Te Anau Activities

Te Anau activities include glowworm caves across the lake, helicopter flights over the mountains, jet boating on the Waiau River and day walks on the Great Walk tracks, with Milford Sound as the big day out. Several of these things to do in Te Anau leave from Lakefront Drive in town, so a short one is easy to stack around a longer one.

Glowworm caves in Te Anau

The Te Anau Glowworm Caves tour crosses Lake Te Anau on a catamaran, then goes into the caves to watch native glowworms light the limestone from a small boat. A short guided forest walk is part of the trip, and tea and coffee are included. Tours leave from the RealNZ Visitor Centre at 85 Lakefront Drive, with 9am, 11.30am and 3.15pm departures from November to April.

The caves sit at 8 to 12ºC, so a warm layer and non-slip shoes help. Photography and filming are not allowed inside.

Helicopter flights from Te Anau

Helicopters leave from the lakefront at 79 Lakefront Drive and reach country that has no road. The 30-minute scenic helicopter flight flies over the Hidden Lakes, Lake Manapouri and the Kepler Mountains and lands beside a mountain tarn, which makes it a good sampler. A step up, the 40-minute Mountain Magic flight crosses the Main Divide and lands at Mount Kidd.

For the big fiords, the 70-minute Doubtful Sound helicopter flight passes the West Arm Power Station and Bradshaw Sound with two alpine landings, and the Milford Sound scenic helicopter flight from Te Anau flies past Mitre Peak and the Wick Mountains and lands at Lake Quill. Scenic flights from Te Anau also include a 1-hour Doubtful Sound flight that departs from Manapouri.

Jet boating and cycling on the Waiau River

Jet boating here follows the Waiau River from Te Anau towards Lake Manapouri. The Pure Wilderness jet boat ride spins through 360 degrees, passes three Lord of the Rings filming locations and stops for a beach landing and a guided forest walk in Fiordland National Park. It departs from 84 Lakefront Drive at 10am and 2pm daily, with an extra 6pm departure from October to March.

Add a riverside mountain bike ride and it becomes the 4-hour river bike ride and jet boat. The same river is the centre of Te Anau water sports.

Day walks on the Great Walk tracks

Te Anau is the starting point for three Great Walks, and several day trips sample them without the multi-day commitment. The self-guided Milford Track day walk uses a 1-hour water taxi across Lake Te Anau, then a flat 10 km return walk past a swing bridge to Clinton Hut, from October to April. Guided options include the Lake Marian day walk, which climbs past waterfalls to an alpine lake in a hanging valley with morning tea and a picnic lunch.

A helicopter can shortcut the climb. The Luxmore Hut and Kepler Track helicopter hike makes two alpine landings before a guided walk through native forest, then returns by cruise on Lake Te Anau, with morning tea and a packed lunch. The Fiordland heli-hike lands beside a mountain tarn and joins the Kepler Track, as a half-day or full-day trip. Water taxis and coaches to the trailheads are part of Te Anau transport.

Milford Sound from Te Anau

Milford Sound is the big day out, 120 km and a 3-hour drive from town. The scenic nature tour and cruise from Te Anau makes the Milford Road a feature with Mirror Lakes and waterfall stops, and the Gem of the Sound coach and cruise handles the driving and feeds you lunch on the water. Cruises that start at the Milford terminal add more choice in Milford Sound cruises from Te Anau, and Te Anau tours carry on to Queenstown and Dunedin.

Choosing by the time you have

With a couple of spare hours, a 30-minute helicopter flight or a jet boat ride fits between breakfast and lunch. For half a day, the glowworm caves tour and the Lake Marian walk sit comfortably, and the heli-hikes cover a morning or most of a day depending on the route.

Milford Sound takes the whole day, from about 8am or 10am out of town to between 4.30pm and 6pm back. Evenings are for the 6pm sailings, which suits anyone asking what to do in Te Anau at night.

Frequently asked questions

What are the main things to do in Te Anau?

The main things to do in Te Anau are the Glowworm Caves tour, scenic helicopter flights, jet boating on the Waiau River, Great Walk day hikes and Milford Sound cruises. Several of them leave from Lakefront Drive in town.

What is there to do in Te Anau at night?

Things to do in Te Anau at night start with the 6pm departures. The evening champagne cruise sails on Lake Te Anau at 6pm, and an extra 6pm jet boat departure runs from October to March.

Can you do Milford Sound as a day trip from Te Anau?

Milford Sound is a day trip from Te Anau, about 120 km and a 3-hour drive each way. Coach and cruise tours handle the driving, and the day usually finishes between 4.30pm and 6pm.

How do you get to Doubtful Sound from Te Anau?

Doubtful Sound trips depart from Manapouri, about 20 km south of Te Anau. Helicopter flights over Doubtful Sound leave from the lakefront base at 79 Lakefront Drive, and a 1-hour scenic flight departs from Te Anau Manapouri Airport.

Can kids go on helicopter flights from Te Anau?

Helicopter flights from Te Anau have no age restrictions. Children under 4 travel free on a parent's lap, children over 4 need their own seat, and every passenger gives a full name and weight before boarding.

When are the Milford Track and Kepler Track day walks available?

The self-guided Milford Track and Kepler Track day walks run from October to April, seven days a week. Water taxi and bus transfers are included.

Te Anau activities run from a 30-minute flight to a full-day trip on the Milford Road, so choose the length first. The activities leaving from Lakefront Drive are the easiest to combine, and Milford Sound is the one that takes a whole day.