South Island, New Zealand
Doubtful Sound vs. Milford Sound
The first thing we learned is that their names are incorrect – both Doubtful Sound and Milford Sound are fjords, not sounds. Fjords are carved by glaciers and sounds are carved by rivers. The drive from Manapouri (the launch point to visit Doubtful Sound) to Milford Sound is only 2 hours, so we decided to check both out. In a nutshell, if you have time, they are both worth seeing, but the real gem is the drive between Manapouri and Milford Sound.
Doubtful Sound
Getting to Doubtful Sound is not easy. We took a cruise across Lake Manapouri, a coach ride over the untouched Wilmot Pass through Fiordland’s rainforest, and a cruise through the waterways of Doubtful Sound to the edge of the Tasman Sea. All in all, the adventure was 7 hours and we booked through Realnz.
Although it was a journey to get there, from start to finish, the scenery was unreal and our tour guides were extremely knowledgeable. We must have seen 100 waterfalls (no exaggeration) and the massive cliffs lining the deep water truly reminded us how powerful nature is.
Doubtful Sound is much larger than Milford Sound but because the only way to access it is via boat, Milford Sound is more popular. There was something mystical about being so far removed from the rest of the world, surrounded by enchanting nature that was formed during the Ice Age.
Milford Sound
The road to Milford Sound is one of the most beautiful roads I’ve ever driven on. This is not a joke – it was so overwhelming that I started crying. The only thing that may come close is Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier National Park in Montana, but I think the road to Milford Sound has it beat.
The road to Milford Sound is chiseled through the mountains which makes you feel like a tiny speck in this giant bowl of nature. There are waterfalls, rivers, scenic openings, and endless fields to run around in.
There is only 1 accommodation in Milford Sound, called Milford Sound Lodge, and camping is not allowed, so as you can imagine, the lodge gets booked quickly. It was booked during our trip, so we didn’t spend a ton of time at Milford Sound – we just got a quick bite at the visitor center, walked around for a few minutes, and then hit the road again. There are plenty of activities to do, but we had just cruised Doubtful Sound the prior day, and the drive was stunning enough for us!
Is one better?
My short answer is no. It was very cool to go where very few people travel and see the depths of Doubtful Sound, but it isn’t as accessible as Milford Sound. It was amazing but also a long day and very much a tour (which is not my favorite way to explore).
If you’re pressed for time, I would suggest skipping Doubtful Sound and just enjoying the drive to Milford Sound – you can go at your own pace, be reminded that you are a tiny speck on this planet, and marvel at the ingenuity of human beings to construct a road through imposing mountains, allowing us to see such mind-blowing nature.