Category Te Anau and Fiordland Tours

Queenstown · TE ANAU AND FIORDLAND TOURS

The 15 Best Te Anau and Fiordland Tours

55 tours

Te Anau sits two hours closer to Milford than Queenstown does, which is why so many Fiordland days begin here. These 15 trips cover the lot: glowworm caves under the lake, Doubtful Sound crossings, and coach-and-cruise runs that spare you the pre-dawn alarm.

Te Anau: Glowworm Caves Guided Tour

Te Anau: Glowworm Caves Guided Tour - Entering the cave system: limestone, low ceilings, and loud water

1.Te Anau: Glowworm Caves Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 2,611 reviews · 2h 15m · from $77Our pick

Lake Te Anau cruise and guided cave walk end in a pitch-black glowworm boat ride, hot drinks, and Fiordland geology tips.

“Amazing experience which exceeded my expectations. The check in process in Te Anau was simple. The 30 minute boat ride across Lake Te Anau was via a very comfortable catarmaran. The views of the South Fiord and the Lake were spectacular. But the glow worm caves were the star attraction and they did not disappoint. We went into the caves in small groups of 12. The caves themselves were gorgeous and lighted to accent the rock formations. The river coursing throw the caves was crystal clear with waterfalls. We boarded a small boat to see the cave walls covered in glow worms. Something out of a fairy tale. There was…”

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From Manapouri: Doubtful Sound Wilderness Day Trip

From Manapouri: Doubtful Sound Wilderness Day Trip - Crossing Wilmot Pass by bus: big angles, wet rainforest, and quick picture breaks

Award Winning Milford Sound Full Day Tour & Cruise from Te Anau

Award Winning Milford Sound Full Day Tour & Cruise from Te Anau - Milford Road highlights: Mirror Lakes, Cascade Creek, and the Hollyford Valley view

3.Award Winning Milford Sound Full Day Tour & Cruise from Te Anau

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,198 reviews · from $185Highest rated

Small-group Milford Sound day from Te Anau with hotel pickup, classic scenic stops, and a 2-hour cruise for penguins, seals, dolphins.

“Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and attentive; transportation was comfortable and we were picked up and dropped off at our hotel. Milford Sound is a must on your South Island adventure.”

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Te Anau Glow Worm Caves Tour

Te Anau Glow Worm Caves Tour - Underground start: the Cavern House talk and your first cave walk

4.Te Anau Glow Worm Caves Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 960 reviews · from $80

Lake Te Anau cruise, then a guided walk and punt in the glow worm caves, with tea, rock formations, and a quiet boat return.

“Cancelled at last minute, due to heavy rain leading to too high tide. Couldnt re-book due to other commitments that day. Told by RealNZ to sort out refund directly with Viator as bought through a third party. To be fair, although I had to phone Viator to get a response from Customer Service, the nice lady did this really quickly once she had phoned RealNZ to get confirmation that the tour had been cancelled. Quite an inconvenience all round, but all sorted in the end.”

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From Te Anau: Milford Sound Coach Tour and Cruise

From Te Anau: Milford Sound Coach Tour and Cruise - Fiordland photo stops and short walks that earn their time

5.From Te Anau: Milford Sound Coach Tour and Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 868 reviews · 8 hours · from $110

Te Anau to Milford Sound by coach and catamaran, with Fiordland photo stops, nature walks, and a picnic lunch. Great value.

“A great trip and great value for money. The included packed lunch was a lovely addition. The drive to Milford Sound was amazing in particular the final 10km with tunnel and rock faces. Milford Sound was awesome and not crowded like some comment. A great day Thanks”

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From Te Anau: Milford Sound Coach, Cruise, and Walks

From Te Anau: Milford Sound Coach, Cruise, and Walks - Milford Sound cruise: waterfalls, wildlife, and getting close

6.From Te Anau: Milford Sound Coach, Cruise, and Walks

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 845 reviews · 1 day · from $164

Full-day small-group Milford Sound trip from Te Anau, with a 2-hour cruise, short walks, and a packed picnic lunch in Fiordland.

“Michelle our guide was simply amazing! Such a positive attitude and a great driver. The rain was a little disappointing since it was the entire trip but the waterfalls and raging rivers were amazing”

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Premium Milford Sound Tour, Cruise & Lunch from Te Anau

Premium Milford Sound Tour, Cruise & Lunch from Te Anau - Hollyford River and the waterfall build-up you do not want to miss

From Te Anau: Milford Sound Cruise and Coach Day Trip

From Te Anau: Milford Sound Cruise and Coach Day Trip - The Milford Road drive: glass-roof views without the driving stress

Full-Day Milford Sound Tour with Cruise and Walks from Te Anau

Full-Day Milford Sound Tour with Cruise and Walks from Te Anau - Your 2-hour small boat cruise to the Tasman Sea

9.Full-Day Milford Sound Tour with Cruise and Walks from Te Anau

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 712 reviews · from $192

From Te Anau, enjoy a small-group Milford Sound cruise plus short Fiordland walks, with hotel pickup and a picnic lunch.

