Milford Sound Cruise: Scenic Flight Back to Queenstown

Embark on a full day journey in Milford Sound with a picnic lunch, boutique cruise, and scenic flight. Experience the stunning beauty of Fiordland National Park and spot wildlife along the way.

Duration: 9 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Queenstown - Your tour starts in the stunning city of Queenstown. As we drive out of the city your guide will not only set the scene for your adventure today but also point out and guide you past some of the area’s top highlights.
What's Included
  • Water available & snacks provided
  • Small Group and Fully Guided Tour
  • Scenic Flight from Milford Sound to Queenstown
  • Lunch
  • Cruise Entry
What's Not Included
  • Alcoholic beverages (available to purchase)
  • Gratuities
  • Picnic lunch for infants (0 - 3)
Additional Information

Embark on a day trip with a select few, which features an exclusive Milford Sound cruise with the top-rated cruise provider on TripAdvisors, and a breathtaking return flight to Queenstown.
Highlighted Experiences:
•Embark on a Milford Sound Cruise with Cruise Milford
•Glenorchy Air scenic return flight
•Exploration of Fiordland National Park
•Visit to…

Location
The Station - Home of Adventure in Queenstown
Shotover Street
PICKUP TIME: 6:30 am / 7:30 am. Kindly select this location if your accommodation is not yet confirmed, we can change it later!
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
4.9
(110 Ratings)
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Timothy_c
Dec 7, 2024
A thrilling day out to, into, and back from Milford Sound - The 6-hour bus excursion driven by Hannah to Milford Sound was really top-notch sightseeing (many stops along the way to absorb the beauty) and really insightful and thorough in her expert verbal commentary about places visited, ecosystems, flora and fauna. The 2-hour ride into the Milford Sound on the boutique cruise ship was a wonder-filled trip, and the 40-minute (or so) flight back with pilot Megan over the snow-capped peaks and various bodies of water was thrilling.
Review provided by Viator
Q914mxbrentb
Dec 3, 2024
Only was to see Fiordland NP and Milford Sound - Don’t miss this tour! It was an incredible day filled with stunning vistas, breathtaking boat ride and unparalleled views on the flight home. Don’t skimp…take the plane back! The scenery from the air is the only thing that can beat spectacular views from the ground. Our guide was incredibly friendly and informative. This tour was a magical day!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Timothycq5248ar
Dec 1, 2024
A stunning, superlative experience - I had a fantastic time today on this threefold adventure from Queenstown to Milford Sound. The day started with our riding 5.5 hours to the Sound in a comfortable Mercedes van, with plenty of scenic (and functional) stops along the way. The time just sped by, given the amazing sights presenting themselves. At the Sound, we were given an ample lunch bag (I had a delicious vegan meal) and we boarded one of the smaller boutique cruise boat for a 2-hour thrilling excursion amidst the soaring peaks, dramatic waterfalls, and blue waters of the Sound. Then several of us flew back to Queenstown over the majestic snow-capped peaks of the southern alps. Our female pilot Megan and female boat skipper were both very informative about what we were seeing. I want to single out our Cheeky Kiwi Travel van driver Hanna, who was super-friendly, thoroughly delightful and quite insightful about many aspects of new zealand's diverse ecology and culture. Her Scottish ancestors settled in New Zealand in 1850 and Hanna knows all about life here. And as a naturopath she also holds expertise in the medicinal properties of various plants and even certain rivers and lakes she explored with us on the way to Milford. I hope that everyone who signs up for this tour gets to experience Hanna as a splendid guide to this magnificent region of the planet.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sharyn_c
Nov 23, 2024
A bucketlist tour, not to be missed! - This is certainly a bucketlist tour - everything was perfect, from the drive to the cruise and then the return flight to Queenstown. The driver, Martin, was great and we felt well looked after, even inspite of his 'dad jokes' which were actually funny. The cruise went by the waterfall for those who wanted a shower direct from the mountain snow, unbelievable. The flight with (Ben) was so perfect too - a great day for flying and to finish off a wonderful day. Thank you
Review provided by Viator
Stay05791868943
Nov 22, 2024
