Fiordland boat tours are the cruises you board at the wharf yourself, with no coach seat in the fare. You pick the water, the length of time on it, and whether to stay the night.
Check in at the second counter on the left inside the Milford terminal. A 1 hour 45 minute cruise on a boat kept about half full, with free coffee and biscuits. Parking costs NZ$10 an hour, card only.
From $110 per person
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
Drive yourself to Pearl Harbour in Manapouri, 21 km from Te Anau, and the fare covers the rest: the lake both ways, the coach over the pass and three hours on the fiord. The early boat cruises for two.
From $205 per person
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
An evening sail from the wharf behind the visitor centre in Te Anau: 90 minutes aboard a 1935 motor yacht, unlimited champagne and wine, canapés, and a stop at anchor in a quiet cove. Transport is not included.
From $94 per person
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
Three hours on Lake Te Anau aboard Faith, built in 1935, with a crew-led walk of about 40 minutes to the Hidden Lakes and morning or afternoon tea with drinks. Meet the crew at the wharf 10 minutes early.
From $94 per person
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
Board at the Milford terminal for the full length of the fiord: two hours out past the point to the open sea and back by the falls. Indoor and outdoor decks, live commentary and hot drinks; no food on board.
From $96 per person
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
Check in at Pearl Harbour at least 20 minutes early for 23 hours away: the lake, the pass, a night on the Wanderer at anchor, a buffet dinner and a hot breakfast. Twin-share cabins, shared bathrooms. Full refund to 14 days out.
From $428 per person
Full refund up to 14 days before.
Seventeen and a half hours on the fiord aboard the Fiordland Jewel, 22 guests at most. Kayaks and a tender boat, dinner, a hot tub after it, and an ensuite cabin. Priced per person for pairs; non-refundable.
From $847 per person, bookings of two
Non-refundable and cannot be changed.
One hour 45 minutes on a boat kept about half full, with free coffee and biscuits. Wheelchairs and strollers can board.
See this tourA boat tour here is a cruise you board at the wharf yourself. Nobody collects you from your hotel and there is no coach seat in the fare. You get to the water, check in and step aboard.
Three wharves do the work. The Milford Sound Visitor Terminal sends out the day cruises on Piopiotahi. Pearl Harbour in Manapouri starts the Doubtful Sound trips, which cross Lake Manapouri and Wilmot Pass before the fiord cruise begins. The historic wharf in Te Anau, behind the visitor centre, is home to Faith, a motor yacht built in 1935. The overnight boats stay out on both fiords.
A cruise at the terminal costs $96 to $110. A coach day that includes the same cruise costs $157 to $215. If you have a car and a bed in Te Anau, the difference is yours to spend.
The boutique cruise lasts 1 hour 45 minutes. The two-hour boat goes the full length of the fiord, past St Anne's Point into the Tasman Sea. On Doubtful Sound the cruise is three hours, and the overnight boats keep you out 17 to 23 hours.
Only a boat lets you wake up on a fiord. On Doubtful Sound the Wanderer anchors in a sheltered cove; on Milford Sound the Fiordland Jewel has a hot tub on the top deck.
The champagne cruise on Faith sails at the end of the day, for 90 minutes on Lake Te Anau.
The day cruise at Milford Sound is sold on its own or inside a coach day. Here is what the coach adds.
| Cruise from the terminal | Coach day with a cruise | |
|---|---|---|
| Fare, per person | $96 to $110 | $157 to $215 |
| Hours | 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours | A full day; 13 hours from Queenstown |
| Getting there | Your own car, 120 km from Te Anau | Pickup included |
| Parking | NZ$10 an hour, or free 40 minutes' walk away | None to pay |
| Road stops with a guide | No | Yes |
| Lunch | Bring your own | Picnic lunch on most |
Book the boutique cruise from $110
Choose the boat on its own if you are happy to drive the road. Choose a coach day if you would rather not; the Milford Sound tours set them out.
From Pearl Harbour in Manapouri: the lake both ways, the coach over the pass, and three hours on the water, seven hours from the wharf.
See this tourOur guide to visiting Milford Sound without a tour covers the drive and the parking, and the guide to Fiordland tour prices sets the boat fares beside everything else.
Would you rather someone else drove? Every trip in the park is compared on Fiordland Tours.