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Milford Sound Select
Milford Sound Select
4.6
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About
Join Milford Sound Select with our Full Day Small group Tour including cruise. Make your journey to Milford Sound a personal experience in uncrowded comfort with us. An unforgettable day tour on board our small group luxury glass roof coach to Milford Sound. Toilet equipped coach with USB charging and WIFI facility on board. Discover New Zealand’s most dramatic landscapes, as we take you to Milford Sound through the beautiful world heritage National Park of Fiordland with our professional driver guides who explain about New Zealand's people and culture. Our full day will take in many photo stop opportunities with lots of time to relax . Milford Sound Select joins a Nature cruise on Milford Sound. Join our small group tour to Milford Sound operated by long standing family operators to ensure you have a once in a life time experience.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
4.6
511 reviews
Excellent
387
Very good
80
Average
17
Poor
12
Terrible
15
Uday Kumar H
Kolkata (Calcutta), India1,902 contributions
Jan 2020
Title: Milford Sound- Peaceful and Refreshes the Mind
Milford Sound is a sound in the southwest of New Zealand. The area is known for towering Mitre Peak. In addition there are rainforests and waterfalls like Stirling and Bowen falls. The falls drop down its sheer sides. The water is very tasty. The place is home to seal colonies, penguins and dolphins. Milford Discovery Centre and Underwater Observatory offers views of rare black coral and other marine life. Boat tours are a popular way to explore.
Literature mentions that Milford is is rich in flora and fauna, and often referred to as “The Sound of Silence”. The environment is utterly serene and sound is referred to as ‘Doubtful Sound’. Of course I could not hear any sound. The reason I was immersed in enjoying the beauty of nature and thinking about my past life.
We started from ‘Hotel Copthorne’, Queenstown, New Zealand in early hours. The bus picked us from hotel front. The journey took about four and half hours to reach place where from we boarded in the cruise. It crossed a tunnel through which vehicles move in one direction only. Fortunately, vehicles were moving in the direction we reached. The tour manager stopped three times declaring washroom break and photo stop.
The tour operator Thomas Cook arranged lunch in the cruise. The journey was pleasing. The tour manager made the journey interesting.
For information of readers: Air Milford is the only Airline to connect with ‘Doubtful Sound‘ by air from Queenstown. I have attached few photos.
Milford Sound is a sound in the southwest of New Zealand. The area is known for towering Mitre Peak. In addition there are rainforests and waterfalls like Stirling and Bowen falls. The falls drop down its sheer sides. The water is very tasty. The place is home to seal colonies, penguins and dolphins. Milford Discovery Centre and Underwater Observatory offers views of rare black coral and other marine life. Boat tours are a popular way to explore.
Literature mentions that Milford is is rich in flora and fauna, and often referred to as “The Sound of Silence”. The environment is utterly serene and sound is referred to as ‘Doubtful Sound’. Of course I could not hear any sound. The reason I was immersed in enjoying the beauty of nature and thinking about my past life.
We started from ‘Hotel Copthorne’, Queenstown, New Zealand in early hours. The bus picked us from hotel front. The journey took about four and half hours to reach place where from we boarded in the cruise. It crossed a tunnel through which vehicles move in one direction only. Fortunately, vehicles were moving in the direction we reached. The tour manager stopped three times declaring washroom break and photo stop.
The tour operator Thomas Cook arranged lunch in the cruise. The journey was pleasing. The tour manager made the journey interesting.
For information of readers: Air Milford is the only Airline to connect with ‘Doubtful Sound‘ by air from Queenstown. I have attached few photos.
Written January 24, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Alison M
Otago Region, New Zealand16 contributions
Aug 2018 • Friends
There are so many different tours to choose from but we were pleased we chose this one. Its a long day( 12 hours) so the extra space on the bus meant we had room to stretch our legs and be comfortable. The big wide windows meant we didn't miss a thing. Our driver- Jamie- was great. He shared lots of interesting information and he knew all the facts and figures, but also knew how to stay ahead of the crowds with a well planned itinerary.The Hotel pickup and drop off was a bonus.
Written October 28, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kia Ora Alison,
It is such a pleasure to read you had a fantastic day out with us!
