Doubtful Sound Wilderness Cruise from Queenstown
Highlights & inclusions
1. Select date
November 2024
2. Select participants
What you can expect
Take the hassle out of getting to your Doubtful Sound wilderness cruise with this package that includes the cruise itself along with coach transfers from Queenstown. With the cruise itself, you will escape from civilization to one of the most beautiful natural destinations in New Zealand - Doubtful Sound, a massive, incredibly scenic fiord brimming with scenery, cascading waterfalls, native wildlife and much more. This Doubtful Sound wilderness cruise will take you to this compelling destination for an excursion across the lovely Lake Manapouri after which you'll hop aboard a coach and travel the sub-alpine road over Wilmot Pass then witness the dense Fiordland rainforest and view Doubtful Sound glimmering in the distance below.
Once you reach the Sound itself, you'll board a spacious catamaran to kick off a three-hour cruise through some of the area's astounding scenery as your accompanying experienced nature guide provides commentary and answers any questions you might have. During the cruise, be sure to keep your eyes open for the many varieties of wonderful wildlife that inhabit the region including fur seals which can be seen basking in the sun or bottlenose dolphins which inhabit Doubtful Sound's waters.
Location
What you need to know
- All food and beverage purchases aboard the vessels in Milford Sound, Doubtful Sound, Queenstown, and Te Anau, as well as at Walter Peak and the Manapouri Café, do not accept cash. A cashless system will provide a smoother, more efficient experience for both guests and staff
- Payment terminals accept all major credit cards and debit cards, including AMEX, WeChat Pay, AliPay and Union Pay, as well as contactless payment options like Apple Pay and Google Pay.
- RealNZ is going cashless on all food and beverage purchases in experience.
- This means that all food and beverage purchases aboard our vessels in Milford Sound, Doubtful Sound, Queenstown, and Te Anau, as well as at Walter Peak and the Manapouri Café, will no longer accept cash. A cashless system will provide a smoother, more efficient experience for both our guests and staff.
- Our payment terminals accept all major credit cards and debit cards, including AMEX, WeChat Pay, AliPay and Union Pay, as well as contactless payment options like Apple Pay and Google Pay.
- Note: Fee of 1.5% applies to food and beverage purchases by credit card only. The fee does not apply to purchases in Retail Store at Walter Peak, or merchandise purchased from our Visitor Centres.
- Full day Doubtful Sound Wilderness Cruise and Coach package from Queenstown
- Luxury launch cruise across Lake Manapouri and coach trip over Wilmot Pass
- Three hour full length cruise of Doubtful Sound on a modern, spacious catamaran with excellent viewing
- Wildlife viewing opportunities including fur seals, dolphins and rare Fiordland crested penguin
- Expert commentary
- Interpretation hand-out sheets in 5 languages: English, German, French, Spanish and Japanese
- Dedicated nature guide with specialist knowledge of flora and fauna
- Tea and coffee available for purchase on the cruise
- Meals. Picnic lunches available for purchase from Manapouri Café. Snacks and drinks available for purchase (cash only onboard)
- Packed lunch can be purchased prior to your cruise. Please contact the supplier after booking
- On boarding a luxury coach in Queenstown, travel along the shores of Lake Wakatipu and through the rolling countryside to Manapouri
- Then cruise across the crystal waters of Lake Manapouri to West Arm before boarding a coach and crossing the alpine route of Wilmot Pass through some of Fiordland’s most dense rainforest. On reaching Deep Cove, board a modern catamaran vessel, the Patea Explorer for a three hour cruise exploring the waterways of this serene and isolated fiord
- There is plenty of time available to explore points of interest and view the spectacular alpine scenery including waterfalls, rainforest and mountains all the way out to the Tasman Sea
- It is home to bottlenose dolphins and fur seals and when in season, the rare Fiordland crested penguin. An on-board nature guide with specialist knowledge of the region’s history, flora and fauna provides detailed interpretation in English with a roving microphone
- Picnic lunch is available for an additional $20.00 each. This must be pre-ordered (cut off at 4pm on the day before travel)
- Snacks are available for purchase on board only i.e. chips, chocolate, biscuits etc (cash only)
- The 'Doubtful Sound Wilderness Cruise' is changing departure time, which means your guests will experience Fiordland in peak sunlight hours, offering perfect lighting for unforgettable photo opportunities.
- Ex Manapouri: 10am - 5pm
- Ex Te Anau: 9.45am - 6pm
- Ex Queenstown: 7.40am - 8pm
- Some hotel pick ups are offered for this tour and are available from most centrally located Queenstown hotels. If a hotel pick up is required, please contact the operator 48hrs prior to departure to arrange pick up location. If a hotel pick up is not required, please meet the tour at the RealNZ Visitor Centre, 88 Beach Street, Queenstown for a 6:55am departure
- Non-slip shoes/boots
- Waterproof jacket
- Warm sweater/fleece jacket
- Sunscreen/sunglasses
- Insect repellent
- Camera
- Change your booking up to 24 hours before the start time of your experience
- Changes are not permitted within 24 hours of your experience
- Late arrivals or no shows may result in you forfeiting your experience
- Confirmation in the form of a tour voucher will be received at time of booking
- Upon completion of purchase, please print the voucher and present on day of the experience
- For your information, complete Tour Operator Information including contact details is included on your tour voucher
- Availability was accurate at the time of booking, however, is subject to change due to circumstances out of our control. We strongly suggest reconfirming your booking with the tour operator within 24 hours of making your booking and prior to making other travel arrangements
- Prices are seasonal and are constantly changing. The from price displayed may not always be the price you are going to pay, as once you click on your specified date, the price will change to reflect the price for that date/season. Please note that in some cases where you cannot click on a date to obtain the price, please call us so we can assist you
- Cruise vessel subject to change without notice
- Mobile Vouchers are accepted! - Vouchers can also be presented on your mobile device for this attraction
Recent reviews
Lydia Dalla Libera
about 7 years ago
Had a taxi pick me up from my hotel to take me to the Coach meeting point in Queenstown
Had a taxi pick me up from my hotel to take me to the Coach meeting point in Queenstown. Had a great driver Brian who was full of information and guided us step by step. Drive to Manapouri was great, cruise across the Lake was also excellent. We had a mother short coach drive with some amazing views which Brian was happy to stop for photo opportunity. The day was overcast but the cruise was amazing and the option of purchasing a picnic lunch with my experience was a great idea it’s a long day, enjoyed my lunch while cruising Doubtful Sounds. Great experience highly recommend it.