Milford Sound Scenic Flight with Landing from Queenstown
Traveler rating
5.0/5
Based on 28 traveler reviews. Ratings and reviews provided by Viator and Tripadvisor.
Quick answer
Is Milford Sound Scenic Flight with Landing from Queenstown worth booking?
Milford Sound Scenic Flight with Landing from Queenstown is a 5-hour experience in Queenstown, New Zealand, from $447 per person. It scores 65 out of 100 on the Outty Ranking, which we label “Solid Choice”, based on a 5/5 rating across 28 reviews. Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before the start time. Same-day spots are currently showing.
- Outty Ranking
- 65 / 100
- Rating
- 5/5 (28)
- Duration
- 5 hours
- From
- $447 per person
Don’t miss out on a spectacular scenic flight with Air Milford to Milford Sound and back. This tour is perfect for those who have already done a cruise in Milford Sound and want to experience the spectacular region from the air and land. This 4.5-hour trip includes a landing in Milford Sound with up to 2 hours on the ground to take a self-guided walk along the shore line, soak up the surroundings, take pictures or have delicious coffee and cake at the cafe (at own expense) before your return scenic flight to Queenstown.
What you get
About this experience
Don’t miss out on a spectacular scenic flight with Air Milford to Milford Sound and back. This tour is perfect for those who have already done a cruise in Milford Sound and want to experience the spectacular region from the air and land. This 4.5-hour trip includes a landing in Milford Sound with up to 2 hours on the ground to take a self-guided walk along the shore line, soak up the surroundings, take pictures or have delicious coffee and cake at the cafe (at own expense) before your return scenic flight to Queenstown.
What's included
Included
- Live pilot commentary on board
- Hotel pickup and drop-off (centrally located hotels)
- Up to 2 hours on the ground in Milford Sound for self-guided walk
- Full pre-flight briefing with Air Milford pilot
Not included
- Milford Sound Cruise
- Food and drinks
What you'll see and do
On arrival that the Air Milford base you will meet your pilot, for a full pre-flight briefing, before embarking on your 35 minuet scenic flight over the Southern Alps, to Milford Sound. The flight time to Milford Sound is 35 minuets.
15 minutes here
Coronet Peak Ski Area
After takeoff, view Coronet Peak, one of New Zealand's premiere ski fields.
Pass by without stopping
Fly over the Shotover river and Skippers canyon, this is where gold was discovered in the 1860's. This river became the world's 2nd highest gold bearing river in the world, next to the Klondike in Alaska.
Pass by without stopping
Glenorchy-Queenstown Road
Fly over the small settlement of Glenorchy, located at the head of Lake Wakatipu. Here you enjoy wonderful views of two braided river mouths joining the lake. The two rivers are the Dart and the Rees, both glacial fed, display wonderful colors as they mix with the lake.
Pass by without stopping
Routeburn Track
Fly over the dense beech forest of the Routeburn and Hollyford. valleys. One of new Zealand 'great walks' traverses the Routeburn valley, its a 3-day hike through the valley and over an alpine pass into Fiordland National Park.
Pass by without stopping
Fiordland National Park (Te Wahipounamu)
Fly over the main divide of the Southern Alps and into Fiordland National park. One of the first sights you will encounter on arrival in Fiordland National Park is Mt Tutoko, at over 8,900ft / 2,700meters it is Fiordland's highest peak. There are two main glaciers to view here, the Donne and the Age.
Pass by without stopping
Mitre Peak
View the highest peak in Milford Sound, Mitre Peak. It impressively rises directly out of the water of the fiord, to it's summit at 5,560ft / 1,690 meters, which is just over a mile of vertical gain!
Pass by without stopping
Milford Sound
Fly the full length of the fiord, right out to the Tasman sea where you will turn and descend, before coming into land. This part of the flight really makes you appreciate the sheer size of the towering cliffs of the fiord, which rise over a mile high in some parts!
