Queenstown

Beyond Queenstown

Milford Sound Cruise with Round-Trip Flights from Queenstown

Name: Milford Sound Cruise with Round-Trip Flights from Queenstown
Brand: Milford Sound Scenic Flights
SKU: 28286P2
Price: 401.84 USD
Rating: 5.0 (257 reviews)

Badge of ExcellenceQueenstown, New Zealand

Milford Sound Sightseeing Cruise with Scenic Return Flights from Queenstown

5 hours
Pickup offered
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

Take a window seat for a scenic round-trip flight from Queenstown to Milford Sound, and see the splendor of Fiordland National Park from the air and sea. Board a cruise and pass dramatic waterfalls and Mitre Peak as you travel to the Tasman Sea. Then soar over the Southern Alps on your return.

Cruise the length of the fiord to the Tasman Sea
Fly over Fiordland and the Southern Alps
Choice of several departures throughout the day
Hotel pickup and drop-off included from Queenstown

Why Travelers Choose This Tour

Enjoy a cruise that goes beyond Milford Sound, all the way to the Tasman Sea.

What's Included

Flight and Cruise
Light refreshments
Live commentary on board
Complimentary pickup and drop-off from set locations
All taxes, fees and handling charges

Lunch

Meeting and Pickup

You can head directly to the meeting point, or request pickup

Meeting point

39 Lucas Place, Frankton, Queenstown 9300, New Zealand
Address: 39 Lucas Place, Frankton, Queenstown, 9300 We have plenty of free off street parking at our base. Check in is 30 minutes prior to departure time selected. Return point: Return to same departure location

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Pickup details

Please call Milford Sound Scenic Flight for the final weather check 1hr 30mins before the departure time you have booked for. Hotel pick-up commences from 5mins after the weather check time for your flight. Please check email confirmation from operator stating closest pickup location and time. If you are staying at a location not listed or wish to self drive out to their Base, please contact Milford Sound Scenic Flights directly, and they will advise you the best option available for you.

What To Expect

You're picked up at your hotel in Queenstown at your selected departure time, or you can opt to self-drive to the hangar. On arrival, you are checked in and provided with a window seat aboard the aircraft. Then settle in for a scenic flight to Milford Sound.

The route takes you over the magnificent landscapes of Fiordland National Park, with majestic views of mountain lakes and waterfalls. Listen to your pilot's narration before landing and swapping your plane for a cruise boat to explore Milford Sound. Spend ample time covering the length of the fiord, from Mitre Peak to the Tasman Sea. A picnic lunch is available for purchase before you board the boat.

Upon completion of the cruise, you are flown back to Queenstown on a different flight path along the Southern Alps. When you reach Queenstown you are transferred back to your accommodation.

Milford Sound

Admission Ticket Free

Mitre Peak Cruises

Admission Ticket Free

Milford Sound

Admission Ticket Free

Milford Sound

Admission Ticket Free

Milford Sound Scenic Flights

Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Infants must sit on laps
Most travelers can participate

You will need to call 1hr 15mins before the departure time you have booked for. If the weather is suitable you will be picked up from your hotel approximately 5 minutes after the call.
Infants are classed as 11kgs or under. If they are over this weight, they will be classed as a child due to infant seatbelt weight limit restrictions. They will have to be charged a child price on the day if weights and are over the 11kg limit.
Not recommended for pregnant travellers 36 weeks or more into their pregnancy
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 12 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.

Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Featured review

Lisa_K

Highly recommend this great way to experience Milford Sound. The flight allows you catch some breathtaking scenery you otherwise would not see.

Reviews

5.0

257 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

We perform checks on reviews

Showing 1-10 of 257 reviews

A Must Do

Christine_M, Mar 2024

We had fabulous weather to fly to Milford Sound with Andy our friendly, experienced pilot. The scenery and experience were never to be forgotten. Would highly recommend.

