5 Best Ways to Get From Queenstown to Milford Sound

The journey from Queenstown to Milford Sound is probably one of our favourites because of the close connection we have to Milford.

It’s a story for another time, but we lived in Milford while we were on our working holiday visa in 2017, and it’s a time of our lives we’ll never forget! 

The trip to Milford is stunning, and it takes you on one of the most scenic drives on the South Island! We had an awesome time driving in our rental car, but there are also some awesome guided day trips from Queenstown.

In this post, we’ll dive into all the details of how to get to Milford Sound from Queenstown, including the most convenient, affordable, and (of course) our favourite ways to get there. 

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links which means if you decide to use the links and make a valid purchase, we will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support!

5 best ways to get from Queenstown to Milford Sound

Did you know you can take a scenic flight from Q-Town to Milford? Since it’s one of the most iconic places to visit in New Zealand, there are quite a few different ways to get to Milford — and depending on the type of experience you’re after, you’ll find the one that fits you best. 

We even have a post of 10 tips for when you visit Milford Sound for the first time. We hope you have a blast visiting one of our favourite places in the world! 

If you’re staying in Queenstown (whether you’re travelling solo or with a group) and don’t want to rent a car, then this full-day trip to Milford is the perfect tour for you!

You don’t have to worry about anything besides bringing the right clothes and maybe a lunch if you don’t want to buy one in Milford (or Te Anau, where the bus stops for a quick break on the way to Milford).

The tour starts right in Queenstown with a few toilets and viewpoint stops along the way. You’ll get some fun jokes and commentary from the bus driver as well.

I’m sure they will share a thing or two about Lord of the Rings and probably some local Kiwi (New Zealanders) stories as well!  

Once you get to Milford, you’ll get to experience an amazing 2-hour cruise where you’ll explore Milford Sound and the Tasman Sea – and depending on the weather, you’ll either see 2 waterfalls OR more than you’ve ever seen in your life.

It really is such a surreal experience – from the bus ride coming into Milford to being out on the sea, admiring this absolutely magical landscape.

There really is no place like this in the world, and we hope you have the best time on this tour to Milford Sound!

📞 Want to save money on your data while travelling? Airalo is the world’s first eSIM store with eSIMs for over 200 countries and regions starting at $4.5 a month!

Honestly, the freedom of driving in your own car, going at your own speed, and stopping when you want is one of the best feelings in the world. Of course, if you don’t mind driving on the left side of the road.

We’ve fallen in love with New Zealand road trips, probably because we had such an awesome rental car from Queenstown Airport (we rented a Toyota Rav4), but we took it absolutely everywhere!

Having a car is also great if you want to spend the night at Milford Sound Lodge and have a bit more time to explore and hike around Milford for more than just a day trip. 

Regardless of what you decide, having the car is quite nice because there are some stops you can make along the way, like spending time in Te Anau or stopping by any other cool viewpoints you find along the way. 

If you rent a car with a few people, it will also be slightly cheaper because you’ll be splitting the daily fee and gas with multiple people. We highly recommend renting a car in Queenstown and driving out to Milford if you love road trips and scenic drives. 

PS: Milford Sound Lodge is the only place of accommodation in Milford unless you do an overnight cruise!

If you want to see New Zealand from above, where the glaciers flow to the rivers and the stunning mountains pop off, then a scenic flight is hands down one of the most unique experiences you can have in New Zealand.

The flight from Queenstown to Milford is absolutely stunning, flying over Central Otago and then over the mountains in Fiordland! You’ll continue down into Milford Sound, where you’ll land at the tiny little airport! 

Honestly, the landscape around Milford Sound from an aerial view is something you’ll never experience anywhere else in your life! It truly is a magical experience, and if you’re considering doing it, then DO IT! 

Once you land in Milford, you’ll get a ride down to the water where you’ll enjoy a nice 2-hour cruise around Milford Sound.

I’m not kidding when I say this is a once-in-a-lifetime trip. Milford is such a magical place, and this is by far the most unique way to get from Queenstown to Milford Sound. 

You can book the scenic flight to Milford here and get ready for an experience of a lifetime! Please let us know what you think of the experience after your trip – either in a comment below or DM us on Insta! 

If you’re up for it and plan to travel a bit around New Zealand, then a campervan is the perfect option! Travelling around New Zealand via campervan is one of the coolest ways to get around the country.

Another perk of travelling by campervan to Milford is that you can either stay the night at Milford Sound Lodge in one of the campervan spots or at one of the DOC campsites along the way, like Cascade Creek Conservation Campsite! 

The beauty of doing an overnight trip instead of a day trip is that there’s so much to see in the area in and around Milford.

There are tons of hiking trails, waterfalls, and, of course, the iconic cruises and tours that are right in the heart of Milford Sound. You can read about it in this full guide on travelling to Milford Sound for the first time!

This campervan option (pickup in Queenstown, Christchurch, or Auckland) is great because you have the flexibility and the option to go at your own pace, which is a total game-changer! 

If you’re more interested in an ultimate tour, you can usually find a few different packages – and one of the most popular options includes a full-day road trip to Milford Sound, including a cruise and a 40-minute scenic flight back to Queenstown, which goes above the Fiordland mountains! 

You’ll get a chance to see Milford from above before jumping on a cruise and experiencing the fjord from the water.

These tours offer the most well-rounded experience since you get the best of Milford. The bus drive is beautiful, the cruise is a must-do, and the scenic flight is a bucket-list experience.

You can choose between the Milford Day Trip with Cruise and Flight or the one with just the cruise. Both of these tours are excellent!

The drive is absolutely stunning! And there’s something nice about being able to sit back and relax and just enjoy the awesome views, with the bonus of flying back instead of sitting through another long drive.

If you want to skip the 10-hour round-trip drive but still soak up the beauty of this unofficial 8th wonder of the world, check out this tour!

📍 Want to know about all the best spots in Aotearoa New Zealand?
Then check out our New Zealand Maps with +200 locations around the country that we have visited during our 10 months of living and travelling in NZ! 🗺️

You may also like…

• Milford Sound for First-Timers: 10 Tips for When You Visit Piopiotahi
• How to Get From Queenstown Airport to Queenstown
• Hiking the Lake Alta Track near Queenstown

Recap of 5 ways to get from Queenstown to Milford Sound

These are 5 different ways/tours to get between Queenstown and Milford, which make for awesome day or overnight trips.

We have a special connection with Milford because we spent a season there on our working holiday visa. We hope you get a chance to experience this wonderful place too! 

Whether you drive yourself or go on one of the tours, you’ll have an amazing time and hopefully get to see Milford in rain and shine because both offer a unique experience.

We personally love Milford in the rain because of the thousands of waterfalls that temporarily pop up everywhere. But a nice sunny day on one of the cruises makes for a pretty awesome day as well. 

Feel free to reach out via Instagram DM or leave a comment below if you have any questions about the different ways to get to Milford or the tours that get you there.

We’re quite familiar with all the tours and ways to get there since we spent so much time in Milford, so we would love to help answer any questions you may have!

📍 Save this post for later & share it with a friend