Pass by without stopping
Milford Sound
After landing in Milford Sound, your pilot will point out the way to the short walk along the shoreline and to the Milford Sound Cafe. Your pilot will give you a time to meet back at the airport and then you can enjoy exploring Milford at your own pace. Spend the next two hours self-guided, exploring the shoreline of the fiord, or head to the cafe, for a coffee and snack.
120 minutes here
Bowen Falls
From the shore, view the Bowen Falls, it is one of Milford Sound's two permanent waterfalls and at 530ft / 162 meter is it's highest.
Pass by without stopping
Meet your pilot back at the airport to commence your scenic flight back to Queenstown. The flight time is a further 35 minuets and traverses a different route.
Pass by without stopping
After taking off in Milford Sound the flight path first takes in another view of the fiord, before tracing south, down the Arthur valley. At the head of this valley, the Sutherland Falls can be viewed, this is New Zealand's highest waterfall, falling impressively 1,900ft / 580 meters to the valley floor below.
Pass by without stopping
Lake Te Anau
The flight path then begins to track east over the Southern Alps and back towards Queenstown. New Zealand's second largest lake, lake Te Anau can be viewed stretching out to the south.
Pass by without stopping
Greenstone and Caples Tracks
After once again crossing the main divide of the Southern Alps, taking in stunning views of small alpine lakes and jagged snow capped mountains, the route then traverses the densely forested Greenstone and Caples valleys.
Pass by without stopping
Lake Wakatipu
After emerging from the Greenstone valley, fly over Lake Wakatipu. Lake Wakatipu is New Zealand's longest lake at 46 miles / 75 kms, it is also incredibly deep, up to 1,250ft / 380 meters at some points! Queenstown is nestled on the lake's shores, so some great views of the town are enjoyed before landing.
Pass by without stopping
View the Walter Peak high country station, which is one of New Zealand's largest merino sheep farms.
Pass by without stopping
View the Remarkable mountain range and Queenstown, before landing back at the Air Milford base for your drop-off back to your accommodation.
15 minutes here
Where it starts and ends
Meeting point
Queenstown
Please provide us with your accommodation details and we will advise accordingly.
Hotel pickup
Pickup is available for selected locations. Pickup begins about 70 minutes before departure.
Ends at
Please provide us with your accommodation details and we will advise accordingly.
Before you book
- Cancellation
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
- Languages
- en
- Ticket
- Mobile Only
- Runs on
- Every day
- Group size
- Up to 12 travelers per booking
- Operated by
- Air Milford
Know before you go
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Subject to favorable weather conditions. If cancelled due to poor weather, you will be given the option of an alternative date or full refund
- Do not forget to bring a jacket and your camera
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Infant rates apply for 0 - 1 years of age, when the infant is sat on a parents lap, with an infant lap belt
Photos
What travelers are saying
Outty’s summary of the themes that recur across 27 traveler reviews. Written by us, not quoted from reviewers.
Photo opportunities
7 mentionsThe views and photo stops come up again and again.
Knowledge and storytelling
4 mentionsReviewers describe the commentary as informative rather than scripted.
Organization
3 mentionsPickup, timing, and logistics are described as running smoothly.
Traveler reviews
27 verified traveler reviews for Milford Sound Scenic Flight with Landing from Queenstown. Ratings and reviews provided by Viator and Tripadvisor.
Air Milford is the best
Our family of four flew with Ben for a touchdown flight to the Milford Sound. We all considered it a highlight of our two-week trip to ANZ. The views of the snowcapped peaks, coupled with the lush greenery of the Sound at sea level. This was actually my second trip with Air Milford - having joined for a fly around the Queenstown area in early 2O25. That is actually part of the important part of the story here. I was scheduled to do Milford Sound with Air Milford when I flew previously. That trip ended up not happening because of weather at the Sound. This time, we also had weather challenges. That matters for two reasons. First, Air Milford - a family-run business - takes passenger safety very, very seriously. There make no trips that compromise the safety of their guests. Second, they also work hard to accommodate their guests. While we were not able to do the Fly-Cruise-Fly itinerary which we originally booked as a family, they waited for the weather to clear to enable the flight and touchdown at the Milford Sound. It was a phenomenal experience for us, and we are grateful for both the care for safety and the effort to find an alternative that worked for our family.