We like to make sure that our guests are well taken care of and are delighted to hear you appreciated our hotel pickup / drop off service. The drivers do a wonderful job story telling the history of New Zealand including all beautiful geography you encounter. Also, having that extra legroom on board really helps you relax while traveling to Milford Sound.
Thank you once again for writing here and for fellow travelers to read about our company!
Kindest Regards,
The Team @ Milford Sound Select
Written November 1, 2018
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Mikequanca
Brea, CA85 contributions
Apr 2013 • Family
We used TripAdvisor to evaluate about 5 Milford Sound day trip operators, and picked this because it was in the middle price-wise. Turned out to be a very good choice. We were picked up, and later dropped, in front of our hotel (the Glebe). The bus was modern, clean, and being only half full (we went on a Friday, 4/05/13), especially spacious. It had a bathroom which I don't think anyone used, and a glass ceiling which I think I looked thru only a couple of times.
But for us, the discriminator that made this tour company stand out was our driver, Martin. A pleasant, friendly man who was very knowledgeable and appeared to truly enjoy talking about the beauty and nature of this part of his country. He had worked for the NZ gov't dept of conservation (?) and showed us (on the video screen in the front) pictures of the Takahe he helped raise, and the young Kiwi he cared for at the Auckland Zoo. This man walks the talk!
We stopped in Te Anau and we had plenty of time to use the clean rest rooms, buy some venison pies, and some drinks and snacks at the small market, all within a couple of blocks of the tourist-trap bus stop (but that has a reasonably-priced cafe). As others here have said, there are numerous scenic and interesting stops on the way to Milford Sound, and Martin gave out a lot of interesting information while pointing out features (like "tree-slide" areas). My favorite was when we pulled over next to a farm where it seemed like a thousand sheep were packed into a group, all facing a single dog staring at them perched on top of a farm vehicle. Another dog ran around getting a few stragglers into the group. Martin explained that these highly trained dogs work as a team, with one grouping the sheep, and the other intimidating them to stay put by staring!!
Our boat at Milford Sound was the Real Journeys boat, and there could not have been more than 30 people on board a ship that can hold over 200. Little interaction with the crew, but when there was, it was friendly and professional. It was difficult to hear the sound system which had commentary on things along the way, but we thoroughly enjoyed the scenery anyway.
Others have said the bus trip back was boring, but I did not it so. The different time of the day gave a different perspective, and I had a chance to look at the other side of the road too! Not many stops of course going back, but did stop in Te Anau again. After that stop, Martin showed a movie, the Last Indian, which was a story about a NZ man doing an amazing accomplishment, with it finishing just as we pulled into the outskirts of Queenstown.
But for us, the discriminator that made this tour company stand out was our driver, Martin. A pleasant, friendly man who was very knowledgeable and appeared to truly enjoy talking about the beauty and nature of this part of his country. He had worked for the NZ gov't dept of conservation (?) and showed us (on the video screen in the front) pictures of the Takahe he helped raise, and the young Kiwi he cared for at the Auckland Zoo. This man walks the talk!
We stopped in Te Anau and we had plenty of time to use the clean rest rooms, buy some venison pies, and some drinks and snacks at the small market, all within a couple of blocks of the tourist-trap bus stop (but that has a reasonably-priced cafe). As others here have said, there are numerous scenic and interesting stops on the way to Milford Sound, and Martin gave out a lot of interesting information while pointing out features (like "tree-slide" areas). My favorite was when we pulled over next to a farm where it seemed like a thousand sheep were packed into a group, all facing a single dog staring at them perched on top of a farm vehicle. Another dog ran around getting a few stragglers into the group. Martin explained that these highly trained dogs work as a team, with one grouping the sheep, and the other intimidating them to stay put by staring!!
Our boat at Milford Sound was the Real Journeys boat, and there could not have been more than 30 people on board a ship that can hold over 200. Little interaction with the crew, but when there was, it was friendly and professional. It was difficult to hear the sound system which had commentary on things along the way, but we thoroughly enjoyed the scenery anyway.
