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Trying to save money on your next Milford Sound adventure? You’ve come to the right place!
Taking an organized tour is the easiest way to get to Milford Sound, although they don’t always come cheap. So I’m excited to share my exclusive promo code on all Viator experiences, including my favorite Milford Sound tours I’ve listed below!
If you book your tours using my link here, you’ll get 5% off any experience on offer which is applied automatically at checkout on ANY tour.
Keep reading to find the best Milford Sound tours, whether you want to take a scenic helicopter flight, an overnight cruise, a day trip from Queenstown, or more. Be sure to book your favorite experience using the link listed for the discount to apply!
My Viator Discount Code
I’ve used Viator for a lot of my New Zealand adventures and it always makes my travel days easier. Especially with a place like Milford Sound, which is a bit of a haul to get to and you have to coordinate other logistics if you want to have the best experience. These Viator tours take care of all of that for you so you can simply enjoy the incredible scenery!
After traveling all around the country, I am well aware of how expensive New Zealand is. So saving a few bucks wherever you can helps the travel budget stretch even further.
I currently have an EXCLUSIVE 5% discount available for you.
You can book your discounted Viator tickets here and the discount will automatically apply at checkout when you’re ready to pay.
One more thing: This code applies to ANY Viator tour around the world, but you must use the links on this page for the discount to work. This is a special code for my readers and links on my other pages will not work with the code.
I know you’re probably thinking “Bailey, 5% isn’t very much”. That’s why these expensive tours are the best ones to use a discount on – 5% can actually save you a few hundred dollars in the long run! A Milford Sound overnight cruise or helicopter tour was on my bucket list for a long time, and I couldn’t afford it until I scored a discount like this one! Best of all, you don’t have to do anything difficult to access the code, just use the link here and it’s already applied!
Simply click on my link here, find the perfect Viator tour for your adventures, and then book it! The discount code is automatically applied when you check out. It’s important to know that the code only works with our link, so use it to save money!
My Favorite Milford Sound Tours
Milford Sound Nature Cruise
If you’re setting off on a South Island road trip, you can drive yourself to Milford Sound! Once you get there, you can hop on this 2-hour small boat cruise to get up close and personal to the fiord.
This is one of the highest-rated boat tours in Milford Sound with over 2,000 5-star reviews (check them out here!). You’ll have two hours to cruise around and take in views of Mitre Peak, Bowen Falls, and all the wildlife that calls this area home.
I’ve been on a handful of Milford Sound cruises, and this one stands out because of how small the boat is. While people usually think “bigger is better” that doesn’t apply on a boat tour! You can get into the smaller crevices of the fiord that large cruises can’t, and there are far fewer people, so it’s more relaxed and you get better viewpoints.
There was also onboard commentary, which helped me learn about the unique landscape. They also provide tea and coffee (perfect on a cold day!) but no other food. There are multiple departure times throughout the day, so you can take your time on the drive and enjoy the journey!
Taking a nature cruise is one of the top activities in Milford Sound. I love that this tour is a cruise only and allows you to have this epic experience even if you drive yourself. This cruise is available for $149 NZD and remember, it’s even cheaper when you book with my discount link!
Check availability and book this 5-star tour in advance here!
Day Trip from Queenstown
Visiting Milford Sound on a day trip from Queenstown is one of the most popular ways to do it. As a Queenstown resident, this is usually my go-to as well! This full-day tour includes a small bus transfer from Queenstown and back, making lots of scenic stops to break up the drive. It’s nearly a 4-hour drive after all!
Some of the best stops along the way are Mirror Lakes and Ellington Valley, but you’ll also see lots of mountains, rivers, even more lakes, and scenic viewpoints. Trust me when I tell you – this drive is spectacular. I never really mind the journey!
Once you reach Milford Sound, you’ll board the nature cruise for a 2-hour excursion. Take in the stunning fiord views and learn about the landscape, wildlife, and unique history from the captain’s commentary. This is actually the top nature cruise in Milford Sound, so you really score that it’s included in your day trip from Queenstown!
This is definitely a long day, about 12 hours in total and 8 of that is on the road. But, if you only have one day to dedicate to Milford Sound, this is the easiest way to see it! Prices start at $289 NZD per person, which includes lunch, transportation, and your cruise.
Book this top-rated day trip from Queenstown in advance here, before spots fill up.
Day Trip from Te Anau
I’ve also taken this premium small group tour to Milford Sound from Te Anau. It checks all the boxes for an epic day trip – a 2-hour boat cruise, a picnic lunch, and transport from Te Anau including scenic stops along the way.
