Fiordland is one of the wettest places in New Zealand, and the weather decides parts of your day that no booking can. Rain makes the waterfalls; wind and cloud stop the flights; snow can close the road. Match the month to the Fiordland guided tours you book, and keep a spare day if you can.
Rain does not stop the cruises. The boats sail in it, and a wet day is when the waterfalls are at their biggest. Visit Fiordland says the fiords are particularly dramatic on rainy days. Pack a rain jacket and you lose very little.
What rain and cloud can stop is the flight. The small planes need to see the passes, so a flight cancelled for weather is rebooked or refunded. On the coach-in, fly-back day you come home by coach with part of the fare back.
The road is the third thing. From May to September the Milford Road can bring snow and ice, and chains may be required. Avalanche risk runs mainly from late August to early November. DOC says to take a bus if you are not confident driving in winter conditions.
The figures are NIWA's long-run normals for Milford Sound, 1991 to 2020, not a forecast. Visit Fiordland says Te Anau, on the edge of the park, can reach 30°C in summer.
Highs average 19.5°C and lows 10.7°C at Milford Sound. Expect about 667 mm of rain on 16 days. The wettest month on the normals. The Milford Track is in its Great Walks season, and the road is at its busiest, so book your cruise ahead.
Highs average 20.0°C and lows 10.7°C at Milford Sound. Expect about 467 mm of rain on 13 days. The warmest month and the one with the fewest rain days. Days are long, with light from about 5:30 am to 9:30 pm in summer.
Highs average 18.5°C and lows 9.2°C at Milford Sound. Expect about 571 mm of rain on 14 days. Still warm, and the road is still in its busy season. Great Walks hut fees run until the end of April.
Highs average 15.9°C and lows 7.0°C at Milford Sound. Expect about 528 mm of rain on 13 days. The Great Walks season ends on 30 April. You can still walk a day section of the Milford Track from the Milford end.
Highs average 12.5°C and lows 4.9°C at Milford Sound. Expect about 645 mm of rain on 16 days. Winter conditions start on the road: snow and ice, and chains may be required. May is the second-wettest month.
Highs average 9.3°C and lows 2.3°C at Milford Sound. Expect about 440 mm of rain on 15 days. The driest month on the normals. Winter is often the most settled season, with sunrise about 8:30 am and sunset about 4:30 pm.
Highs average 9.2°C and lows 1.6°C at Milford Sound. Expect about 468 mm of rain on 14 days. The coldest month. Carry chains for the Milford Road, and DOC advises leaving Te Anau from 9 am.
Highs average 11.2°C and lows 2.7°C at Milford Sound. Expect about 457 mm of rain on 16 days. Avalanche risk on the Milford Road rises from late August. Do not stop between the Hollyford Road junction and The Chasm.
Highs average 13.2°C and lows 4.1°C at Milford Sound. Expect about 541 mm of rain on 18 days. The spring equinox brings more wind and rain, and September ties October for the most rain days. Pack for wind on the boat.
Highs average 15.0°C and lows 5.8°C at Milford Sound. Expect about 617 mm of rain on 18 days. The road's busy season begins. Avalanche risk can last into early November, so check the road before you set off.
Highs average 16.4°C and lows 7.6°C at Milford Sound. Expect about 558 mm of rain on 15 days. The Great Walks season opens on 1 November. The road is busy again, and avalanche risk on the road eases early in the month.
Highs average 18.5°C and lows 9.7°C at Milford Sound. Expect about 585 mm of rain on 17 days. Summer, and the start of the peak. DOC recorded a record December and January in 2025-26, so book early.
| Season | Average high | Average low | Rain | Rain days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer: December–February | 19.3°C | 10.4°C | 1,719 mm | 46 |
| Autumn: March–May | 15.6°C | 7.0°C | 1,745 mm | 43 |
| Winter: June–August | 9.9°C | 2.2°C | 1,365 mm | 45 |
| Spring: September–November | 14.9°C | 5.8°C | 1,716 mm | 50 |
Summer gives you the warmest days, the longest light and the Great Walks season. It is also the busiest time on the road and on the water, so book ahead. Autumn is mild and a little quieter, and the Great Walks season runs to the end of April.
Winter is the most settled season, Visit Fiordland says, and often blue and cloudless. It is cold, the days are short, and the road needs care. Spring brings the equinox: more wind and rain, and snow to low levels. For the full choice by goal, see our best-time guide.
If you drive from Te Anau, allow at least two hours for the road and 45 minutes to park and walk to the terminal, as DOC advises. In winter, DOC suggests leaving Te Anau from 9 am.
The Queenstown coach days leave between 6:30 and 7:30 am and run 11 to 13 hours, so most of the day is the road. On an overnight boat you are on the water at dusk and in the morning, which a day trip cannot give you.
The rest of the day's kit, from food for the small boats to parking, is in the visitor guide.
Temperatures, rainfall and rain days are NIWA's 1991-2020 station normals for Milford Sound Airport, checked 21 September 2026. The seasons, daylight and rainy-day advice are Visit Fiordland's; the road, chains, avalanche season and driving advice are the Department of Conservation's. The flight and refund rules come from each tour's own listing.
Fly from Queenstown, cruise the fiord for two hours past the peak and the falls, and fly back on a different path: about five hours door to door. Bring your own food.
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Seventy-five minutes by jet boat down the river from Te Anau to Lake Manapouri, with a 15-minute forest walk ashore. Spray jackets, life jackets and warm gear supplied.
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The quiet fiord in a day from Queenstown: 13 hours by coach, lake boat and the pass, with three hours on the water. Food and drinks on sale on board, card only.
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