Others have said the bus trip back was boring, but I did not it so. The different time of the day gave a different perspective, and I had a chance to look at the other side of the road too! Not many stops of course going back, but did stop in Te Anau again. After that stop, Martin showed a movie, the Last Indian, which was a story about a NZ man doing an amazing accomplishment, with it finishing just as we pulled into the outskirts of Queenstown.
Written May 13, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
okbokm
Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam33 contributions
Feb 2015 • Solo
I was so looking forward to the Milford Sound trip that on the day of travel (February 16, 2015), I arrived at the bus stand 30 minutes before the pick-up time. I didn't expect it would turn out to be the worst and miserable bus trip!
When the bus arrived, I boarded the bus and got myself a seat by the window. I was happy because I thought I could enjoy the scenery while the bus was moving and snap pictures along the way.
The bus picked up more passengers from other parts of town. The last pickup point was in Frankton, where 4 people (2 couples, I think they are residents there) boarded and took up the last 4 vacant seats available on the bus. One of them came to sit next to me.
Seeing that the 4 were not seated together, the bus driver by the name of Ian, took liberty and told me to move from my current seat so that the first couple could sit together. I was shocked and I looked at him asking why I had to change. Ian loudly said that "you are travelling single right? so you should sit with another passenger also travelling single". He kept repeating that. The whole bus went quiet and no one said anything except Ian was ordering the seat change immediately in order to make the couple sit together.
I felt so humiliated by his act but I could not do anything but to pick up my bag and move to an aisle seat, next to another single traveller as Ian described us.
After settling the first couple, Ian was looking around to find 2 adjacent seats for the second couple.
This time he picked two South Korean girls who are siblings and were sitting together just one row from my original seat. Ian told them to give their seats to the second couple. The poor Korean girls speak little English and probably did not comprehend the circumstances they were made into by Ian's biased behaviour. Like me, they picked up their belongings and moved to the remaining vacant aisle seats at the back of the bus. They were no longer sitting together because of Ian.
I have been travelling solo around the world in different modes of transport, I had never encountered a treatment like this. Drivers (in the case of bus travel) will normally let the passengers find their own seat. In this incident, I feel strongly that we were maltreated because of Ian's discrimination against us. I believe your esteemed tour company has a set of standards and training for your drivers but unfortunately Ian does not make the mark. He obviously needs to be better trained to be a courteous bus driver and respecting towards every passenger.
When the bus arrived, I boarded the bus and got myself a seat by the window. I was happy because I thought I could enjoy the scenery while the bus was moving and snap pictures along the way.
The bus picked up more passengers from other parts of town. The last pickup point was in Frankton, where 4 people (2 couples, I think they are residents there) boarded and took up the last 4 vacant seats available on the bus. One of them came to sit next to me.
Seeing that the 4 were not seated together, the bus driver by the name of Ian, took liberty and told me to move from my current seat so that the first couple could sit together. I was shocked and I looked at him asking why I had to change. Ian loudly said that "you are travelling single right? so you should sit with another passenger also travelling single". He kept repeating that. The whole bus went quiet and no one said anything except Ian was ordering the seat change immediately in order to make the couple sit together.
I felt so humiliated by his act but I could not do anything but to pick up my bag and move to an aisle seat, next to another single traveller as Ian described us.
After settling the first couple, Ian was looking around to find 2 adjacent seats for the second couple.
This time he picked two South Korean girls who are siblings and were sitting together just one row from my original seat. Ian told them to give their seats to the second couple. The poor Korean girls speak little English and probably did not comprehend the circumstances they were made into by Ian's biased behaviour. Like me, they picked up their belongings and moved to the remaining vacant aisle seats at the back of the bus. They were no longer sitting together because of Ian.
I have been travelling solo around the world in different modes of transport, I had never encountered a treatment like this. Drivers (in the case of bus travel) will normally let the passengers find their own seat. In this incident, I feel strongly that we were maltreated because of Ian's discrimination against us. I believe your esteemed tour company has a set of standards and training for your drivers but unfortunately Ian does not make the mark. He obviously needs to be better trained to be a courteous bus driver and respecting towards every passenger.
