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!

We used Go orange for our tour to the Milford sounds. Our tour guide was Grant and he was a…read moresweetheart. He was informative and very knowledgable on New Zealand history. The long 5 hour bus ride was broken up into several stops either for bathroom breaks, shopping and the best sightseeing and photo opportunities of New Zealands beautiful landscape. Even in the rain on some stops the scenery was gorgeous and worth getting a little wet. I would recommend this tour for your travel needs in Queenstown. Trust me you will have hundreds to choose from with 4 to 5 tour companies on every street, lol.

6:30 am. Too early for a meal, maybe you've had enough time to sneek in a hot tea or coffee. It's…read morefreezing cold out and you have layered as much as you can to try and stay warm enough to keep your fingers and toes from becoming frozen. It's dark, you struggle to find your way to the meeting point for pickup, scared that if you aren't there in time, your tour bus will leave you and you'd have lost your money invested in today. You wait in the cold, checking the time, looking out for others who look just as tired and lost as you do. Some people show up. Suddenly a massive tour bus rolls up to your bus stop. Out pops a average height gentleman, he seems as though he's already full of energy, maybe he's already had his coffee. He is wearing a cowboy hat. We've just met, Jason, the Cowboy who will take us from Queenstown and into Fjordland National Park to Milford Sound. After taking a seat on the bus, grabbing a warm orange blanket from the above compartment, we make a few more stops along our way to pickup others. Jason, or the Cowboy has welcomed us and explains that we are now his family, he's going to look after us and take care of us, just as you do with family. I never felt so welcomed. Riding alongside the massive lake, he noted things to look out for, explained the little towns we went by, gave suggestions and was filled with local knowledge and stories. For what would be a boring 3 plus hour journey, he can take all of the credit for making this day a entertaining one.

My husband and I embarked on a Nomad Safari 4W, all-day LOTR tour-two of nine in the complete…read moregroup, split between two vehicles convoying with each other. The tour ran 8-5pm, picking us up at our hotel, splitting the day between a morning session (complete with coffee, tea, and biscuits), dropped off for lunch paid for at Balls & Bangles, and an afternoon session (complete with coffee, tea, and biscuits) Our morning tour guide started our day off with a fantastic 'let's do this' attitude, amping us up for a day of exploration. During the drive, he blended the experience between LOTR nerdom and NZ culture & history, giving us a well-rounded South Island excursion. We could really tell he not only followed the standard Nomad script, complete with photo references of movie shoot locations & must-know facts, but added a lot of additionally researched information-it showed a passion for promoting the South Island, we truly enjoyed. For the LOTR portion, it was excellent to see specific photo references. Then when enjoying being at specific sites each tour guide had a positive readiness to help take photos, even bringing out props, at a few spots, to help re-create famous scenes. Lunch was pre-paid, we had a $20 credit at the restaurant to pick what we would like to eat, then time to meet up with the next convoy. The afternoon session was again blended between LOTR sites & NZ culture; including more movie site locations, then stopping in Arrowtown to drive the river, pan for gold, and drive along Skipper's Canyon- the tour guides in our second session added their own unique flare to the experience, driving along adrenaline pumping routes, relaying facts about NZ's crazy drives & where else to visit. Overall, the entire day was a very memorable experience. The company went above & beyond to provide a truly 5star day.

We just finished the Routeburn Track with Angelo G. As our guide. He picked us up at our hotel in…read morethe morning and explained the area history, flora and fauna along the way to the National Park. This is the best hike we have been on. Angelo was very professional and well versed in the demands of the trek. He is very knowledgeable about the plants and birds we encountered along the way. We learned a lot and enjoyed ourselves through the whole day. I highly recommend this tour! Thank you Angelo and Nomad Safaris.

Queenstown Airport was our point of entry into NZ this time and its scenic setting makes this a…read morebeautiful airport to transit. If you're lucky then you'll get to see Lake Wakatipu and the snow capped mountain ranges on the way in or out. This airport doesn't have jetways to deplane the passengers but the walk across the tarmac lets one soak in more of the surrounding mountains. After retrieving our luggage, we then had to queue in lines according to what we declared on the NZTD form (international arrivals). You can fill out the NZTD online in advance and skip filling out the paper version on the plane. The longest line were those of us who said yes to something like food, medicine, wilderness visit (camping more specifically), etc. Depending on your answers to the agents questions you were either allowed to proceed to the electronic immigration gates or redirected to another line for more screening. I just wished there were more open lines since this was the slowest arrival step. Rental car counters were grouped all together near the airport exit. We had to walk around five minutes to reach the cars which were past the taxi stand. Exiting the airport with our rental was ok but the main road was under construction heading towards the center. Luckily we returned the rental to Christchurch and avoided the return headache.

We arrived in NZ via Auckland but flew out of Queenstown. This smaller airport is very easy to…read moremaneuver. We had a rental car and it was pouring rain so Husband dropped me off with luggage and then dropped off car since there was a bit of a walk from rental car spot to ticketing area. We flew Quantas. Lots of baggage tag kiosks. Everything self serve. Not really any lines (we were there at 5am). At the gate area, there was one coffee shop open, Fuel to Fly, and I was grateful for that so I could get a latte and breakfast bar. There was plenty of seating in the gate area and we took off on time. Great experience.