An absolute bucket list tour - From start to finish - we had the BEST experience - tour guide, Martin was briliant, even the dad jokes ha ha ha - very funny. A few late starters out of the control of the tour people was annoying (take note to be one time future tourers) - the whole trip brilliant including our AMAZING flight back to Queenstown - wow - just WOW!! Thank you thank you for a brilliant day - we absolutely loved it - a bucket list - a once in a lifetime - absolute WOW!!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Wendi_h
Nov 15, 2024
Great day - Amazing day in Milford Sound! We loved our bus driver/our boat Captain and our pilot. Everything was very special and beyond expectations. Well worth the time and money to go and experience and I would to the drive/boat/fly trip again.
Review provided by Viator
Navigate43021669393
Nov 14, 2024
Amazing Experience - Amazing experience. The flight back was absolutely beautiful. Our guide was amazing too. I would 100% recommend this tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lindab8274
Nov 11, 2024
Fabulous trip all round. - Absolutely loved this trip, with Abi as the driver we were in capable hands. He was friendly and helpful and did everything he could to keep us informed and entertained. Great at offering to take group photos and made sure our stops for comfort and viewing of great spots were well catered for. The vehicle was spotlessly clean and comfortable.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Alex_s
Nov 9, 2024
Incredible - Trip starts off with a lovely bus tour with loads of information about the area and history. Being a small bus you get closer and more places the big busses can't. Lots of lovely stops on the way and a highlight was the local birds. Also get a lovely lunch from a local provider. The cruise was amazing with lots of amazing views and wildlife like the seals. You get close up to the waterfalls so pack a raincoat. The absolute best was the flight back which we were fortunate the weather was clear. Well worth the money with unbelievable views of the mountains and our pilot gave us lots of commentary along the way. Overall our highlight of our trip to New Zealand, all the guides were amazing and only thing we'd say is bring a power bank for your phone as there are too many chances to take videos and photos
Review provided by Viator
Gary_i
Dec 6, 2024
Buyer beware - This trip was an amalgamation of three company’s services and consisted of three legs: transportation from Queenstown to Milford Sound, a tour through Milford Sound on a ship, then a flight back to Queenstown from Milford sound. Kiwi Cheeky Travel provided transportation as a tour operator from Queenstown to Milford Sound in an extended multi seat van. Cruise Milford provided the experience on their ship through the sound, and Glenorchy Air provides the last leg with a flight back to Queenstown. Here’s the thing: if the weather is bad, and apparently it often is, Glenorchy will cancel your flight and you’ll have to endure 4+ hours back to Queenstown via the Kiwi Cheeky van you rode in to the Sound to get back to Queenstown. What this means is (if the flight is cancelled) you’ll spend about 9 hours in the van for a 90 minute cruise on the ship. This is what happened to me and my partner. We expected to be flown back to Queenstown via a 40 minute flight after the cruise, but the flight was cancelled at the last minute by the pilot, even though flights had departed 10-15 minutes before our scheduled departure. I get it, it is totally at the pilot’s discretion, and I am thankful for that. However, had I known that the flight could be cancelled at the 11th hour (meaning an unanticipated 4+ hours in a cramped van) it would have changed my calculus when I was in my trip planning phase. 9+ total hours in this van was too much, in my opinion, for the 90 minutes on the ship in the Sound. To this end: the van driver prepared us for the potential cancellation of the flight as we were driving out of Queenstown, which to me means that it happens frequently. Kiwi Cheeky (our van driver was their face) did a good job with what they had to work with. The experience with Milford Cruise was splendid, but the cancellation by Glenorchy surprised us, and as I’ve said, was not something we anticipated when in the planning phase of our trip. It would have been nice to know on the front side that the flight could potentially be cancelled at the last minute. Having this information in the planning phase of our trip may have resulted in us deciding not to take this tour, because 9 hours in a cramped van with 16 people for a 90 minute cruise is, in my opinion, not worth the time. The Sound is a must see if you visit NZ. This tour is a good option if visiting it from Queenstown, just be aware that there may be a “surprise” extra three hours attached to the trip if the flight is canceled.
Review provided by Viator
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up to 15 guests
1 Adult
January 2025
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