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Milford Sound Coach & Cruise ex Te Anau Stunning Views with Lunch

Offered by Southern Discoveries

From

$295.00 per person

4.8 (141 reviews)

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Booking handled by our partner, Viator

8 hours 30 minutes (approx.) Mobile or paper ticket accepted Offered in: German, Portuguese, Japanese, English, Chinese (China), French, Spanish

Travel from Te Anau to Milford Sound by coach and catamaran, with stops at Mirror Lakes and Homer Tunnel, plus a nature cruise past Mitre Peak.

Tour Overview

Travel from Te Anau to Milford Sound without the long drive, aboard a premium coach built for wide views along the Milford Road. As you pass through Fiordland National Park, your driver shares commentary on the area’s history and ecology, with stops that break up the journey and bring the landscape into focus.

Along the way, the route includes the Eglinton Valley, a broad glaciated valley shaped by the Eglinton River, and Mirror Lakes, where small lakes can reflect the Earl Mountains when conditions allow. At Monkey Creek, you can refill your water bottle from a glacier fed spring and keep an eye out for kea. The journey also passes through the Homer Tunnel, a 1.2 kilometre tunnel cut through sheer rock, before following sections of the Cleddau River toward the fiord.

At Milford Sound, board a purpose-built catamaran for a Nature Cruise. From the water, look out for Mitre Peak, Lady Bowen Falls and Stirling Falls, and watch for fur seals, dolphins and the Fiordland crested penguin. Free tea and coffee are available on board, and you can pre-order a picnic lunch or choose the To Kai buffet on selected departures. The free app provides commentary in eight languages, making this a straightforward and well-supported day trip from Te Anau.

What's Included

  • Informative commentary provided by local coach driver
  • Freshly made Lunch
  • Available on the App Store and Google Play search Southern Discoveries
  • Return transport from Te Anau to Milford Sound in a modern and spacious coach with excellent viewing
  • FREE Multilingual App for Coach and Cruise
  • Milford Sound Nature Cruise of up to 2 hours
  • FREE tea and coffee onboard the cruise
  • View waterfalls and wildlife from the cruise

Not Included:

  • Alcoholic drinks (available to purchase)
  • Appropriate child restraints are not provided by the operator and must be supplied by yourselves.

What To Expect

  1. 1

    Southern Discoveries Te Anau

    This is the location of where the Southern Discoveries check in is located, for your special day trip into Milford Sound with the original Milford Sound operators!

    10 minutes

  2. 2

    Te Anau

    Te Anau is a beautiful town on the South Island of New Zealand. It’s known as a gateway to Fiordland National Park and Milford Sound. The region is home to endangered, flightless takahē birds and abundant trout in Lake Te Anau. Your day trip will depart from here.

    30 minutes

  3. 3

    Eglinton Valley

    This beautiful valley is glaciated with steep sides and a flat floor. It's between half a kilometre to two kilometres wide and has a shingle riverbed floor, which is constantly being changed by the Eglinton River. This is an incredible stop you will make as apart of your journey to Milford Sound with Southern Discoveries.

    10 minutes

  4. 4

    Mirror Lakes Walk

    Enjoy a stroll among small lakes with stunning reflections of the Earl Mountains, should weather be permissive on the day. This is an easy, short walk off the Milford Road.

    15 minutes

  5. 5

    Lake Gunn

    Lake Gunn is a strikingly beautiful lake in the South Island of New Zealand.

    Pass by without stopping

  6. 6

    Monkey Creek

    Take in great views of the upper Hollyford Valley while you fill up your water bottle from this glacier fed spring. Friendly Keas (a New Zealand alpine parrot) love this area so it's a great stop for some kea spotting.

    15 minutes

  7. 7

    Homer Tunnel

    At an altitude of 945 metres above sea level and 1.2 kilometres in length, the unlined road tunnel allows access through sheer rock to Milford Sound with a gradient of 1 in 10. Completed in 1953, traffic lights control the traffic flow through the tunnel. An incredible part of your journey along the Milford Road.

    Pass by without stopping

  8. 8

    Cleddau River

    The Cleddau River is a beautiful river of New Zealand. It flows into the head of Milford Sound. You'll see many parts of this river as you journey along the Milford Sound road.

    Pass by without stopping

  9. 9

    Milford Sound

    Milford Sound is a fiord in the southwest of New Zealand’s South Island. It’s known for towering Mitre Peak, plus rainforests and waterfalls like Stirling and Bowen falls, which plummet down its sheer sides. The fiord is home to fur seal colonies, penguins and dolphins. Milford Discovery Centre and Underwater Observatory offers views of rare black coral and other marine life. Boat tours are a popular way to explore.

    2 hours 20 minutes

  10. 10

    Mitre Peak

    Mitre Peak is a beautifully dramatic mountain in the South Island of New Zealand, located on the shore of Milford Sound. It is one of the most photographed mountain peaks in the entire country.

    Pass by without stopping

  11. 11

    Bowen Falls

    The stunning Lady Bowen Falls is Milford’s highest waterfall. It plunges 162m from a hanging valley into the head of Milford Sound and provides electricity for the Milford Sound township by feeding a small hydroelectric scheme, as well as being the water source for the settlement.

    Pass by without stopping

  12. 12

    Sinbad Gully

    Nestled behind the world famous Mitre Peak, the Sinbad Gully is characterised by extremely steep glacially carved walls punctuated by near vertical granite cliffs. These walls slowed pest invasion into the gully and as a result a number of unique native species remain in the Sinbad. Southern Discoveries is passionate about preserving Milford Sound’s beauty for future generations which is why it’s a key partner in a major conservation project – the Sinbad Sanctuary Project. The aim is to see the valley of New Zealand’s most photographed mountain (Sinbad Gully is at the base of Mitre Peak) become a sanctuary for native species.

    Pass by without stopping

  13. 13

    Stirling Falls

    Milford’s second-highest waterfall is the Stirling Falls, a staggering 151m in height – three times the height of Niagara Falls, but the 1,300m mountain behind displaces this incredible height. This is the famous waterfall that Hugh Jackman ‘jumped off’ in the movie Wolverine. The sheer drop of the Stirling Falls allows boats to get right underneath – it’s an incredible feeling to have the power of 151m worth of glacial water falling so close to you.

    Pass by without stopping

  14. 14

    Fiordland National Park

    Let us show you around the amazing Fiordland National Park

    1 hour

  15. 15

    Southern Discoveries - Milford Sound Visitor Centre

    Freshwater Basin, Milford Sound.

    10 minutes

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

80 Lakefront Drive

80 Lakefront Drive, Te Anau 9600, New Zealand

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Please head inside the Southern Discoveries office situated at the above address (80 Lakefront Drive, Te Anau) to check in for your trip. Please make sure you arrive at least 15mins before your departure time.

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Important Information

* Appropriate child restraints are NOT provided by the operator. These must be provided by the parent or caregiver - without this you may be turned away and unable to travel - please be prepared. *Please make sure you are at your required pickup location at least 15mins prior to departure. *If you booked before 24th November 2022 you will receive a picnic lunch not buffet. You do however have the option to upgrade to buffet lunch at an additional cost on check in *A smaller vehicle which does not feature a glass roof may be used with smaller groups for a more personalised experience.

Additional Info

  • Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
  • Suitable for all physical fitness levels
  • Please advise of your country of origin at the time of booking
  • Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
  • Sunscreen and insect repellent advisable
  • Appropriate child restraints are NOT provided by the operator. These must be provided by the parent or caregiver - without this you may be turned away and unable to travel - please be prepared.

Cancellation Policy

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