Trade 8 hours of coach for two 40-minute flights over the Southern Alps. The most expensive Milford day, and the shortest.
Pick a day, or the first and last day you are in Queenstown, Te Anau or at Milford. We check the booking calendar of every tour in this section and show which ones still have places.
On the water: 2 h
On the water: Up to 2 h
On the water: 1 h 45 min
Duration: 4 h
On the water: 2 h
On the water: 1.5 h
Two operators fly from Queenstown to Milford Sound and back with a cruise in between. Milford Sound Scenic Flights (product t115240) is the classic Fly-Cruise-Fly: a 2-hour cruise, about 5 hours door to door. Glenorchy Air (product t249982) lands beneath Mitre Peak, adds a nature cruise of about 1 h 45 and flies back on a different route; the trip takes about 4.5 hours.
From the air you see glaciers, snow-capped ranges and hanging lakes. Milford Sound Scenic Flights is among the highest-rated Milford tours on GetYourGuide.
The tours below, side by side. Open a card for the route, the meeting point and what is included.
Fly both ways. 5-hour day. Cruise partner: Mitre Peak. One of the highest-rated Milford tours.
The classic Fly-Cruise-Fly: fly out from Queenstown over Mt Aspiring and Fiordland National Parks (30–40 min), 2-hour cruise on Milford Sound with Mitre Peak Cruises, then fly back over a different route to catch the Southern Alps from another angle. Total day: about 5 hours door to door, the fastest way to see Milford.
Every seat is a window seat (guaranteed on both legs). The aerial view over the glaciers, hanging valleys and snow-capped ranges is the product; if flying isn't for you, the coach + cruise gives you the fiord itself for less money.
On the cruise, Mitre Peak Cruises runs smaller boats with 60 or 75 places, good sightlines, close-in waterfall approaches. Occasionally, if Mitre Peak is at capacity, an alternative cruise operator is used.
Weight limit: 150 kg per passenger. No food on the cruise. Bring a small bag if you get hungry.
Queenstown hotel pickup at specified locations, or self-drive to the Milford Sound Scenic Flights hangar. Check in 45 minutes before departure.
Tour details as the cruise or flight operator lists them on the booking platform.
Glaciers from the air, landing beneath Mitre Peak, then a cruise on the fiord. About 4.5 hours.
About 4.5 hours from Queenstown: fly to Milford Sound, land beneath Mitre Peak, cruise the fiord and fly back on a different route. Glenorchy Air flies fixed-wing aircraft; every passenger has a window seat, and the local pilot commentates in flight.
The outbound flight passes Coronet Peak, Skippers Canyon and the Shotover River, follows Lake Wakatipu and the Dart River valley into Mount Aspiring National Park, and crosses the Olivine Ice Plateau, Mount Tutoko and the Tutoko Glacier before descending over the Tasman coast into Milford Sound. After landing, a short walk through beech forest leads to the boat.
The nature cruise lasts about 1 h 45 and runs the length of the fiord, past Stirling Falls; seals, penguins and dolphins are possible. Tea, coffee and water are included on the boat, food can be bought. Pickup at selected hotels and transfers to Queenstown Airport are included. Not suitable for passengers over 140 kg.
Tour details as the cruise or flight operator lists them on the booking platform.
Two 40-minute flights from Queenstown with a guaranteed window seat, a 1 h 45 cruise on a smaller boat, and hotel transfers.
About four hours from Queenstown. A shuttle collects you from central accommodation (or you park for free all day near the New World supermarket) and the flight to Milford Sound takes about 40 minutes, with a guaranteed window seat. From the Milford airstrip you take a shuttle or a 15-minute walk through the bush to the terminal.
The cruise lasts 1 hour 45 minutes on a modern catamaran, one of the smaller boats on the fiord, and goes up to the base of Mitre Peak. The pilots wait for you after the cruise and fly you back.
If you drive yourself, park at the New World supermarket car park and bring your car's registration number; the office is across the car park behind the Big Barrel Liquor Company.
Tour details as the cruise or flight operator lists them on the booking platform.
Helicopter from Queenstown to Milford Sound, a cruise on the fiord, and a glacier or mountain landing on the way back. About 4 hours.
About four hours from Queenstown: a helicopter flight over Fiordland National Park, a landing at Milford Sound and a cruise on the fiord, then a flight back with a landing on a glacier or a mountain. A courtesy coach brings you from selected pickup points to the helicopter base.
The pilots fly regularly for film crews and point out filming locations on the way. Depending on the season there may be no snow at the landing site, especially in summer. The cruise partner is Southern Discoveries; a picnic lunch or buffet can be added when you book.
Tour details as the cruise or flight operator lists them on the booking platform.
At most 6 passengers, a 40-minute helicopter flight each way, a 2-hour boutique cruise and an alpine landing on the way back.
The Helicopter Line collects you from your hotel in Queenstown and takes you to its base in Frankton for the safety briefing. The flight to Milford Sound takes about 40 minutes, over alpine lakes, waterfalls and glaciers, with commentary from the pilot.
At Milford Sound you join a 2-hour boutique cruise. On the way back the helicopter lands at a remote alpine spot. Landing and conservation fees are included in the price.
Tour details as the cruise or flight operator lists them on the booking platform.
From Wanaka over Mount Aspiring National Park and the Olivine Ice Plateau, a nature cruise out to the Tasman Sea, and back on a different route.
This trip starts at Wanaka Airport, not Queenstown. The flight crosses Lake Wanaka and Mount Aspiring National Park, the Southern Alps and the Olivine Ice Plateau, then runs the length of Milford Sound before landing.
The nature cruise covers the 16 km of the fiord and goes out to the Tasman Sea when the weather allows. Tea and coffee are free; food and other drinks are sold on board. The pilot meets you at the wharf, and the flight back takes a different route over the Dart Valley, Glenorchy and the Shotover River. You are back in Wanaka about four hours after take-off. Southern Alps Air gives about 40 minutes of flying each way and a cruise of about 1.5 hours.
Southern Alps Air, 12 Lloyd Dunn Avenue, Wanaka.
Tour details as the cruise or flight operator lists them on the booking platform.
Flights only go when the weather allows, because pilot safety comes first. Milford Sound Scenic Flights refunds in full if the flight is cancelled due to weather, and both tours can be cancelled free of charge up to 24 hours in advance. Book early in your stay so there is room to move the flight.
For time-constrained travellers yes. For flight-averse travellers no. The extra money buys the view from above (glaciers, the Southern Alps, Fiordland) and a day of about 5 hours instead of 12. If you have the day, the coach + cruise still delivers the fiord itself.
Both operators run modern single-engine planes with certified commercial pilots. Weight limits apply (Milford Sound Scenic Flights: 150 kg; Glenorchy Air: 140 kg). Motion sickness is uncommon but possible in turbulence.
Yes. Milford Sound Scenic Flights guarantees window seats on both flights, and Glenorchy Air includes a window seat in the booking. This is why they can command the premium price: the aerial view is the product.