Milford Sound Tours: New Zealand Guided Tour Review

One of the best natural attractions offered by New Zealand is the Milford Track. This trail is a four day hike that is world renowned for its beauty, intensity and spiritual unveiling. If you are planning a vacation to New Zealand and are looking for a guided tour that includes a Milford Track trek, then consider the Manuka Tour offered by Active New Zealand.

The Manuka

The Manuka is a 14 day guided adventure offered by the New Zealand tour company called Active New Zealand. It costs about $3,700 in U.S. dollars, excluding tax. If you break that down, that's about $264.29 a day and includes accommodations, food, transportation, a guide and equipment. There are two different treks that you can take: the Milford Track or the Hollyford Track.

Shared Experiences

While the tour group will split up later in the tour, you will spend all but five days and four nights as whole group. Activities that you will share include: a Castle Hill hike, beach hiking in Punakaiki, arts and craft browsing in Hokitika, a glacial hike on the Franz Josef Glacier, a hike through the Mt. Aspiring National Park and a free day in Queenstown.

The Milford Track Guided Walk

As mentioned earlier, the Milford Track is one of the most famous treks in the world. This track is about 33 miles long, or about 53 kilometers, and it will take you from the east side of Lake Te Anau, through McKinnon Pass all the way to the Milford Sound. This trek has been traversed by many famous explorers, artists, writers and celebrities, including Rudyard Kipling (author of the Jungle Book), who designated this trail as the "8^th Wonder of the World." This guided walk will include adventures on land and seas. You will experience beech forests, prairie lands, switchbacks, spectacular heights, amazing vies of Arthur Valley, waterfalls and finally the stunning Milford Sound.

Throughout this journey you will be put up in several lodges that are set up along the trail. However, to get to these comfortable accommodations, you will need to put in some effort. At the end of your guided walk you will take a boat cruise around the sound and then move on to meet back up with the rest of the tour group.

The Hollyford Track Guided Walk

For an extra US$299 you can select to bypass the Milford Track and take the Hollyford Track Guided Walk instead. This tour will take you through the wilderness areas within the Fjordland National Park. You will stay in Maori owned and operated lodges and experience local culture first hand. During this trip you will be able to look for local marine wildlife such as fur seals, dolphins and possibly even the famous Fjordland Crested Penguins. The Hollyford Track is slightly shorter than the Milford Track at only 24 miles. This is a great option for people who are less fit, or who aren't up to the physical challenges of the Milford option. This tour option is slightly more expensive because it is capped off with an aerial tour of the Southern Alps and Milford Sound and an overnight cruise that will take your through the fjord.