We're on our New Zealand "taster's" tour, and the only place we're staying on the South Island is…read moreQueenstown. And if you're going to visit Queenstown, you're going to want to visit Milford Sound (it's actually a fjord, but whatever). And if you want to visit Milford Sound and you have a time constraint, the fastest way to get there is by air (35 minutes one-way). Our travel people booked the flight out via Air Milford. Normally, I'm nervous about these things. I like my planes to have at least two sources of propulsion and yet are preferred to propellers. And honestly speaking, I'm not prone to having such adventures. Nonetheless, today was an amazing Queenstown day, and the conditions were right for the flight. The weather is temperamental around here, so the procedure was to call in the night before and call in this morning. We didn't have to call in this morning as Air Milford called us and told us the trip was a "Go!" The communication was open and informative. We got picked up in front of our hotel by a Queenstown taxi and were ferried to the airstrip. Check-in was simple. Antony came out and briefed us in front of a map. We loaded up the plane fully, and off we went. The flight was flawless. Antony told us all the landmarks and what we were seeing. Can't say I was completely calm, but Antony flies the Cessna as you or I would commute to work. We saw lakes, rivers, valleys, mountains, grasslands... everything that Frodo saw, except from the sky.... so I guess as you would were you riding a giant eagle with seat belts. On the way into Milford Sound, you fly to the Tasman Sea and turn back. You make a small turn and then plop into the air strip. On the way out, Antony had everyone (who wanted to) take pictures with the plane, and my wife even got to ride the co-pilot. The flight home was less nervous. It was a continuous stream of pictures. In short, If you like adventure... If you're time-constrained... If you like supporting family-owned, small businesses... If you like excellence in an amazing experience. You should book with Air Milford.

Right from the beginning safety talk they were professional and reassuring. Explaining what to…read moreexpect and what could happen dependent on weather. The pilot was very competent (I sat in the co pilots seat on the return flight and could see what he was doing and could listen to the radio transmissions, and while not a pilot have flown in smaller sized aircrafts with commercial airline pilots). Great scenic flight and then on to the boat for more spectacular views and complementary beverage and muffin! The boat captain narrated at times and got us close enough to walls to see details and one waterfall so close that those of us on the bow got way wetter that I expected!! (good thing my camera is weather sealed)

The staff was extremely helpful and planned our entire trip! We went there as soon as we arrived,…read moresuitcases and all. They even went out of their way to book additional day trips that they didn't own (we highly suggest the Boutique Wine Tour, Vikki was an amazing guide!). We also did a lake cruise with the farm tour (go at 9AM before the crowds!) and a jet boat ride. We opted for their locally owned jet boat as it is a lot more scenic and were not disappointed. Overall, very satisfied with the value and service received.

Did the Milford Sound cruise with charter from Queenstown. It was unbelievable!!! 11/10!! Yoda was…read morethe driver and very good at it. Ellie was the tour guide and provided the best commentary along the drive to the cruise. You get the chance to stop at the most iconic, picturesque stops along the way. They also give you upgrade options for the commute back, like small plane or helicopter. I decided last minute to try the helicopter return tour and Ellie scrambled to make it happen as you need at least four others to join. Turned out that another bus had some interested passengers and I was pleasantly surprised when I returned from the cruise that she had it lined up!!! Wow, epic trip especially for those wanting to experience the country side outside of Queenstown. HIGHLY recommend!!!

This helicopter tour was truly a memorable experience and absolutely worth it. Even though it's a…read morelittle on the expensive side, the moment we lifted off, I knew it was going to be something special. The operator picked us up right on time, gave us a quick and clear safety briefing, and within minutes we were in the air. The pilot was fantastic -- friendly, skilled, and even took photos for us during the flight. The views from above Queenstown were breathtaking, with mountains, lakes, and landscapes that looked unreal from the sky. Landing on the snow was the highlight. We spent a few minutes taking photos, enjoying the crisp air, and soaking in the panoramic views from the top. It felt peaceful, surreal, and unforgettable. Overall, this tour delivered exactly what we hoped for: a once in a lifetime experience. Despite the price, it's absolutely worth it for the memories alone. We would definitely recommend this helicopter tour to anyone visiting Queenstown.

WOW! Fantastic helicopter ride to land on a glacier! Pilot was informative, friendly, and very…read morenice. The helicopter takes 6 people and we had a turn sitting in the front on the way back. The views even from the back, were spectacular. I would thoroughly recommend this company. They do pickups from hotels, or there are a few parking spaces right outside their building. It was a wonderful experience, lasted about an hour, and I'm so glad we did it!

We had a nice leisurely & not overly crowded cruise around the lake. Beautiful scenery,…read moreKnowledgable & funny skipper. There is snacks + drink on board. Plenty of opportunities for photo ops & history of the city. We really enjoyed this tour!

My niece and her husband flew from Wellington to join us on Million Dollar Cruise, which sails Lake…read moreWakatipu. They had paid for it but surprised us when they told us what they had planned! I hadn't seen my niece since 1996! We had excellent weather, considering it was late October. Prior to boarding we saw the captain feeding Brown and Rainbow trouts and it was interesting in how the fish quickly surfaced to feed. We saw the Remarkables towering above, tranquil Willow Island, Million Dollar lakeside homes and golf course, and the Kawarau Falls Dam. All in all, it was a great cruise and we enjoyed it - not crowded and beautiful scenery and lots of great photo ops. Nice 90-minute tour.