Milford Sound vs Doubtful Sound: Which is Better?

There’s no denying a journey through the southern fiords of Fiordland National Park is one of the greatest experiences you can have in New Zealand. For many, it’s the highlight of their trip and for good reason.

Located in the southwest corner of New Zealand, Fiordland is known for its dramatic landscapes, epic hiking trails and spectacularly beautiful fiords, most of which are difficult to get to due to their remote location and challenging terrain. 

Of the 14 fiords, Milford Sound and Doubtful Sound are the most popular due to their accessibility. Both can be explored from New Zealand’s mainland as a day or overnight cruise through a local tour operator.

So, which one is better? Let’s compare, Milford Sound vs Doubtful Sound. 

Fun Fact: Despite their name, Milford Sound and Doubtful Sound are technically fiords formed by the movement of glaciers over thousands of years. In New Zealand, all maritime fiords use sound in their name and are spelled fiord rather than fjord.

Milford Sound vs Doubtful Sound

If you have the time and budget I wholeheartedly recommend doing both a Milford Sound cruise and a Doubtful Sound cruise. You’ll be surprised at how different the landscapes are between the two, both offering a unique experience. 

For the ultimate experience, you may like to consider doing an overnight cruise for one and a day cruise for the other. To achieve this and have some time to explore the fun things to do in Te Anau, we recommend staying in Te Anau for a couple of nights.

However, for many, visiting both Doubtful Sound and Milford Sound in one trip may not be possible, time and budget being two common factors. Let’s compare the two to help you decide which one is the best choice for you. 

If you prefer to get straight to the point, here’s a quick comparison of the points covered in more detail below.

	Milford Sound	Doubtful  Sound
Accessibility	Direct road access	2 Boats + Bus ride
Cost (cruises start from)	$109	$229
Total time required (day trip ex Queenstown)	10-12 hours	11-12 hours
Cruise/tour duration (minimum)	2 hours	7 hours
Landscape	Jagged & dramatic	Soft & lush
Wildlife encounters	Possible	More likely
Popularity	Most popular	Fewer people

Getting There

Accessibility and transport are a bit different between Milford Sound and Doubtful Sound.

Milford Sound is the only fiord with direct road access where you can drive yourself. It’s a 3.5 to 4-hour drive from Queenstown and around 2 hours from Te Anau along one of the most scenic roads in New Zealand with many great stops along the way.

If you prefer not to drive yourself, there are tours that include return transport from Queenstown or Te Anau by coach (bus) or scenic flight along with your cruise. 

Since there is no direct road access to Doubtful Sound, the only way to experience this remote and stunningly beautiful fiord is by boat and bus through a local tour operator. Tours depart from Manapouri, the nearest inhabited place to Doubtful Sound. 

From Manapouri Visitors Centre, you’ll travel by boat across the picturesque Lake Manapouri, followed by a bus journey over Wilmot Pass to Deep Cove where your 3-hour cruise of Doubtful Sound will begin.

If driving yourself, Manapouri is a 20-minute drive from Te Anau and a 2-hour drive from Queenstown. Alternatively, there is an option to include bus transport from Queenstown or Te Anau to Manapouri when you book your Doubtful Sound cruise.  

Overall, Milford Sound is easier to access given there is a road that will take you straight there. Whereas you’ll need to drive or bus to Manapouri then travel by boat, bus and then another boat to experience Doubtful Sound. Both journeys will take you through some of the most stunning scenery in New Zealand!

Cost

Ok, let’s talk cost. Drawing a budget is important for most people when it comes to planning a holiday or vacation. 

All prices are in New Zealand dollars per adult and intended to be used as guide. Prices tend to fluctuate depending on the time of day and year you are booking. Generally, you can score lower prices in the off-peak season from late autumn to early spring (May to September). 

Cost of a Day Cruise

A standard 2-hour nature cruise on Milford Sound starts from $109. This doesn’t include transport from Queenstown or Te Anau, so you would need to drive yourself to Milford Sound and pay for parking which is currently $25 for a minimum of 5 hours. A cruise including return transport by coach (bus) from Queenstown starts from $245. 

The cost of a more in-depth tour of Milford Sound that includes the underwater observatory or kayak excursion ranges from $145 to $285. 

By comparison, a day cruise in Doubtful Sound starts from $229, or $289 if you include return transport from Queenstown. 

Cost of an Overnight Cruise

An overnight cruise on the Milford Mariner ranges from $499 to $699 compared to $1099 to $1299 for an overnight cruise on Doubtful Sound, depending on the time of year you are booking for. 

For those on a tight budget, the Milford Sound Nature Cruise is the most cost-effective option. If you would like to stay overnight, the cost of an overnight cruise on the Milford Mariner is comparable to staying a night at Milford Lodge. Given the extremely limited accommodation options in Milford Sound, the overnight cruise may be worth considering.

Time Needed

For most of us, there is a dedicated amount of time for holidays and we want to pick how to spend it wisely. 

At first glance, you might think Doubtful Sound is a much bigger time commitment than Doubtful Sound but they are actually quite similar, both requiring a full day of 10-12 hours as a day trip from Queenstown, and around 8 hours if staying in Te Anau. 

The biggest difference is that for Doubtful Sound most of your time will be spent travelling to and from the fiord in addition to a 3-hour cruise of the fiord. All up, the Doubtful Sound cruise is a 7-hour journey from the time you depart until the time you return to Manapouri, excluding driving time from Queenstown or Te Anau. 