Visiting Milford Sound from Te Anau makes for a much shorter day than if you come from Queenstown. It’s only a 1.5-hour drive to Milford Sound, which leaves more time for stops, and you’ll want to stop about a million times once you see how pretty the drive is. I enjoyed the scenic overlooks at the Darran Mountains where we tried to spot the Kea alpine parrots!
The Homer Tunnel is an impressive stop along this drive, as the tunnel is carved through the mountain! It took nearly 20 years to build because of its dangerous location. But, you can gawk at the engineering through the entire 1.2 kilometers (0.75 miles) of the tunnel.
Then you’ll reach the glorious Milford Sound! You’ll hop on the highest-rated nature cruise and spend 2 hours exploring the fiord. This nature cruise takes place on a small boat which makes for a more personalized experience, and you can get up close to the waterfalls! You might get wet, but it’s the freshest and most refreshing water you’ll ever feel!
They provide a picnic-style lunch on the cruise so you can enjoy your meal with a view. When I went on this cruise I saw fur seals, dolphins, and penguins. This made the experience all the better!
When your cruise is done, you’ll take the quick 1.5-hour journey back to Te Anau – with a couple of bonus stops along the way. This tour has multiple departure times daily and is $264 NZD per person.
Check availability and book this day trip from Te Anau here with FREE cancellation options.
Fly Cruise Fly from Queenstown
This is probably the most epic way to experience Milford Sound! Not only do you get to enjoy a scenic nature cruise, but you will also take in aerial views of the fiord as you fly there! If you’re looking for a first-class experience, this fly, cruise, fly tour will deliver.
The flight from Queenstown to Milford Sound takes about 40 minutes, and the scenery is absolutely breathtaking. Once we landed, we got on the boat for one of those iconic 2-hour nature cruises through the fiord. This is a different type of amazing, as you can see the fiord from up close and enjoy all the wildlife around. We had a little extra time, so we were able to walk along the Milford Sound Foreshore after the cruise before heading back to the plane.
The pilot takes a different route back so the views are totally new on the way home. This is the highest-rated fly, cruise, fly experience for a reason – I was so impressed by the service, efficiency, and commentary the entire day. The views sure didn’t hurt either!
While this tour has multiple departure times, it’s really popular so you’ll want to reserve it in advance to secure your preferred time. It is $665 NZD per person, and while it’s on the expensive side of things, this is where a 5% discount really comes in handy!
Save money when you book this top-rated fly, cruise, fly tour here!
Helicopter Flight Over Milford Sound and Glacier Landing
This Milford Sound Helicopter Tour from Queenstown is a totally unique way to see the fiord! I love helicopter tours because you can get even closer to the landscape and really see Milford’s rugged beauty up close, as compared to the fixed-wing plane mentioned above. This tour is even more unique because you’ll land atop a glacier that is only accessible by flying – what an experience!
Throughout this 1.5-hour helicopter flight, you’ll soar over mountain peaks and alpine lakes that you might have never known existed and then see out-of-this-world views of the fiord as you fly over.
I was really impressed with the pilot during this tour, not only for his expert navigation but also because of his knowledge of the area. We were given headsets so we could hear as he pointed out landmarks in Fiordland National Park.
But of course, the remote glacier landing was the highlight of this experience! We had time to walk along the glacier and explore it for ourselves, which just made the entire day even more epic.
This 1.5-hour helicopter experience is $1,450 NZD per person for a shared flight. There are also options for private flights if your budget allows. This is the perfect experience to use my promo code, so you can save hundreds of dollars and still enjoy this bucket list experience!
Secure your spot on this helicopter tour here, before spots fill up.
Overnight Cruise
Perhaps one of the most memorable ways I’ve experienced Milford Sound is on this overnight cruise! It was truly magical to see the fiord under the stars and hear just how incredibly quiet it is. Somehow, Milford Sound felt even bigger and grand!
The boat takes off around 3:45 pm, so that leaves plenty of time to drive from Queenstown to reach Milford Sound. We had the afternoon to cruise along the fiord and take in the views. But I’ll be honest, I was pretty excited to check out the boat too!
It is quite luxurious, you get your own private cabin and there aren’t a lot of people on the boat, so it’s a relaxed environment. The cabins have big windows so you can take in the fiord views from your bed! I even spotted penguins, which was one of the highlights of my experience. Other amenities that I gladly took advantage of were the top-deck hot tub and kayaks to take out on the water.
