Doubtful Sound Cruises & Tours

Doubtful Sound Cruises & Tours from Te Anau — Fiordland National Park

Doubtful Sound is only reachable by boat, bus, and another boat and that is not a drawback, it's the point. From Te Anau, you cross Lake Manapouri by launch, take a bus over the Wilmot Pass at 670 metres, then board a cruise into one of Fiordland's most remote fiords. Three times longer than Milford Sound, a fraction of the visitors. The locals call it the Sound of Silence for a reason.

Bottlenose dolphins are a regular sighting along the fiord walls; fur seals haul out on the rocks year-round. In season, look for the Fiordland Crested Penguin on the shoreline, one of the world's rarest. The fiord walls rise several hundred metres on either side, fed by waterfalls that run almost constantly given Doubtful Sound receives more than seven metres of rain each year.

Day cruises depart from Manapouri and return the same afternoon. Overnight cruises stay on the water well after the day-trippers have gone, this is when the fiord earns its reputation, particularly if dolphins follow the boat at dusk. Sea kayaking puts you at water level, in the quiet, which is its own thing entirely.

Be sure to browse all Doubtful Sound cruises and tours. Most depart from Te Anau or Manapouri.