If you’re planning to travel around New Zealand’s South Island, there’s a good chance that you’ll want to explore Fiordland National Park. The best way to do that is by taking a scenic boat cruise — but which famous fiord should you pick? The Milford Sound vs Doubtful Sound debate rages on, but this post will hopefully shed some light on which tour you prefer.
Spoiler alert: You really can’t go wrong no matter which guided tour you choose. Both cruise options are wonderful if you want to see beautiful fiords, steep mountains, and local wildlife.
But if you only have time for one, keep reading for a detailed comparison to help you choose which tour is right for you!
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Here are my top picks for the best tours in Fiordland National Park!
Milford Sound
Declared by British writer Rudyard Kipling as the “Eighth Wonder of the World,” Milford Sound/Piopiotahi is one of the most popular tourist destinations in New Zealand. And it’s not hard to see why!
There’s a reason that every South Island road trip itinerary and list of best places to visit includes Milford Sound. The fiord’s scenery is super dramatic, with heaps of powerful waterfalls, sheer cliffs, and views of Mitre Peak. On rainy days, the vibe is extra moody, with low-lying fog and mist rolling down the mountains.
If you’re lucky, you’ll spot some native New Zealand wildlife, like fur seals, dolphins, humpback whales, and Fiordland Crested Penguins.
There are tons of things to do in Milford Sound. The most popular option is to take a full day cruise, but you can also opt for a kayak trip, a scenic helicopter flight, or an overnight stay at Milford Sound Lodge.
Milford Sound pros & cons
Pros
- Dramatic landscapes: With steep cliffs and powerful waterfalls, the scenery at Milford Sound is truly unique and breathtaking.
- Activities: Compared to Doubtful, Milford has a lot of activities to choose from. You can hike, kayak, or take a scenic flight in addition to the typical day cruises.
- Tour or no tour: You can either visit Milford Sound as a guided tour from Te Anau or Queenstown, or independently if you want to drive down Milford Road yourself.
- Lots of options: There are heaps of tour companies and packages to choose from, whether you prefer big boats with buffet lunches or smaller boats that can get closer to the waterfalls!
- Accessible: Milford Sound is the only New Zealand fiord accessible by road, so you don’t have to take a boat and then a coach ride to get there.
- Underwater Observatory: If you choose a particular tour, you get to stop at the Underwater Observatory and watch marine life from 10 m (33 ft) below sea level!
- Potentially cheaper: Because of its popularity and the number of tour operators to choose from, visiting Milford Sound is a great bucket list experience for travelers on a budget.
- Scenic drive: The drive from Te Anau to Milford Sound is one of the nicest road trips to take in New Zealand, with plenty of awesome places to stop along the way!
Cons
- Popularity: Taking a cruise is the most popular way to see Milford Sound, so expect to see a lot of other people on your trip (especially if you take an afternoon cruise!).
- Booking in advance: Because of its popularity, you’ll need to book your day trip, overnight cruise, and activities in advance.
- Rain: With an average yearly rainfall of 6,813 mm (268 in), Milford Sound is one of the wettest places on Earth! Make sure to bring a good rain jacket or poncho.
- Road closures: Sometimes when there is too much snow or rain in the winter months, the road to Milford Sound is completely cut off to traffic. If that happens, you’ll either need to wait it out, try your luck at booking a scenic flight, or head to Doubtful Sound instead.
- Sandflies: These annoying little buggers are intense, especially in the summer months!
Getting to Milford Sound
Milford Sound is more accessible to the average traveler than Doubtful Sound, making it a great option for those that don’t have much time on their trip.
The only way to get to Milford Sound by car is to drive down the Milford Road from Te Anau, one of the most beautiful drives in the country. Along the way, there are plenty of scenic overlooks, hiking trails, and quick photo stops to enjoy.
From Te Anau, the drive takes about an hour and a half without stopping, but I’d recommend giving yourself at least 3 hours (or more!) depending on where you want to stop. From Queenstown, the drive takes three and a half hours.
If you’d rather book a coach tour to take care of all the logistics for you, here are a few of my recommendations:
- From Te Anau: Coach and cruise day trip with RealNZ
- From Queenstown: Premium small group tour with Altitude Tours
Doubtful Sound
Nicknamed the “Sound of Silence,” Doubtful Sound/Patea is quieter, larger, and more off the beaten track than Milford Sound. It might not be as popular, but it definitely has its own unique charm!
