Doubtful Sound in Fiordland is one of my favorite places in all of New Zealand. And when you go on a cruise here you may feel as though you’ve stepped onto the set of the movie Avatar as all around you, you’ll see lush green mountains and gushing waterfalls. You’ll also get to see Fiordland Penguins, fur seals, and dolphins on your Doubtful Sound cruise.
It’s a bit of a hidden gem as it’s so hard to reach. There’s no road into Doubtful Sound and because you can’t drive to it, the only way to get here is on a Doubtful Sound Cruise guided tour. If you have a car you can drive as far as Manapouri (the closest town to Doubtful Sound) but the only way into the sound itself is to book a tour. These tours depart from Queenstown, Te Anau, and Manapouri.
It’s nicknamed the Sound of Silence as it’s so quiet and peaceful here and it’s highly likely that you’ll be the only boat on the sound during your cruise as only a few boats operate here.
I’ve visited Doubtful Sound twice as I’ve been living in Queenstown for a couple of years – and know what tours are the best!
How do you get to Doubtful Sound?
As I said, Doubtful Sound is only accessible on a guided tour. That’s because, unlike getting to Milford Sound, there’s no road into Doubtful Sound. So, to get to it you need to board a ferry in Manapouri (just over a 2-hour drive from Queenstown / 20 minutes from Te Anau). This ferry ride is an hour long and takes you to the Wilmot Pass. Here, you will catch a coach to Doubtful Sound – where you can finally join your cruise. Please note – both the ferry ride and coach through the Wilmot Pass are included in your tour ticket.
Most tourists book a guided tour to Doubtful Sound from Queenstown as it’s a hassle-free option. But, it’s a long day with the tour usually departing Queenstown around 7 am and not returning until 8 pm. So, it’s taking a full day from your Queenstown itinerary and a lot of that day is spent on a bus.
Therefore, my favorite way to get to Doubtful Sound is to drive from Queenstown to Te Anau. It’s a 2-hour drive or 171 km long). And spend the night in Te Anau – it’s a pretty town with a chilled-out vibe. Then the next morning drive yourself to Manapouri (20 minute drive from Te Anau) where you can join your tour to Doubtful Sound.
Alternatively, you could spend the night in Manapouri – aka the closest town to Doubtful Sound. This teeny-tiny village has only a couple of accommodation options, two Cafes and one restaurant. It’s also located around two hours (171 km) from Queenstown and doing a tour from Manapouri is the cheapest option as it cuts out the need to get a coach to the port in Manapouri.
What is the best time of year to visit Doubtful Sound?
The summer (December to February) is the best time to visit Doubtful Sound as the weather is warmer (averaging 63 Fahrenheit / 17 Celsius) and the days are longer. It doesn’t get dark in these months until around 10 pm. Also, the clear skies in summer lead to reflective waters. Making Doubtful Sound look extra photogenic.
I will add though, that like Queenstown in the summer this time of year is also the busiest time to visit Doubtful Sound so you will definitely need to book your tour a couple of weeks in advance. If you’re looking for a quieter experience then I recommend visiting in the autumn months (March to May), as the weather is still warm.
Getting to Doubtful Sound from Queenstown
There are a couple of ways to get from Queenstown to Doubtful Sound. If you have a rental car you could do the trip in one day (but we don’t advise doing this). As it involves a 2-hour drive each way to Manapouri. And when you consider that the guided tour from Manapouri is 7 hours long – you’re looking at a very long day. You will need to leave Queenstown early (I’d say around 6:30 am) so that you have time to stop off along the drive and you likely won’t get back to Queenstown until after 8 pm.
I will add that the drive from Queenstown to Manapouri is a fairly easy drive. It follows the SH6 from Queenstown, past Kingston and Garston. Then, goes onto the State Highway 97 & 94 for the last section. The most difficult part of the drive is the section just before Kingston, called the Devils Staircase which is notoriously windy and narrow in parts.
If the idea of driving is appealing to you and you want to have the freedom to stop where and when you want. Then consider driving as far as Te Anau (two hours from Queenstown), spending the night in Te Anau before leaving the next morning to drive the short distance to Manapouri for your cruise.
The alternative to driving to Doubtful Sound is to book a guided tour. There are plenty to choose from, but our personal favorite is this Doubtful Sound Wilderness Cruise, which departs from Queenstown and includes a 3-hour-long cruise of the sound.
Top Travel Tip: If you’re going to rent a car to drive to Te Anau or Manapouri, we highly recommend Discover Cars. We tend to always book our rental car through Discover Cars when we’re traveling. It is a search engine for rental cars and allows you to filter by price if you’re on a budget or by vehicle type if there’s a specific car you’re after.
Best tours from Queenstown to Doubtful Sound
1. Doubtful Sound Wilderness Cruise (My favorite)
This is the tour we did and although it’s a long day at 12 hours it’s awesome and one of my favorite tours I did in New Zealand!
The cruise section of the tour is 3 hours long and you’ll get to see giant forest-covered mountains and dark blue waters that’s so clear. You’ll also likely be lucky enough to spot dolphins, Fiordland Penguins, and fur seals along the ride. My favorite part about a Doubtful Sound cruise and why I slightly prefer it to a Milford Sound cruise is that it’s so quiet – you likely won’t see another boat.
Related Read: Even if you have just 3 days in Queenstown, I highly recommend visiting Doubtful Sound during this time.