“Such a fantastic day out, our guide was fun and had lots of interesting stories and info to share with the small group. Leaving out of Te Anua from my perspective made it all the more enjoyable and more suitable for our family. The day was wet and misty, the epic mountains shrouded in cloud cover much of the time. The rainforest walk was great (I would have loved something longer but that’s a different trip) and Milford Sound lived up to expectations and was breathtaking with so much water pouring off the mountains.”

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Jet Boat Journey through Fiordland National Park – Pure Wilderness

Jet Boat Journey through Fiordland National Park - Pure Wilderness - Gear up at the Lakefront office: what you wear matters

10.Jet Boat Journey through Fiordland National Park – Pure Wilderness

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 678 reviews · from $127

Jet boat from Te Anau to Lake Manapouri via the Upper Waiau River, with LoTR filming spots, warm gear, spins, and a nature walk.

“Words can’t describe how beautiful this place is!! Not only we got to do super fun spins but we got to see one of the most beautiful parts of the world! Our guide was great fun and very informative. We then went on a little nature walk through what I thought was a magical Forrest!! This is a must!!”

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Milford Sound: Small-Group Tour from Te Anau

Milford Sound: Small-Group Tour from Te Anau - Milford Road Drive: Lake Te Anau to Waterfall Viewpoints

11.Milford Sound: Small-Group Tour from Te Anau

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 561 reviews · 9h 30m · from $178

Small-group Milford Sound day trip from Te Anau with Milford Road photo stops, morning tea, and a wildlife cruise plus live geology commentary.

“It was a great trip. The guide (Alan), although new to the job, was very knowledgeable and personable. Such a great way to travel from Te Anau to Milford Sound. Lots of interesting stops on the way. A really good packed lunch. The boat trip on the sound was great. We were on a relatively small uncrowded boat.”

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Doubtful Sound Wilderness Day Cruise from Manapouri

Doubtful Sound Wilderness Day Cruise from Manapouri - Wilmot Pass by Coach (45 minutes): Rainforest on a Steep Road

From Te Anau: Doubtful Sound Coach & Cruise

From Te Anau: Doubtful Sound Coach & Cruise - Wilmot Pass by coach, where the views and the stories meet

13.From Te Anau: Doubtful Sound Coach & Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 335 reviews · 8h 30m · from $223

From Te Anau, cruise Lake Manapouri, cross Wilmot Pass, then enjoy a 3-hour Doubtful Sound catamaran with wildlife spotting and live commentary.

“Stunning destination, lovely staff, and really captivating flow of activities!! We got to see dolphins, seals, lots of birds, the edge of the Tasman sea, and the most stunning lake!! All elements of the tour were wonderful / including the short bus ride and phenomenal lake cruise. Our group was the only people we saw all day, so secluded!”

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Doubtful Sound Wilderness Cruise from Te Anau

Doubtful Sound Wilderness Cruise from Te Anau - Wilmot Pass: the view stop that turns travel into sightseeing

14.Doubtful Sound Wilderness Cruise from Te Anau

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 286 reviews · from $231

A full-day Doubtful Sound cruise from Te Anau, via Lake Manapouri and Wilmot Pass, with live onboard commentary and wildlife spotting.

“Quite an expensive trip due to all the travelling involved. From Te Anau, 20 minutes by bus to Manapouri, then 45 minutes by boat to West Arm, then 60 minutes by coach to Deep Cove, then a 2 and a half hour cruise by boat which travels dowRead more”

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Milford Sound Full Day Tour from Te Anau with Cruise

Milford Sound Full Day Tour from Te Anau with Cruise - Te Anau Downs, Mirror Lakes, and Eglinton Valley: the Milford Road warm-up

15.Milford Sound Full Day Tour from Te Anau with Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 270 reviews · from $210

Small-group Milford Sound day tour from Te Anau with a real fjord cruise, photo stops, optional walks, and time to ask your guide questions.

“Murray was superb tour guide. Made us all feel welcome and relaxed, had a vast amount of knowledge of the areas we visited. Stopped of at some amazing places along the way to Milford sound which you would not get with the large tour buses, well worth doing this trip and I definitely would do it again. really enjoyed the surprise of the muffins, they were delicious:).”

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