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Milford Sound Discover More Cruise with Underwater Observatory

4.8
392
Don't just see Milford, but experience it on the longest and most personal cruise in Milford Sound!

Don't just see Milford, but experience it on the longest and most personal cruise in Milford Sound!

Highlights

  • Cruise on the original, locally owned and operated Milford Sound Cruise
  • The only cruise that includes a visit to New Zealand’s only floating underwater observatory
  • See rare black coral growing in its natural habitat and meet colourful sea creatures
  • Learn about the story of Milford Sound and our conservation efforts with entertaining videos and easy to read information panels

If you’re looking for an experience that’s more authentic, more insightful, and more personal – this is it!

Cruise on our small boat while our onboard nature guide chats with you and answers questions. Drink glacial water, touch natural artefacts and get under massive waterfalls.

The adventure continues at the Milford Sound Underwater Observatory where you can experience the amazing world beneath the surface.

Descend 64 steps (10 metres) underwater into a large viewing area where windows open your eyes to this underwater haven. Unlike an aquarium, the fish are free to come and go; it’s the people who are contained.

Adult $179.00
Child $89.00 (Aged 5 - 14 years)
Infant $0.00 (0-4 years - Picnic Lunch not included for infants.)

What's included

  • Milford Sound Discover Cruise
  • Milford Sound Underwater Observatory
  • Interesting commentary

Duration

  • Allow approximately 3 hours for the whole experience

Location

  • Milford Sound Visitor Terminal, State Highway 94, Milford Sound. Allow approximately 5 hours drive time from Queenstown or 3 hours from Te Anau.

Restrictions

Notes

  • Departure: Check-in is at Milford Sound Visitor Terminal, State Highway 94, Milford Sound.

    Lunch: Picnic Lunch can be added for $35pp (Adult or Child).

  • Not valid in conjunction with any other special offers.

    Car parking in Milford Sound is $10 per hour, if parking in the main car park, please allow 10-12 minutes to walk to the terminal. There is free parking in Deepwater Basin, please allow 25-30 minutes to walk to the terminal. If you choose to self-drive, we recommend arriving into Milford Sound at least one hour prior to your scheduled cruise departure to allow sufficient time to find a car park and make your way to the Milford Sound Cruise Terminal. For further information about car parking please visit milfordsountourism.nz/parking.

Authenticated Reviews & PhotosAll of our reviews are from people who have booked and paid for this activity thru Bookme

Authenticated Reviews & PhotosAll of our reviews are from people who have booked and paid for this activity thru Bookme

4.8

392 reviews

Showing all 392 authenticated Bookme reviews

imkeb2 from New Zealand wrote on 01 December 2024

Milford Sound

Perfection!!

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Nathan Macgregor from New Zealand wrote on 05 August 2024

A breath taking experience

We couldn't have asked for better weather on the day. A stunning crisp front which lead to gorgeous blue skies and sunshine all day. The water was calm and the journey was fantastic. The captain of the boat was very knowledgeable and gave some great information about the area, how the landscape was formed and the wildlife. The underwater experience was amazing and I highly recommend it. We were fortunate enough to go at a time when the water was very clear. The woman who took us through the underwater observatory was extremely knowledgeable! She gave great information about all of the fish that were swimming around outside as well as surrounding area. Overall a brilliant day out.

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Eleanor Rylands from Australia wrote on 13 July 2024

Incredible, what an epic day!

Epic day, awesome winter conditions. The crew and captain looked after everybody very well and told us some amazing facts. The underwater discovery centre was super cool and the guide there was so passionate about the marine life we could’ve talked to him all day!

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joseph14 from New Zealand wrote on 19 July 2024

BAD

They canceled Underwater Observatory visit and put us on an over crowded cruise. Didn't refund for the cancellation

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torresp from New Zealand wrote on 23 August 2024

An experience to go through at least once

Booking experience was easy. Checking in wasn't busy - mid-winter crowd. The cruise started off ok but the waters got choppier as the wind picked up. As a consequence we couldn't do the underwater observatory. On our way back to shore the boat was tossed around so much, to the point where we just wanted to get back to land and go find a fireplace to warm up. We had too many people on our boat resulting in all the inside seats taken up and quite a few of us freezing outside and holding on for dear life. I understand we cannot control the weather, and cancelling the cruise after travelling five hours from Queenstown wasn't an option, but overall was a fun experience. Would do it again but mainly for the scenic drive from Queenstown to Milford Sound.

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This award identifies a business with a high level of professionalism, a keen awareness of the impact it has on the environment and a commitment to a customer centric approach.

This award is evidence of a sophisticated tourism business that consistently exceeds visitor expectations. Their proactive leadership and management ensure the business's focus on continuously improving their economic, social and environmental performance to create genuine, constantly evolving and sustainable tourism experiences.

This award recognises the best sustainable tourism businesses in New Zealand. It denotes exceptional customer experiences at the heart of everything the company does. This business is leading the way in making the New Zealand tourism industry a world class sustainable visitor destination.

When you see the Qualmark logo, your activity of choice is endorsed by New Zealand Tourism's official quality assurance organisation and backed by leaders in the industry. It's your trusted guide to iconic activities and experiences that are awarded for their exceptionally high level of quality, safety and sustainability.

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