Southern Secret Doubtful Sound Overnight Cruise
Southern Secret Doubtful Sound Overnight Cruise
Southern Secret Doubtful Sound Overnight Cruise
5
Full view
About
Te Anau, New Zealand
Meets animal welfare guidelines
Awards
Travellers' Choice
2024
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listingRevenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.
Similar Experiences
Southern Secret Doubtful Sound Overnight Cruise
Booking unavailable on Tripadvisor
Want other options you can book now?
Show optionsTravellers talk about
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
We perform checks on reviews.
Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
Learn more about our review moderation.
5.0
2,369 reviews
Excellent
1,973
Very good
286
Average
81
Poor
20
Terrible
9
Alan C
21 contributions
Dec 2019
Go Orange provide a very professional, organised service and meet their promise of a trip with small numbers on a comfortable boat. Travis and Karina were the guide and.captain for the day, both being amusing, knowledgeable and enthusiastic in making it enjoyable for all, The trip across lake Manapouri is a great start to the day, followed by an interesting bus ride to the harbour. Karina made a few stops showing interesting place on the way. The 3 hours sailing the Sound is full of spectacular mountains, waterfalls and scenery all around. Time passed quickly and at the end you have the pleasure of reversing the bus journey and Manapouri lake crossing to look forward to. It is not a cheap trip but does provide the small personal tour promised in a comfortable boat with enough personal space to view the Sound. We would certainly do the trip again and would recommend it to others. Thanks for a superb and memorable day
Written 13 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
canary2211
Norwich, UK251 contributions
Feb 2020 • Couples
Took the Go Orange Day trip tour. Boat across Lake Manipour ( we drove to the lake), coach trip over the mountain, two hour plus cruise on Doubtful Sound.
Go Orange seems to be smaller than Real Journeys- slightly smaller boats and groups - which we enjoyed as we could chat with the fantastic knowledgeable guides.
The trip might seem a bit expensive but it’s worth every penny - high quality professional trip.
The Sound is of course stunningly beautiful even though the weather was cloudy.
Tip: go on the early tour: the wind often gets up in the later trip and our guides both prefer the early trip.
Go Orange seems to be smaller than Real Journeys- slightly smaller boats and groups - which we enjoyed as we could chat with the fantastic knowledgeable guides.
The trip might seem a bit expensive but it’s worth every penny - high quality professional trip.
The Sound is of course stunningly beautiful even though the weather was cloudy.
Tip: go on the early tour: the wind often gets up in the later trip and our guides both prefer the early trip.
Written 24 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
malmac
6 contributions
Apr 2021 • Family
We took the overnight cruise with Real Journeys. Check in at Manapouri at 12pm to catch the ferry across the lake, connect to the bus over Wilmot Pass to then meet the 'Fiordland Navigator' at Deep Cove. Light hearted and informative commentary on the ferry and bus. They look after you well on board- get settled in to your quarters. Our family of 5 (including 3 teenagers) booked the quad share option - so four in one bunkroom, then I slept in the adjacent cabin with 3 other guys. You don't spend much time in the bunkroom so it all works quite well. After motoring for a shortwhile we stopped to get set up for kayaking while others went off for short outings on the powerboats that are carried on the back of the Navigator. The sheltered conditions made for very pleasant kayaking followed by a swim (diving/jumping from the boat) in the very cold water (maybe 10 or 11 degC). Hot showers afterward to warm back up and we're cruising again down to the mouth of the sound. Good commentary from Watsy about all sorts of aspects of the sound. Spectacular buffet dinner and dessert.
You can't really sleep in as the boat springs to life early in the morning to power the raising of the anchor, and the buffet breakfast starts around 7am. Beautiful scenery just keeps unfolding, and its all over at 10am when you meet the bus for the return sequence. Our whole family really enjoyed the whole experience which was very well done. The drizzly weather didn't really detract from our enjoyment, was just part of the whole package. I highly recommend this tour.
You can't really sleep in as the boat springs to life early in the morning to power the raising of the anchor, and the buffet breakfast starts around 7am. Beautiful scenery just keeps unfolding, and its all over at 10am when you meet the bus for the return sequence. Our whole family really enjoyed the whole experience which was very well done. The drizzly weather didn't really detract from our enjoyment, was just part of the whole package. I highly recommend this tour.