Doubtful Sound isn’t accessible by car, so you’ll need to book an organized tour to get there. Expect this to be a long and tiring day (but also a fantastic experience!).
The fiord’s remote location deep in New Zealand’s largest National Park actually has a bit of lore attached to it. When British explorer Captain James Cook was sailing around Aotearoa in 1770, he named the area “Doubtful Harbour” because he was (wait for it) doubtful that it was passable by boat.
Like Milford, Doubtful Sound gives you the opportunity to see tons of wildlife, like New Zealand fur seals, bottlenose dolphins, and humpback whales.
Day cruises are the most popular option to see the fiord, but you can also opt for a scenic seaplane flight or a kayaking tour.
Doubtful Sound pros & cons
Pros
- Off the beaten track: Doubtful Sound is less popular than Milford Sound, and thus will have fewer people and crowds to block the views. The sense of adventure you get from being out in the middle of nowhere is incredible!
- Open ocean: Unlike Milford Sound, a Doubtful Sound cruise takes you all the way out onto the Tasman Sea. This gives you a better chance of seeing native wildlife like bottlenose dolphins and the rare Fiordland Crested Penguin!
- Less rain: Despite being farther south, Doubtful Sound actually gets a bit less rain than Milford Sound does, meaning you have a higher chance of getting good weather.
- Easier to book: Since there’s not as much demand, I’ve found that it’s a little bit easier to book a Doubtful Sound cruise at the last minute.
- Larger: Doubtful Sound is three times longer and ten times wider than Milford Sound, making the views down the fiord particularly epic.
Cons
- Long journey: To get to Doubtful Sound, you first need to take a boat trip across Lake Manapouri and a bus through the Wilmot Pass. It’s a long day that often starts in the early morning.
- Less accessible: Since you can’t reach Doubtful Sound by road, you need to take a tour to get there. This could either be a pro or a con based on how you like to travel!
- More expensive: Because it’s less popular and less accessible, a day tour to Doubtful Sound will be more expensive than to Milford Sound.
Getting to Doubtful Sound
The journey to get to Doubtful Sound takes a fair bit of time. You take a small boat from Lake Manapouri to West Arm, then a coach trip over the Wilmot Pass, and finally a larger boat from Deep Cove into the fiord. Taking an organized day tour is the only way to reach Doubtful Sound.
The cruises leave from Pearl Harbour in Manapouri, about a 20-minute drive south from Te Anau. From beginning to end, a Doubtful Sound day trip lasts around 9 hours if you’re coming from Te Anau and 13 hours from Queenstown!
The day is long and includes multiple forms of transportation, so these tours might not be the best for people with young children.
Here are my top organized tour recommendations:
- From Te Anau: 40-minute seaplane flight with Wings & Water
- From Queenstown: Premium wilderness day trip with RealNZ
Which is better, Milford Sound or Doubtful Sound?
When you’re comparing Milford Sound vs Doubtful Sound, it’s important to consider what you value in a day trip. The best option for you might be different than the best option for someone else!
Here are some factors to consider before booking your trip.
You should visit Milford Sound if you…
- Are visiting Fiordland National Park or New Zealand for the first time
- Like scenic road trips and bucket list activities
- Want to hike the Milford Track, one of New Zealand’s Great Walks
- Are traveling with young children
- Are traveling on a tight budget
You should visit Doubtful Sound if you…
- Prefer off the beaten track adventures with fewer tourists
- Don’t mind long travel days
- Are passionate about wildlife or nature photography
- Have already been to Milford Sound
If you only have enough time to see one, I’d recommend visiting Milford Sound — it’s popular for a reason! The incredible views, ease of access, and availability of activities make it a great choice for most travelers.
Which fiord has the best views?
Both Doubtful Sound and Milford Sound have incredible views of the mountains and the sea.
With that being said, I think that Milford has more dramatic views in general. The mountains are more cloud-piercing, the forest is more rugged, and the higher annual rainfall makes the waterfalls more intense.
When deciding whether to choose Milford Sound vs Doubtful Sound, I’d also factor in the beautiful drive from Te Anau. Driving down the Milford Road is an experience in and of itself!