Written March 12, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
gjhbknjmk
London, UK179 contributions
Apr 2015 • Solo
Milford Sound, of course, was wonderful. The service provided by this company, however, was not. I paid more than I would have done with other companies for the experience of a 'luxury, glass-roofed bus with panoramic views' and a free pick up from outside where I was staying in Queenstown. I got neither of these. I went outside my hostel early so that the bus would see me and pick me up and in the end I waited about an hour in the freezing cold before someone came along and told me I was waiting in the wrong place (I just got told that I would be picked up outside the hostel, which is where I was waiting!). When this guy drove me to where the bus was waiting with the rest of the passengers, the driver tried to joke that I had 'slept in' which is why I was late, which was very embarrassing obviously - I was quick to tell him that I had not been made aware that I had to go somewhere else to be picked up. I did not believe the bus I stepped onto. No glass roof, no luxury seats etc. Nothing. It was an absolutely average bus, below-standard in terms of cleanliness and comfort. You could barely see out of the dirty windows. I was not the only unimpressed passenger who had expected something a little more for their money. It was soon explained that this trip was running in conjunction with the Naked Bus trip (if I'd have known I would have paid the lower price and gone with Naked bus, from whom I have had very good and efficient service, including actually being picked up from the prescribed place). The cruise when we got to Milford Sound was okay, and Milford Sound itself obviously incredible. As I arrived in Queenstown late the night before my trip, I had ordered the food on this trip - definitely not worth it. My advice: bring lots of warm clothes, force your way to the front of the crowds to get a good view on the top of the boat, don't pay extra for food and don't go with Milford Sound Select - a complete waste of money.
Written May 25, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Brian Y
1 contribution
Dec 2017 • Family
Driver forced our family of 4 to sit in the very back of the bus in separate rows...despite the fact that there were many open seats.
When we asked why we couldn't sit in the open seats which were adjacent, he said "those are not for people."
Then we stop at the next hotel and lo and behold "people" get on and fill those same seats.
Driver refuses to hear us out when we ask him for an explanation and instead responds by jerking us around and dropping us off 1 km past where he picked us up.
If you are of Asian descent, beware as you may find yourself in a bizarro Rosa Parks parody.
When we asked why we couldn't sit in the open seats which were adjacent, he said "those are not for people."
Then we stop at the next hotel and lo and behold "people" get on and fill those same seats.
Driver refuses to hear us out when we ask him for an explanation and instead responds by jerking us around and dropping us off 1 km past where he picked us up.
If you are of Asian descent, beware as you may find yourself in a bizarro Rosa Parks parody.
Written December 26, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kia Ora Brian,
We see some interesting comments on your part. We appreciate your writing this review, but, falsely accusing a member of our staff will not be tolerated.
Your driver on the day who you have accused of being racist is happily married to a lovely gorgeous lady of Asian Descent.
We would not like to get in to the depth of this review filled with misinformation on your part but other guests have complained about your behaviour towards our driver, our driver whose raving reviews are flooding this page because of his great commitment to tourism and providing guests from all over the world with a fantastic world class experience. The review above your review is from a guest on the same day.
We request openly to Trip Advisor or any other future guest/reader going through this review to contact us and we are happy to discuss this in detail.
Kindest Regards,
The Team @ Milford Sound Select
Written January 2, 2018
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
TorontoDragon
Burleigh Heads, Australia61 contributions
I researched everywhere about doing the Milford Sound. I knew the best choice was the coach, cruise, fly as you got the best of everything. I chose a smaller boat due to reviews - now I would recommend that you definitely go with someone who goes to the Observatory.
We had a good day but nothing spectacular. Our flight was cancelled due to weather and here's the worst part of the trip - we paid in advance and we are still waiting for the refund for the flight portion - now a month later. It is close to $1500 so I am not pleased at all.
This incident has soured the whole experience.
Be careful when booking with this company. They keep telling me that they will refund the amount (I have rung from Australia 3 times and emailed twice), but I am not holding my breath.
We had a good day but nothing spectacular. Our flight was cancelled due to weather and here's the worst part of the trip - we paid in advance and we are still waiting for the refund for the flight portion - now a month later. It is close to $1500 so I am not pleased at all.
This incident has soured the whole experience.
Be careful when booking with this company. They keep telling me that they will refund the amount (I have rung from Australia 3 times and emailed twice), but I am not holding my breath.
