Holiday in Milford Sound

What makes Milford Sound special as a destination?

Milford Sound is New Zealand's most spectacular natural wonder and was called the "eighth wonder of the world" by Rudyard Kipling. The fjord on the southwest coast of the South Island is framed by steep rock walls over 1,200 meters high, from which permanent and temporary waterfalls plunge down. The combination of dramatic mountains, rainforest, dolphins, and incredible silence makes Milford Sound a place of almost spiritual beauty. A boat trip through the 15-kilometer-long fjord is the core experience. The ships sail closely along the rock walls, past the Stirling Falls and the Lady Bowen Falls, which drop 162 meters. Bottlenose dolphins often accompany the boats, seals bask on the rocks, and occasionally rare Fiordland Crested Penguins appear. The drive to Milford Sound is an attraction in itself: The Milford Road (State Highway 94) from Te Anau stretches over 120 kilometers through breathtaking mountain scenery with mirror lakes, glacier valleys, and the Homer Tunnel, which was carved through a mountain. Several stopping points offer short hikes to viewpoints and waterfalls. The Milford Track — a 4-day hike from Te Anau to Milford Sound — is considered the "most beautiful hike in the world." The trail leads through temperate rainforest, over the Mackinnon Pass (1,154m), and past the Sutherland Falls, one of the highest waterfalls in the world. Spots are strictly limited and must be booked months in advance. Milford Sound receives over 7,000 millimeters of rain per year — it is one of the wettest places in New Zealand. Paradoxically, the rain is part of the magic: In the rain, hundreds of temporary waterfalls cascade down the rock walls, the mist dramatically envelops the peaks, and a freshwater layer on the fjord creates a dark mirror effect that brings the underwater world of the fjord to the surface.