Only 3 stars due to lack of coordination on the back-end…read more.. This review is purely and solely for Milford Sound Scenic Flights (MSSF) as the tour operator (not the underlying attractions of Milford Sound, Glenorchy, and boating the Dart River - all of which were stunning, just truly awesome!!) We took the full-day package of flying a plane out to Milford Sound, then taking the boat cruise up the sound, then taking a helicopter ride back to Glenorchy, then riding jet boats up the river. The plane and helicopter rides were provided in-house by MSSF and outstanding on every level. Mitre Peak provided the cruise up/down the sound, which was also outstanding on every level. Jet boating was provided by Dart River Adventures and was excellent. The only issues occurred on the back-end, in trying to get the ride back to Queenstown. The very costly price of this tour included hotel pickup AND drop-off, but there was considerable confusion of logistics in taking the coach back to Queenstown from Glenorchy, approx. 40 km. What started out nicely in the morning as 10 people in a van for initial hotel pickup, ends with over a hundred people trying to herd onto 2 buses with little direction. When multiple customers, including ourselves, asked about which bus we were supposed to take, the driver, clearly irritated over the lack of internal coordination and communication, barked out at a group of about 15 of us "just get on the damn bus!" While I understand the frustration, one should not be in a customer-facing business if they can't handle their emotions. To make matters worse, they attempted to drop us in the middle of town, NOT back at the hotel which was clearly in the scope of what we purchased. Luckily, one of the guys from the boating group was there, saw what was happening, and helped us grab a taxi - at no additional cost - back to our hotel. So while I'd like to give Milford Sound Scenic Flights a 5 star review, they get docked a star for poor back-end execution. I expect that they will claim that this was a different organization that provided the ride back and thus not their fault, BUT we paid a small fortune for this tour and Milford Sound Scenic Flights, as the ones we paid and thus as the primary coordinator, bears responsibility to make sure that all aspects of the tour have been properly executed, and this one aspect was not well performed. It's a bit unsettling to be in a foreign country, out in the middle of the wilderness, 40 km from your hotel, and have a bus driver yelling at you because of planning and communication inadequacies of his organization.

Fabulous time. Our pilot Liam was awesome and made us feel at ease. We had gorgeous day and views…read moreof the Milford Sound and Queenstown. Traveled March 2020.

We purchased this cruise in advance through TripAdvisor so we wouldn't have to wait in queue…read more Parking near the terminal was convenient for NZ$10 per hour and it was about a 10-minute walk to the check-in area. When we arrived, we simply showed the operator our email confirmation number, received a blue boarding card, and were directed to Terminal 3. Boarding was smooth and organized, and with the capacity capped at 75 passengers, we were among the first to get on. We chose to sit in the back on the outside. The cruise itself was roughly an hour 45 minutes and took us through the fjord. Because it had rained the day before, many of the waterfalls were flowing beautifully. We spotted a few seals sleeping on the rocks and even saw a couple of penguins. When the boat pulled up close to one of the larger waterfalls, we got soaked but it was all part of the fun. The weather was sunny and in the mid-50s Fahrenheit, which made for a perfect experience, especially compared to the rainy conditions earlier in the week. Complimentary tea, coffee, and cookies were available on the first floor, and the boat also had a restroom onboard. The staff were warm, welcoming, and even helped take photos for passengers. Overall, it was a smooth, scenic, and memorable cruise!