Written October 18, 2008
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Airlineconsultant
London, UK412 contributions
Nov 2013 • Solo
With an array of half a dozen or so operators going from Queenstown to Milford Sound, how do you decide which one to go with?
I had read a review which said Naked Bus sold tickets for $95 ..... well, that eventually turned out to be $120, about the same as on Book Me, but somewhat less than direct bookings/walk up fares of $159 to 179. Naked Bus use Milford Select.
The bus turned up 20 minutes late at the appointed pick-up location in downtown Queenstown. There was no apology or explanation. Whilst this may not sound like a big deal, it had been an early start (as pick-up was 7.15 am), was quite cold standing around waiting for the bus, plus a growing anxiety with the passing of time as to whether the internet booking was perhaps a fake, or maybe the pick-up location muddled up ..... especially seeing all the other coaches full of passengers heading steadily off into the sunrise.
When the coach finally arrived, we were not allowed to board by the front door, but had to use the rear stairs, with the driver, Lester, not allowing us to take the empty seats in the front two-thirds of the coach, which were apparently reserved, but forcing us to take seats right at the back. These rear seats had some disadvantages, being located : 1) by the slightly smelly toilet; 2) next to the noisy engine; and 3) without the sky light roof, which stopped at the point of the rear door. After we had left Queenstown itself , some of the forward seats were still unoccupied, but by then I was “settled” in my seat and reluctant to move. I don’t know how you go about reserving a seat with an online booking – I would certainly recommend doing so if you can – or maybe it is the front seats for the $179 walk-ups, but the back-seats for the $120 on-line Naked Bus bookers (a bit like a low cost airline’s seating policy).
The seats certainly don’t angle towards the window, as I had read somewhere. They were OK, although didn’t have armrests or a seat-back table and I could feel a pair of knees in my back from the person sitting behind (who obviously either had long legs, or stretched out frequently). Again, whilst you may think this is nit-picking, you are in that seat for over 8 hours ......
Lester made over a dozen stops on the outbound journey – bathroom breaks, food breaks, photo opportunities, etc. In my view, there were too many breaks, but I think this was so that we wouldn’t reach the boat until the 2 pm sailing, which is after the most popular lunchtime departures and means you don’t get back to Queenstown until around 8.15 pm. At the Te Anau stop, there are two supermarkets which are useful for buying drinks/snacks/food. The first 20 minutes of the journey, along Lake Wakatipu, has amazing views, then it is a long trawl through Southland, with less to look at (other than many sheep), but the sights again get pretty amazing when reaching the Eglinton mountains.
Whilst his commentary was informative, Lester did repeat everything at least three times. He also plugged the fly back option ($370 additional), at least six to eight times. I don’t know if this is because he or Milford Select earn commission for their customers booking flybacks.
The boat journey itself was an absolute highlight. It was the Real Journeys boat (see photo) – lots of space – a nice inside area with big viewing windows and large tables for having lunch, plus a great deck on the top. You could also go into the Captain’s bridge, which gave a good view – especially when right up close to Stirling Falls. The sandwiches and drinks were very reasonably priced and there was free coffee and tea, which was a thoughtful touch. The boat terminal was also cool, spacious and with great views of Mitre Peak.
On the return journey, most customers just wanted to sleep, but Lester would still make his commentary: “We will be having a toilet break in 20 minutes ..... in 20 minutes we’ll stop for a break and there are toilets ..... for those of you who want the toilets, we’ll be stopping in 20 minutes”.
Back in Queenstown around 8.15 pm (it is a 13 hour day), Lester shakes your hand as you leave the coach, but it would have meant more if he had shaken your hand as you boarded in the early morning and been invited to take a seat up front.
There are lots of photos of Milford Sound itself, so attached is one of a parrot that I took whilst at one of the stops.
I had read a review which said Naked Bus sold tickets for $95 ..... well, that eventually turned out to be $120, about the same as on Book Me, but somewhat less than direct bookings/walk up fares of $159 to 179. Naked Bus use Milford Select.
