Which is the better one to visit if you only have time for one? Do you have to tour the power plant if you go to Doubtful Sound? We are interested in a smaller/nature tour. Thanks!

We have done both tours - it really depends on what you want. Milford tours are cheaper and they probably have more spectacular scenery (weather permitting!), but Doubtful is a lot tougher to get to, and is consequently a more serene area. You have to cross Lake Manapouri, then take a bus past the power plant to the head of the Sound, where you board another boat. In some cases, the buses enter the power plant access tunnel without stopping, so you might not have a choice about that. You might be able to avoid the tunnel trip by staying at the small visitor centre near the Manapouri boat dock. The tunnel and plant are actually kind of interesting. If you can afford the time and expense, I would really recommend the overnight trip to Doubtful Sound. They go on a much smaller boat, take a more extended tour, and you get to use kayaks to explore on your own. Waking up to a silent mist-shrouded Doubtful Sound in the early morning is a wonderful experience.

The overnight on doubtful is excellent as Alf says...highly recommended...the best way to get the feel of the sounds.<BR>Kayak with seals..see the dolphins in the bow wave of ur small boat...bore a small number of travellers from around the world silly after a nice dinner<BR>If you take the overnight you dont go to the power plant.

Thanks for the info. We would like to do the overnight trip but may not have time. Also, we will have a campervan which we wouldn't want to leave. Can you drive to Doubtful Sound?

You cannot drive your car to Doubtful, but there is a large parking lot at the dock in Manapouri where you could leave it. But if you can work it out, it surrpasses the experience on Milford, especially if you stay overnight on the boat. That was the highlight of our trip. Contact Fiordland Travel in Queenstown regarding tours that are available. As far as small nature hikes, the road to Milford is loaded with options. We especially liked Lake Marian and The Chasm. Take insect repellant, this part of NZ is real bad.

Thank you very much for your help.