting in Te Anau or Queenstown, the trip to Milford Sound ends up being a pretty full day.

Instead, we went to the supermarket and packed our own lunch. The boxed lunches aboard the ship looked good and are definitely convenient. But is it worth it to buy lunch on a Milford Sound tour? We say: no. Beer and wine onboard our ship was surprisingly reasonable by NZ standards. Liquor was also available. So is it worth it to have some drinks? We say, yes! Make some friends and split a bottle of wine or go with a beer or two.

Throughout the photos, you may have noticed that we were very lucky to have clear blue skies during our trip, which we understand is rare for this rainy area of New Zealand. But is the Milford Sound worth it in the rain?

The reason why I say this is three-fold. The Captain of our ship explained that during and after rains, the two permanent waterfalls become more powerful and impressive. Additionally, there are dozens more waterfalls that spring up along the sides of the Sound and also on the mountain walls during the drive in on the Milford Road. Misty peaks emerging up from low lying clouds with many more waterfalls raging on in many different directions sounds like it could be a magical sight.

So it still seems to be worth the trip in the rain. Of course, this is all just our two cents, so take it as you want. Instead, everyone we spoke to seemed to have similar sentiments and raved about their experience and it became a conversation point to bond over.

In our informal poll of people we crossed paths with, everyone agreed that the Milford Sound was, in fact, worth it! We quite enjoyed and recommend this Nature Cruise on the Milford Mariner.

We definitely give our experience on the Milford Mariner a good review. But check here to confirm the latest pricing and availability. The Milford Mariner also does overnight Milford Sound excursions with kayaking and meals included.

Hiring a car in Queenstown can sometimes be even less expensive than taking the bus, particularly if so if you have a group of four that can share the cost. Instead, consider a two or three-day rental and stay in Te Anau. This will also give you time to stop all along the way, where there are many worthwhile short treks.

Travel by Bus: While there is an Intercity bus that goes from Queenstown to Milford Sound, we recommend to use caution in taking it in combination with a separately booked cruise, because the tours may not line up perfectly. Instead, take a Milford Sound tour that includes a bus transport, whether from Te Anau or Queenstown.

Splurge: Fly to from Queenstown to Milford Sound: If you have more money than you do time, this is most definitely the best way to go. Avoid the round trip hours on the roadway to Milford Sound and instead experience it from above!

By air, you gain a whole new perspective of the snow-covered mountain peaks and lakes as a pilot takes you in a small plane over the Southern Alps. The flight takes only a bit more than a half-hour each way, making it possible to experience the grandeur of Milford Sound in about four hours total from Queenstown, rather than the hours roundtrip day trip by bus. Check prices here for round-trip flights including a Milford Sound nature cruise.

Milford Sound tours are very popular trips in New Zealand. We recommend to book your Milford Sound cruise through Viator since they have a low-price guarantee AND they allow free cancelation if your plans change. This gives peace of mind to secure your booking in advance before these trips become fully booked. There are toilets on the boats and at the docks. There are no restrooms on the bus, but one bathroom break is provided during the drive from Te Anau to Milford Sound.

No stops upon the return. Plan accordingly.