The Ultimate Guide To Travelling Milford Sound
Milford Sound (Piopiotahi) also known as “The Eighth Wonder Of The World” (and with good reason) is an absolute must see on your New Zealand road trip. You’re surrounded by towering mountains, with harsh rock faces and cascading waterfalls in every direction. Wandering around the Fiordland National Park gives us those incredible moments where we feel so small and insignificant. It’s a wonderous place and you can see why it’s one of New Zealand’s most popular tourist destinations. Milford Sound is also known for getting up to 182 days of rain EACH year, making it one of the wettest places in the world. Don’t let this put you off though - vising in the rain is a truly incredible experience.
Where is Milford Sound?
Milford Sound is located inside the Fiordland National Park on the West side of New Zealand’s South Island. Your closest town is Te Anau which is approx 2 hours from the Milford Sound Foreshore. This is where you want to stock up on food and fuel before heading into the park. There are no petrol stations inside. There is only one access road in and out - The Milford Road. Many choose to do a day trip from Queenstown to Milford Sound, but in our opinion doing that means you spend most of your time in the car and you’ll have to sacrifice so many of the incredible road side stops as you’ll be rushed for time. It’s worth either coming for a couple of days or staying in Te Anau the night before if you’re after just a day trip.
There are so many different ways of visiting this magical place. Obviously we’re always going to choose by camper - the freedom to stop whenever and however often you want is priceless. Your other options if you didn’t want to drive yourself are a guided bus tour, a private tour or by scenic flight.
Sights to see on the road to Milford Sound.
Arguably the best part of Milford Sound is the drive to Milford Sound. Holy smokes, there are some sights to see! It’s definitely one of the best roads to drive in New Zealand. We’ve done this drive 6 time now and we’re still picking our jaws up off the floor. It honestly feels like you’re driving through a scene from Jurassic Park, I’m half expecting a dinosaur to jump out onto the road. Now, everyone says it takes approx 2 hours to get from Te Anau to Milford Sound. Maybe that’s true if you’re on a mission and don’t want to stop along the way, but from our experience the quickest we’ve managed to drive this road was in 4 hours. Give yourself plenty of time. You don’t want to rush the best part of Fiordland!
Mirror Lakes - As the name suggests, on a perfectly calm day these lakes reflect the mountains standing tall in the background. No walking is needed as it’s literally on the side of the road. A must stop for any keen photographer.
Eglinton Valley - You’ll exit the bush into wide open plains as you start to come through the Eglinton Valley. Covered with golden tussock like grasslands and epic mountain vistas this is a must stop. There are parks on the side of the road so jump out, walk into the valley and take it all in.
Lake Gunn - Our favourite of the road side stops. Mostly because we really appreciate a beautiful lake x forest combo. A stunning lake with multiple viewpoints. We always park up for our morning cups of tea at the North side of the lake. The short 20 minute Lake Gunn forest walk leaving from the south side carpark is also stunning as you weave through moss covered beech trees.
Monkey Creek - This is a great stop to just stretch the legs and take in the views. We always stop here to get what we call “glamour shots” of our vans. The way the road leads towards the towering mountains makes for some beautiful photos!
Falls Creek - Just one of the many raging roadside waterfalls along the road.
Homer Tunnel/Road stop just after the tunnel - A little warning (one we wish we’d received before coming in with no idea) is that there is a tunnel called the Homer tunnel that is actually freakin scary!! The tunnel is the only way through the towering mountains and is dark and wet. It’s quite an experience really but one we want to prepare you for. =P Just out the other side of the tunnel after your first bend in the road you will see a little pull off on your left hand side. Pull in there to capture some beautiful photos of the valley and if you hang around long enough our cheeky NZ alpine parrot will come and visit ya! There hasn’t been a time when we’ve pulled in here and not had at least 2 keas trying to pull the rubber off our vans. Cheeky buggers. Ps. DO NOT FEED THEM.
