Milford Sound

Fly | Cruise | Fly

Our most popular year-round adventure.

Adult

15+ years old

Price from
$ 669
NZD
  •  

Child

3-14 years old

Price from
$ 519
NZD
  •  

Infant

0-2 years old

Under 15kg/33lb
Free
  •  

Family Special

2 Adults (15+ years) + 2 Children (3-14 years)

Save up to $177
$ 2,199
NZD
  •  

Queenstown Airport

Duration

Half Day

Departures

9.00am + 11.30am

Flight Time

1 hr 20 mins

Cruise Time

1 hr 45 mins

Minimum Age

No minimum

Availability

Year-Round

Trip Includes

Highlights

Book your Milford Sound Scenic Flyover

MILFORD SOUND

FLY | CRUISE | FLY

Milford Sound
Fly | Cruise | Fly
Book Now
Milford Sound
Fly | Cruise | Fly
Book Now
Milford Sound
Fly | Cruise | Fly
Book Now
Milford Sound
Fly | Cruise | Fly
Book Now

THIS IS WHY WE FLY

Milford Sound FAQ's

What time is check in?

Please call us on 0800 676 264 1 hour before your scheduled flight time on the day of your flight for your Weather Check.

If you are self driving to us at Queenstown Airport, your check in time is 30 minutes prior to departure.

How long is this trip?

This is a Half Day experience.

From check in 30 minutes before departure, to landing back at Queenstown Airport, is approximately 5 hours. Please note, this does not include time for self-driving or using our complimentary transfers. If you have plans immediately either side of your experience with us, please let us know.

What time is best to fly?

It’s always a good time to fly! If the option is there, we would suggest either our 9.00am or 1.45pm departures. Please note, our 1.45pm departure time is only available at certain times of the year. Whilst we cannot guarantee it, Milford Sound can sometimes be a little bit quieter at these times.

What should I bring?

We suggest you bring the following with you to make it a great day out:

  • Any essential medication
  • Sunglasses
  • Sunscreen
  • Bug Spray
  • Camera – make sure it’s fully charged
  • Warm clothing layers – you’ll want to enjoy the open-air viewing decks where it can get chilly
  • Sensible footwear
  • Bottle of water
How long is the scenic flight?

Your flights between Queenstown and Milford Sound are approximately 40 minutes each way.

How long is the cruise?

Your Nature Cruise through Milford Sound with our partners Southern Discoveries is 1 hour 45 mins.

Is food included with the cruise?

No, lunch is not included. When making your booking online, you have the option to add a picnic lunch for an additional cost that will be ready for you on the cruise. We have vegetarian, vegan, and gluten free options available.

Complimentary tea, coffee and water is available. A selection of small snacks are available to purchase onboard. You are also welcome to bring snacks of your own.

Is there an indoor area on the cruise?

Yes, the cruise has a large indoor area with comfortable seating and tables.

What will I see on the cruise?

Your cruise through Milford Sound is on a boat with a large open-top deck and comfy interior cabins with full-height windows for optimal viewing. Take in the stunning scenery of Mitre Peak, Stirling Falls, Copper Point, and the Tasman Sea. Keep an eye out for seals, dolphins and penguins.

Is the cruise suitable for an infant?

We would say the cruise is suitable for all ages.

Is there a nappy changing facility/station available inside the cruise?

Yes, there is a nappy changing facility onboard the cruise.

What happens if the weather prevents us from flying back to Queenstown?

Our pilots will always look at the forecast for the full duration of your trip and if we feel like the weather may change, we will not leave Queenstown. Due to the weather-dependent nature of flying in the Southern Alps to Milford Sound, it is unfortunate that there are very rare occasions where the forecast changes on us and although uncommon, it can be a case that we are unable to operate the return flight. The safety of our passengers is always our highest priority and in the unlikely event that this ever occurs, we will arrange coach transfers back to Queenstown. We fully appreciate the inconvenience this will cause and do everything we can to look after our passengers.

Explore Milford at your own pace

Looking for 2 hours on the ground at Milford Sound to embark on short scenic walks instead of taking the cruise? Check out our Milford Sound Fly | Explore | Fly.

Enhance user experience with Advanced Tabs, allowing seamless content navigation. Organize information efficiently while keeping the interface clean and interactive. Perfect for FAQs, product details, or multi-section content.

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Enhance user experience with Advanced Tabs, allowing seamless content navigation. Organize information efficiently while keeping the interface clean and interactive. Perfect for FAQs, product details, or multi-section content.
Enhance user experience with Advanced Tabs, allowing seamless content navigation. Organize information efficiently while keeping the interface clean and interactive. Perfect for FAQs, product details, or multi-section content.

Far far away, behind the word mountains, far from the countries Vokalia and Consonantia, there live the blind texts. Separated they live in Bookmarksgrove right at the coast

Far far away, behind the word mountains, far from the countries Vokalia and Consonantia, there live the blind texts. Separated they live in Bookmarksgrove right at the coast

Far far away, behind the word mountains, far from the countries Vokalia and Consonantia, there live the blind texts. Separated they live in Bookmarksgrove right at the coast

Milford Sound FAQ's

For additional questions or enquiries

What time is check in?

