Doubtful Sound Wilderness Cruise from Queenstown

Highlights & inclusions

Spectacular 2.5 hour Doubtful Sound Wilderness Cruise

Comfortable coach transfers from Queenstown

Scenic cruise across Lake Manapouri

Picturesque coach across Wilmot Pass

Spot dolphins, fur seals and crested penguins

Delicious lunch options available

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From $429.19

$374.92AUD

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Free cancellation up to 24 hours prior to experience

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Highlighted reviews

4.9/5

Based on 10 reviews

Read all reviews

Lydia Dalla Libera

over 8 years ago

Had a taxi pick me up from my hotel to take me to the Coach meeting point in Queenstown

Had a taxi pick me up from my hotel to take me to the Coach meeting point in Queenstown. Had a great driver Brian who was full of information and guided us step by step. Drive to Manapouri was great, cruise across the Lake was also excellent. We had a mother short coach drive with some amazing views which Brian was happy to stop for photo opportunity. The day was overcast but the cruise was amazing and the option of purchasing a picnic lunch with my experience was a great idea it’s a long day, enjoyed my lunch while cruising Doubtful Sounds. Great experience highly recommend it.

Michelle

about 8 years ago

OMG - Amazing!!!

OMG - Amazing!!!! SOOOO much better than the Milford Sound in my opinion. Only our boat on the fiord - not a million others with us, so it felt very remote and untouched. I loved the remoteness of it and the fact you take the boat across Lake Manapouri first to get over to land and then you drive once again, visit the pier station and then cruise on the Fiord. Way more value for money with this experience.

What you can expect

Take the hassle out of getting to your Doubtful Sound wilderness cruise with this package that includes the cruise itself along with coach transfers from Queenstown. With the cruise itself, you will escape from civilization to one of the most beautiful natural destinations in New Zealand - Doubtful Sound, a massive, incredibly scenic fiord brimming with scenery, cascading waterfalls and native wildlife. The Doubtful Sound wilderness cruise will take you to this idyllic destination for an excursion across the picturesque Lake Manapouri. After, you'll hop aboard on a coach and travel the sub-alpine road over Wilmot Pass and listen to the history and filming locations within the Wilmot Pass. Finally, you'll witness the dense Fiordland rainforest and view Doubtful Sound glimmering in the distance below.

Once you reach the Sound itself, you'll board a spacious catamaran to kick off a three-hour cruise through some of the area's astounding scenery as your accompanying experienced nature guide provides commentary and answers any questions you might have. During the cruise, be sure to keep your eyes open for the many varieties of the wonderful wildlife that inhabits the region. This includes fur seals which can be seen basking in the sun or bottlenose dolphins which inhabit Doubtful Sound's waters and whales during their migration season.

Location

88 Beach Street, Queenstown, South Island 4217

What you need to know

Note

All food and beverage purchases aboard the vessels in Milford Sound, Doubtful Sound, Queenstown, and Te Anau, as well as at Walter Peak and the Manapouri Café, do not accept cash. A cashless system will provide a smoother, more efficient experience for both guests and staff
Payment terminals accept all major credit cards and debit cards, including AMEX, WeChat Pay, AliPay and Union Pay, as well as contactless payment options like Apple Pay and Google Pay.
RealNZ is going cashless on all food and beverage purchases in experience.
This means that all food and beverage purchases aboard our vessels in Milford Sound, Doubtful Sound, Queenstown, and Te Anau, as well as at Walter Peak and the Manapouri Café, will no longer accept cash. A cashless system will provide a smoother, more efficient experience for both our guests and staff.
Our payment terminals accept all major credit cards and debit cards, including AMEX, WeChat Pay, AliPay and Union Pay, as well as contactless payment options like Apple Pay and Google Pay.
Note: Fee of 1.5% applies to food and beverage purchases by credit card only. The fee does not apply to purchases in Retail Store at Walter Peak, or merchandise purchased from our Visitor Centres.