The bus turned up 20 minutes late at the appointed pick-up location in downtown Queenstown. There was no apology or explanation. Whilst this may not sound like a big deal, it had been an early start (as pick-up was 7.15 am), was quite cold standing around waiting for the bus, plus a growing anxiety with the passing of time as to whether the internet booking was perhaps a fake, or maybe the pick-up location muddled up ..... especially seeing all the other coaches full of passengers heading steadily off into the sunrise.
When the coach finally arrived, we were not allowed to board by the front door, but had to use the rear stairs, with the driver, Lester, not allowing us to take the empty seats in the front two-thirds of the coach, which were apparently reserved, but forcing us to take seats right at the back. These rear seats had some disadvantages, being located : 1) by the slightly smelly toilet; 2) next to the noisy engine; and 3) without the sky light roof, which stopped at the point of the rear door. After we had left Queenstown itself , some of the forward seats were still unoccupied, but by then I was “settled” in my seat and reluctant to move. I don’t know how you go about reserving a seat with an online booking – I would certainly recommend doing so if you can – or maybe it is the front seats for the $179 walk-ups, but the back-seats for the $120 on-line Naked Bus bookers (a bit like a low cost airline’s seating policy).
The seats certainly don’t angle towards the window, as I had read somewhere. They were OK, although didn’t have armrests or a seat-back table and I could feel a pair of knees in my back from the person sitting behind (who obviously either had long legs, or stretched out frequently). Again, whilst you may think this is nit-picking, you are in that seat for over 8 hours ......
Lester made over a dozen stops on the outbound journey – bathroom breaks, food breaks, photo opportunities, etc. In my view, there were too many breaks, but I think this was so that we wouldn’t reach the boat until the 2 pm sailing, which is after the most popular lunchtime departures and means you don’t get back to Queenstown until around 8.15 pm. At the Te Anau stop, there are two supermarkets which are useful for buying drinks/snacks/food. The first 20 minutes of the journey, along Lake Wakatipu, has amazing views, then it is a long trawl through Southland, with less to look at (other than many sheep), but the sights again get pretty amazing when reaching the Eglinton mountains.
Whilst his commentary was informative, Lester did repeat everything at least three times. He also plugged the fly back option ($370 additional), at least six to eight times. I don’t know if this is because he or Milford Select earn commission for their customers booking flybacks.
The boat journey itself was an absolute highlight. It was the Real Journeys boat (see photo) – lots of space – a nice inside area with big viewing windows and large tables for having lunch, plus a great deck on the top. You could also go into the Captain’s bridge, which gave a good view – especially when right up close to Stirling Falls. The sandwiches and drinks were very reasonably priced and there was free coffee and tea, which was a thoughtful touch. The boat terminal was also cool, spacious and with great views of Mitre Peak.
On the return journey, most customers just wanted to sleep, but Lester would still make his commentary: “We will be having a toilet break in 20 minutes ..... in 20 minutes we’ll stop for a break and there are toilets ..... for those of you who want the toilets, we’ll be stopping in 20 minutes”.
Back in Queenstown around 8.15 pm (it is a 13 hour day), Lester shakes your hand as you leave the coach, but it would have meant more if he had shaken your hand as you boarded in the early morning and been invited to take a seat up front.
There are lots of photos of Milford Sound itself, so attached is one of a parrot that I took whilst at one of the stops.
Written November 12, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
b1609
2 contributions
Jul 2014
All excited for our trip we got on the bus at 7am...absolutely pouring rain and were instantly told once all the passengers were on board that the road was closed due to bad weather but were continuing incase road opened to Milford Sound. Understanding completely the weather that we were getting would impact on this trip once we were told. We arrived at a small town called Mossburn and then turned around...at this time we were promised a complete refund. Contacted the staff that day to have my refund of $972. Advised that the refund will be processed when her collegue comes in and receive an email confirmation. Called on saturday 2 days later to be advised this wasnt passed on. Called monday and told it wasnt done, sent an email as called 3 times with no answer..no reply to email. Called again and was advised it will be done tomorrow (now yesterday) when the boss returns. Still no confirmation and will now have to make another call, all of which are costing me as I have returned home. A lot of hassle for a tour we never got to do. Would have recommended this company as bus and driver were great but office staff seem incompetent. We will be going back to do a milford sound tour next time we're there and it wont be with this company.
