28 Scenic Stops on the Drive from Queenstown to Milford Sound

I’d argue that no bucket list trip to New Zealand is complete without visiting Milford Sound, one of the wettest and most beautiful places on earth. But as great as Milford Sound is, the fiord is only half of what makes the trip worth it.

They say it’s about the journey, not the destination, and nowhere is that more true than on the drive from Queenstown to Milford Sound.

While Queenstown and Milford Sound look close on a map, it’s actually a 4 hour drive thanks to the huge mountain range you have to drive around. Most visitors to Milford Sound come from Queenstown, the closest major city with a large airport, rental car and tour bus or flight options.

When we went on our first trip to New Zealand in April 2023, I knew I wanted us to go on the road trip from Queenstown, through Fiordland National Park and ending with an epic cruise in Milford Sound.

We were blessed with beautiful weather and even better views the whole time. It is one of my best memories from our trip and a drive I highly recommend adding to any Aotearoa (the Māori word for New Zealand) itinerary.

Below I’m sharing 28 scenic stops you can make on the drive from Queenstown to Milford Sound!

Disclosure: Some of the links below are sponsored or affiliate links, meaning if you click through and make a purchase, I will earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thanks for your support!

Read to drive? Let’s check out the 28 scenic stops I recommend on the route from Queenstown to Milford Sound!

1. Arrowtown (slight detour)

Arrowtown is a slight detour on the road from Queenstown to Milford Sound but if you have the time, I highly recommend stopping at this historic mining town.

Just 20 minutes from Queenstown, Arrowtown feels like walking into Gilmore Girls’ Stars Hollow with a quaint downtown and independent shops.

We enjoyed a coffee break on the cozy patio of Provisions of Arrowtown and learning more about the town’s history at the Historic Arrowtown Chinese Settlement.

You can also take a walk on the Arrow River Trail, try your luck at Arrowtown Gold Panning Company, and grab a great meal at Slow Cuts or La Rumbla.

Want to make an even bigger detour? Check out the South Island’s most charming town – and most famous tree – with a visit to Wanaka!

2. Kawarau Gorge Suspension Bridge

From Arrowtown we’re making another slight detour to the Kawarau Gorge Suspension Bridge, which will only add 10 minutes to your drive time, so well worth the stop for thrill seekers.

The Kawarau Gorge Suspension Bridge is a 10 storey bridge and the original birthplace of the bungy jump!

Adrenaline junkies can have a go at the historic and scenic jump with AJ Hackett Kawarau Bungy Centre. But even if you’re a scaredy cat like me, it’s still a beautiful place to see the gorge and watch braver people plummet off a bridge!

PS: For Lord of the Rings fans, Kawarau Gorge is also where the Fellowship pass the Pillars of the Kings on the Anduin River.

3. Mossburn

Mossburn is a little town on the road from Queenstown to Te Anau where you can conveniently stop to fill up gas – on our April 2023 road trip it had some of the cheapest gas prices we saw on the South Island, $2.37 per litre compared to $2.72 per litre in Wanaka.

It’s also a great place to grab a snack or lunch if you’re getting hungry. We stopped at the Dome Cafe in Mossburn and Colin got a huge portion of fish, chips and salad, which I recommend. I’ve also heard good things about the venison pies at Bracken Hall.

Don’t miss: What You Need to Know Before Driving From Queenstown to Milford Sound

4. LOTR sites: Dead Marshes & Anduin River

On the road towards Manapouri you’ll pass two famous Lord of the Rings filming locations.

The first is the Dead Marshes, otherwise known as the Kepler Mire wetland. This is where Gollum led Frodo and Sam across a swamp of dead people, even saving Frodo as he started to fall under the spell of the dead.

The second spot is Middle Earth’s Anduin River, actually New Zealand’s Waiau River, which is shown in an aerial shot during the opening sequence of The Fellowship of the Ring.

Of course, if you’re not a huge LOTR fan (don’t worry, I’m not), you may also just want to stop at these spots to admire the beautiful scenery!

5. Manapouri (+ side trip to Doubtful Sound)

If you’re also visiting Doubtful Sound during your time in New Zealand’s Fiordland, then you’ll start your journey to the sound from Manapouri.