Whereas, with Milford Sound a basic nature cruise is 2 hours long. You can extend your cruise with a visit to the underwater observatory or a kayaking excursion making around 3- 5 hours, or you can spend time exploring the foreshore and other activities in Milford Sound. If visiting for the day, don’t forget you’ll have the driving time to and from Queenstown or Te Anau to factor in. 

Doubtful Sound offers a unique and memorable guided journey to the fiord, plus the cruise itself. With Milford Sound, there is more flexibility and variety around how you want to spend your time there.

To illustrate, let’s compare what a day trip from Queenstown would look like for each:

Milford Sound

3.5-4 hour drive | 2 hour cruise (min) + option to extend cruise or explore foreshore | 3.5-4 hour drive = 10-12 hours

Doubtful Sound

2-hour drive | 45-minute boat ride | 40-minute bus ride | 3-hour cruise | 40-minute bus ride | 45-minute boat ride | 2-hour drive = 11-12 hours (including transfer time between each mode of transport)

Regardless of which one you choose, it’s a long day and we highly recommend an overnight stay in either Milford Sound, Te Anau or Manapouri if possible. It’s an incredible part of the country and worth dedicating 2-3 days to explore.

Plus if you enjoy hiking, there are some great trails in Te Anau and Manapouri you may want to check out if you have the extra time.

Landscape 

Whether it’s a clear and sunny day with the mountains reflecting in the water or a moody day the region is known for, the scenery is breathtaking in both fiords.

The landscape in Milford Sound is more dramatic with taller mountain peaks and rougher, more jagged edges. It’s home to Bowen and Stirling Falls, the two largest and most impressive waterfalls amongst all the smaller falls streaming down the mountains. 

Although much larger in size, Doubtful Sound has a softer landscape consisting of dozens of smaller more rounded islands along with several large waterfalls, including Helena and Browne Falls. With over 200 days of rain a year, the surrounding hills are lush and green all year round.

The landscape between Doubtful Sound and Milford Sound is distinctly different so if you do choose to visit both, it will be a completely different experience. 

Wildlife

The flora and fauna of both Milford Sound and Doubtful Sound are similar. Nature guides will keep an eye out for wildlife during your cruise and announce any sightings. On either cruise you have the chance to see dolphins, fur seals, penguins, birdlife and if you’re really lucky, maybe even a whale!

Doubtful Sound is home to a unique pod of resident bottlenose dolphins that live in the fiord all year round. In addition to bottlenose dolphins, the smaller dusky dolphins occasionally visit Milford Sound. 

Although wildlife encounters are possible in both sounds, chances are higher in the quieter and more remote Doubtful Sound.

Popularity

Given Milford Sound is the only fiord in New Zealand accessible by car, it’s no surprise that it’s also the most popular with many more visitors per year than the more remote Doubtful Sound.

Several tour companies operate daily excursions from Queenstown or Te Anau to Milford Sound with visitors arriving via coach (bus), scenic plane or helicopter throughout the day. 

Bus passengers tend to arrive in Milford Sound for the early afternoon cruises, with morning and later afternoon cruises generally being less busy. Peak season runs from December to March so if you are travelling during this time we recommend booking in as early as possible so you don’t miss out. 

Doubtful Sound is more peaceful and tranquil, plus the number of people is limited to those on your cruise including the wonderful tour operator staff.

Best Cruises to Book

There are several cruise options to choose from in Milford Sound from a 2-hour nature cruise to an overnight stay with options to include transport by coach, small plane or helicopter.

For Doubtful Sound you can choose from a day or overnight cruise with an option for transport from Queenstown or Te Anau.

Here are some of our top choices.

Milford Sound Cruises

For time and budget, we recommend the Southern Discoveries Nature Cruise. Here you will also find options to add lunch, transport from Queenstown or Te Anau and more in-depth tours such as the underwater observatory and kayak. 

Alternatively, Cruise Milford offers a ‘boutique’ cruise with smaller boats and fewer passengers. One of the benefits of the smaller boats is that they can get closer to the waterfalls and wildlife and access parts of the fiord the bigger boats can’t.

The iconic Milford Mariner is a ​​purpose-built vessel designed to replicate an old-fashioned sailing ship complete with private suites where you can spend the night on Milford Sound.

Doubtful Sound Cruises

The most common way to experience Doubtful Sound is by going on the RealNZ Doubtful Sound Wilderness Cruise. They will arrange all the transport from Manapuri to Doubtful Sound with expert commentary along the way.

This Doubtful Sound overnight cruise is an extraordinary experience where you can spend the night in one of the most remote and pristine places in New Zealand.

Conclusion

Hopefully, this helps to narrow down the choice (or convinces you to do both!) based on your own preferences and circumstances. For a straightforward journey with a variety of things to see and do and more options on how to spend your time and budget, the popular Milford Sound may be the best option. 

Conversely, if you are looking for a more ‘off the beaten’ path experience with fewer people and more peace, tranquillity and a higher chance of seeing wildlife, then the remote wilderness of Doubtful Sound may be the way to go. 

Both are unforgettable experiences and it really is a personal decision because the two experiences are so different. For me, I’d choose Milford Sound but only by a sliver. 

Mainly because I like the variety of things to do including the road trip to get there plus, the dramatic landscape of Milford Sound was a dream to photograph. Whereas the landscape of Doubtful Sound, although breathtakingly beautiful, started to feel similar after awhile. But hands down, Doubtful Sound takes the prize for wildlife encounters, an experience I’ll never forget!

Choosing how to spend your time on holiday is an important decision. We hope this comparison of Milford Sound vs Doubtful Sound helps you with choosing the best option for you. Both offer a unique experience in some of New Zealand’s most stunning and dramatic landscapes. Now all you have to do is book that cruise and get ready for the adventure of a lifetime.

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