Lake Marian - Lake Marian is one of the amazing hikes off the Milford Road. The track itself is pretty gnarly and would definitely require a medium level of fitness. You’ll be climbing, jumping and slipping your way to the alpine lake nested at the top. It’s one of our favourite walks in the country, the 3 hour return hike is super enjoyable and the view at the top on a clear calm day is just mind blowing.
Gertrude Saddle + Key Summit - Two other great day hikes similar to Lake Marian in terms of fitness required and strenuousness.
The Chasm and Blue Pools - The Chasm is a series of waterfalls gushing through a chasm. The power of the water here is quite intense and can be a little scary to watch - even from behind the barrier. Along the walk is a little hidden track to a section of the river that is calm and holds some of the bluest water we’ve ever seen. When starting The Chasm walk, keep an eye out for a DOC donation box. When you see the box on your right, look just behind it and you’ll see a faint track. Follow the track for less than 5 minutes and you’ll come to a beautiful clearing. Take your togs, although it’s chilly a swim in these pools feels so good!
Tutuko Valley - A beautiful place to stop, walk out onto the bridge and take in the views of the rivers and trees leading to the mountains.
A sound is formed by the flooding of a river valley. A fiord is a valley formed by glaciers that later filled with sea water when the glaciers melted. This technically makes Milford Sound, despite its name, a fiord and not a sound.
What to do in Milford Sound?
Milford Sound as you now know is famous for being one of the wettest places in the world. It gets so much rain that they actually measure the annual rainfall in meters instead of millimeters. But as much as rain can ruin an adventure - that is not possible in Milford Sound. After heavy rainfall the whole place comes to life. Massive waterfalls start flowing from everywhere and the fog and cloud creates this dramatic scene that make Milford Sound truly spectacular . Check the weather beforehand (you don’t want to get stuck in one of their many storms) but if it looks like it’s just raining - no worries. Go for it anyway!
Foreshore Walk + Lady Bowen Falls - The Milford Foreshore Walk is a short 15-minute loop walk that takes you to the foreshore. It starts from the car park, goes past the shore, through a little walkway in the forest, and ends at a lookout point with an unobstructed view of Mitre Peak. Wander along the foreshore and take in the beauty of the Lady Bowen Falls.
Famous Milford Sound Swing - When you get to the waterfront after taking the foreshore walk, look to your right and you’ll spot the swing! Perfect spot to chill out and always a fun spot for the kids. The swing makes for some awesome family photos!
Cruise or Kayak - A really great way to see Milford Sound is via a boat cruise. We went with one of Southern Discoveries tours that also included the underwater observatory and a kayak cruise. We loved our cruise but believe kayak is the best way to see Milford.
Milford Sound Lookout Track + Picnic Point - The Milford Sound Lookout track begins from the Southern edge of the carpark behind the cafe at Milford Sound. This is a short walk up some stairs to the lookout which boosts spectacular views over Milford Sound.
Go for a drink or feed at the Milford Sound Lodge
Photograph Mitre Peak at sunrise or sunset.
Where to stay in Milford Sound?
When it comes to accommodation you only have a few options! You could always choose to stay in an Air BnB or motel in Te Anau and just do day trips into Milford Sound. Otherwise the Milford Sound Lodge is your only real option inside the park. Make sure you book well in advance as their chalets can fill up quite quickly.
If you have your own camper then there are several awesome campgrounds on the way in! These are some of our favourite campsites in the country and for that reason we’ve done a write up solely on camping in Milford Sound. Check out that blog here for more ideas on where to stay.
Tips and things to remember!
No phone coverage in Milford Sound and on the way there.
Drive carefully and safely - especially in winter time. (We’ve already written off one of our vehicles on this road on black ice).
No petrol stations or supermarkets inside.
Bring bug spray! Lots of it! The sandflies are next level here. They will 100% bite you.
No ATMS. Bring cash.
Parking in Milford Sound is paid. It’s currently $20 for 5 hours. If you want to avoid paying, park at the Deepwater Basin carpark and walk to the foreshore (10 mins).
Milford Sound is certain to be a highlight you’ll talk about for weeks, and it should be on everyone’s list when travelling the South Island.