Colin and I visited both Milford and Doubtful Sound on our New Zealand trip and I would highly recommend seeing both if you have the time and budget. I’ll be writing up a post soon comparing the two if you have to choose!

Not only is Manapouri the gateway to Doubtful Sound but it’s also the home of Two Wee Bookshops, an adorable bookstore run by Ruth Shaw, author of The Bookseller at the End of the World.

I read Ruth’s incredible memoir about her life as a bookseller, world traveller and boater just before we went to New Zealand and was so excited to see her bookstore in person (though sadly, she was closed for the season).

So even if you’re not going on a Doubtful Sound cruise, you can still head to Manapouri to peruse Two Wee Bookshops, enjoy a scenic walk on Frasers Beach, and grab dinner at The Church Manapouri, which is actually an old church that’s been converted into a pub.

6. Ivon Wilson Recreational Reserve

Heading back from Manapouri towards Te Anau, you’ll come across Ivon Wilson Recreational Reserve.

This beautiful 35 hectare park is home to native trees, short trails for hiking, fishing at Lake Henry and disc golf. It seems like the perfect place to stretch your legs on the long drive from Queenstown to Milford Sound!

7. Lake Te Anau

The largest lake in the South Island and second largest in all of New Zealand, Lake Te Anau is definitely a good place to stop and take in the views.

You can stroll along the trail that goes around the lake, even visiting the bird sanctuary at the southern point, or just sit on one of the benches and take it all in. Colin and I did that with our picnic lunch, which I’ll share in the next stop!

8. Lunch in Te Anau

As the biggest town in the area and the gateway to Fiordland National Park, Te Anau is the perfect place to stop for lunch. If you drove directly from Queenstown, you will have reached Te Anau in about two hours.

But assuming you made some of my recommended stops above, it may already be lunch time for you.

Colin and I grabbed a quick and cheap lunch at Miles Better Pies where I had been told the venison pies were the best. And they really were!

We liked them so much – thick pieces of venison in a sweet and savoury plum sauce held in a crumbly pie crust – we ordered two more for the road!

Other suggestions for places to eat in Te Anau include Redcliff Cafe, Ditto, Sandfly Cafe and The Fat Duck.

9. Glowworms & water activities in Te Anau

Many visitors to Milford Sound decide to break up the drive by stopping overnight in Te Anau. If that’s you, you now have the rest of the day to enjoy Te Anau before continuing with the drive tomorrow.

Popular things to do in the area include visiting the Te Anau Glowworm Caves, going on a cruise on Lake Te Anau, checking out the Te Anau Bird Sanctuary, biking the Lake 2 Lake Trail, or going on one of the many hikes in the area.

10. Lake Mistletoe walking track

From Te Anau we’re setting off on the Milford Highway where the road gets windier and the sights get more scenic.

First up is the Lake Mistletoe walking track. This 45 minute return hike is supposed to be a pretty easy walk with a lake at the far end. Reviewers warn that part of the return walk is along the highway, but that the path is quite wide so they felt safe.

11. Eglinton Valley

Eglinton Valley is one of the more popular stops on the drive from Queenstown to Milford Sound, so do your best to not show up when all the tour buses do. When we arrived it was just us and one other car.

This area is cool to see because of the contrast between the wide expanse of golden grass fields and huge, beech covered mountains in the background.

We enjoyed stretching our legs and reading plaques to learn more about the local history and how the valley was formed.

PS: Another one for the LOTR fans – the Eglinton Mountains played the Misty Mountains in The Fellowship of the Ring.

12. Mirror Lakes

Mirror Lakes was one of my favourite stops on Milford Highway and a very easy one to access. Once you pull over, you’ll walk just a few minutes on a boardwalk down to the lakes.

There you’ll see why they call them Mirror Lakes as the trees and mountains reflect on the water’s surface. We also spotted some ducks on the water and a little bird joined us while we ate our takeaway pies (don’t worry, we didn’t feed him!).

Depending on the sun and cloud coverage, you’ll either get a really clear reflection or a more hazy one. Ours was fairly clear, but I especially liked how the water was translucent enough that you could see trees growing underneath the surface.

