Milford Sound or Doubtful Sound

Milford Sound is easily accessed by driving. Located at the end of Milford Road in Fiordland National Park, the approximate driving times to reach Milford Sound are: 2 hours from Te Anau; or 4 hours from Queenstown
Doubtful Sound is only accessible by boat. In order to visit Doubtful Sound you will need to drive to the town of Manapouri: 20 minutes from Te Anau; or 2 hours from Queenstown. From Manapouri you can join a cruise that will take you across Lake Manapouri, over Wilmot Pass, and on to Doubtful Sound.

Milford Sound is 16 kilometres in length, with towering mountains rising straight up out of the water in a fairly spectacular fashion
Doubtful Sound is significantly larger, stretching a whopping 40 kilometres in length, with three different 'arms' to explore along the way

Milford Sound is a great option for a day trip if that's all you have time for. As it is easy to access, travel time is minimised getting there and you can spend more of your day exploring the beautiful area. Take a look at our blog about cruising on Milford Sound.
Doubtful Sound can be a little travel heavy for a day trip - with the extra 2 hours from Manapouri to get to Deep Cove where your Doubtful Sound cruise begins, consider taking an overnight cruise on Doubtful Sound if you have the time. This is an amazing way to fully enjoy your Fiordland experience

Mirror Lakes: incredibly still lakes with stunning mountain reflections along the Milford Road
the Chasm: an easy 20-minute return walk to the incredible Chasm Falls, a beautiful waterfall and a great spot for a driving break
Homer Tunnel: drive through the amazing engineering feet of the Homer Tunnel, a 1.5 kilometre driving tunnel through solid granite
Mitre Peak: the iconic peak of Milford Sound, rising 1,692 metres out of the water

Silence: dubbed the 'Sound of Silence', the remoteness of Doubtful Sound and the limited visitors mean a beautifully peaceful trip, and the ability to immerse yourself in the sounds of the national park
Lake Manapouri: begin your tour by boating across Lake Manapouri, you get 2 boat cruises in 1 with a Doubtful Sound trip
Wilmot Pass: travelled by few people, the stunning drive over the pass is great for getting some scenic photos of Fiordland
Multiple arms: with the incredible length and breadth of Doubtful Sound, there are multiple different areas to explore on your journey