Milford Combo Experience from Te Anau

Combining an amazing return journey to Milford Sound, boutique Milford Sound cruise aboard Cruise Milford and choice between a Milford Sound kayaking or Milford Track walking experience. Led by our famously passionate tour guides, notorious for bringing your journey to life by sharing their stories and rich background knowledge, and run in modern comfortable minibuses that are packed with extras, ensuring your comfort and safety. You will never forget this trip.

Highlights:

• Fully Guided Tour with Cheeky Kiwi Travel
• Milford Sound cruise with Cruise Milford
• Your choice between a Milford Sound kayaking or Milford Track walking experience
• Fiordland National Park
• Lake Te Anau, Eglinton Valley, Mirror Lakes, Hollyford River, Homer Tunnel & Mitre Peak
• Wildlife Spotting

Itinerary:

1.      Te Anau - Your tour starts in the stunning idyllic town of Te Anau, after maybe meeting some of the local animals or wildlife we continue along the lake. Stopping at Te Anau Downs, the starting point for the Milford Track, you will be able to hear the stories and admire the views.  

2.      Eglinton Valley – Leaving Te Anau and entering Fiordland National Park, we stop in Eglinton Valley. One of the first major attractions as you enter the park, it has views worthy of Lord of the Ring. This valley follows the path of an ancient glacier through Fiordland and really sets the scene for a journey that only gets more impressive the deeper
you get.    

3.      Mirror Lakes – Our next stop on this epic adventure is Mirror Lakes. Take 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.

4.      Lake Gunn – Continuing along the Milford Road we come across Lake Gunn, named after George Gunn a famous explorer and popular for fishing. We will often stop at Lake Gunn for some photos and to enjoy the peace. 

5.      Hollyford River & Falls Creek – 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.

6.      Darran Mountains – 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. 

7.      Homer Tunnel – To make our way back down towards the sea we enter the mind-blowing, hand-built Homer Tunnel, hearing the incredible history and stories. Emerging from the tunnel, the valley descends sharply towards Milford Sound and on a rainy-day hundreds of waterfalls can be seen cascading down the mountain side.   

8.      Milford Sound – Following the valley to the sea we arrive at Milford Sound. Here you have a tough choice between doing a hike on the Famous Milford Track (one of New Zealand’s great walks) from Sandfly Point to Giant Gate Falls with Fiordland Outdoors or a 1.5-2 hours kayaking experience in Milford Sound with Rosco’s Kayaks. Both experiences are truly amazing and allow you to get up close and personal with the flora and fauna of Milford Sound. 

After one experience of a lifetime, we jump straight onto another when you 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 the ancient rainforest high in the mountains. This cruise is unbeatable. 

9.      Mitre Peak – 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.  

10.    Pop's View Lookout - After your cruise, do not fear the adventure is not over, there is the return journey with many more amazing stops. 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. 

12.    Te Anau – Sadly we must start to head back to Te Anau but your day is not over with a fully guided return trip and many stops and breaks along the way.

Inclusions:

• Small Group & Fully Guided Tour
• Boutique Cruise with Cruise Milford
• Kayaking experience with Rosco's Kayaks or Milford Track walking experience with Fiordland Outdoors
• 1x Picnic Lunch
• Bottled Water & Snacks

Optional Extras:

• One-way heli flight from Milford Sound to Te Anau
• Overnight accommodation in Te Anau & Te Anau Highlights Tour 

We at Cheeky Kea Tours believe that it’s in the small things, the hidden surprises, and the secret stops that make your adventure one to remember. With comfortable and specially designed vehicles, and individually packaged refreshments will ensure you enjoy the journey with us!

*Tour operated by Cheeky Kiwi Tours