DATE OF TOUR: End of February 2020 BOOKED: directly through…read morecompany TOUR: 5 stars - bucket list material TOUR GUIDES: 5 stars CONTACT WITH COMPANY PRIOR TO TOUR: 5 stars EASE OF BOOKING ONLINE: 5 stars TIPS: bring snacks and water if you are able (especially if being picked up from Queenstown), 1 bathroom break to/from Queenstown to Milford Sound (there is a bathroom on the bus, but at one point ours was out of order), it was very beneficial for us to have an international cell in order for them to contact us, i recommend a rain coat (I got a lite one off of Amazon and that was plenty) Milford Sound was high on my list when planning our trip to New Zealand. After experiencing it's wonder, I think this is something that should be on everyone's bucket list. Personally, I don't believe that the travel time to experience places should play that much of a role and I 100% feel that Milford Sound is worth it. Our time was just magical here. Out of all the Milford Sound tours, we chose Cruise Milford based on a review we saw saying that their cruises were smaller at meant you got more access to the scenery, etc. And that was true when you saw our Cruise compared to others. I received a call/text the day before from the company to make sure we were set, Because of flooding recently, food would not be available at Milford Sound and we were offered a package to add lunch. They were also very friendly at fielding our questions on food, snacks, bathroom breaks, etc (see below). Thank goodness, T-Mobile offers relatively cheap deals for international phone service. The morning of, our ride never showed. So, I called the lady that we spoke to the night before and by the time she called me back, she already had a Taxi ready to pick us up and bring us to the final bus stop (there was a mixup in the system). We booked our trip with transportation from our hotel in Queenstown. It is a 2-hour drive from Queenstown to Milford Sound, so it was honestly a great plan the day after getting in from our long flight as we slept most of the bus ride. From Queenstown there is a short stop to grab breakfast, coffee and use the bathroom and their grab/go pastries were DELICIOUS my husband and I went back for seconds before we got back on the bus. We stopped at the same stop on the way home and there wasn't much food left by the end of the day and hardly enough time to go to the other restaurants, so I HIGHLY recommend bringing snacks. There is a bathroom on the bus, but as I wrote above, ours was out of order halfway through the trip

This was an amazing experience! From the pickup to the flight, everything was smooth and easy to…read morenavigate. The tour was amazing and the food/drink was delicious. Thank you flyover the pilot Jason for communicating when to the "bumps" during the flight and the great information of what we were able to see in the air. 10/10 would recommend!!

So I didn't have a whole lot of time in Queenstown but I wanted to see some of the major spots…read more Franz Josef glacier and also Milford Sound. I mulled around a couple of different companies but this was the only one that went to the glacier from Queenstown. For the value (yes I have the American dollar) it was pretty good! Firstly you get picked up (awesome!). You get an hour scenic flight there with a pretty knowledgable pilot. Elliot was mine, courteous and was great to point out things and answer questions. Anything he didn't know (which wasn't much) he grabbed out a map and quickly named it. Color me impressed to know so much about the surroundings! It was also a very comfortable flight, not bumpy, and you get a window. I got to sit in the front which gave me some cool views as well! Seamless transfer to another company which actually handles the glacier. Afterward you are flown up to the glacier by helicopter (super cool!). The glacier itself was stunning, however I personally felt it was a little too easy for me. ) For beginners it was great, you go in a line and follow your guide. I may have veered off a little ;-). My group had people huffing after 5-10 minutes though.. You get a little under 2 hours on the ice. If you are lucky you will see an avalanche. They try to show you some different formations in the ice. If you don't like wind turn around when the helicopter lands, trust me! So on the way back you do another scenic 1 hour flight which our's took us a different route. I saw a golden Tasman Sea. HOLY COW INCREDIBLE! I will also throw out I was a little panicked for most of the day because my wallet fell out of my bag. They were kind to check on it and the girl at the front let me borrow some money to get something to eat. She also backtracked to look for my wallet. They trusted me to go on the tour and back. She then took me around to look for said wallet (found it thankfully) and then also dropped me off somewhere after I came back to pay. It was very sweet of her and I won't forget the kindness. So the next day I decided to do Milford Sound. I had wanted to do the nature cruise but they didn't offer it. Turns out it's not much different so don't shell out the money. My cruise ship actually got us right in the waterfall (super cool). Again you take a scenic flight there and back (30 minutes this time) and then board a cruise ship (handled by a different company but your guide takes care of checking you in. Again, seamless). There was ample room on the ship which made getting a window seat very easy. It was very comfortable and the views were incredible! Also it helped that both days were wonderful weather. We saw dolphins and seals! Our instructor on the way there was polite and nice to point out things on the route. I had Elliot on the way back, who once again didn't disappoint with a great tour of the sky, and a perfect landing (prior flight attendant so I pay attention to these things). Elliot was then kind enough to drop me off in town at my next destination. Everyone I interacted here was incredibly warm and welcoming. You notice things like that when you travel. Especially with my mishaps on the first day they really went the extra mile. Would definitely recommend them if you are looking to see these things. This is the first time I did this so it was a treat!