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Kia Ora Christine, Thank you for sharing your experience. It's fantastic to hear that you had fabulous weather for your flight and enjoyed your time with Andy, who will be happy to hear you had a great time . The scenery and overall experience of exploring Milford Sound / Piopiotahi are truly unforgettable. We greatly appreciate your recommendation and hope to welcome you back for more adventures in the future. Kind regards, Milford Sound Scenic Flights

Flight 10, Cruise 5

Sandra_W, Feb 2024

The flight both to and from Milford Sound was the most fantastic and memorable part of the experience. The views were stunning from the air. The Milford Sound cruise itself felt underwhelming. Maybe my expectations were too high. Maybe it’s because I’m from Michigan in the United States where we have the Pictured Rocks National Shoreline. Cruising Lake Superior will take your breath away. Perfect weather for the flight and cruise.

Response from Host, Mar 2024

Kia Ora Sandra, Thank you for leaving us such a wonderful review. We are happy to hear that we could offer you such a memorable experience. Thank you for choosing us and for letting us know about your cruise experience also. We may need to travel to Michigan to see the beauty of the area that you are living in. Enjoy the rest of your travels! Kind regards, Milford Sound Scenic Flights

Spectacular excursion!

Lisa_K, Feb 2024

Highly recommend this great way to experience Milford Sound. The flight allows you catch some breathtaking scenery you otherwise would not see.

Response from Host, Feb 2024

Kia Ora Lisa, We are so glad you got to experience the surreal sights enroute Milford Sound and the beauty of Piopiotahi itself. Thank you for recommending this tour to others. Kind Regards Milford Sound Scenic Flights

Flying to Milford Sound - awesome!

Avinash_V, Feb 2024

Best decision I made was to cancel the road trip and switch to fly cruise fly instead of the long drive. The weather changes at a short notice in Milford sound /this trip informs you just before you take off - keep an extra day just in case you have to reschedule due to weather. They will accommodate you. That said, the views are breathtaking and hard to capture the beauty perfectly except in your brain! The cruise was as great as the flight! Our pilot Andy was a true professional and a very helping individual with a great smile! Loved the experience.

Response from Host, Feb 2024

Kia Ora Avinash, Thank you for leaving us a 5 star review. We are delighted that you got to experience the serene beauty of the Southern Alps and thank you for recommending this tour to others. We are sure this would make Andy smile and we will be sure to pass the praise onto him. Kind Regards Milford Sound Scenic Flights

Do it

Jeff_A, Feb 2024

The boat ride is cool but it’s the flights to and from Queenstown that are really breathtaking and a whole new adventure. Recommend!

Response from Host, Feb 2024

Kia Ora Jeff, Thank you for recommending this tour to others. It makes us so happy that you enjoyed the flight and could experience the breathtaking scenery that Fiordland has to offer. Thank you for leaving us a 5 star review. Kind Regards Milford Sound Scenic Flights

Worth it!

Devon_J, Feb 2024

So amazing every part. Don't know what was better the flight or the cruise. Best time on a amazing trip.

Response from Host, Feb 2024

Kia Ora Devon, Thank you for your wonderful review. We are delighted that you had an amazing time on the flight and the cruise. Thank you for choosing to fly with us! Kind Regards Milford Sound Scenic Flights

Milford Sound Scenic Flight & cruise

Andrea_K, Feb 2024

The flight to MS & return was awesome Our pilot Jake was fantastic, gave us a great commentary & made sure everyone was comfortable & informed

Response from Host, Feb 2024

Kia Ora Andrea, Thank you for taking the time to leave us a 5-star review. We are glad that you felt comfortable and informed throughout the experience and we will be sure to pass on the praise to Jake. Kind Regards Milford Sound Scenic Flights

Fabulous experience

Pamela_B, Jan 2024

We were in an eight seater plane which was fantastic experience I was in co pilot seat and our pilot was Sean if you are lucky enough to get him as your pilot you are in for a treat!

Response from Host, Jan 2024

Kia Ora Pamela, Thank you for leaving us a great review. We are glad that Shane could offer you a memorable experience. Thank you for flying with us. Kind Regards, Milford Sound Scenic Flights

Amazing, fun and worth it

Tony_D, Jan 2024

Had a great time and well worth going for the morning. Staff and pilot were great to deal with and they had clear instructions on what to do.