Along the boat cruise, your knowledgeable guide will provide a detailed commentary over the speaker system of what you’re seeing and the history of the area. I loved when the boat went all the way through the sound to where the sea meets the sound, it was so cool to see the difference in the water between the two. The water in Doubtful Sound was so calm in comparison to the choppy waters of the ocean!
You can choose from two departure times in Queenstown 6:55 am or 7:40 am. This tour from Queenstown costs from $449 NZD per person.
2. Overnight Luxury Cruise on Doubtful Sound (Most bucket-list-worthy)
Imagine yourself waking up in the morning in the ‘Sound of Silence’ – taking in those views and feeling like you have the place to yourself. Which you will likely have, as this is the only overnight boat in Doubtful Sound!
Your home for the night is a large boat called the ‘Wanderer’, it’s a 3-mast motorized boat. And your room is comfortable and luxurious and most have a small balcony for you to take in the views! You can also go kayaking from the boat or jump into the icy-cold waters of the sound from the boat!
It includes breakfast, a 3-course dinner, and a specialist nature guide who will provide commentary over the speakers about the sights you’re seeing! Alcoholic drinks are available on board but you will have to pay for these.
This Doubtful Sound overnight cruise costs from $719 NZD per person and you can choose to join the cruise in Manapouri or connect by luxury coach from Queenstown or Te Anau.
Getting to Doubtful Sound from Te Anau
From Te Anau, it’s a short 20-minute drive to Manapouri (where the ferry over to Doubtful Sound leaves from). If you have a car, my suggestion is to drive from Queenstown to Te Anau (it’s a 2-hour drive) spend the night here, and then join the below tour from Te Anau to Doubtful Sound the next morning. This is what we did the second time we visited Doubtful Sound, and it we loved it as we got to explore Te Anau.
Where to stay in Te Anau
We stayed at and loved the Kingsgate Hotel. It’s lakefront location was perfect for us. Walking up to Lake Te Anau every morning was bliss! The rooms are comfortable and modern, the on-site restaurant (Jimmy Cooks) is great and, free parking is offered too. It ticked all the boxes for us. Expect to pay around $149 NZD per room per night here!
If you’re on a budget, consider Te Anau Lakefront Backpackers. It;s conveniently located smack-bang in the middle of Te Anau CBD, this hostel offers private rooms or a bed in a dorm. And is the perfect choice if you’re on a budget! It’s a super-friendly hostel and is a great place to meet like-minded travelers. Facilities include a communal kitchen, free WiFi, and free parking. Expect to pay around $40 NZD for a bed in a dorm here.
How long does it take to get from Te Anau to Doubtful Sound?
The drive from Te Anau to Manapouri (the closest town to Doubtful Sound) is just 20 minutes. As I explained earlier, from Manapouri you must catch an hour-long ferry over to the Wilmot Pass. And then you’ll hop on a coach down the Wilmot Pass to your cruise, the coach ride is around 30 minutes long. Both the ferry and the coach are included in the tour price.
Best tour from Te Anau to Doubtful Sound
This tour that departs from Te Anau is another very popular choice as Te Anau is a lovely town to spend a night or a few nights in. And it involves less time on a bus as the bus journey is just 30 minutes from Te Anau to Manapouri, from where you will catch the ferry across to Wilmot Pass.
The cruise section is 3 hours long and gives you the chance to take in the awe-inspiring scenery as well as spot unique marine life like dolphins and Fiordland Penguins.
You also have a bigger selection of departure times from Te Anau – 6:45 am and 9:45 am. So, you can have a lie-in if you wish. It costs $361 NZD per person and is 9 hours long in total.
Related Read: If you plan to visit Milford Sound, too – you may be interested in reading my guide to driving from Te Anau to Milford Sound.
How to get to Doubtful Sound from Manapouri
Manapouri is the closest town to Doubtful Sound and it’s located around a 2-hour drive from Queenstown and 20 minutes from Te Anau. It is from Manapouri that the tour operators operate the ferry across to the Wilmot Pass, which is close to where you catch the cruise through Doubtful Sound. I will add that there are limited accommodation options in Manapouri. Only around 14 in total, so, if you want to stay here – book in advance!
Best tour of Doubtful Sound from Manapouri
This tour from Manapouri (the closest town to Doubtful Sound) is similar to the two above-listed tours the only difference is because it departs from Manapouri it’s a quicker tour at 7 hours long.
The cruise section is the same, though and it’s 3 hours long. During this you’ll take in waterfalls, lush green mountains and marine life like dolphins and Fiordland penguins.
As I said, you’ll need your own car if you choose this tour as there’s very limited public transport into Manapouri. However, the start times for this tour are later than the tours from Queenstown or Te Anau. So, you’ll get a lie-in. The tour departs from Manapouri at either 10 am or 10:30 am.
It costs $339 NZD per person and is 7 hours long. Making it the cheapest tour on the list. Ideal if you’re visiting Queenstown on a budget!
Thanks for Reading!
Tell me have you been to Doubtful Sound? If so, how did you get there? We would love to hear about your experience in the comment section.
If you enjoyed this post. You may also enjoy reading some of my other most popular blog posts, such as –
How to Find the Milford Sound Swing
14 Cafes with the best views on the South Island
A Fun Two-Day Queenstown Itinerary
12 of the best photography spots in Queenstown
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Last Updated on January 7, 2025 by snaphappytravel