In A Nutshell: -This…read moreRamada actually turned out to be very nice. -It's fairly new (just over a year) & situated in a new development area (i.e townhomes, condos being built/sold nearby). -I booked it last minute on Hotels.com (rack up those free nights). -The room was an Executive Apartment, which is why it had a small kitchen & W/D. -Loved the room, the bed was super comfy & the place was clean. -Wifi is FREE & fast. Overall, the location is great bc you are 5 mins from a grocery store, bus stop & other shops. There's even a car rental place on premises.

My partner and I had a lovely stay at the Hilton in queenstown. However our stay was made…read moreextraordinary by the Manager, Mr. Vaibhov Aneja. From the moment we stepped through the doors we felt so taken care of after a long week of road tripping. He was quick to assist us in a room request and he also went out of our way to bring us wine and chocolate as we were celebrating our engagement. The rest of the staff from valet to cleaning services was also incredible and so accommodating. The room was very comfortable and the proximity to the lake is unbeatable. It is a bit outside of the CBD but it was so close to so many incredible restaurants and shops it didn't matter. They also have a water taxi that can take your down to the cbd. We would definitely recommend this place for a stay in Queenstown. We will never forget how special our stay was.

Stayed in the lake suite for 4 nights in May 2026…read more Pros. Service. Breakfast. Views from Suite. Cons. Hotel, although in pretty good shape, is a bit dated. Early 2000 decor despite ~2011 opening. Location. Nothing in less than 30 minutes walking distance as far as non hotel bars/restaurants. The hotel seemed generally clean however there was a very large cockroach in our room. Probably a good place to stay if need a night a night close to airport.

We did the quickie tour because there wasn't a lot of free time on the schedule and it was totally…read moreworth it. Quick out to the top of a mountain/hill. Quick opportunity for photos. Quick trip back over the lake. Great experience. Well organized and very safe. Pilot was great. Office was great. Transportation to and from was great. Would do a longer trip with them sometime if possible. Note that they cancel a lot of flights. Book early in your stay as you could get postponed due to weather and probably will. Enjoy!

I mean, it's just, I... Here the thing: I'm a wordy person who enjoys speaking in hyperbole, and…read moreeven I'm having a hard time coming up with a way to describe just how amazing this experience was. First off, the weather could not have been better. And the helicopter pilot could not have been more informative. And with each of the three landings (the first on a bluff overlooking the reason that Lord Of The Rings was filmed here, the second at Milford, and the third on a snowy glacier) I realized exactly why we had spent so much money to do this. It was expensive. And worth every penny. In fact, we did it again the second time we came to Queenstown. And we'll probably do it the next time as well. If you can swing it in your budget, this is an absolute MUST DO.

Wow! What an amazing experience! Super greetings from every employee and had the best pilot ever!…read moreShe has been flying for five years and she is only 24 and what a flight, best ever! Not only was the take off and landing smooth, she explained what we were looking at and educated us about Milford Sound and the surrounding area. It was fantastic! I will highly recommend this company and would fly with them again in a heartbeat. See the photos it was magical.

