Milford Track or Milford Sound cruise?
What the Milford Track involves
One direction only, huts only, no camping. The Great Walks season runs 1 November to 30 April and hut fees in season are NZD 152 per person per night for international visitors and NZD 106 for New Zealand residents; out of season it is NZD 30. Day three climbs over 500 m to Mackinnon Pass and then drops about 1,000 m, which is why the Department of Conservation rates the walk intermediate to expert and does not recommend it for children under 10. Bookings open months ahead of the season and the popular dates go quickly.
The track ends at Sandfly Point on Milford Sound, and you must have a boat transfer booked, because there is no road access to either end. That is a separate arrangement from any cruise on this site.
What the cruise involves instead
A 15 km run down the fiord and back, 105 minutes to two hours, past Lady Bowen Falls, Mitre Peak and Stirling Falls, with fur seals on the rocks. It needs no fitness, no permit and no planning beyond a booking. The blow-by-blow is in what to expect on board.
You cannot walk around Milford Sound. There is no shoreline track around the fiord. The two walks at the terminal end are the Foreshore Walk and the Bowen Falls track, both short, and both worth doing while you wait for a departure.
If you want walking and a cruise in the same day
The Te Anau coach trip builds short walks of five to thirty minutes into the drive alongside a two-hour cruise that runs out to the Tasman Sea, which is the closest thing to a compromise: tours from Te Anau.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Milford Track the same as a Milford Sound cruise?
No. The track is a 53.5 km walk over four days and three nights that ends at Sandfly Point on the fiord. The cruise is a boat trip of 105 minutes to two hours from the visitor terminal. Doing one does not cover the other.
Do you have to book the Milford Track?
Yes. Huts must be booked, there is no camping, bookings open months before the season and popular dates go quickly. You also need a boat transfer at each end, because there is no road access to either.
How long does it take to walk around Milford Sound?
You cannot. There is no shoreline track around the fiord. The walks at the terminal are the Foreshore Walk and the Bowen Falls track, both short. To see the fiord itself you need a boat, and the options are in all Milford Sound cruises.