Milford Track Guided Walks – From £1,095
5 Days | Grade: Moderate | 55km / 34.8 miles
Departures November – April
Day 1 Queenstown to Te Anau to Glade House
1.6km / 1 mile (20 mins)
Lunch and dinner included.
Your Milford Track adventure begins in Queenstown, where you will board a coach to Te Anau, arriving in time for lunch and a group photo. From Te Anau Downs harbour, a launch will take you up to the head of Lake Te Anau. From the wharf it’s a short walk to the historic Glade House for afternoon tea. Afterwards, your guides will take you on a short nature walk to explore the area. After a hot shower and three-course meal, it’s time to get some rest in the snug beds either in the multi-share bunk rooms or private en suite rooms.
Day 2 Glade House to Pompolona Lodge
16km / 10 miles (5-7 hours)
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.
After crossing the emerald green Clinton River you walk up the valley to the Hirere Falls lunch shelter. The beech forest gets more luxuriant the farther you go, until it releases you on to the Prairie. From this meadow you can capture the true nature of the ice-carved Clinton Canyon. It is a short climb to Pompolona Lodge from here.
Day 3 Pompolona Lodge to Quintin Lodge via Mackinnon Pass
15km / 9 miles (6-8 hours)
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.
This is the most demanding day, especially in inclement weather. The track leads to Lake Mintaro at the head of the Clinton Valley, before climbing the Mackinnon Pass in a series of zig-zags. Take your time and enjoy the views. At the top you will be rewarded with spectacular panorama, and lunch in Pass Hut. After the rocky descent into the Arthur Valley, you will welcome a hot cup of tea at Quintin Lodge.
Day 4 Quintin Lodge to Mitre Peak Lodge via Sandfly Point
21km / 13 miles (6-8 hours)
Breakfast, lunch, dinner included.
You walk down the Arthur Valley to Boatshed. After a short break you will continue on past Mackay Falls and Bell Rock (which was carved out of the river during a particularly violent flood) and on to the lunch spot at Giant’s Gate waterfall. The final stretch of track follows tranquil Lake Ada to Sandfly Point. From here, it is a short launch trip to the renowned Mitre Peak Lodge, the only accommodation at Milford Sound offering superb views of Mitre Peak – often referred to as the eighth wonder of the world. Here you will enjoy a celebratory dinner, and relax with the knowledge that the hard part is now behind you, while the magnificence of Milford Sound is right in front of you.
Day 5 Mitre Peak Lodge to Milford Sound to Te Anau to Queenstown
(No walking)
Breakfast and lunch included.
Wake to the tranquillity of Fiordland, and after breakfast experience a magical cruise on Milford Sound. Watch for the dolphins and fur seals, and pray for rain, as you’ve only seen Fiordland at its most incredible when the waterfalls are in full flow. Following the cruise it’s time to head back to Queenstown. You have two options: (1) travel by coach through the heart of Fiordland National Park, through the Homer Tunnel and beyond, or (2) take a helicopter transfer across Mt Aspiring National Park back to Queenstown. Sit back and let the pilot show you another perspective of the World Heritage Area. Look down upon rugged peaks, sheer canyons, and alpine lakes – the perfect complement to your experience on the ‘finest walk in the world’. The flight option is available at an additional cost and is dependent upon the weather.