Explore New Zealand: Unforgettable Day Trip to Milford Sound 🇳🇿

We set off from Te Anau early in the morning, making a few stops along the way in the national park for some short, scenic walks. The total travel time to the boarding point was 3.5 hours, though it could be as short as 2 hours if you skip the stops. We had to arrive at the overnight parking lot by 15:30, which charges 30🔪 per night. We opted for the overnight cruise, which cost over 3000 RMB per person.

At 4 PM, we boarded the ship and were briefed on the itinerary and safety instructions. By 5 PM, we transferred to smaller boats, with the choice between kayaks or small boats, to explore several breathtaking viewpoints. If you’re lucky, you might even spot seals and penguins!

I had been hoping for rain during our Milford Sound trip, and it turned out to be a non-stop downpour. It’s hard to describe the experience of being on the small boat for an hour, constantly oscillating between “forcing myself to endure” and “wow.”

The only advice I can give is, if you visit the fjord on a rainy day, make sure to wear your Gore-Tex jacket, waterproof pants, and rain boots! I made the mistake of wearing leggings, and by the time I got back to the ship, I could have wrung out a bucket of water [disappointed face].

Dinner was a delightful Western-style buffet, and there was also the option to buy wine on board. Although there was no internet 🛜, I was too exhausted to use my phone anyway. I hit the hay around 10 PM [disappointed face].

The next morning, we woke up to clear skies and enjoyed breakfast at 7 AM. We disembarked at 9 AM and headed back to Wanaka.

We decided against the day cruise mainly because driving back and forth for 7-8 hours in one day would be too exhausting. For us, spending a night in the fjord was a unique and unforgettable experience.