Cruise Milford NZ: Top-Rated Boutique Cruise Experience in New Zealand

Experience the top-rated boutique cruise in New Zealand at Cruise Milford NZ. Enjoy an uncrowded small boat cruise on Milford Sound, with luxury seating and exceptional customer service. Get up close to seals, dolphins, and penguins in their natural habitat.

Duration: 1 hour, 45 minutes
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Milford Sound - The best thing about Milford Sound Cruises is that the weather doesn’t matter! On a sunny day, it is beautiful and on a wet day it is spectacular! Fiordland has some of the worlds highest waterfalls and they are a popular feature of Milford Sound. In all weather, you will see water cascading down massive cliffs into the sea….
What's Included
  • Complimentary coffee, tea, and biscuits on all sailings
What's Not Included
  • No food sold on-board the cruise
  • Parking fee- $10 per hour (Payment can be made at the parking stations on site with card only).
Additional Information

Rated one of the Top 10 Experiences in New Zealand.
Join our boutique small boat cruise and experience Milford Sound the “local” way. We limit passenger numbers on all cruises to half of the boats capacity (capacity 150 passengers) to guarantee an uncrowded and much more personal experience.
Let us show you our backyard on this once in a lifetime…

Location
Cruise Milford
Milford Sound Highway
Cruise Departure Point: Cruise Milford NZ counter(second counter on the left) Address: Milford Sound Visitor Terminal, Milford Sound, Fiordland Paid Car park-10 minute walk/free car park-40 minute walk to the Milford Sound Terminal Dates: Every day of the year (excluding Christmas Day: 25 December)
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.9
(2577 Ratings)
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L7766vgterryb
Apr 28, 2025
Cruise Mildford small boat and amazing experience!!! - This is the company you want to take the Milford Sound cruise with. Small boat, amazing Captain Roger! With a small boat he got us up close to the Dolphins and Fur Seals, and right into the water fall! His narration was perfect. Small boat the Explorers, top deck, back and awesome front access!!!! Make sure you take a morning cruise to beat the traffic in and out of the Milford Sound. Cruise Mildord highly recommended!!!!!!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Stephanie_b
Apr 28, 2025
Boutique cruising done well - Small group cruise with plenty of space and seating options. The staff were amazing. So friendly and helpful throughout the trip.
Review provided by Viator
Jsuzuki7
Apr 27, 2025
Be stunned by the Milford Sound - We did the boutique cruise through Milford Sound and it was an unforgettable experience. The cruise was spacious, allowing everyone to move around freely and take plenty of photos of the stunning fiord. Our captain did a fantastic job showcasing the beauty of Milford Sound — we even got up close to some waterfalls and spotted a few seals! Our bus driver, Steven, was a knowledgeable local who shared wonderful stories about the area during the journey to Milford Sound. He even made a special stop so we could hop out and snap some photos of a couple of keas near the Homer Tunnel. Such a thoughtful and memorable touch!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Keta_c
Apr 27, 2025
Absolutely amazing! - This is a must do experience if you are in Milford sound! We really loved the intimacy of the boat and that it wasn’t super packed and it seemed very personal. It was a highlight of our trip to New Zealand and would highly recommend to anyone!!
Review provided by Viator
Jacinta_m
Apr 26, 2025
Lovely cruise, not... - Lovely cruise, not crowded, able to easily move around boat to see the sights, got up nice and close to seals and waterfalls, informative and entertaining commentary. Exceeded expectations
Review provided by Viator
745laras
Apr 26, 2025
Spectacular Experience – Milford Sound Cruise with Ted! - We had the most incredible time on our Milford Sound cruise — it was truly spectacular from start to finish! The scenery was absolutely breathtaking, and it felt like every moment brought a new ‘wow’ view. Our guide, Ted, made the experience even more special. He was so knowledgeable, sharing fascinating facts about the area’s history, wildlife, and natural wonders, but also friendly and easy to chat to. You could tell he genuinely loved what he did, and it really added to the atmosphere of the day. This cruise was one of the absolute highlights of our trip — if you’re considering it, don’t hesitate. It’s even better than the pictures!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mark
Apr 26, 2025
Milford Sound Cruise. - Excellent cruise and professional operation. Good and friendly crew and Roger the Captain provided very good information through the whole trip. The boat was clean and well managed and would recommend this cruise as was small and very enjoyable. Tour organised through Cheeky Kiwi tours.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
J
Apr 25, 2025
A smaller boat gets you closer - While the big boats (Real NZ etc) look flash, the smaller boats are able to get closer to the waterfalls and surfacing dolphins. Great narration from Roger. Tea and coffee on board. If parking at Milford either choose free parking which is a reasonably long walk or paid parking at $10 per hour
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Terryareviewer
Apr 25, 2025
Choose Boutique over larger, Choose Te Anau over Queenstown - We booked the tour, which included the bus trip from Te Anau. FYI, the bus ride is by Fiordland Tours and the cruise is by Cruise Milford. Our bus driver/tour guide was Tania. (We bought it as a combo directly on the Cruise Milford site. Key info: The tour from Te Anau rather than Queenstown allows for the stops you will enjoy along the route. They are as important as the cruise. Tanya's narration of the trip and driving were excellent. The cruise boat was about half the size in height and length of the other cruise boat near by. We were really glad we booked the smaller boat! Be prepared to get drenched at the waterfall if you want! The lunch provided by the bus tour was a delicious sandwich on delightfully fresh bread provided by a local bakery. Included crisps, apple, chocolate bar and cheese & crackers. I'm convinced the sandwich was made that morning. No matter how sunny the weather is in Te Anau, there is a very high chance of clouds and rain in the fiord. The boat travels close to the sides, so clear pictures are very doable. A rain jacket and very warm gear are required to enjoy the cruise outside. Carry some ginger ale to avoid motion sickness. The trip was very smooth except when we exited the sound for a very brief period. Wildlife spotting: Kea bird was spotted on bus and we were able to stop and film. This is about 80% probable. They like the cold! Dolphins were spotted on the cruise. You'll want the back of the boat for this! They hitchhike in the wake. The probability is low during the very busy season. Seals were spotted on the cruise. Only one on a rock, several pups in the water were not above water enough to photograph. I am not sure if this is a high probability, but I suspect so. Penguins were not in season. Check the season if this is important. Gulls were around, but the captain did not identify them. No other bird types were spotted during the cruise. (There are many different types). Many birds were spotted during the short walks off the bus. Ask Tania if you want to know what they are. Tania was super friendly and knowledgeable. I recommend the bus/cruise combo as a must-do from Te Anau.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
672nealj
Apr 22, 2025
Bucket list tick! - Fantastic must do activity! The road is arduous but worth it at the end. We picked a small boat that had maybe 25% occupancy. The skipper Craig was very knowledgeable and was a master boat skipper! His corny one liners made for an enjoyable cruise! Tip: sit on the left side of the boat if you want to remain inside. The skipper steams up the left side of the sound and returns on the left side after going out to sea for a bit. Great little stops to see things of interest on the way! All in all a great trip.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $101
up to 15 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).