The cruise on Milford Sound is about 1 and a half hours. We took a full day trip from Te Anua . Drive to Milford is approx 2 hours depending on how many stops you have along the way. It was a rainy day when we went , our driver was fabulous, stopping at less busy tourist spots , for photo opportunities, . His knowledge of the area was outstanding, . I would certainly recommend booking a tour , you can then sit back and enjoy the stunning scenery .

Also can’t comment on the suitability of this trip in the winter, but I’d strongly advise staying in Te Anau the night before. Much of the day is spent in the van (seeing remarkable sights), and having to do the drive from Queenstown the same day is A LOT of time on the road. Lots of reasonable accommodations in Te Anau.

Review of: Full-Day Milford Sound Extraordinaire Tour from Te Anau We took the early tour with 8:00AM pickup. I recommend that time. Fiordland Tours operates small vans - 16 passenger rather than the big 40-45 person buses you see with other companies. Still big windows for the views, so no downside there. Contributes to better camaraderie within the group and more interaction with the guide. They also connect with a smaller boat on the Sound - maybe 80 person capacity rather than several hundred. Because it was early, we had about 40 aboard, so there was plenty of room. Sasha, our guide/driver/hostess, is a local who could share all kinds of detail about the area. Most importantly, she is experienced with the tour, and her plan was flawless. We made just a couple stops, but went almost straight to the boat. Sasha encouraged us to eat our lunch as soon as we boarded, while the boat was preparing to depart, so we would not miss anything on the cruise. After the boat cruise, on the return to Te Anau, we made the other advertised stops. As we were going south, we encountered dozens of big buses arriving from Te Anau or Queenstown with thousands more people to fill the boats. So, we had seen all the sights without the massive throngs. Do NOT take the tour from Queenstown. It is too long of a drive and you will be one or a few among hundreds or more at the same time. Go to Te Anau first. Fiordland Tours cannot be beaten. Book in advance.

I think this tour runs most days of the year. Just go ahead and book it on their website. My wife and I did and it's a small bus tour (so not the crowded big bus) and was excellent value for money with great and attentive staff. We also ordered their pre-packed lunch which just made things so much easier on the day as not many other opportunities to buy food once you are on the tour itself.