Itinerary
Day 1: Queenstown to Milford Sound and Te Anau
Pass By: Queenstown, Queenstown, Otago Region, South Island
Your tour starts in the stunning city of Queenstown. As we drive out of the city your guide will not only set the scene for your adventure today but also point out and guide you past some of the area’s top highlights.
Stop At: Lake Wakatipu, Queenstown New Zealand
Departing Queenstown we wind our way around Lake Wakatipu to Devils Staircase. This elevated windy part of the road with amazing views of The Remarkables Mountain Range and the lake makes stopping for photos a must.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Lake Te Anau, Te Anau, Fiordland National Park New Zealand
After more amazing mountain, river and farmland views we arrive in Te Anau township for a quick break before continuing along the lake and stopping at Te Anau Downs the starting point for the Milford Track to hear the stories and admire the views.
Duration: 20 minutes
Stop At: Eglinton Valley, Milford Sound New Zealand
Leaving Te Anau and entering Fiordland National Park we stop in Eglinton Valley. With views worthy of Lord of the Rings this valley follows the path of an ancient glacier through Fiordland, one of the first major attractions as you enter the park, it really sets the scene for a journey that only gets more impressive the deeper you get.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Mirror Lakes Walk, Milford Road,, Fiordland National Park New Zealand
Our next stop on this epic adventure is Mirror Lakes for a short stroll to see the famous reflections of the Earl Mountains. Get the right day, take a good picture and no one will be able to tell which way is the right way up for the photo.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Lake Gunn, State Highway 94, Fiordland National Park New Zealand
Continuing along the Milford Road we come across Lake Gunn. Named after a famous explorer and popular for fishing, often we will stop at Lake Gunn for some photos and to enjoy the peace.
Duration: 5 minutes
Pass By: Hollyford River / Whakatipu Kā Tuka, Southland 9679, New Zealand
A short drive away we start passing the Hollyford River, a gorgeous and powerful river full of large boulders and rapids. Feeding into the river at Falls Creek is the first of our extremely impressive waterfalls of the area, one of many to come.
Stop At: Darran Mountains, Southland 9679, New Zealand
Climbing in altitude we go deeper into the Darran Mountains and these views require another stop to admire and take photos. We are also entering the area where Kea (the world’s largest alpine parrot) likes to live. Start keeping an eye out for these large, cheeky and colourful birds that never fail to thrill and entertain when found.
Duration: 10 minutes
Pass By: Homer Tunnel, 94 S.h., Milford Sound New Zealand
To make our way back down towards the sea we enter the mind-blowing, hand-built Homer Tunnel while hearing the incredible history and stories. Emerging from the tunnel the valley descends sharply towards Milford Sound and on a rainy day you will see hundreds of waterfalls cascading down the mountain side.
Stop At: Milford Sound, Milford Sound, Southland Region, South Island
Following the valleys to the sea we arrive at Milford Sound where you will board your cruise with Cruise Milford (the No. 1 Cruise operator in Milford Sound on TripAdvisor). The Cruise Milford experience offers a boutique cruise on a smaller boat which is less crowded and a crew that offers a much more informative and personal tour of Milford Sound. The smaller boat means you get closer to the wildlife and nature (including the New Zealand fur seals basking on the rocks), massive rock faces rising for hundreds of metres out of the sea and the waterfalls cascading from ancient rainforest high in the mountains. This cruise is unbeatable.
Duration: 2 hours
Pass By: Mitre Peak, Fiordland National Park New Zealand
While on the boat cruise you will be able to marvel at the awe-inspiring Mitre Peak, the iconic Milford Sound mountain, with its steep triangular peak rising high up above the reflective waters of the Milford Sound.
Stop At: Pops View Look Out, Milford Sound New Zealand
After your cruise do not fear the adventure is not over, there is the return journey with many more amazing stops. One stop is Pop’s View Lookout where we pull over to admire the elevated amazing views of the divide in the Southern Alps, close to the start of the Routeburn Track. While here the guide will tell you the stories of ancient Maori explorers.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Te Anau, Te Anau, Fiordland National Park, Southland Region, South Island
As day 1 comes to a close we drop you off for your overnight stay in Te Anau early evening so you can enjoy a nice dinner at a local restaurant or maybe take a walk around the lake.
Duration: 14 hours
Meals included:
• Lunch: Picnic Lunch (Day 1)
Accommodation included: Overnight at Te Anau in Studio Airbnb or 3* hotel included in tour price.
Day 2: Te Anau Highlights and return to Queenstown
Stop At: Te Anau, Te Anau, Fiordland National Park, Southland Region, South Island
Your tour starts again in Te Anau as we pick you up from your hotel and explore the lake edges, visiting one of our favourite spots for a great photos of Lake Te Anau. During your journey and throughout the day our guides will share the stories, history and interesting facts of the area with you, setting the scene for the day.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Te Anau Bird Sanctuary, Lakefront Drive, Te Anau, Fiordland National Park 9600 New Zealand
Once you have that perfect shot from the lake we will continue to the Te Anau Bird Sanctuary for a guided tour and to see some of the rarest birds in the country including the Takahe and Kaka. You will learn about these animals and local environment while exploring this Te Anau asset.
Duration: 20 minutes
Stop At: The Kepler Mire (String Bog), Manapouri 9679, New Zealand
Our journey continues to our first famous Lord of the Rings attraction, a viewpoint looking over The Dead Marshes from an elevated position. From here you can see where Frodo and Sam waded their way through the mud trying to get to Mordor. We will tell you the stories and let you imagination the rest.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Rainbow Reach Road, Manapouri 9679, New Zealand
Moving on, we visit a sight loved by hikers, Lord of the Rings fans and locals alike, Rainbow Reach. A cable bridged over the stunning Waiau River (known as The River Anduin in LOTR) leads us to the start of the Kepler Track and one of the beautiful forests of Fiordland National Park. Here we will hear some of the LOTR stories as well as learn about some of the amazing biodiversity we have in the park.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Lake Manapouri, New Zealand
We follow the river from Rainbow Reach to one of New Zealand most famous lakes, Lake Manapouri, the gateway to the Doubtful Sounds. We will spend some time exploring the shores of this crystal-clear lake and hearing about its history including the construction of the Manapouri hydro dam, the largest in the country. Once we have had a look around, we take time for a quick break at one of the local coffee shops.
Duration: 25 minutes
Stop At: Mavora Lakes Park, Fiordland National Park New Zealand
Departing Manapouri we make our way to one of the most famous LOTR sites and hidden gems of the region, Mavora Lakes. Here you will find amazing landscapes but also several famous LOTR filming locations including two locations of Orc battles, where Pippin & Merry enter Fangorn Forest to escape the Orcs, and where Frodo and Sam leave the Fellowship and cross the lake. This spot is paradise for nature lovers and LOTR fans alike so while here we will enjoy some free time to explore, eat lunch (additional extra or self-supplied) or maybe use some of our props and recreate some of the movie scenes!
Duration: 40 minutes
Stop At: Te Anau, Te Anau, Fiordland National Park, Southland Region, South Island
Sadly the highlights section of your tour is coming to an end as we make our way back to Te Anau town centre but your Te Anau adventure should not finish there. Why not add one of the amazing Te Anau activities as an additional optional extra to complete your day? (See Te Anau Highlights & Lord of the Ring Small Group Tour for options)
Duration: 3 hours
Stop At: Queenstown, Queenstown, Otago Region, South Island
After activities or free time in Te Anau, you will be picked up early evening for a fully guided tour back to Queenstown and the end of your Fiordland adventure.
Duration: 2 hours
No meals included on this day.
No accommodation included on this day.