This cruise was the perfect balance of awe, adventure, and relaxation. They provided a gourmet three-course dinner, and breakfast, and had hot beverages ready to go at any time of day. You can read my full review on the Milford Sound overnight cruise here for even more details.
It’s important to note that the overnight cruise is only available from November to April, during the warmer summer months. The overnight cruise costs $1,199 NZD and includes all that I’ve talked about and even more! There is no transportation options, so you’ll need to drive yourself to Milford Sound.
Dates are limited and this tour is popular – book your overnight cruise in advance here!
Why I Book Tours with Viator
Free cancellation on most tours
There are a lot of great things about booking a Milford Sound tour through Viator, but the thing that always gets me is the free cancellation options. Most tours provide free cancellation up to 24 hours before your tour departs. Not every single tour does this, so be sure to double-check, but most do and you can get a full refund if you cancel within this window. I love having this flexibility just in case some unfavorable weather rolls in or my travel plans change, as they so often do!
This flexible cancellation lets me reserve these popular tours in advance before they sell out, and still have the freedom to cancel or change my plans if I want to.
Reserve now and pay later
In addition to free cancellation, a lot of Viator tours provide reserve now, pay later options. I know how expensive traveling can be, especially if you want to have a bucket list experience like flying over Milford Sound. So the fact that many of these tours let you reserve your spot and pay in increments makes it way easier to afford these incredible experiences.
This is even more helpful with the popular tours that can sell out months in advance. I personally used this feature when booking my Milford Sound overnight cruise. I knew it’d sell out unless I booked it quickly, so I secured my date and broke up the payments so I didn’t have to shell out a lot of money at one time!
Lowest price guarantee
Another perk of booking through Viator is that they offer the lowest price guarantee. This means that if you find the same price at a lower price elsewhere, Viator will match the price. Sounds too good to be true, right? It’s not, they actually make it pretty easy!
All you have to do is gather your booking number and proof of the lower price, email it to Viator, and they can review it and send you a refund if it all fits within the guidelines. The steps are available on each tour and if you have any questions you can simply reach out to Viator – they are here to help!
Or you can use my 5% discount when you book your Milford Sound tour through my link here! There are plenty of ways to save money on your vacay.
Pay in your chosen currency
If you’re not a New Zealand local, chances are you’ll be converting most of your cash to NZD. Conversion fees can add up pretty quickly, so booking with Viator can save money on a Milford Sound trip because you can pay in your home currency. Avoid paying international transaction fees and use that money on other fun travel experiences!
Peace of mind
I’ve booked hundreds of tours through Viator and it ultimately boils down to the assurance they provide. While no system is perfect, Viator does a great job of keeping tour companies to a high standard and is a helpful middleman for travelers. They require tour operators to provide detailed descriptions of the tours and inclusions so I know what to expect when I set off on a tour.
I also use other traveler’s reviews to know how the tour actually is! There is often even more information in the reviews, both positive and negative. You don’t get the chance to read reviews if you book an experience when you arrive at a destination, and taking the time to research and pick out a high-quality tour has saved me in a few instances. Ultimately, all of these perks like free cancellation and low price guarantee are awesome, but it’s the overall peace of mind that keeps me coming back!
Is Booking a Milford Sound Tour Through Viator Worth It?
Absolutely! If it isn’t clear already, I am a firm believer in booking tours through Viator. Especially if you’re going on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to the Milford Sound – you don’t want to mess that up! I’ve been to Milford a handful of times and have booked through Viator for each one, whether it’s a general nature cruise, a day trip from Te Anau, an overnight cruise, or anything. The best options are on Viator!
I’ve consistently found the best prices on these top-rated experiences too, so I always want to jump on a good deal when I see one.
Don’t hesitate to book a tour through Viator – use this link with my discount code and secure your tour with 5% off at checkout.
Thanks for reading!
Milford Sound is one of the most remarkable places in New Zealand, and I truly never tire of visiting here! With so many tours available, you’ll have a seamless experience when you visit. Be sure to use my links in this blog specifically to access that sweet 5% discount so you can save money and experience this gorgeous natural sight!
Thanks for reading my blog! If you found this article helpful, be sure to explore my other New Zealand blogs. As a Queenstown local, I have traveled all over the country and have put together lots of resources to help fellow adventurers – here are a few below!
10 EPIC South Island Road Trips You’ll Love in New Zealand
5 MOST Trusted New Zealand Campervan Rental Companies
15 Things to KNOW Before Visiting Milford Sound, New Zealand