Day Trips from Queenstown to Lake Wakatipu

Upon reaching Milford Sound, board a luxurious catamaran. Peer through panoramic windows of a luxury coach while you travel through the UNESCO-listed Fiordland National Park with a guide, before a memorable sightseeing cruise by Mitre Peak and the magnificent cliff-side waterfalls of Milford Sound.

Take a break from the hustle and bustle of Queenstown and head along the shores of Lake Wakatipu to the aptly-named Paradise. On this half-day tour deep into Otago, experience New Zealand life outside of the urban centers. Stop at a local farm to feed the local animals and watch a genuine sheep-shearing demonstration; stroll around the picturesque film-making hotspot Glenorchy; drive all the way out to the isolated parks and historic buildings in Paradise. Make sure to take lots of photos of this scenic region!

Join a Doubtful Sound cruise from Queenstown and discover this alpine gem nestled in the UNESCO-listed Fiordland National Park. Traveling by coach, take a ferry across Lake Manapouri and cross over Wilmot Pass for your catamaran cruise. Admire the fiord’s vivid beauty as you search for dolphins, fur seals, and penguins amid a dramatic landscape of soaring granite peaks and crystal-clear waters. 

Cruise Milford Sound and explore New Zealand’s Fiordland on a full-day trip from Queenstown by luxury coach. See some of the South Island’s most dramatic scenery through the glass roof of the coach, then cruise past towering waterfalls and seal colonies to the Tasman Sea, choosing between open decks and cabins that are comfortable in any weather. With pickup and drop-off at selected hotels in Queenstown, this Milford Sound trip is a spectacular day of scenery and wildlife in Fiordland National Park.

See firsthand if Paradise Valley lives up to its name by prebooking this tour from Queenstown. Along with visiting movie locations used in Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, catch views of the Dart River and Mt. Aspiring National Park. Take a few optional hikes, explore a trail above Diamond Lake, and stop by a sheep-shearing farm. During this guided tour, you’ll also get to ride a 4WD off the beaten path to see the area used as Middle Earth in LOTR.

The limited passenger numbers on our modern Mercedes Sprinter Vans make for a much more personal experience. It also allows us to stop more often for photos and short walks than the big 50-seater coaches (up to 12 stops along the way). We connect with Milford Sound's only boutique small boat cruise. Passenger numbers on the cruise are limited to 50% of the boats capacity.

Milford Sound is an unmissable destination in the South Island, and you can experience it at its best on this easy small-group tour from Queenstown. Traveling there in a luxury bus with panoramic scenic windows, you can focus on the views rather than have to drive. Whatever the weather, Milford Sound is always beautiful. Return to Queenstown by air, saving time and maximizing the scenic views.

See the sheer cliffs of Milford Sound from the air and water on a half-day tour from Queenstown by sightseeing plane and catamaran. Fly over Fjordland National Park, part of a UNESCO-listed landscape, then touch down at Milford Sound for a cruise with drinks and lunch (for the midday departure) served on board. This tour is perfect for photography and wildlife watching, and hotel pickup and drop-off from Queenstown hotels is included.

Be amazed by the dramatic landscapes of Fiordland on this full-day tour by boat and by air. If you’re short on time in the area, this combo tour makes it easy to see a lot in one day. Enjoy a cruise on Milford Sound–beautiful in any weather–and a scenic flight over Fiordland National Park and back to Queenstown, seeing views you couldn’t experience any other way.

Instead of rushing to keep up with a group, this self-guided e-bike adventure is a peaceful way to explore the cycle paths between Arrowtown and Queenstown at your own pace. Begin with a pickup at a time that suits your schedule—with e-bike rental included—then, get taken to the start point in Arrowtown. After that, independently explore the local area’s bridges, mountains, and stunning trails with breaks whenever you like.

The deep waters, soaring cliffs, and thundering waterfalls of Milford Sound are spectacular from all angles, and this half-day tour by air and boat takes in all the highlights. Enjoy thrilling aerial views of the Fiordland National Park on a round-trip flight from Queenstown, and marvel at Mitre Peak, Bowen Falls, and Mount Pembroke on a scenic Milford Sound cruise. Hotel pickup and drop-off is included.

Get introduced to one of New Zealand’s Great Walks with a 2.5-hour hike on the Routeburn Track. This half-day tour departs Queenstown for the awe-inspiring scenery of Mt Aspiring National Park. Walk across a swing bridge and follow your guide at a relaxed pace through a beech forest lush with ferns and mosses. Experience the tranquility of the Routeburn River and its waterfalls while you learn about native birdlife and cultural history.

The Routeburn Track is one of the most beautiful—and popular—trails in New Zealand, a great gateway to the country’s mountain lakes, river valleys, waterfalls, and forests. With this tour, let someone else take care of driving to the trailhead and packing lunch, and head out on a moderately difficult portion of the trial that takes you to the western end of Lake Wakatipu.

Milford Sound is one of New Zealand’s most impressive natural wonders, but the fjord’s remote location is around four hours by road from Queenstown. Instead, maximize your time on this tour by plane; enjoy spectacular aerial views of Skippers Canyon, Sutherland Falls, and the Fiordland National Park; and touch down to experience the fjord up close.

Combine our Half Day in Middle Earth with a second Half Day Adventure into another part of Middle Earth with our partner company. We have a 1-1.5 hour lunch break back in Queenstown and change buses for the afternoon tour. Morning and Afternoon Tour itineraries are interchangeable and can be switched due to availability or weather conditions. You will be visiting the Skippers Canyon Lookout (weather permitting), Arrowtown, The Gibbston Valley, Glenorchy and Paradise. You will admire LOTR locations such as The Ford of Bruinen, The Gladden Fields, Pillars of the Kings, Ithilien, Isengard, Beorn's House, Lothlorien, Amon Hen and more!

Experience stunning scenery on an unforgettable day trip to Milford Sound. The pristine Milford Sound is part of the World Heritage Fiordland National Park, in the south west of the South Island, and is famed for its remote atmosphere and rugged beauty. It is New Zealand’s best known fiord and the only one that can be reached by road. Maori are believed to have discovered Milford Sound more than 1,000 years ago, returning seasonally to collect the prized pounamu (greenstone). In the early 1800s John Grono was the first European settler to land in the sound, which he named after Milford Haven in Wales. Described by Rudyard Kipling as the 'eighth wonder of the world', Milford Sound was carved by glaciers during the ice ages. Milford Sound is breathtaking in any weather. Cliffs rise high into the air from the dark waters, mountain peaks scrape the sky and waterfalls cascade downwards, some as high as 1000 metres.

Travel from Queenstown to the much-loved UNESCO-listed Milford Sound. Enjoy live commentary along the way, and many scenic stops to take photos and admire the views. At Milford Sound, you won’t have to worry about waiting in lines as entrance tickets are included. Cruise on the sound and see stunning views of waterfalls and Mitre Peak. Refuel with a tasty picnic lunch in a scenic location.