Milford Sound Cruise and Underwater Observatory and Day Tour Option

I had an amazing time on the cruise seeing Milford Sound. We were lucky enough to go on a gloomy/ rainy day which allowed us to see more waterfalls than usual. If you’re lucky, you might see fur seals and dolphins (which we did🤗).

It was a very good experience. I heard that more than half of the weather in the fjord was raining, but we were very lucky (maybe unlucky?) on the day we went. The weather was great👍. Therefore, although we couldn’t see anything spectacular, waterfall, but the visibility at the underwater observation station was super high hahaha. I really like the various explanations at the underwater observation station. They are much more detailed than the explanations on the boat, but in fact I feel that the things we can see at the underwater observation station are not as good. Although I saw super rare black corals, if you are not really interested in underwater, you don’t need to arrange this underwater observation station. Although Klook showed that meals were not included when we ordered, we still received a small lunch box when we boarded the ship. Although the lunch box did not arrive and was delicious, it was still an unexpected surprise. This time we sailed and only saw one fur seal basking in the sun or hiding behind rocks. The captain has a very good eye. The waterfalls were beautiful but I was still looking forward to seeing many spectacular waterfalls, I felt the waterfalls on a sunny day were not spectacular enough. The month we went was October, and it was sunny so it wasn't too cold. However, if the wind blows on the deck while the ship is sailing, you will still feel a little cooler. It is recommended that everyone bring a jacket, and a waterproof jacket, because the captain The boat will be driven very close to the waterfall, and it will get very wet when taking pictures, but it is very fun!

Beautiful sound with a great weather! We went in summer but super cold in the morning, they provide free drinks on board to warm up, then became hot after the sun comes out! The meal was nice! Moreover, We saw waterfall, seal, and black coral.

It’s a tourist attraction that has been admired for a long time, but the amount of water has decreased in autumn, and the waterfall scenery is not as grand as expected. The overall feeling is good. The only regret is that the underwater world is not exciting or even disappointing. It is better to visit the Marine Life Museum in Pingtung!

Had a very sunny day and a great time out in Milford. The boat was fully booked but it was still very spacious on board. Provided lunch was really like a little one pax picnic which should be filling enough for most people tho the sandwich is cold as it’s directly from the chiller. We didn’t get to see many waterfalls because it hadn’t been raining so tbh “good” sunny weather may not be the best for visiting Milford!! The underwater observatory was not anything spectacular as the visibility was horrible the day we were there. The information panels in the centre above was more interesting than the observatory lol Oh and if you’re intending to self-drive there, do plan at least 2.5hrs driving time from Te Anau instead of the 1.5hrs that Gmaps says as the roads are super curvy and mountainous plus there’s a one-lane 1.2km long tunnel which can take a long time when the traffic lights are in force (throughout the year except during winter I think?). Parking is also not free - as of Apr 2023, it’s $25 for 5hrs and a 10-15mins walk to the visitor centre to check in.

We had an amazing 3-4 hours on the cruise seeing the fiord and the underwater observatory. Highly recommend this experience and I promise it is worth the drive!

Cruising through the Fiord was breathtaking. The cruise also went near the waterfalls, it was amazing feeling it so up close. Must go destination when in the South Island. Sadly, the underwater observatory was closed as it was damaged but the tour company gave $25 voucher to spend on their goods or food.

hassle free way to explore Milford Sound. pay with local credit card and save on exchange rate and admin fees. the trip is awesome and captures that all Milford Sound has to offer and the bonus stop to the deep water observatory was simple breathtaking !

wonderful cruise with the visit to the underwater observatory! totally worth it. the cruise was wonderful and we even spotted sea lions and penguins. the underwater observatory is amazing! you will see marine life when you walk down the stairs to a 10m deep observatory.

We actually encountered excellent weather in one of the wettest places in the world, but the waterfalls were not as spectacular, so the scenery was different whether the weather was good or bad. The underwater observation deck is a big plus. What species you can encounter depends entirely on luck, but it is well worth a visit to broaden your knowledge. Recommended!