Milford Sound - Milford Sound

The most stunning place on this earth. Simply a must. If your reading reviews just to urge yourself to book a trip. DO IT. The Milford Wanderer is a great way to experience this fjord and is fairly inexpensive.

Beautiful fjord, great nature...

Milford Sound is New Zealand's most famous tourist destination.

Astonishing. Highly recommended Trip. That was one of our favorites on our to do list.

There are spectacular and beautiful waterfalls everywhere, and the scenery is so impressive.

Breath takingly beautiful fiord on New Zealand's southwest coast. We went by cruise ship but I was told you can get there by air or by car. Should be seen by boat however, and there are plenty of site seeing boats available. Weather can be beautiful or very rainy and overcast as this is one of the wetest places in the country. Cliffs cut by ancient glaciers and hanging valleys with towering peaks and glaciers provide fantastic vistas. Gulls abound by didn't see and of the fiordland penguins though they are supposed to be here.

its almost 5 years, i still loved it

Since I was last here, almost 20 years ago, Milford Sound has (like every other famous tourist location on the planet) become significantly more crowded. However, the cruise companies (or the authorities) have done a great job in managing cruise departures and route timings such that once you are out on the Sound you don't feel it is overcrowded, and you are rarely near another boat. Kudos to all involved in making that happen. I have a few thoughts on making your visit to Milford Sound more enjoyable:- 1. If you have the time, avoid doing a day trip from Queenstown. It is a long drive there and back in a coach/bus, and I would imagine by the time you get back to Queenstown you would be pretty whacked out and your memories of the cruise on the Sound would be diminished by the long, long drive 2. It would always, in my view, be best to drive yourself. Stay a night (or more) in Te Anau, and book an early cruise (ours with Mitre Peak Cruises was at 08:55). Leaving Te Anau at 06:30 there is little traffic on the road, and if you are lucky with the weather the scenery will be at its best. And you can stop either on the way or the way back at a number of lovely spots without busloads of other tourists spoiling the fun. 3. Equally, if you take an early cruise, your drive back to Te Anau (or on to Queenstown or wherever else) will also be reasonable in terms of traffic and crowds at the beauty spots. When you finish your cruise at 11:00 or so, you can grab an early lunch at the only cafe in Milford Sound (which is actually pretty good), or take away for a picnic stop on your way back south. 4. At risk of repeating myself, do try and avoid a cruise that starts between 12:00 and 14:00 as that is when the largest number of day-trippers will be around -- both on the road, the cruise boats, and on the Sound itself Our 2-hour cruise with Mitre Peak was pretty good. The small boat has its advantages in many ways, although I do have to say that I thought there were too many passengers given the limited outdoor space available. But such is the way of mass tourism in the 2010s! Staff were good, boat was comfortable, commentary was good when I listened or could hear, and the cruise covers a lot of ground, reaching the open sea -- where, if you are lucky, you will pick up some dolphins at the bow of the boat.