Response from Host, Jan 2024

Kia Ora Tony, Thank you for leaving us a 5-star review. We will pass on the praise to our staff. Thank you for flying with us to Milford Sound / Piopiotahi. Kind Regards, Milford Sound Scenic Flights

Amazing experience! A must for the whole family.

Sheriden_D, Jan 2024

Travelling in a small aircraft over breathtaking country was value for money. The 40 minute trip in each direction flew by as the scenery was so remarkable! The cruise was relaxing. We managed to see dolphins, seals and a lone penguin in January! Overall an unforgettable experience. Thanks to Andy, our pilot, for his commentary and getting us there and back safely.

Response from Host, Jan 2024

Kia Ora Sheriden, Thank you for recommending this trip to others. We’re so happy to hear that you got to see some unforgettable scenery and the cruise allowed for some time to relax. We are glad that you got to see some amazing wildlife too. We will be sure to pass on the praise to Andy for making you feel safe and comfortable. Thank you for flying with us. Kind Regards, Milford Sound Scenic Flights

Stunning Spectacular Experience

Cindi_S, Jan 2024

The flight was absolutely spectacular. The boat ride was amazing. Our pilot and captain of the boat were wonderful. Definitely recommend this trip!!

Response from Host, Jan 2024

Kia Ora Cindy, We are delighted that you had an amazing experience on the flight and the cruise. Thank you for flying with us and for leaving us a wonderful review. Kind Regards, Milford Sound Scenic Flights

Best thing to do in Queenstown

Kathrin_H, Dec 2023

One of the Most wonderful thing i have ever seen in my Life. I will remember my whole Life. Thank you so much!

Response from Host, Jan 2024

Kia Ora Kathrine, We are delighted that you got to capture some beautiful photos of the scenery, and the whole experience flowed smoothly. Thank you for taking the time to leave us a wonderful review. Kind Regards, Milford Sound Scenic Flights

Don’t do this, drive yourself instead.

Chelsea_M, Dec 2023

This trip was a big bummer for Christmas Day. They called us at 10am to tell us the cruise portion of the tour would be cancelled because they deemed it was “bad weather to land at Milford sound” (note the weather was crystal clear and beautiful when we got there). We decided to book this tour because we didn’t want to drive 8 hours round trip from Queenstown since we were driving up to Auckland the following days. My advice is to not book this tour, and just suck it up and do the drive instead. If they had told us earlier this was cancelled, we could’ve started the drive (we had a rental car after all) over to Milford sound early morning. Instead, they waited until the middle of the day to cancel our tour so it was too late to make alternative plans. By the way, the weather was crystal clear at Milford sound and would’ve made a very smooth landing. The weather forecast was also clear in Queenstown, and partly cloudy in Milford sound, all day. They offered us the “flight only” option saying we would get a partial refund. The tour went from 5.5 hours as originally promised, to just 1.25 hours. We had no backup plans for Christmas Day since everything was closed. We had been banking on this and if we know we wouldn’t get to see Milford sound we would’ve made Christmas Day a travel / drive day since nothing needed to be open. We also assumed we would get a fair partial refund, but instead Viator gave us $100 off our $800 booking (!!!!). I paid less for my commercial flight from Sydney to Queenstown. They should be ashamed of themselves. I contacted TripAdvisor / viator to make this right and they haven’t even responded yet. The operator also said the fly option would be 1.5 hours EACH WAY. When we got there we found out the entire tour was 1.25 hours (our original tour was 5.5 hours). Anyway, they really ruined Christmas for our family this year and clearly don’t care. The pilot was nice and I know it’s not his fault. We took pictures of the clear, open runway we could see from the plane as well as multiple boats cruising around milford sound in the idyllic picture perfect weather. We were desperately wishing we could be down there with them instead of stuck on this chore of a flight that literally was not much different than our Air New Zealand flight to Queenstown. Do yourself a favor and DRIVE to Milford sound on your own and don’t book this excursion. Waste of time, money, and major disappointment. The least they could do was make it right.