Please call us on 0800 676 264 1 hour before your scheduled flight time on the day of your flight for your Weather Check.

If you are self driving to us at Queenstown Airport, your check in time is 30 minutes prior to departure.

How long is this trip?

This is a Half Day experience. From check in 30 minutes before departure, to landing back at Queenstown Airport, is approximately 5 to 5 1/2 hours. Please note, this does not include time for self-driving or using our complimentary transfers. If you have plans immediately either side of your experience with us, please let us know.

What is the Southern Discoveries app?

Download the Southern Discoveries app before your departure onto your phone to hear commentary along your coach, cruise, and flight journey to Milford Sound, with the audio activating automatically when you near points of interest.

This app utilises GPS triggers, so it doesn’t require WIFI to work.

It is available in English, German, Spanish, French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, and Chinese Simplified for the cruise portion and English, German, Spanish, French, and Mandarin for your flight.

You will find a QR code link to this app in your email confirmation.

What time is best to fly?

It’s always a good time to fly! If the option is there, we would suggest either our 9.00am or 1.45pm departures. Please note, our 1.45pm departure time is only available at certain times of the year. Whilst we cannot guarantee it, Milford Sound can sometimes be a little bit quieter at these times.

What should I bring?

We suggest you bring the following with you to make it a great day out:

  • Any essential medication
  • Sunglasses
  • Sunscreen
  • Bug Spray
  • Camera – make sure it’s fully charged
  • Warm clothing layers – you’ll want to enjoy the open-air viewing decks where it can get chilly
  • Sensible footwear
  • Bottle of water
How long is the scenic flight?

Your flights between Queenstown and Milford Sound are approximately 40 minutes each way.

How long is the cruise?

Your Nature Cruise through Milford Sound with our partners Southern Discoveries is 1 hour 45 mins.

Is food included with the cruise?

No, lunch is not included. When making your booking online, you have the option to add a picnic lunch for an additional cost that will be ready for you on the cruise. There are vegetarian, vegan, and gluten free options available.

Complimentary tea, coffee and water is available. A selection of small snacks are available to purchase onboard. You are also welcome to bring snacks of your own.

Is there an outdoor area on the cruise?

Yes, the cruise has a large indoor area with comfortable seating and tables.

What will I see on the cruise?

Your cruise through Milford Sound is on a boat with a large open-top deck and comfy interior cabins with full-height windows for optimal viewing. Take in the stunning scenery of Mitre Peak, Stirling Falls, Copper Point, and the Tasman Sea. Keep an eye out for seals, dolphins and penguins.

Is the cruise suitable for an infant?

We would say the cruise is suitable for all ages.

Is there a nappy changing facility/station available inside the cruise?

Yes, there is a nappy changing facility onboard the cruise.

What happens if the weather prevents us from flying back to Queenstown?

Our pilots will always look at the forecast for the full duration of your trip and if we feel like the weather may change, we will not leave Queenstown.

Due to the weather-dependent nature of flying in the Southern Alps to Milford Sound, it is unfortunate that there are very rare occasions where the forecast changes on us and although uncommon, it can be a case that we are unable to operate the return flight. The safety of our passengers is always our highest priority and in the unlikely event that this ever occurs, we will arrange coach transfers back to Queenstown. We fully appreciate the inconvenience this will cause and do everything we can to look after our passengers.

Our History

Established in 1992, Glenorchy Air was founded by Robert and Janet Rutherford. At the time, the stunning road from Queenstown to Glenorchy was unsealed, making it not as accessible as it is today. They saw an opportunity to begin an operation there and once the road was sealed six years later, focus shifted to our base at Queenstown Airport, which we still occupy today. Glenorchy Air has been operated as a true Family business from day one, with the entire Rutherford family being involved in the business through the years.

We’ve evolved over our 30 years of operation. We’ve grown from a single aircraft in 1992 to a fleet size of 5 in 2017. Glenorchy Air was the first Queenstown-based company to operate the GA8 Airvan in 2003 and use of this aircraft is now widespread for sightseeing tours in New Zealand and abroad. In 1999, when filming for Lord of the Rings started, Glenorchy Air flew production crew and actors, memorably Sir Ian McKellen and Viggo Mortensen, around the region as well as transporting film and carrying out location reconnaissance. Our fleet today consists of 5 carefully selected and custom built aircraft, all purposefully built for sightseeing.

In July 2019, James Stokes took to the helm at Glenorchy Air. James is a Queenstown local who is incredibly passionate about aviation and our beautiful region. He has flown for Glenorchy Air since 2015 and before purchasing the business, was the company’s Training Captain and Flight Examiner. James is a CAA certificated Airline Flight Examiner with years of mountain flying experience and has a strong background in flight instruction of both private and commercial pilots, all gained in the local area. It is a dream come true for James to own and operate his own scenic flight business in Queenstown.

All of Glenorchy Air’s pilots are trained and assessed to the highest standards of competence and safety by James and our other highly experienced operational instructors, who have thousands of hours in the mountains of Central Otago and Fiordland. Our Pilots and Ground staff are all highly skilled and experienced locals with an excellent standard of customer service. We love where we live and where we work.

