Immerse yourself in New Zealand's best nature on this short but super sweet 4-day walking trip. Base yourself in Te Anau, the gateway to Fiordland National Park and the famed Milford Sound, and take on some of the South Island's most gorgeous hiking trails through lush rainforest, atop mountain peaks and beside shimmering lakes.
Walk sections of the Routeburn, Kepler and Milford Tracks, jet boat across Lake Manapouri and cruise Milford Sound beneath Mitre Peak, keeping an eye out for fur seals, bottlenose dolphins and cascading waterfalls. Brave high swing bridges with beech forest views, listen for the birdsong of tui, bellbird and kereru, and breathe in some of the freshest air in the world.
Days
- 4 days, 3 nights
Age
- 15+ — under 18s must travel with an adult
Group size
- Small group
Start / finish
- Queenstown / Queenstown
Return
- See itinerary for details
Accommodation
- 3 nights in Te Anau.
Transport
- Private transfers between Queenstown and Te Anau, and a jet boat ride out to Lake Manapouri.
Meals
- Three breakfasts and three lunches. Dinners are at your own cost.
Route
Included experiences
- Milford Road — scenic drive from Queenstown to Te Anau
- Routeburn Track — walk to Key Summit or the Greenstone Valley
- Lake Manapouri — jet boat ride
- Kepler Track — hike and the Waiau River swing bridge
- Milford Track — hike to Giant Gate Falls
- Milford Sound — nature boat cruise, fur seals and bottlenose dolphins
- Lake 2 Lake Trail — scenic e-bike ride
Pictures / Videos
Reviews
4.9
Based on 20 reviews
Verified from
Real reviews from travellers who've done this tour, gathered from around the web and paraphrased.
AI summary of 20 reviews
Travellers consistently praise the carefully balanced itinerary, which samples portions of three Great Walks whilst incorporating varied activities such as jet boating, glow worm cave visits and eBikes, all set around the base of Te Anau. The guides stand out most often for their exceptional knowledge of the region's nature, history and conservation, their passion for Fiordland, and their ability to make the experience engaging and inclusive for people of different fitness levels and those travelling solo. The most common caveat is that whilst the tour provides an excellent introduction to the area and motivates visitors to return for fuller tramps, the four-day format necessarily limits the depth of experience on each walk.
How we collect and publish reviews
Where they come from. Our reviews are gathered from independent review sites and from guests who share feedback with us directly after their trip. They come from people who have actually travelled on the tour. Some longer trips are made up of shorter tours we also sell, run back to back — where a review was written about one of those legs, the review says so.
Why some are edited. Many of our guests travel in their second or third language. Where a review is hard to read, we lightly edit spelling, grammar and punctuation, or paraphrase a sentence for clarity. We never change the rating, the meaning or the sentiment, and we never write a review on a guest's behalf.
Reading the originals. Reviews sourced from public review sites appear there in their original form, and can be read in full at their original source at any time.
We walked parts of the Routeburn, Kepler and Milford down in Southland, and it was some of the best walking I've done. Ashley led us - always helpful, never bothered by a question, and clearly knew the area. Milford Sound beat everything else. If you're weighing it up, just book.
I had the best time ever on this tour. Our guide Grace was fantastic - history, culture, birdlife, plants, you name it, she knew it and was so passionate about all of it. We were well looked after the whole time, always punctual, and got to every destination. Whatever your fitness level, everyone was made to feel included and encouraged along the way. Well done Intrepid on picking such excellent guides and showing us the beauty of NZ's South Island.
An amazing trip and a real taster of the tramping on offer in beautiful NZ. Fiordland adventures ahead!
An amazing trip and the chance to see the most naturally beautiful place on earth, Milford Sound. The guides were informative with a wealth of knowledge, and the small group size meant you bonded with the other members - especially good for solo travellers. Highly recommend this tour.
This trip was amazing. I travelled on my own but felt welcomed in the group. All the hikes were so beautiful and I learned a lot about New Zealand and the Fiordland national parks. Would definitely recommend.
A few days was enough to understand what the Great Walks are about. Ben could name every plant and bird we passed, and stayed cheerful throughout. My favourite part was the jetboat over to Lake Manapouri.
A lovely way into Fiordland if you haven't been before. The walking never felt rushed, and there was time to stand and stare. Ben guided us brilliantly, and he clearly cares about conservation.
A wonderful trip, and exactly as described - short and sweet. Our guides Ro and Jacob were excellent, and it was such a perfect mix of activities in a stunning part of the world. Loved it!
Nicely balanced trip for my son (21) and me (49). The physical side was entirely manageable - 12 km a day at most - but still active enough. The other activities were excellent and the organisation from one element to the next was seamless.
This trip is amazing. Great pace and well led, and it gives you a real insight into this beautiful part of the world. Short, sweet and a little bit spicy. Thanks Intrepid!
Loved it. Doing the walking as day trips showed us exactly what those famous tracks offer. It all ran smoothly, and Andres clearly knew and loved that landscape. The jet boating is the bit I keep mentioning to people.
An excellent itinerary for a first trip to this extraordinary part of the world. I got to experience small parts of the three great walks in the area, plus various activities that were all very well organised. Our guide's knowledge of the nature and the history meant I learned a lot as well as enjoying the beautiful environment. Fantastic for a first trip to Fiordland - I'll be back!
Have just finished the Fiordland trip with my wife. All I can say is wow - we got to experience parts of Fiordland that made the group feel really privileged, sitting on huge lakes with no one else in sight. Our guide was amazing and so knowledgeable for such a young person. Will definitely be looking for more trips in future.
Just completed four days trekking in Fiordland and every activity planned for the trip suited me perfectly - I can't find any fault with it. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable and made the trip a lot of fun. Would recommend Intrepid and will be looking at more destinations in future.
Three days, three quite different Great Walks, plus a decent list of activities thrown in - you come away with a real feel for the region. Ro led us and lifted the whole trip.
The trip exceeded all my expectations. Fiordland was spectacular, and walking the Routeburn, Kepler and Milford meant we saw three different kinds of terrain. We were spoilt with our local guide Roh from Trips and Tramps, who was so passionate about her home that it was hard not to be drawn in. The whole Te Anau community clearly loves Fiordland - it's not hard to see why - and it was infectious. Roh's knowledge surprised me and she delivered it in a way that kept things interesting, and she really cared about everyone on the trip. Hard to pick a highlight, but the Milford Sound cruise just solidified an amazing experience - we had some prime waterfalls. I've come away energised and excited for the next adventure, and I'll definitely be back in NZ.
Hard to picture a better way of seeing Fiordland. Thanks to Ro, who guided us and knew the place inside out.
A wonderful way to taste the NZ Great Walks and the beautiful landscapes of Fiordland. Each day covered a different aspect of the region, followed by a comfortable night in the lovely township of Te Anau. Great comradeship in a small group, plus the fun of the glow worm cave, eBikes and a jet boat. Many thanks to Rohann Mackrell of Trips & Tramps for being a wonderful guide and expertly showcasing the region.
Enjoyed all of it - the people, the leader, the walking. A good chance to get onto some of the better-known tracks of Fiordland National Park.
Awesome trip. Milford Sound in the rain was a highlight - waterfalls galore. Walking the day trips on the three great walks was a good taster and makes you want to go back and do the full hikes.
