An Awesome Day in Milford Sound, New Zealand

About Milford Sound

Discovered over 1,000 years ago by Māori people living on South Island, Piopiotahi (the Māori name for Milford Sound) has a long history. According to Māori legend, a godly figure named Tu-te-raki-whanoa was in charge of shaping the Fiordland coast. With a powerful prayer, he carved the towering rock walls with his adze to create the fiord.

Early European settlers did not explore the fiord until 1823 when a sealer named John Grono stumbled upon it. He named it Milford Sound after Milford Heaven, an inlet on the Welsh coast. In 1954, the Homer Tunnel opened which allowed road access to Milford Sound, allowing more people to see the majestic fiord. 

In 1990, Milford Sound, along with the rest of Fiordland National Park, was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Today, it's one of New Zealand's most famous and popular attractions. As such, you can expect crowds and should book in advance, especially if you visit during peak season.

When to Visit Milford Sound

With its sheer cliffs and numerous waterfalls over 1,000 m (3,280 ft), Milford Sound is breathtaking year-round, but each season has its perks. 

As one of the wettest places on Earth, it's likely you'll have some rain when you visit Milford Sound. Be sure to dress in layers and make sure a waterproof layer is one of them.

Getting to Milford Sound

Milford Sound is located on the western coast of New Zealand's South Island. Only one road (State Highway 94) leads into Milford Sound from Te Anau, the closest town. From Te Anau, it takes roughly 2 hours to drive to Milford Sound, not counting stops for photos.

Driving to Milford Sound

In my opinion, the best way to get to Milford Sound is to drive, whether you're in a car, campervan, or motorhome. Driving yourself allows you the flexibility to stop at all of the beautiful viewpoints along the Milford Sound Highway. 

Although most of the road is easy driving, the final half hour or so when you get into the mountains is steep and winding. If you're in a larger motorhome, it might be more anxiety-inducing, but it's still doable.

Day Tours from Queenstown to Milford Sound 

That being said, if you'd rather not drive yourself or try to find accommodations near Milford Sound you could join a day tour from Queenstown.

Milford Sound Bus Tours

A bus tour from Queenstown to Milford Sound, which includes a Milford Sound cruise, as well as stops at several viewpoints is one great option. Relaxing in a coach with a glass roof is a great way to admire the region's incredible scenery while not having to drive yourself.

Keep in mind, however, that it's roughly a 4-hour drive one-way from Queenstown to Milford Sound, so it will be a very long day.

Milford Sound Helicopter Tours

Another option is to take a half-day helicopter tour from Queenstown to Milford Sound, which also includes a Milford Sound cruise. This option is obviously much more expensive and you'll miss out on the scenic drive, but would save many hours on the bus.

Our Milford Sound Itinerary

To give you an idea of what you can do in Milford Sound for the day, I'll share our itinerary. the activities that we enjoyed as well as others that you could also do if you have more time.

Cascade Creek to Milford Sound

We began our day in Cascade Creek Campsite where we'd stayed the previous night. Despite our Milford Sound cruise not being until mid-morning, we set out for Milford Sound by 9:00 am. 

Pro Tip: The drive from Cascade Creek to Milford Sound is only supposed to take 45 minutes, but best to allow 1.5 hours instead. Not only is the road steep and curvy, (driving slowly is a must) but there's a tunnel mid-way where you might have to wait several minutes. Plus, the parking lot is not at the cruise terminal so you still have to walk ~15 minutes from there to check-in.

Due to the heavy rains the night before, so many waterfalls streamed down the mountains along the drive. We stopped at a few river overlooks that were roaring down beside the road. 

Milford Sound Parking

The Milford Sound parking lot is ~650 m (0.4 mi) from the cruise terminal but you can walk along a boardwalk trail to get there. Parking is expensive (NZ $10/hr) and we paid for 4 hours. The lot was pretty empty when we arrived at 10:15 am, but it filled up by the afternoon. 

Pro Tip for Campers: There's a dump station in the parking lot, but no fresh water hookup. Use the dump when you arrive if the parking lot is empty, because it gets difficult to drive close to it when the lot is full.

Activities in Milford Sound

If you're keen to spend the full day in Milford Sound itself, you can participate in a plethora of fun activities, including kayaking, snorkeling, scuba diving, hiking the Milford Track, or perhaps visit the Milford Discovery Centre and Underwater Observatory.

However, the most popular activity by far is taking a scenic cruise around the fiord. We didn't pay for many big activities on the trip, but the Milford Sound Cruise was our big splurge.

Milford Sound Cruise

Although you'll find what feels like a million Milford Sound cruise options, we enjoyed this 2-Hour Milford Sound Scenic Cruise on Mitre Peak Cruise. Since it was a (relatively) small boat, we were able to get closer to the cliffs than some of the larger boats. It was also easier to move around the boat to different viewing spots throughout the trip.

Mid-morning Cruise

We booked the mid-morning (11:10 am) cruise which gave us plenty of time to get to Milford Sound from our campground in the morning. Plus, we ended up seeing the best of both worlds - the mystical rainy vibes at the start and the gorgeous sunny views by the end.

The cruise company provides coffee and tea throughout the trip to keep you warm during the rainy times.

Waterfalls Galore

During the cruise, the boat skipper tells you about the various waterfalls and scenic points. Because it had rained so much the night before, we saw waterfalls that we may not have otherwise since the skipper said many of the falls dry up when it does not rain. But that day, they were at their most powerful and impressive.

Wildlife Sightings

We also saw a bit of wildlife along the way - a couple of groups of seals lazing around on the boulders.

A Cold Shower

Towards the end, the skipper made an announcement that I didn't quite catch. Apparently it was a warning that we were about to drive under a waterfall. Standing up on the roof, that cold water plunging onto my oblivious head was more effective than coffee!

Mountain Tops Revealed

Towards the end of our cruise, the heavy clouds and mists lifted and we began to get an idea of just how massive these cliffs actually are. It was incredible to see the full mountains and a bit of blue sky through the clouds.

Walking around the Piers

Once the cruise was finished, it was bright and sunny. Amazing how much the scenery changes! We strolled around the various piers for photos, then headed back to our RV for lunch. The parking lot also had gorgeous mountain views once the clouds lifted.

Exploring Milford Sound Highway

Once our paid parking was finished (~2:00 pm), we began heading back the way we came on Milford Sound Highway. However, since the rain stopped and the clouds lifted, it looked much different on the return trip!

A few scenic viewpoints along the way at which I'd recommend a stop: 

Hiking Lake Marian Track

Determined to fit a hike into our day, our final stop was the Lake Marian Track. This 6.2 km (~4 mi) hike to a pristine alpine lake in a gorgeous hanging valley is rated by DOC as an "advanced tramping track". I agree with this rating!

We started the Lake Marian Track at 4:30 pm. The first part along the rushing river is easy. It is a good option if you just want a short walk. Once you see the turn-off for Lake Marian, the trail gets rocky and much more challenging.

The fact that it had recently rained so heavily meant the trail was also extremely MUDDY and added an extra obstacle to avoid. Climbing over boulders, tree roots, while avoiding mud pits as you climb up a steep mountain pretty much sums up this hike.

Lake Marian was absolutely gorgeous when we arrived at 6:10 pm, albeit somewhat flooded. We spent ~20 minutes trying to find the best viewing spot. Wouldn't say we succeeded in finding a spot to sit, but at least we got a few good photos.

We started heading down at 6:30 pm and arrived back at the RV by 8:00 pm. By then it was getting dark as the sun dipped below the mountains, so a headlamp would have come in handy.