Doubtful Sound Cruise: Visiting Fiordland’s Hidden Gem
Milford Sound is one of New Zealand’s most famous natural attractions (and rightly so), but fewer people seem to know about the nearby Doubtful Sound. Arguably one of New Zealand’s best hidden gems, a cruise around Doubtful Sound is one of the top ways to experience the country’s natural beauty.
Located in New Zealand’s magnificent Fiordland National Park, Doubtful Sound is a large fiord which was carved out by glaciers millions of years ago. It’s believed it got its name from Captain James Cook, who opted not to enter the fiord, ‘doubtful’ it would be passable. The fiord is the second largest in New Zealand. It’s a whopping 40km in length (compared to Milford Sound’s 16km).
Doubtful Sound is often overlooked by the nearby Milford Sound, which draws in the crowds. As much as I love Milford Sound, I’m here to tell you that a trip to Doubtful Sound is absolutely a must-do during your time in New Zealand. The scale of Doubtful Sound means there’s a lot more to see, but with fewer boats and no crowds, it’s a much more peaceful experience.
In this guide, I’ll tell you everything you need to know about planning a Doubtful Sound Cruise, including how to get there and how to make the most of your cruise.
How to get to Doubtful Sound
The only way to get to Doubtful Sound is to join an organised day tour from either Queenstown, Te Anau or Manapouri.
Doubtful Sound sits at the end of the Wilmot Pass Road, which is only accessible via a boat ride across Lake Manapouri. The furthest you can drive yourself is to the small town of Manapouri.
From there, you will need to join a tour, board the boat that takes you to the Wilmot Pass, and then hop on a coach that will take you to your Doubtful Sound cruise.
It’s certainly a long journey, especially if you’re getting the coach from Queenstown. But I can’t say this enough… Doubtful Sound is beautiful, and if you have the time and budget to visit there, you really should.
Doubtful Sound Cruise: day or overnight?
When visiting Doubtful Sound, you have two options: a day cruise or an overnight cruise.
For most, a day cruise is the most convenient and budget-friendly option. The day cruises still spend a good three hours exploring Doubtful Sound, which I personally found to be a suitable amount of time.
However, the journey to Doubtful Sound is long and takes a full day, meaning many opt for an overnight cruise.
The overnight cruise is exactly what it claims to be. You’ll get to spend one night (or more) on Doubtful Sound. You’ll explore the fiord, can take part in activities such as kayaking, have meals on board and spend the night sleeping in Doubtful Sound.
I opted for a day trip, but would love to do an overnight cruise in Doubtful Sound when I return.
Doubtful Sound day cruise
A day trip to Doubtful Sound is the most popular way to explore this natural wonder. Despite the cruise around Doubtful Sound only being three hours, you’ll need to dedicate a full day to visit.
This is due to how long it takes you to get to the start of your cruise. For me, it took three different coaches plus a boat… and that was just to the start of my cruise.
Coach from Queenstown and Te Anau
If you’re travelling from Queenstown, the morning will start very early. I opted to do the tour with Real NZ. The coach left their Queenstown office at 6:55am. They will also do some hotel pickups and a stop in Frankton.
From there, it’s a 2-hour drive or so to the small town of Te Anau, where you switch coaches (or join the tour if you’ve got yourself to Te Anau). You’ll then be driven 20 minutes down the road to Manapouri.
Boat from Manapouri
Once you arrive in Manapouri, you’ll board a boat that takes you on a 50-minute trip across the lake. This is a beautiful journey in itself and gives you a chance to see the famous Manapouri power station. The boat also has a small café serving coffee and snacks.
Related read: Doubtful Sound is one of the best day trips from Queenstown. Discover other great day trips in the area.
Wilmot Pass
The last part of the journey to Doubtful Sound involves taking a coach over the Wilmot Pass to the start of the Doubtful Sound Cruise.
The Wilmot Pass is a beautiful drive which takes about 50 minutes. Unfortunately, there was heavy rain and low cloud on the day I went, so the coach didn’t make any stops. If the weather is good, the coach will make one or two stops at viewpoints.
Doubtful Sound Cruise
Once you arrive at Doubtful Sound, you’ll board your cruise, which lasts for 3 hours (unless you’re doing the overnight cruise). You’ll cruise down to the Tasman Se,a then spend time slowly exploring Doubtful Sound and its beauty.
There is a café on board serving hot drinks and snacks.
The journey back
Once the Doubtful Sound cruise has finished, you’ll need to do the journey in reverse, starting with a coach back across the Wilmot Pass. I got back into Queenstown around 8pm, so it was a full 13-hour day.