via Tripadvisor
100000/10 recommend 😍
This experience was absolutely incredible. Every step of the way our wonderful pilot was informative, calm, and very knowledgeable. The whole experience was absolutely incredible and would 10000000% recommend Air Milford 😊
via Viator
Making Memories Experience
I gave this experience 5 stars as it is one of those special memories moments and if you can afford to spend the money on flying it saves the 8-10 hours round trip by coach or car to see the stunning Milford Sound. I’m not actually sure though if this exact trip is available now as when we arrived they were expecting us to do the flight-cruise on Milford-flight home package but I had originally chosen just the landing experience at Milford as I don’t travel well on boats but luckily there was very calm waters so agreed to do the cruise part as was easier to do the same as everyone else on our flight. 9 of us plus Emma boarded the light aircraft and all could have a window. Emma was our amazing pilot and a lovely young woman (sorry can’t remember her name) was also the great skipper on the catamaran. We were lucky in that it was a lovely day and I managed the boat part ok and you even got a hot drink and a muffin on board the boat. Got back to Queensland early afternoon so allowed for more time to explore this very scenic town. As said memorable trip up in the clouds. Thank you Emma, Paige and all at AirMilford. X
via Viator
Fabulous experience
Absolutely fabulous trip. All organized fantastic and on time. It was a pleasure to spend our time with Air Milford team!
via Tripadvisor
Wow!
There is no other way to travel to Milford Sound! The views along the way change from minute to minute. Green hillsides to snowcapped mountains to beautiful blue lakes and of course the sound itself. As a first time small plane traveler, I was anxious at first but there was no need to worry.
via Viator
Good to know
- Duration
- 5 hours
- Free cancellation
- Up to 24h before
- Minimum age to book
- All ages
- Availability
- Bookable today
- Runs on
- Every day
- Price range
- $447 to $768
- Hotel pickup
- Available for selected locations
- Booked in 30 days
- 10
- Verdict
- Solid Choice
Who runs this experience
Operated by Air Milford, who run 5 experiences we rank across 1 city, with an average Outty Ranking of 69.9.
See everything Air Milford runsWhy this scores 65
The Outty Ranking is a weighted composite. Here is how this experience performed on each component.
Milford Sound Scenic Flight with Landing from Queenstown: questions travelers ask
Practical detail on this experience, plus the wider planning questions for Queenstown.
How much does Milford Sound Scenic Flight with Landing from Queenstown cost?
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Prices start at $447 per person. The final price depends on the date, the time slot and the number of travelers, and peak weekends in Queenstown usually price higher than midweek mornings. Live pricing and remaining availability are confirmed on the booking screen before you pay.
How long does Milford Sound Scenic Flight with Landing from Queenstown take?
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Plan for about 5 hours from start to finish, not counting travel to the meeting point. Most travelers leave another 30 minutes on either side so the rest of the day in Queenstown is not rushed.
Is Milford Sound Scenic Flight with Landing from Queenstown worth it?
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It holds an Outty Ranking of 65 out of 100, which we label "Solid Choice". That score blends traveler sentiment (5/5 across 28 reviews), the depth of that review evidence, recent booking momentum, value for money against comparable last minute in Queenstown, and how flexible the cancellation terms are.
Can I cancel or reschedule Milford Sound Scenic Flight with Landing from Queenstown?
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Yes. Cancel free up to 24 hours before the start time for a full refund. Inside that window the booking is non-refundable, and no-shows are not refunded.
Is Milford Sound Scenic Flight with Landing from Queenstown suitable for kids and families?