I'm very happy with you Glenorchy Air! What an unforgettable flying experience, especially for…read moreaviation enthusiasts like myself. Glenorchy took us on a scenic flight over some of the most stunning landscapes in the world. This company operates out of Queenstown, New Zealand, offering flights to Milford Sound, maybe the 8th world wonder in the world in my opinion. Flying with Glenorchy Air was the highlight of my New Zealand trip. The staff were incredibly friendly and professional, ensuring everything ran smoothly from check-in to landing. The pilot allowed me to sit SIC (second-in-command) and explained auto pilot which I'm a little novice on. Very much appreciated. The views from the cockpit were unmatched. You're looking out over dramatic alpine ranges, glacial valleys, and winding rivers visible at every turn. About the only time in my life I was ok with looking and not wanting to fly.

Heli Tours is probably one of the greatest ways to see Milford Sound, beautiful Queenstown, and…read moreglaciers so quickly! It is a bit pricey, but definitely worth the $$$$! We booked our tour through Happy Travels in downtown Queenstown for the fly+cruise+fly package! Our tour details: 9am - We called ahead to make sure the weather was good to fly and our trip was not going to get canceled. There was a Heli Tours van that picked us up from our hotel in Queenstown! 9:15am - We got to the Heli Tours office and waited for 2 more people to arrive. 9:30am - Our tour was suppose to start at 9:30am sharp, but the other folks never showed up. 9:45am - Only 4 of us, including the pilot (Ben)! It was so awesome!! There was a quick safety briefing. We got on the heli and we were all super excited to be in a heli for the very first time! Ben did some commentary, but it was honestly difficult to hear everything he was saying. Also the window had our reflections so it was a bit difficult to take pictures through the window clearly. We flew over many beautiful rivers and mountains. 10:25am - When we landed in Milford, Ben escorted us onto the bus that took us to where the boats were. We hopped onto a small boat for our 10:45am departure with about 20 other people and they had a sectioned off area for the Heli Tours group inside the boat!! There was free tea/coffee and chocolate cookies. I really enjoyed the cruise through Milford Sound and because we were on a smaller boat, we got to go up close to the waterfalls!! Got a free shower too! LOL! 11:45am - After the cruise, Ben escorted us back onto the bus heading back towards the helipads! 12:30pm - Landed on a glacier! Took a bunch of photos! It was quite the experience! The fluffiest powder of snow I've ever felt and stepped in! It was so fresh!!! Unbelievable! 1:00pm - Headed back and flew over towards Queenstown 1:30pm - Arrived back at the Heli Tours office by the airport 1:45pm - Got a van ride back to our hotels 2:00pm - Arrived at our hotel It was definitely one of the greatest experiences ever. If you can afford a helicopter ride to see Queenstown/Milford, it's by far the best way to see so much in a short amount of time! This tour was really great because we got escorted throughout our tour and we were well taken care of! Ben was a great pilot and he made everyone get a chance to sit up front! I only wished they somehow had a Milford/Doubtful Sound tour! That would be so worth it since I haven't seen any tour group have both in one day! TIPS: - If you do book this tour, I recommend booking it thru Happy Travels. - Wear sunscreen and apply frequently (I got sunburned) and bring sunglasses! Wear appropriate shoes for the wet boat ride and the snowy glacier. Layer because it gets hot inside the helicopter and then it's quite cold outside the boat and on the glacier!

Good news is they were on time, very friendly and overall pretty decent...they did what they are…read moresupposed to do. BUT...had a chance to fly business/1st class internationally on this airline and I will say it was a major disappointment. It felt like bunk beds....meaning for the price, we basically got a seat to ourselves, it did lay flat...but absolutely no privacy. literally felt like you were at camp in beds and could see everyone. So you got a seat with low dividers, no real pods or privacy and open air. Hate complaining about first class international...but for the money...not a great experience.

We had a pleasant experience with Air New Zealand…read more The staff were very friendly and helpful. The safety video was quite entertaining and engaging. The wife loves the footage of all the beautiful people in the video. Overall good experience flying from Sydney to Wellington.