Category Doubtful Sound and Fiordland

New Zealand · DOUBTFUL SOUND AND FIORDLAND

The 15 Best Doubtful Sound & Fiordland Trips

23 reviewed

Fiordland is the wettest, emptiest corner of the country, and Doubtful Sound takes a boat, a bus over Wilmot Pass and most of a day to reach, which is exactly why it stays quiet. This page covers the Manapouri day trips, the Te Anau glowworm caves and the overnight cruises, with total travel times, sailing lengths and prices.

Te Anau: Glowworm Caves Guided Tour

Te Anau: Glowworm Caves Guided Tour - RealNZ Visitor Centre check-in and how the day starts

1.Te Anau: Glowworm Caves Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 2,611 reviews · 2h 15m · from $77Our pick

Te Anau Glowworm Caves guided tour with Lake Te Anau cruise, cave walk, and pitch-black glowworm boat ride. $77, 135 mins.

“I was reluctant to join this activity but my husband was keen! I was blown away. This was fantastic. The guide was so knowledgeable and shared her excitement which was infectious. A great trip!”

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From Manapouri: Doubtful Sound Wilderness Day Trip

From Manapouri: Doubtful Sound Wilderness Day Trip - Lake Manapouri Cruise to West Arm: Quiet Water, Big Stillness

2.From Manapouri: Doubtful Sound Wilderness Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 1,621 reviews · 7 hours · from $208

Cruise Lake Manapouri, cross Wilmot Pass, then ride Doubtful Sound’s inner fiords with nature guides and wildlife spotting from Manapouri.

“Great crew, very informative, extremely comfortable boat and bus trip. Best of all no crowds or other boats. Even in bad weather,rain and wind, the scenery and mood of the place made it very worthwhile. if you can stay in Manapouri or Te Anau as it's a long day 7 hours. T.A full of places to eat and stay.”

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Award Winning Milford Sound Full Day Tour & Cruise from Te Anau

Award Winning Milford Sound Full Day Tour & Cruise from Te Anau - The Milford Sound cruise: what to expect on the water

3.Award Winning Milford Sound Full Day Tour & Cruise from Te Anau

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,198 reviews · from $185Top rated

Small-group Milford Sound day tour from Te Anau with Milford Road stops, optional walks, and a 2-hour cruise plus wildlife spotting.

“A fab day trip. Small group, great guide, plenty of stops for the scenic views and photo opps. Boat ride was incredible and it was great to be on the smaller boat too. Loved it - would definitely recommend!”

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Te Anau Glow Worm Caves Tour

Te Anau Glow Worm Caves Tour - The Luminosa cruise on Lake Te Anau: your scenic buffer zone

4.Te Anau Glow Worm Caves Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 960 reviews · from $80

Cruise Lake Te Anau on the Luminosa, then walk and punt through Te Anau glow worm caves with tea, history, and great guiding.

“Unique experience Boat trip was special Learnt something new I hope we didn’t disturb their natural habitat”

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From Te Anau: Milford Sound Coach Tour and Cruise

From Te Anau: Milford Sound Coach Tour and Cruise - Fiordland National Park, photo stops and short walks that make sense

5.From Te Anau: Milford Sound Coach Tour and Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 868 reviews · 8 hours · from $110

Coach from Te Anau to Milford Sound with photo stops, short walks, and a catamaran cruise plus picnic lunch for $110.

“A wonderful day. The guide (Sebastian) was so knowledgeable and conveyed information along the way in an entertaining way. The coach was comfortable and the sunroof gave an amazing view of the scenery. We had considered driving ourselves but are so glad that we didn't. It was the best excursion on our whole stay in New Zealand. Would highly recommend it.”

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From Te Anau: Milford Sound Coach, Cruise, and Walks

From Te Anau: Milford Sound Coach, Cruise, and Walks - Milford Road Morning, Coach Comfort with Real Stops

6.From Te Anau: Milford Sound Coach, Cruise, and Walks

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 845 reviews · 1 day · from $164

Milford Sound day trip from Te Anau with small-group coach, 2-hour cruise to the Tasman Sea, short walks, and picnic lunch.

“My husband and I are so happy we booked with Trips & Tramps. Highly recommend! It was so nice going to Milford Sound in a smaller group and leaving from Te Anau allowed us to dodge the big crowds coming in from Queenstown! Our guide Geoff kept us laughing all day and gave us lots of interesting commentary about the area that we would have never known otherwise! 10/10!! Worth every cent.”