Can you drive yourself to Doubtful Sound?
It’s not possible to drive yourself to Doubtful Sound. The closest you can get yourself is the small town of Manapouri. From there, you will need to take a boat across the lake to the Wilmot Pass Road, where you will need to get a coach.
There is no way to drive yourself all the way to Doubtful Sound.
When is the best time of year to visit Doubtful Sound?
Doubtful Sound is accessible all year round, and there’s no “best time of year” to visit. Each season offers different benefits, but ultimately Doubtful Sound is beautiful all year round.
One thing to note is that Doubtful Sound is in Fiordland, one of the wettest places on earth. This means you have to be very lucky to visit Doubtful Sound on a dry and sunny day.
Traditionally, most rainfall happens between October and March. It could be argued that visiting during the winter months (April – September) offers a better chance at seeing blue skies, but in my experience, this isn’t necessarily true. I visited Fiordland several times a month during my winter in New Zealand, and it was nearly always raining.
Thankfully, Doubtful Sound is a magnificent sight whatever the weather. In fact, the heavier it rains, the more the waterfalls.
Both Doubtful Sound and Milford Sound only have a few permanent waterfalls. But when it rains, thousands suddenly appear. It’s one of the most incredible sights. Moral of the story – don’t be put off by wet weather.
Which Doubtful Sound tour operator?
Once you’ve decided on whether you want to do a day cruise or an overnight cruise in Doubtful Sound, narrowing down which company to choose is fairly simple.
Unlike Milford Sound, there are only a couple of operators with tours in Doubtful Sound.
The largest operator in Doubtful Sound is Real NZ, who offer both a day trip and an overnight trip. There are also coaches available from Queenstown and Te Anau.
For an overnight cruise, Southern Secrets is another option and even has a 2-night cruise, giving you ample opportunity to explore the fjord.
Fiordland Expeditions also offers an overnight cruise option.
Can you see dolphins or other wildlife in Doubtful Sound?
Doubtful Sound is home to an array of wildlife, including dolphins, seals and even penguins.
However, these animals are wild, so sightings can never be guaranteed. With fewer boats in Doubtful Sound, wildlife sightings are a little but more frequent.
Is visiting Doubtful Sound worth it?
Yes, yes, and yes again. Doubtful Sound is by no means as accessible as the nearby Milford Sound, but a visit there is 100% worth the effort.
Despite also being in Fiordland, a visit to Doubtful Sound feels very different to that of Milford Sound. For starters, Doubtful Sound is much bigger.
The cruise lasts longer and there’s a lot more to see. Doubtful Sound is also a much more peaceful experience. With fewer crowds and only one or two boats operating at any one time, the cruise really shows off Doubtful’s natural beauty and peace.
Is Doubtful Sound better than Milford Sound?
I’m not a fan of comparing natural wonders, but this is a common question. Honestly, both are very similar, but both are so different at the same time.
Milford Sound is nicknamed the ‘Eighth Wonder of the World’ and for good reason. There’s nothing else like seeing the wondrous Mitre Peak with crashing waterfalls all around. Milford Sound is also very accessible, and you can drive yourself there if you please.
The drive to Milford Sound, whether driving yourself or on an organised tour, is also stunning, with plenty of things to do along the way. I’ve written about driving from Queenstown to Milford here.
On the other hand, thousands of people head to Milford Sound every single day. There are several boats out on the fiord at any one time. This can sometimes make the trip seem a little commercialised and busy.
It’s impossible to say which is better, it really depends on what you prefer, and what best fits into your schedule. If you can, do both! Despite both being fiords, they are really very different.
I’ve written all about Milford Sound vs Doubtful Sound.
Doubtful Sound Scenic Flights
Another way to see Doubtful Sound is by air, with flights departing from both Te Anau and Milford Sound.
I never got to explore Fiordland from above, but I’ve only heard good things.
Being in the air means you won’t get to experience Doubtful Sound’s peacefulness, but it will give you a bird’s eye view. It offers the chance to see the true scale of Fiordland.
There is a range of operators to choose from, including Queenstown Helicopters, Southern Lakes and Wings and Water.
Do they serve food on the Doubtful Sound cruise?
If you’re doing the Doubtful Sound day cruise, there will be a couple of opportunities for you to buy snacks and drinks. This includes the Manapouri Lake boat ride and the Doubtful Sound boat.
However, the offerings are limited, and I’d highly recommend taking snacks or your own lunch.
The other option is to pre-order a packed lunch,h which will be given to you once you arrive in Manapouri.
For those doing the overnight cruise, your meals are included.
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