Milford Sound tour from Te Anau: Premium coach and nature cruise

Glass-roof coach and catamaran cruise through Milford Sound's waterfalls and fiords

A full-day tour from Te Anau combining a scenic drive along the Milford Road in a premium coach with an up-close catamaran cruise of Milford Sound. The coach features reclining seats, extra legroom and unobstructed views. The cruise lasts 1 hour 45 minutes and passes Stirling Falls (151 metres), Bowen Falls (162 metres), and Mitre Peak. Includes round-trip transport from central Te Anau, free tea and coffee on the cruise, and a free multilingual app with eight-language commentary for both legs.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time at each

1. Mirror Lakes Walk15m
2. Monkey Creek10m
3. Eglinton Valley10m
4. Lake Gunnpass by
5. Homer Tunnelpass by
6. Bowen Fallspass by
7. Stirling Fallspass by

Milford Sound coach and cruise from Te Anau

• Meet at Southern Discoveries Visitor Centre
• Board premium glass-roof coach
• Travel along Milford Road with commentary
• Stop for Mirror Lakes walk
• Visit Eglinton Valley viewpoint
• Stop at Monkey Creek for kea spotting
• Pass Lake Gunn and Homer Tunnel
• Arrive at Milford Sound
• Exchange pass and board Nature cruise
• Cruise past Bowen Falls and Stirling Falls
• View Mitre Peak and Sinbad Gully
• Return coach trip to Te Anau

The experience

The day starts with a 10am pickup from the Southern Discoveries Visitor Centre on Te Anau's lakefront. You board a premium glass-roof coach equipped with reclining seats, USB charging ports and an onboard toilet. The driver provides live commentary in English and points out the best short walks and photo stops along the Milford Road. The route passes Mirror Lakes (an easy walk with reflections of the Earl Mountains), the Eglinton Valley with its glaciated walls, Monkey Creek where alpine keas gather, and Lake Gunn before climbing to the Homer Tunnel: a 1.2-kilometre unlined road tunnel carved through sheer rock at 945 metres altitude, completed in 1953.

At Milford Sound you board a spacious catamaran for a 1 hour 45 minute cruise. The skipper provides informative commentary as you pass Stirling Falls (151 metres, three times the height of Niagara Falls) and Bowen Falls (162 metres), which powers the settlement's hydroelectric scheme. The boat navigates close to the waterfalls and past Mitre Peak, one of New Zealand's most photographed mountains, and the Sinbad Gully with its steep granite cliffs. You may spot fur seals, penguins or dolphins. Free tea and coffee are served onboard. Food and alcoholic drinks are available to purchase.

Download the free app before you go to access eight-language commentary for both the coach journey and the cruise, so you can follow at your own pace. The entire experience (coach, cruise, all transport and commentary) takes seven hours from pickup to return to Te Anau.

What’s included

• Return transport from central Te Anau on a premium glass-roof coach with reclining seats, USB charging ports and an onboard toilet.
• informative live commentary from the local coach driver.
• a 1 hour 45 minute Milford Sound Nature Cruise on a spacious catamaran with skipper commentary.
• free tea and coffee on the cruise.
• a free multilingual app with eight-language commentary for the entire day.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 10:00

Book up to2h before

AgesAdult (15 and older) · Child (5 to 14 years) · Infant (under 5)

GroupUp to 49

Live guideEnglish

Audio guideSpanish, French, German, Portuguese, Chinese and Japanese

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendly

Operated by Southern Discoveries

Is this one for you?The live English commentary from your coach driver and skipper means you follow the journey in real time. The free app with eight-language options lets anyone in your group access the same information in their own language, so multilingual families or groups stay together without missing the detail.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (5 to 14 years); Infant (under 5).

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What is the Milford Road like on the drive from Te Anau?

The Milford Road passes through the Eglinton Valley, a glaciated valley between half a kilometre and two kilometres wide with steep sides and a shingle riverbed constantly reshaped by the Eglinton River. You stop at Mirror Lakes for an easy walk, Monkey Creek (a glacier-fed spring where alpine keas gather), and Lake Gunn before ascending to the Homer Tunnel, a 1.2-kilometre unlined tunnel through sheer rock at 945 metres altitude with a 1-in-10 gradient.

How close does the boat get to the waterfalls?

Stirling Falls (151 metres) allows the catamaran to pass directly underneath, so you experience the power of glacial water falling from 151 metres close to the boat. Bowen Falls (162 metres) is Milford's highest waterfall and plunges from a hanging valley into the head of the sound.

What wildlife might I see on the cruise?

Milford Sound is home to fur seal colonies, penguins and dolphins. The Sinbad Gully, nestled behind Mitre Peak, has steep glacially carved walls and is part of a conservation project to protect native species in the valley.

Is there food and drink included?

Free tea and coffee are served on the cruise. Food and alcoholic drinks are available to purchase onboard. You can also bring a packed lunch or purchase one as an add-on option at checkout.

What languages is the commentary available in?

The live coach driver provides commentary in English. A free multilingual app offers commentary in eight languages for both the coach journey and the cruise, so you can listen at your own pace.