Doubtful Sound Wilderness Day Cruise: Explore Fiordland National Park's Remote Landmarks

431 Ratings

Manapouri

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Embark on an 8-hour day trip into the remote wilderness of Doubtful Sound in Fiordland National Park. Discover stunning landmarks, encounter dolphins and seals, and experience the unique ‘Sound of Silence’ on a luxurious cruise.

Duration: 7 hours

Cancellation: 24 hours

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Highlights

Lake Manapouri - Cruise across Lake Manapouri to the Wilmot Pass at the beginning of your journey.
Doubtful Sound - Take in the scenery and wildlife aboard our comfortable catamaran. Our on board nature guides will be giving an informative commentary throughout the journey.
Doubtful Sound - Take a comfortable coach journey through the breathtaking Wilmot Pass to reach Deep Cove in Doubtful Sound.

What's Included

On-board live commentary

What's Not Included

Food and drinks (available to purchase)
Alcoholic drinks (available to purchase)
Hotel pickup and drop-off

Additional Information

Embark on a full-day excursion to the secluded Doubtful Sound located in the heart of Fiordland National Park with our experienced nature guides who will provide information and identify landmarks. This fiord is a natural habitat for bottlenose dolphins and fur seals, which are commonly sighted. During the season, you might spot the seldom-seen…

Location

64 Waiau Street

Waiau Street

Please be sure to arrive 20 minutes before your scheduled departure to check in.

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings

4.7

(431 Ratings)

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Jane_j

Jun 22, 2025

Fabulous… spectacular… would do again - Absolutely sensational. Great bus driver, spectacular scenery. Would do again! We did both sounds and they are vastly different and so worth the money. Great guide.. good and drink available on board. Very pretty

Review provided by Viator

Terence_a

May 27, 2025

Amazing Experience - Amazing experience. Definitely recommend taking this tour. Everywhere you look looks like a painting.

Review provided by Viator

Neal_k

May 22, 2025

Crew on all legs were... - Crew on all legs were wonderful! Great commentary throughout the tour. Scenery is stunning. Loved the silent portion in the sound!

Review provided by Viator

Norelle_p

May 6, 2025

Even if the weather... - Even if the weather doesn’t look great the cruise is magical - cruise Lake Manapouri - coach through Wilmot Pass - cruise Doubtful Sound which is really a Fiord, the crew was amazing too.

Review provided by Viator

Aussietravelfan

May 4, 2025

Exceptional Day Tour with two boat trips. Value for money despite the cost. - Well organised day tour. Cruise across the lake was very scenic even if on its own. Combine that with the bus ride over Wilmot pass and the cruise on Doubtful Sound and you can experience exceptional scenery close up. Very good commentary about wildlife, vegetation and local history. Comfortable boat with plenty of inside and outdoor space.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Renee_h

Apr 30, 2025

Doubtful delight - This experience was truly beautiful, the scenery, seals, dolphins, penguins, the boat staff, bus driver, it was heart touching when all boat engines are off, people are silent and all you hear is birds chirping and water dripping down the cliff faces and the trees.. Magical ✨️

Review provided by Viator

Jun_l

Apr 28, 2025

beautiful view and nice... - beautiful view and nice kitchen to share with. staffs are very helpful and nice. clean room, nice parking assigned for our stay.

Review provided by Viator

O4910lvamandab

Apr 27, 2025

Great Trip! - The Doubtful Sound Wilderness Day Cruise from Manapouri was absolutely unforgettable. The journey across Lake Manapouri and over Wilmot Pass was stunning, and the cruise through Doubtful Sound was peaceful, breathtaking, and incredibly well-organized. The moment of complete silence in the sound was truly magical. Highly recommend this tour for anyone wanting to experience the raw beauty of Fiordland!

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Quest799667

Apr 27, 2025

Experience the West Coast Fiords. - An unforgetable experience confronting the raw and gentle faces of this South Island gem. Well organised and presented by the crew at Realnz.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

281cyn

Jun 10, 2025

Embarrassing highlight of the trip - Did the trip today with my family. 3 kids including 3 and 5 years old. The trip included a part where the ship stops, engines turned off. The staff guide informed everyone on the moment of silence. Everyone was supposed to come out on the deck, stop making sound (also mentioned to stop nagging the kids), put aside all electronics and enjoy the silence. This was supposed to be a highlight of the trip. Unfortunately, that was difficult for us to manage with the kids. The young kids were making too much noise. The kids were first "shhh" at by the staff guide. At that point the "shhh" was loud enough for all on the deck to hear. Subsequently we were asked to go into the ship interior 2 times, so that we don't disturb others. That embarrassing moment will certainly be the "highlight" of the trip for us and the most remembered part. It certainly isn't our intention to disturb others. Perhaps RealNZ could really have better warning on what we are getting ourselves into, state that in the itinerary and brochure that only quiet travellers are allowed and warning on young kids. Preempt and prepare everyone before the activity, rather than expecting everyone to be able to act on command. While the scenery can be decent, this will still be one of the rare times which I will hope I have not spent the money on the activity and even more importantly lost the time.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Check Availability

From $199

up to 10 guests

1 - Adult