Along the way, there are lots of gorgeous viewpoints and short walks to enjoy. You’ll also pass through the Homer Tunnel and over the Darran mountain pass, which is a mind-blowing experience.
Staying overnight in the fiords
If you want to extend your ordinary day trip into something extra-fiord-inary (hah), consider staying overnight in Milford or Doubtful Sound itself!
In Milford Sound, you have a few accommodation options. For those that want an actual hotel, Milford Sound Lodge is the only option in the small village near the fiord. The comfortable lodge offers free wifi, updated rooms, and an on-site restaurant and bar.
You can also opt to spend the night onboard an overnight cruise — this option lets you enjoy the sunset, starry skies, and sunrise over the fiord in complete tranquility! Make sure to book any overnight trips far in advance as they often sell out.
If you’re on a budget, there are several campsites available along the road to Milford Sound as well. Staying closer to the fiord gives you a head start on your long drive the next day!
In Doubtful Sound, the only way to extend your trip is via an overnight cruise. These 1- or 2-night cruises with Real Journeys include buffet meals and optional on-shore excursions.
Which fiord has more things to do?
Because Milford Sound is more popular than Doubtful Sound, you’ll find more activities and things to do there. Both fiords offer nature cruises, kayaking, and scenic flights, but at Milford, you’re also able to go on some fantastic hikes, do some SCUBA diving, or check out the Underwater Observatory.
The Underwater Observatory in particular is really cool and I’d highly recommend booking a tour that includes it. You’ll descend into a kind of opposite underwater aquarium where the fish are on the outside of the glass. Seeing them swim around in their natural habitat is super interesting!
I’d recommend heading to Milford Sound if you’re keen to do some independent exploration because there are more activities to choose from.
Best tours to Milford Sound
Milford Sound cruises
Underwater Observatory with Southern Discoveries | This is my top day cruise recommendation if you’re traveling to Milford independently. It includes a stop at the Underwater Observatory and a surprisingly tasty picnic lunch.
2-hour scenic cruise with Mitre Peak Cruises | The smaller boat on this cruise lets you get closer to the shoreline and to Milford’s powerful waterfalls! It also offers complimentary tea, coffee, and hot chocolate on board.
Glass roof catamaran with Pure Milford | This boat’s glass roof and spacious viewing decks give you a great view of all the spectacular scenery. They also project live outdoor footage onto their indoor TVs, meaning you’ll never miss out on any of the action.
Tours from Te Anau
Coach and cruise day trip with RealNZ | This 8-hour day tour includes transportation to and from Te Anau in a luxury coach and a leisurely nature cruise through the fiord.
Small group tour with Fiordland Tours | This full-day small group tour includes transportation to and from Te Anau, a scenic cruise through the fiord, and a packed lunch.
Tours from Queenstown
Coach and cruise with Pure Milford | This 12-hour tour includes round-trip transportation from Queenstown, a small boat cruise, and a complimentary lunch.
Flight and cruise with Milford Sound Scenic Flights | This scenic flight and cruise combo lasts 5 hours and includes transportation to and from Queenstown. You get two 40-minute flights around Milford Sound and a cruise down the fiord, making this an amazing value for money!
Best tours to Doubtful Sound
Doubtful Sound cruises
Doubtful Sound cruise with RealNZ | This tour is the gold standard of Doubtful Sound cruises! It provides a boat ride across Lake Manapouri, a coach bus over the Wilmot Pass, and a 2 hour and 45-minute cruise through Doubtful Sound.
Scenic helicopter flight with Southern Lakes Helicopters | With two landings, this 1 hour and 10-minute scenic flight gives you a bird’s-eye view of Doubtful Sound, Lake Manapouri, and the Iris Burn Valley.
Tours from Te Anau
40-minute scenic seaplane flight with Wings & Water | This tour takes off from the Lake Te Anau waterfront and gives you unparalleled views of Doubtful Sound from the sky. If you’re staying in Te Anau and planning to cruise Milford Sound, this tour is a great option to switch things up!
Tours from Queenstown
Premium wilderness cruise with RealNZ | This 13-hour day tour includes roundtrip transportation from Queenstown to Manapouri before setting off on the classic boat-bus-boat journey to Doubtful Sound.
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Thanks for reading this Milford Sound vs Doubtful Sound comparison post! Has it helped you decide which scenic Southland cruise to pick? Let me know in the comments below!
xoxo Niki
