Visiting Milford Sound, New Zealand
In January 2023, we road-tripped down in our campervan to visit Milford Sound. We stayed overnight during two sunny summer days, relaxing at the campsite the first day, and took the tour the second day. Here is our experience in Milford Sound!
En route
We drove into Milford Sound directly from Queenstown after picking up our Campervan. The drive itself was approximately 3:30 hours. The only gas stations we noticed between the two locations were in Te Anau so make sure you plan accordingly for fuel requirements.
The drive through the Fjordland National Parks is worth a road trip even without the tour – driving through the mountains with views over lakes, rivers, and green valleys is something else! Once you get closer to the Sounds (and enter the Fjordland National Parks) there are many view points and hikes (short and long) on the way to cut up the drive and enjoy the most of what the park has to offer. If you are able to go for two days, I would recommend taking the first day and doing some research on the best stops in the park to fill up your day! If not, definitely do a few viewpoints and short stops before and after your tour. We stopped at the Mirror Lakes and a few other viewpoints including a crystal clear blue river we were able to dip our feet in.
Staying Overnight
We highly recommend staying overnight as close to the Milford Sound as possible. We were campervanning so the best spot for us to stay close to the action was the Milford Sound Lodge. The reason we enjoyed this so much was it is SO quiet after the peak hours of tourism during the day hours meaning you have the area almost to yourself. At the end of the day during sunset we decided to walk down to the Milford Sound Marina and Milford Sound Cruise Port and we were completely alone!
Staying at the Milford Sound Lodge in our campervan was more expensive than other camping locations due to its proximity to the location and being the only campervan location in the sound. The Lodge really is worth the price tag – the facilities and location speak for itself. Right beside the lodge is a great swimming location with clear water.
The Tour
When we booked the Milford Sound Lodge we booked our tour through them at the same time. There are kayak tours and boat toars – we opted for the boat tour with Southern Discoveries in the morning (at 09:30). We checked in for our tour and then tried to get closer to the front of the line to get a good seat. Our boat was two stories with a viewing deck. I would recommend heading to the front of the second floor (it is a small viewing area). Because it is small it will be a less crowded and unobstructed viewing area close to the action once the tour gets going.
Our tour guided us through the sound where we saw waterfalls, amazing views, and seals, and then took us to an underwater observatory to see some of the marine life over the course of just about 2 hours.
Parking
If you are visiting the Sounds and arrive early enough (or lucky enough to snag a mid-day spot) there is free parking before you take the last turn off to go to the Sounds (it will be on the left, just after the Milford Sounds Lodge and before you continue to the Milford Sound Marina). You will have to continue to walk for about 15 minutes to get to the Cruise Port (there is a path across the road that leads you right there), but you can save a few bucks and get some nice views! If not, you can park closer to the Sounds but you will have to pay for parking and will still end up walking a few minutes to get to the Cruise Port.
What To Consider
We did this tour during summer and were blessed with two sunny days. This meant clear as day rivers, bright blue waters to cruise in, and perfect conditions for viewing outside. And although that may sound amazing, the best time to visit Milford Sound would actually be during rainy weather. This will make the drive and tour scenery that much more dramatic and the waterfalls will be FLOWING. If possible, try and plan your visit to the Milford Sound during rainy weather.
If you are not campervanning but still want to stay overnight in the area, the Milford Sound Lodge does offer cabins and there is another hotel in the area but I would imagine you have to book far in advance! If staying overnight isnt a make or break for you, tours run from Queenstown on a regular basis and will give you the full experience without much planning needed.
Most tours include a lunch or food within the package. However, if you are staying longer than just the tour I would recommend bringing your own food as I only saw one restaurant in the area which happened to be at the lodge we stayed at.