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Premium Milford Sound Tour, Cruise & Lunch from Te Anau

Premium Milford Sound Tour, Cruise & Lunch from Te Anau - The 9-hour flow: how your day is paced

From Te Anau: Milford Sound Cruise and Coach Day Trip

From Te Anau: Milford Sound Cruise and Coach Day Trip - Milford Road in a Glass-Roof Coach: Comfortable and Scenic

8.From Te Anau: Milford Sound Cruise and Coach Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 717 reviews · 7h 30m · from $136

Milford Sound cruise from Te Anau with a glass-roof coach, photo stops, live guide commentary, and a 2-hour fiord cruise.

“really amazing experience seeing Milford sounds, the scenery was stunning, definitely worth doing, can't exactly put into words how amazing Milford sounds is, we were lucky to have good weather and all the waterfalls were out too!”

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Full-Day Milford Sound Tour with Cruise and Walks from Te Anau

Full-Day Milford Sound Tour with Cruise and Walks from Te Anau - Mirror Lakes and Homer Tunnel: quick stops that change the mood

Jet Boat Journey through Fiordland National Park – Pure Wilderness

Jet Boat Journey through Fiordland National Park - Pure Wilderness - Upper Waiau River Jet Boat Ride: Speed, Spins, Trout, and LoTR Stops

10.Jet Boat Journey through Fiordland National Park – Pure Wilderness

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 678 reviews · from $127

Jet boat ride from Te Anau through Fiordland to Lake Manapouri. LoTR stops, 360s, warm gear, and a short nature walk.

“What a memorable experience! Our guide was knowledgeable, entertaining, and clearly loved his job! The rest of the staff was friendly and helpful.. They have everything you may need - beanies, windbreakers, and sunscreen! I was a little Read more”

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Milford Sound: Small-Group Tour from Te Anau

Milford Sound: Small-Group Tour from Te Anau - The drive down Milford Road: stops, walks, and real-time crowd sense

Doubtful Sound Wilderness Day Cruise from Manapouri

Doubtful Sound Wilderness Day Cruise from Manapouri - The Start in Manapouri and Lake Manapouri Crossing

12.Doubtful Sound Wilderness Day Cruise from Manapouri

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 490 reviews · from $216

Doubtful Sound day cruise from Manapouri with Lake Manapouri, Wilmot Pass, catamaran wildlife spotting, and an engine-off sound of silence.

“It was really special! It was raining and a bit foggy in the beginning which was cool. We sat both seals and a bunch of crested penguins. After that, the rain stopped and the sun popped out. We really got to see it all.”

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From Te Anau: Doubtful Sound Coach & Cruise

From Te Anau: Doubtful Sound Coach & Cruise - Lake Manapouri cruise, the calm opener before the drama

13.From Te Anau: Doubtful Sound Coach & Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 335 reviews · 8h 30m · from $223

From Te Anau, take coach and cruise routes to remote Doubtful Sound for a 3-hour catamaran ride with wildlife, waterfalls, and guides.

“This day trip was worth ever cent. The trip was seamless and the guides were so informative. Doubtful Sound was breathtaking and so majestic. The commentary on board the vessels was exceptional. We could not recommend highly enough. We were so fortunate to have a dump of snow the evening before so the mountains were shown at their best. all who helped our day be so memorable!!!!Thank you to everyone”

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From Queenstown: Doubtful Sound Wilderness Day Trip

From Queenstown: Doubtful Sound Wilderness Day Trip - The long ride from Queenstown, and why it is worth the hours

Doubtful Sound Wilderness Cruise from Te Anau

Doubtful Sound Wilderness Cruise from Te Anau - The day in order: Te Anau to Manapouri, then over the pass

15.Doubtful Sound Wilderness Cruise from Te Anau

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 286 reviews · from $231

Doubtful Sound Wilderness Cruise from Te Anau. Coach, Lake Manapouri crossing, Wilmot Pass views, then a catamaran fjord cruise with wildlife.

“Quite an expensive trip due to all the travelling involved. From Te Anau, 20 minutes by bus to Manapouri, then 45 minutes by boat to West Arm, then 60 minutes by coach to Deep Cove, then a 2 and a half hour cruise by boat which travels dowRead more”

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