  • Glenorchy Air is founded

    Glenorchy Air was established as a family-owned and operated business by Robert and Janet Rutherford in November at 1992. Named after Glenorchy, a beautiful township at the head of Lake Wakatipu, they operated one Cessna 185C Skywagon, ZK-CHK.

    1992
  • Lord of the Rings Filming

    When filming for Lord of the Rings was taking place, Glenorchy Air transported members of the cast and crew and film equipment. This included producer Barrie Osbourne and actor Sir Ian McKellen.

    1999
  • Queenstown Airport office is built

    Glenorchy Air establishes its base within the Queenstown Airport terminal. This continues to serve as our hub to this day. Come visit us today!

    2001
  • ZK-LOR is purchased

    Gippsaero GA8 ZK-LOR is purchased. It was the first brand new aircraft to arrive on the flight scene in Queenstown since 1975.

    2003
  • Under New Ownership

    On 1 July 2019, James Stokes, a pilot of Glenorchy Air since 2015, purchased the company. The company underwent a modern rebranding, which included purchasing a brand new fleet of transfer vans for complimentary pickups, custom branding on our aircraft and a complete renovation of our kiosk inside Queenstown Airport.

    2019
  • Glenorchy Air is founded

    Glenorchy Air was established as a family-owned and operated business by Robert and Janet Rutherford in November at 1992. Named after Glenorchy, a beautiful township at the head of Lake Wakatipu, they operated one Cessna 185C Skywagon, ZK-CHK.

    1992
  • Lord of the Rings Filming

    When filming for Lord of the Rings was taking place, Glenorchy Air transported members of the cast and crew and film equipment. This included producer Barrie Osbourne and actor Sir Ian McKellen.

    1999
  • Queenstown Airport office is built

    Glenorchy Air establishes its base within the Queenstown Airport terminal. This continues to serve as our hub to this day. Come visit us today!

    2001
  • ZK-LOR is purchased

    Gippsaero GA8 ZK-LOR is purchased. It was the first brand new aircraft to arrive on the flight scene in Queenstown since 1975.

    2003
  • Under New Ownership

    On 1 July 2019, James Stokes, a pilot of Glenorchy Air since 2015, purchased the company. The company underwent a modern rebranding, which included purchasing a brand new fleet of transfer vans for complimentary pickups, custom branding on our aircraft and a complete renovation of our kiosk inside Queenstown Airport.

    2019

Scenic Flights
How long is this trip?

This is a Half Day experience. From check in 30 minutes before departure, to landing back at Queenstown Airport, is approximately 5 to 5 1/2 hours. Please note, this does not include time for self-driving or using our complimentary transfers. If you have plans immediately either side of your experience with us, please let us know.

What time is best to fly?

It’s always a good time to fly! If the option is there, we would suggest either our 9.00am or 1.30pm departures. Please note, our 1.30pm departure time is only available at certain times of the year. Whilst we cannot guarantee it, Milford Sound can sometimes be a little bit quieter at these times.

What should I bring?

We suggest you bring the following with you to make it a great day out:

  • Any essential medication
  • Sunglasses
  • Sunscreen
  • Bug Spray
  • Camera – make sure it’s fully charged
  • Warm clothing layers – you’ll want to enjoy the open-air viewing decks where it can get chilly
  • Sensible footwear
  • Bottle of water
How long is the scenic flight?

Your flights between Queenstown and Milford Sound are approximately 40 minutes each way.

How long is the cruise?

Your Nature Cruise through Milford Sound with our partners Southern Discoveries is 1 hour 45 mins.

Is food included with the cruise?

No, lunch is not included. When making your booking online, you have the option to add a picnic lunch for an additional cost that will be ready for you on the cruise. We have vegetarian, vegan, and gluten free options available.

Complimentary tea, coffee and water is available. A selection of small snacks are available to purchase onboard. You are also welcome to bring snacks of your own.

Is there an indoor area on the cruise?

Yes, the cruise has a large indoor area with comfortable seating and tables.

What will I see on the cruise?

Your cruise through Milford Sound is on a boat with a large open-top deck and comfy interior cabins with full-height windows for optimal viewing. Take in the stunning scenery of Mitre Peak, Stirling Falls, Copper Point, and the Tasman Sea. Keep an eye out for seals, dolphins and penguins.

Is the cruise suitable for an infant?

We would say the cruise is suitable for all ages.

Is there a nappy changing facility/station available inside the cruise?

Yes, there is a nappy changing facility onboard the cruise.

What happens if the weather prevents us from flying back to Queenstown?

Our pilots will always look at the forecast for the full duration of your trip and if we feel like the weather may change, we will not leave Queenstown. Due to the weather-dependent nature of flying in the Southern Alps to Milford Sound, it is unfortunate that there are very rare occasions where the forecast changes on us and although uncommon, it can be a case that we are unable to operate the return flight. The safety of our passengers is always our highest priority and in the unlikely event that this ever occurs, we will arrange coach transfers back to Queenstown. We fully appreciate the inconvenience this will cause and do everything we can to look after our passengers.