Visiting Milford Sound - By Car, Bus or Plane?

Where is Milford Sound and How Do I Get To It?

Most adventurers to Milford Sound, in the South Island of New Zealand, use the tourist mecca of Queenstown as their base for visiting. Many major centres in New Zealand have flights to Queenstown with our national carriers, Air New Zealand and Jetstar.

 While Milfy S looks relatively close to Queenstown on a map, there is a huge mountain range in between them and it is nearly 4 hours drive by car! Add in all the incredible places to stop and explore and the drive can easily take you a whole day.

​With this in mind there are a few ways to travel to Milford Sound depending on your vibe, schedule and budget

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Hire a car and drive yourselves - my personal fav!
Pros: Total freedom! There are so many breathtaking spots along the way to explore and driving yourself also means you can stay a night or two in the sounds and see it when the crowds vanish.
Cons: NZ roads can be a bit daunting if you're not used to them, especially in winter when there is snow and ice to deal with.

Scenic Flight Day Trip
Pros: You'll witness jaw-dropping mountain scenery from above and flying means you can do the sounds in one day if you're tight on time. Fast and furious!
Cons: Hold on to your wallets cause this one's pricey. The other bummer is you'll miss out on the incredible drive in and there's also the risk that weather conditions means your flight gets cancelled.

Bus Tour
Pros: Lean back and soak in the scenery while someone else handles the driving. Ideal for those who want to tick Milford Sound off the bucket list but don't have a lot of time or money for a flight.
Cons: Buckle up for a long day on the road my friend. You won't have the flexibility to stop wherever and whenever you want. Also, brace yourself for peak times at the sounds, as you'll be hanging out with lots of other traveler

If you've decided you want to drive yourself to Milford Sound check out my 3 day, 2 night Self Driven Road Trip Itinerary!