Written August 6, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
kalman B
Somerville, NJ54 contributions
Nov 2019
while the Sound & the boat were interesting etc, it's too much driving from Queenstown for too little reward. the buffet lunch on the boat was terrible & very chintzy - no drinks (other than water/coffee/tea) - not even sparkling water or iced tea - no desserts
Written November 26, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello Kalman, Thank you for your review. It is indeed a long journey to the sound if travelling from Queenstown however our coaches are custom built for this trip. The lunches on offer on our Scenic Cruises are part of the experience, and we generally receive great feedback about the wide range of options available. If coaches aren't for you, then we do offer a scenic flight to and from the sound. Kind Regards, the team at Milford Sound Select.
Written January 31, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
May I know will the trip consists of brief stops at Te Anau and Fiordland National Park? Or rather can I know what are some of the places that the trip covers on the way to Milford Sound?
Written October 28, 2018
A longer stop for coffee and snacks ( you have to buy) at Te Anau and several stops between Te Anau and Milford Sound to shoot photos and enjoy the nature and wonderful scenes.
Written November 13, 2018
Caroline W
Auckland Central, New Zealand
Hello! I will stay at the nomades hostel, I would like to know the starting points, thank you
Written June 15, 2018
Kia Ora!
Many thanks for your query. We can pick you at the Nomads Backpackers. Depending on time of the year when you make your booking, please check with us for your pick up time.
We are looking forward to hosting you on our Milford Sound Select Coach.
Kindest Regards,
The Team @ Milford Sound Select
Written June 18, 2018
A Tripadvisor member
Austin, Texas
Is there a toilet on the bus?
Written March 6, 2018
Kia Ora!
Yes we do have a toilet on our coach.
As fellow travellers have mentioned. We do make plenty of stops for toilet along the way too. Please if you have any further questions do write to us.
Kindest Regards,
The Team @ Milford Sound Select
Written March 26, 2018
Do you think it is suitable for families with young kids to visit in July? I have heard people complaining about long drives and being absolutely exhausted whilst only spending 1.5 hour on the boat and rest is on the bus
Written February 9, 2017
Kia Ora Stevo,
Milford Sounds are a full day tour from Queenstown. The month of the year does not change the trip timings and is spectacular all year around.
You do spend about 5 hours on the coach each way with ample photo stops and to stretch your legs. We have many a kids take the tour with their parents and they enjoy it, but, it is a long day. Our custom built coach is nuilt for your comfort, more legroom!
The other option we have is you Coach in and after the cruise return to Queenstown by Helicopter or Fixed Wing Airplane.
Milford Sounds are a long way from Queenstown but one of the most visited places in the world because of its natural beauty.
We look forward to hosting you if you go ahead with your booking.
Kindest Regards,
The Team @ Milford Sound Select
Written February 9, 2017
We are planning to go on this tour on 11 March. Is it too early to book now? Is there a cancellation policy?
Written January 17, 2017
Kia Ora Christine,
We are now taking bookings for March. Please write to us and we can assist you with getting this sorted.
Look forward to hosting you next month!
Kindest Regards,
The Team @ Milford Sound Select
Written February 9, 2017
I want to visit Milford sound using the naked bus company from Christchurch - I know it is a long way but I plan to stop over two nights - take a cruise and maybe a helicopter flight - and return the same way back to Christchurch - is this achievable? and how much?
regards
Dave Wilson
Written January 11, 2017
Kia Ora Dave,
Thank you for your enquiry. Happy New Year to you.
Dave we are based in Queenstown and hence can't assist with Naked Bus bookings from Christchurch and return as they are a separate entity. We can assist you with Coach-Cruise-Helicopter product from Queenstown to Milford Sound and back.
Please write an email to us or call us on 0800 477 479 and we can hopefully find solutions for you.
Look forward to hearing from you.
Kind Regards,
The Team @ Milford Sound Select.
Written January 11, 2017
Is Milford Sound Select run by Real Journeys and do you get a discount if the helicopter or fixed wing return ride is cancelled?
Written October 20, 2016
The sound seems run by real journeys, even though you may book from different companies and take different buses to/from there. We didn't take the helicopter and can't help the second question.
Written October 25, 2016
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*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.