Best Milford Sound Cruise Experience: PureMilford Tours Highly Recommended

I had been eagerly anticipating a rainy day at Milford Sound. Booking tickets a few days in advance on the Bookme platform can secure you a nice discount. Fearing a sunny day, I checked the weather and booked my tickets one or two days ahead. While the boats from RealNZ and Southern Discoveries are well-known, I felt the timing wasn’t quite right, and I ended up booking with PureMilford by chance.

The experience was absolutely perfect! The cockpit was open (as shown in picture 2), and the captain was both humorous and relaxed. To my surprise, he invited me to the driver’s seat to steer the boat. I initially thought he was joking, but it turned out to be a real offer!

There were relatively fewer passengers on the boat, and the crew members were incredibly enthusiastic about helping take photos. Although I didn’t get to experience the Underwater Observatory of Southern Discoveries—it was fully booked for a month when I checked—other aspects such as geology, wildlife, and waterfalls were thoroughly covered.

We booked the 11:00 AM departure. We stayed in Te Anau the night before, and the drive took us an hour and forty minutes. Free parking is available at Deepwater Basin Parking & Bus, which is a 20-minute walk to the dock. The cruise lasted about two hours, and we disembarked at 1:00 PM. If you’re driving from Queenstown, it takes around four hours, and you can book the 1:00 PM departure, though it will be a bit more expensive than the morning one.

The area near Homer Tunnel is breathtakingly beautiful! On overcast days, it has an almost apocalyptic feel (as shown in pictures 3 and 4).