Response from Host, Dec 2023

Kia Ora, Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We apologise for the inconvenience and disappointment caused by the cancellation of your flight this Christmas. Our pilots make a weather call before each of our flights with the safety of our customers as priority. Unfortunately, in the Fiordland region, the weather changes very quickly. The flight had been changed to an overflight as spending the extra time on the cruise would have put your flight back to Queenstown at risk. Our team had offered to reschedule your booking and the cruise portion of your overflight to be refunded. We are sorry for any miscommunication between you and our staff. Once again, we apologise for the disappointment caused and hope you enjoy a cruise through Milford Sound in the future. Kind regards, The Team at Milford Sound Scenic Flights

This was an amazing...

Sheri_V, Dec 2023

This was an amazing experience! Flying over the Alps and fjords, seeing the amazing scenery and then the cruise on Milford Sound was a very incredible trip. It was exactly as described and I highly recommend doing this once in a lifetime experience.

Response from Host, Jan 2024

Kia Ora Sheri, We are glad that you got to experience the beautiful Southern Alps and fjords nestled in the South Island, and that the cruise in Milford provided some beautiful views. Thank you for recommending this trip to others. We are delighted that the trip lived up to your expectation. Kind Regards, Milford Sound Scenic Flights

Exceptioal!

Julie_H, Dec 2023

It was was probably THE most spectacular visual experience I have ever had! The personel were extremely helpful and accommodating with pickup, the pilot very competent and informative and the cryise outstanding.

Response from Host, Dec 2023

Kia Ora Julie, Thank you for leaving us a wonderful review. We are delighted that the whole experience from the pickups to the flight and the cruise went smoothly for you and that you got to enjoy some breathtaking views. Thank you for choosing to fly with us.

Well organised

Mark_O, Nov 2023

Fantastic well organised trip. Friendly staff. Well oiled machine from start to finish. Thank you for a great experience.

Response from Host, Dec 2023

Hi Mark, thank you for this wonderful review. We will be sure to pass on the praise to the staff and we’re delighted that you had a great experience. Thank you for joining us.

Absolutely a must

Maria_M, Nov 2023

The whole trip was very well organised. We had a beautiful day, clear skies, so the scenery was breathtaking. The cruise was really relaxing and again the scenery was just fabulous. We saw sealant and penguins, waterfalls. Only coffee and tea on board and as we went from plane to boat to plane, I would suggest taking some supplies with you. But absolutely a must.

Response from Host, Nov 2023

Hi Maria, Thank you for taking the time to leave us such a great review. It sounds like you picked the best day for it. How great you got to see the seals and penguins. Thank you for choosing us to share your adventure in Milford Sound / Piopiotahi. Kind regards, Milford Sound Scenic Flights Team

Go and do this!

Cindy_M, Nov 2023

A once in a lifetime experience and would not hesitate to reccomend that you do it. Our pilot was extremely professional and the flight out and back was flawless with insightful commentary. The cruise on the Sound is breathtaking and we were lucky enough to see penguins and seals. Don’t hesitate just go!

Response from Host, Nov 2023

Hi Cindy, Thank you for leaving us such a fantastic review. We are glad to hear that you would recommend our experience to others, and that you enjoyed the flight and Milford Sound! How cool that you got to spot the penguins and seals. Thank you for flying with us, and again, thanks for sharing. Kind regards, Milford Sound Scenic Flights Team

Spectacular

Andrew_Q, Nov 2023

Aerial views amazing . The power of nature over centuries left us is unforgettable . The cruise provides a wonderful perspective and seeing the penguins , seals and dolphins enjoying their spectacular home was special .

Response from Host, Nov 2023

Hi Andrew, Thank you so much for your wonderful review. Hearing that you had a good experience with us has put a smile on our faces. We are glad to hear that you got to see all the wildlife Milford Sound has to offer. Thank you for flying with us. Kind regards, Milford Sound Scenic Flights Team

Totally awesome

David_T, Nov 2023

A totally memorable tour. The plain was great and so much to see from the air. Much better than a whole day driving up and back. We drove the next day to Te Anua which gave us more time further down the road, saving some money. Take some lunch and light snacks.

Response from Host, Nov 2023

Hi David, Thank you for taking the time to leave us a 5-star review. We are glad to hear that you enjoyed your trip with us. The views from Queenstown to Milford are spectacular from the sky. We're happy to share them with you. Kind Regards, Milford Sound Scenic Flights Team

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