Milford Sound Glacier Flight & Cruise from Wanaka

Depart from Wanaka Airport for a Milford Sound glacier flight and cruise that combines aerial views with time on the water. From the start, the flight tracks over the Clutha River and Lakes Wanaka and Hawea before reaching the Southern Alps, where the landscape changes to mountain lakes, glaciers, waterfalls, ice and snow.

The route travels through two national parks on the way to the West Coast of New Zealand, then turns into Milford Sound and flies the full length of the fiord. Seeing Milford Sound from the air gives a clear sense of its scale before you land and transfer to a scenic boat cruise. From the water, the focus shifts to the steep sides of the fiord and the changing weather and light across the landscape.

After the cruise, your pilot meets you for the return flight to Wanaka on a different path, adding another perspective on the terrain you crossed earlier. The experience allows four hours in total, with departures at 8.45am and 1.30pm from October to April, and 11am from May to September.

This is a locally owned operation with an excellent safety record. Other flight options mentioned include Mount Cook, Fox Franz and Tasman Glaciers, and Mount Aspiring and Glaciers.