13. Lake Gunn Nature Walk & Viewpoint

Despite leaving ourselves lots of time for the Queenstown to Milford Sound drive, we were worried about hitting a wait at the Homer Tunnel or needing more time to check in, and so didn’t go on any longer walks or hikes.

We did stop at the Lake Gunn Viewpoint for a quick photo (above) but I hear the nature walk is lovely. Signage says it’s 1.4 km, 45 mins return and low fitness required but many reviewers say you can do the walk in less than 20 mins.

14. Lake Fergus

Lake Fergus is another beautiful spot on the long drive to Milford Sound. Smaller and less popular than Lake Gunn, you’re more likely to have this lake all to yourself.

From the lookout spot, you may also be able to catch a reflection on the water, similar to Mirror Lakes, if the lighting is good.

15. Milford Track, Routeburn Track & other big hikes

Fiordland National Park is home to a number of hiking trails and tracks including the Milford Track, Routeburn Track, Key Summit Trail and more.

Many of these longer, multi-day hiking tracks require advance reservations to confirm your spot and book lodging along the way. So while you could include a big hike on your journey to Milford Sound, you’ll need to plan ahead.

Not being big hikers, we didn’t head off on any of these trails. But we did stop at the Routeburn Track trailhead to use the bathroom!

16. Pop’s View & Hollyford Valley Lookouts

For a slight change in scenery, you’ll want to pull over at Pop’s View Lookout (above) and/or Hollyford Valley Lookout, which is right next to it.

Rather than views over water, both of these viewpoints look out over the vast mountain range.

I really loved seeing the green rolling mountains in the distance. And if you’re short on time, you’re in luck as both of these viewpoints are visible from where you pull over – you don’t even have to get out of your car!

17. Christie Falls & Falls Creek Falls

For another change in terrain, we pulled over to check out these rushing waterfalls over the rocky creek bed on the side of the road.

However, it seems we missed the show stopping falls that were right nearby. Apparently Christie Falls is easily viewed by a platform off the road and Falls Creek Falls requires a bit of a hike to reach.

While I enjoyed seeing what we saw at Falls Creek, I wish we had gone a bit further to the source of the water.

18. Monkey Creek

The next stop on your drive to Milford Sound is Monkey Creek. A walk around this epic valley with tall grass, steep mountains and a bubbling creek will convince you of New Zealand’s natural beauty (though I’m sure you’re already convinced).

They say the water running through this creek is glacial water and clean enough to drink. We thought about it but in the end, didn’t want to chance it!

But if you travel on a Luxe Tours Milford Sound Tour, their tour does include a stop at Monkey Creek and a safe drink of the famous glacial water!

19. Gertrude Valley Lookout

Gertrude Valley Lookout is another chance for you to pull off and take in a quick view or really stretch your legs. If you just want the view, you’ll be able to snap beautiful photos of the mountains and deep glacier-carved canyon below from the road.

But if you want even better views, and have time to spare, hikers say the journey to the saddle and back takes 4-6 hours.

20. Homer Tunnel

To get to Milford Sound you have to pass through the Homer Tunnel, a one-way 1.2 km tunnel through the Darran Mountains.

As the tunnel is only one way, each direction of traffic takes turns passing through, meaning you could wait at the entrance for up to 20 minutes. This is another reason why you’ll want to add lots of buffer time to your drive!

When we pulled up, we had about a 10 minute wait ahead of us. But it turns out that was the perfect time for us to have our first kea encounter!

Keas are alpine parrots known for their intelligence and for being a little bit naughty (there are stories of them stealing food, cracking windows, etc). After seeing signs for them all day, we were so excited to finally spot one while waiting to drive the tunnel.

The kea landed on the car in front of us (a kea on a Kia!), hopped around its roof, and then flew over and did the same thing to our car!

We got to see it up close as it landed on our hood, strode up to the windshield, hopped onto Colin’s sideview mirror, trotted across the roof, and then moved onto the next car (check out the video I took of the kea experience below!).

It was almost like he had a routine going from car to car, checking us all out and seeing if anyone would feed him (hopefully no one did).

