Ultimate Guide to Milford Sound Dolphin Watching: Best Tips for a Sunny Day Adventure 🚢🐬

⭐️New Zealand Travel Guide Series (1)⭐️ Continuously updating!

Specifically came to see the fjord landscape, which is not available in the country, and it's the eighth wonder of the world! There are all kinds of polarized reviews on Little Red Book, but after personal testing, it still looks good. If you've seen the karst landscape in Guilin, you'll find it very similar, but the mountains in the fjords are taller and more magnificent!

🚗Transportation: 【Self-driving】: About a 2-hour drive from Te Anau. It takes nearly 5 hours from Queenstown, so it's strongly recommended to stay in Te Anau the day before! Get up early and drive without fatigue! 【Bus】: Multiple travel companies offer bus services from Te Anau and Queenstown, which can be booked together with the boat tickets.

💰Costs: 【Bus + Cruise】: Approximately 1000 RMB/person from Queenstown, about 900 RMB/person from Te Anau 【Cruise Only】: About 600-900 RMB/person 【Self-driving】: 2h parking fee is around $20 NZD

📝Booking Tips: - Book cruise tickets online in advance, especially during peak season (November-March). You can book through the Real NZ official website or domestic third parties, and compare exchange rates. - If choosing the bus, it's recommended to book one week in advance.

💡Tips: It's suggested to choose a boat that departs around 10:30 or 11:00, as there are fewer people and it's the time when animals are active! We were super lucky to see a group of dolphins 🐬 chasing the boat; even the captain said today was very lucky (Photos 12, 13, 14, 15)! Also saw two or three seals 🦭 sunbathing (Photo 16)!

🕒Suggested Itinerary: 【The night before】 Depart from Queenstown to Te Anau around 5 PM.💡You can stop by NPD Mossburn for refueling, where the fuel price is super cheap❗️ 【Morning】 Depart from Te Anau at 8 AM, stopping along the way at Mirror Lakes, Monkey Creek, etc. Arrive at the parking lot around 10 AM, and check-in for the boat around 10:30.

💡The parking lot is about a 10-minute walk from the dock, so make sure to plan your time accordingly❗️ 【Noon】 The cruise ends around 12 PM, and you can return to Te Anau for lunch; or you can directly book a cruise with lunch included (Monarch). 【Evening】 You can go to the Te Anau Glowworm Caves at 5:45 PM, also booked through Real NZ, costing about 500+ RMB/person

🌈Weather: ☁️Fjords on rainy days have a more apocalyptic feel, but if you come in summer (November-February), especially if there has been no rain recently, you might catch a clear, sunny day ☀️... In this case, you can only see one or two waterfalls, and they will get closer for photos when turning back. On a sunny day, it really looks like the Li River in Guilin!

👕Dress Suggestions: Wear a windbreaker + beanie, to protect against wind, rain, and keep warm