Inclusions

Full day Doubtful Sound Wilderness Cruise and Coach package from Queenstown
Scenic cruise across Lake Manapouri and coach trip over Wilmot Pass
2.5 hour full length cruise of Doubtful Sound on a modern, spacious catamaran with excellent viewing
Wildlife viewing opportunities including fur seals, dolphins and rare Fiordland crested penguin
Expert commentary
Interpretation hand-out sheets in 5 languages: English, German, French, Spanish and Japanese
Dedicated, roaming nature guide with specialist knowledge of flora and fauna happy to answer your questions
Tea and coffee available for purchase on the cruise

Exclusions

Meals. Sadnwiches available to purchase in Manapouri Café. Please contact RealNZ directly for this. Snacks and drinks available for purchase (card only)
Packed lunch can be purchased prior to your cruise. If you would like to purchase this, please call RealNZ directly.

Itinerary

On boarding a luxury coach in Queenstown, travel along the shores of Lake Wakatipu and through the rolling countryside to Manapouri
Then cruise across the crystal waters of Lake Manapouri to West Arm before boarding a coach and crossing the alpine route of Wilmot Pass through some of Fiordland’s most dense rainforest. On reaching Deep Cove, board a modern catamaran vessel, the Patea Explorer for a three hour cruise exploring the waterways of this serene and isolated fiord
There is plenty of time available to explore points of interest and view the spectacular alpine scenery including waterfalls, rainforest and mountains all the way out to the Tasman Sea
It is home to bottlenose dolphins and fur seals and when in season, the rare Fiordland crested penguin. An on-board nature guide with specialist knowledge of the region’s history, flora and fauna provides detailed interpretation in English with a roving microphone

Extras

Picnic lunch is available for an additional $20.00 each. This must be pre-ordered (cut off at 4pm on the day before travel)
Snacks are available for purchase on board only i.e. chips, chocolate, biscuits etc (cash only)

Time

The 'Doubtful Sound Wilderness Cruise' is changing departure time, which means your guests will experience Fiordland in peak sunlight hours, offering perfect lighting for unforgettable photo opportunities.
Ex Manapouri: 10am - 5pm
Ex Te Anau: 9.45am - 6pm
Ex Queenstown: 7.40am - 8pm

Departure Location

Some hotel pick ups are offered for this tour and are available from most centrally located Queenstown hotels. If a hotel pick up is required, please contact the operator 24 hours prior to departure to arrange pick up location. If a hotel pick up is not required, please meet the tour at the RealNZ Visitor Centre, 88 Beach Street, Queenstown for a 7.30am departure

What To Bring

Non-slip shoes/boots
Waterproof jacket
Warm sweater/fleece jacket
Sunscreen/sunglasses
Insect repellent
Camera

Cancellation Policy

Change your booking up to 24 hours before the start time of your experience
Changes are not permitted within 24 hours of your experience
Late arrivals or no shows may result in you forfeiting your experience

Booking Information

Confirmation in the form of a tour voucher will be received at time of booking
Upon completion of purchase, please print the voucher and present on day of the experience
For your information, complete Tour Operator Information including contact details is included on your tour voucher
Availability was accurate at the time of booking, however, is subject to change due to circumstances out of our control. We strongly suggest reconfirming your booking with the tour operator within 24 hours of making your booking and prior to making other travel arrangements
Prices are seasonal and are constantly changing. The from price displayed may not always be the price you are going to pay, as once you click on your specified date, the price will change to reflect the price for that date/season. Please note that in some cases where you cannot click on a date to obtain the price, please call us so we can assist you
Cruise vessel subject to change without notice
Mobile Vouchers are accepted! - Vouchers can also be presented on your mobile device for this attraction

Recent reviews

4.9/5

Based on 10 reviews

Adara Lane

over 7 years ago

We arrived at 7.45 am at the Manapouri Real Journeys Centre to only be told that Experience Oz hadn’t sent the booking through to them and that our booking didn’t exist

We arrived at 7.45 am at the Manapouri Real Journeys Centre to only be told that Experience Oz hadn’t sent the booking through to them and that our booking didn’t exist, despite me having a receipt and booking reference. The staff informed us that the 8 am boat was full, and that there was a slim possibility that we could get a 10.30 cruise and to wait around. We found out at 10.20 we were going. The cruise it’s self was lovely just a very long day. I recommend buying the pre paid lunch or brining a lot of food.

Review for Doubtful Sound Wilderness Cruise from Manapouri