A kea on our car on the road to Milford by rianaac

21. Milford Valley Lookout

One of my favourite stops on the drive from Queenstown to Milford Sound was the Milford Valley Lookout. Just past the Homer Tunnel, this quick stop had one of the best views of the day.

It was so cool to look out into the canyon from up high, knowing we were so close to Milford Sound, and seeing the winding road and cascading mountains. It was also very cool to turn around and see the huge mountain we had just driven through.

22. 1855 Lookout & Hundred Falls

Hundred Falls, like Milford Sound, changes a lot depending on the weather. On a rainy day, you’ll see “hundreds” of waterfalls streaming down the mountainside. But on a sunny day, you may only see a few trickles.

Either way, it’s a pretty viewpoint! On the other side of the road is the 1855 Lookout with more incredible views of the mountain range.

23. The Chasm Walk

The Chasm, a series of powerful waterfalls accessed by a flat 400m trail and viewing platforms, used to be one of the most popular stops on the way to Milford Sound. Sadly, a 2020 storm wiped away the viewing platforms and the Chasm was closed.

However, works have begun to restore the Chasm and a modified Chasm Walk was opened in April 2023 (just a few days after we left the area!) with plans to install new bridges and flood protection.

You can click here to learn more about the walk and current openings.

24. Tutoko River Bridge

You’re on the final stretch! Just before you enter Milford Sound you’ll pass over the Tutoko River.

Here you can hop out of your car and take a short walk on the Tutoko River Bridge to get epic views of the water crashing over the rocks with magnificent mountains in the background.

If you’re looking for some more adventure, you could also try the Tutoko Valley River Hike, but reviewers warn it’s not a well-maintained path so be prepared to scramble and feel a little lost in the forest.

25. Milford Foreshore Walk

Congratulations, you’ve made it to Milford Sound!

But before you jump on your cruise, there are a few more scenic stops you can make on your walk from the Milford Sound Public Carpark ($5-10 NZD/hour) or Deepwater Basin Parking (free, 30 min walk) to the Visitor Terminal.

First up is the Milford Sound Foreshore Walk, a 25 minute return walk along the water. It’s relatively flat and leaves from the public carpark. If you have some time before your cruise departs, this is a great introduction to the area.

26. Milford Sound Lookout Track

If you’re looking for another hike in the Milford area, check out the less popular Milford Sound Lookout Track. This more hidden trail is located behind the cafe and by Sutherland Grave.

Only 400 metres long, this track will take you up a series of stairs to get a view of Milford Sound from up high. They say it takes about 20 minutes, so another great option to kill time before a cruise and get a different view of Milford Sound.

27. Milford Sound Swing

I’m bummed we didn’t take the time to find this hidden gem in Milford Sound but hopefully you can learn from our mistakes. While out on the Milford Foreshore Walk, there should be a small off track path to your right.

If you follow it for a few minutes, you’ll be rewarded with a sandy beach, beautiful view and a wooden swing to enjoy it all from. Definitely a great photo opp!

28. Cruise on Milford Sound!

Last but not least, you can’t drive all the way from Queenstown to Milford Sound and not get on a boat!

While I personally think the drive to Milford is half the fun, a cruise in Milford Sound is absolutely the highlight of the drive. All of the scenic stops you made before are just preparing you for the ultimate scenery of Milford Sound.

If you’ve self-driven, you’ll be able to book on any day or overnight cruise. We did a late afternoon 2 hour cruise with Mitre Peak Cruises and I highly recommend it.

There’s no better way to end a long day of beautiful driving than with a relaxing boat cruise spotting waterfalls, dolphins and mountains dropping into the fiord.

Book your Milford Sound cruise here!

Final thoughts: Enjoying the drive from Queenstown to Milford Sound

While the cruise in Milford Sound was amazing, it was actually the drive from Queenstown to Milford Sound that absolutely made this trip for me.

I had the best time stopping at all of the natural wonders, enjoying a delicious meat pie and being surprised by a kea landing on our car. It was all such great

I’m so glad we decided to self-drive and make all of the scenic stops we wanted. I highly recommend it as an addition to any South Island road trip!

Now that you’ve mapped out all of your stops, don’t miss my tips on the drive from Queenstown to Milford Sound, plus my review of my Milford Sound cruise experience.