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Yes, all ages are welcome. Families should still weigh the 5-hour running time, and strollers are easier on the earlier, quieter departures.
How far in advance should I book Milford Sound Scenic Flight with Landing from Queenstown?
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Around 10 people booked this in the last 30 days, so popular slots go early. Two to three weeks ahead is comfortable in shoulder season, while summer weekends and holidays in Queenstown can sell out a month out. Same-day spots do open up when other travelers cancel, so it is worth checking if you are already in town.
What should I bring or wear?
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Bring photo ID, your booking confirmation on your phone, a refillable water bottle and comfortable shoes. Dress for the weather in Queenstown and add a light layer if any part of the 5-hour experience runs outdoors or after sunset.
Where does Milford Sound Scenic Flight with Landing from Queenstown start and how do I get there?
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The exact meeting point and directions are on your voucher once you book, and they sit in central Queenstown within reach of public transport. Arrive 15 minutes early: late arrivals are treated as no-shows by most operators.
What are the best things to do in Queenstown?
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On Outty we rank every Queenstown experience on the same 0 to 100 scale, and alongside this one the highest scorers right now include Premium Milford Sound Small Group Tour & Cruise from Queenstown, Milford Sound Premium Small Group Tour & Cruise from Queenstown, Lord of the Rings Scenic Half Day Tour from Queenstown. The city page groups everything into most popular, highest reviewed, last minute and family-friendly so you can build a day around what actually delivers.
When is the best time to visit Queenstown?
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Booking patterns follow the same curve: prices and queues climb in peak weeks, while shoulder season gives you better availability on the top-ranked experiences and more room to change plans.
How many days do you need in Queenstown?
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Three full days covers the headline sights without sprinting. A workable rhythm is one anchor experience each morning, such as this one, an unhurried afternoon in a single neighborhood, then a food or nightlife booking in the evening. Five days lets you add a day trip outside the city.
Do I book through Outty or through the operator?
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Outty ranks and explains the experiences, then hands you to Viator to complete the booking with the operator directly. The price is the same as booking on Viator yourself, and Outty earns an affiliate commission on the referral, which is how the rankings stay free to read.
What is included in Milford Sound Scenic Flight with Landing from Queenstown?
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Included: Live pilot commentary on board; Hotel pickup and drop-off (centrally located hotels); Up to 2 hours on the ground in Milford Sound for self-guided walk; and Full pre-flight briefing with Air Milford pilot. Not included: Milford Sound Cruise; and Food and drinks. Always check the voucher for the final list before you travel.
Does Milford Sound Scenic Flight with Landing from Queenstown include hotel pickup?
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Yes, pickup is offered, or you can meet at the start point instead from 93 listed pickup locations in and around Queenstown. Be ready about 70 minutes before the start time. You can also enter a custom pickup address when booking.
What languages is Milford Sound Scenic Flight with Landing from Queenstown offered in?
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It runs in English. Pick your language when choosing a date and time, as not every departure runs in every language.
Will I get instant confirmation and a mobile ticket for Milford Sound Scenic Flight with Landing from Queenstown?
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Confirmation is sent by the operator after booking, usually within 48 hours; if it is not confirmed you are not charged. Mobile tickets are accepted, so you can show the voucher on your phone.
Is Milford Sound Scenic Flight with Landing from Queenstown wheelchair or stroller accessible?
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The operator notes: Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap; Wheelchair accessible; Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller; and Transportation options are wheelchair accessible. If accessibility is critical, contact the operator after booking to confirm arrangements for your date.
What happens to Milford Sound Scenic Flight with Landing from Queenstown if the weather is bad?
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This experience depends on good weather. If it is canceled because of poor weather, you are offered a different date or a full refund.
What do travelers say about Milford Sound Scenic Flight with Landing from Queenstown?
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Across 28 reviews averaging 5.0 out of 5, recurring themes include photo opportunities, knowledge and storytelling, organization. The views and photo stops come up again and again.
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