Written 2 May 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kay_S_Choo
Sydney, Australia3 contributions
Feb 2020 • Family
Doubtful Sound is beautiful, just like so many other parts of New Zealand. However, you will have to sign up for the tour with Real Journeys and that’s where the whole experience became less pleasant. Staff were cold and rude and unhelpful, tour was badly organised and messy, overwhelmed with too many tourists due to the suspension of Milford Sound cruises. The whole tour, from crossing the lake to driving past the forest to cruising on Doubtful Sound, and vice versa to return, took 7 long hours. We paid almost $300 per person only to be herded around like sheep and get bored sitting for 7 hours. Definitely not my kind of holiday!
Written 16 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
macclass53
Wellington, New Zealand51 contributions
Aug 2020 • Couples
We took the Doubtful Sound Wilderness Cruise with Real Journeys - a full day tour from Manapouri for $125 pp (bring own packed lunch, which we organised from our hotel) on 31 August, the first day new rules Covid rules came in for mask wearing on public transport. The company handled those well, with clear instructions, and it didn’t impede activities and kept everyone safe. We drove to Manapouri from Te Anau (15 mins) to board the tour, which involved a 60 min ride across Lake Manapouri on the catamaran (each way) , a 50 min coach trip over the spectacular Wilmot Pass with excellent commentary from Ian our driver) then a 3-hr cruise on the really characterful Navigator boat on Doubtful Sound. It rained heavily during the day and there were strong shear winds which really added to the raw nature experience as the waterfalls were gushing (sometimes upwards!!), and it was truly atmospheric. Wonderful to see a geography textbook come to life! Sensibly, probably, the wildlife was sheltering for the day, but the Navigator handled the conditions really well and everyone stayed warm and dry (with self-imposed forays onto the observation decks for a bracing experience and atmospheric photos). Great commentary about the flora and fauna. Complimentary tea/coffee/chocolate (the latter highly recommended) was served on the boat. It was well worth it and we loved every minute! Will be back one day to do the overnight cruise, which wasn’t running at the time we went. Thanks guys!!!
Written 4 September 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
RDJA
32 contributions
Jan 2020 • Family
The ship and the crew were fantastic and overall an excellent experience. Doubtful Sound is magnificent. Marky, the manager, truly cared for every passenger. Dave the skipper, skilfully navigated the ship bringing us up-close to amazing waterfalls. The food was fantastic - Jorge the chef worked wonders.
However, I have to mark the experience one down for the following reasons:
As a family of 4, we chose a “Quad” cabin which has 4 bunk beds and shared bathrooms ($2000 vs. $3200 for two separate rooms). We didn’t mind the shared bathroom. But the one thing that really bothered us was that the Quad cabins had no door. They are closed by a curtain. This makes them more of a dormitory, rather than an individual cabin. The light in the common area wasn’t dimmed overnight and glared into the room, above the curtain. Also, as the air conditioning does not work overnight, with many people sleeping there it became very hot, further contributing to a sleepless night. The fact that the Quad cabins do not have doors, was not clearly indicated at the time of booking. Had I known this (and the heat overnight), I would have paid the extra $1200.
The common toilets and showers were initially spotless. Unfortunately, they weren’t serviced during the 20 hour journey. At the beginning of the of the cruise, there was no soap in two of the four toilets downstairs. It took two requests to have this corrected.
There were no spare pillows onboard (all taken to laundry). I was touched when one of the crew (Stephan) offered me his pillow (I couldn’t take it).
At the price of a small holiday overseas, it comes down to little details. Missing these made the experience less enjoyable.
However, I have to mark the experience one down for the following reasons:
As a family of 4, we chose a “Quad” cabin which has 4 bunk beds and shared bathrooms ($2000 vs. $3200 for two separate rooms). We didn’t mind the shared bathroom. But the one thing that really bothered us was that the Quad cabins had no door. They are closed by a curtain. This makes them more of a dormitory, rather than an individual cabin. The light in the common area wasn’t dimmed overnight and glared into the room, above the curtain. Also, as the air conditioning does not work overnight, with many people sleeping there it became very hot, further contributing to a sleepless night. The fact that the Quad cabins do not have doors, was not clearly indicated at the time of booking. Had I known this (and the heat overnight), I would have paid the extra $1200.
The common toilets and showers were initially spotless. Unfortunately, they weren’t serviced during the 20 hour journey. At the beginning of the of the cruise, there was no soap in two of the four toilets downstairs. It took two requests to have this corrected.
There were no spare pillows onboard (all taken to laundry). I was touched when one of the crew (Stephan) offered me his pillow (I couldn’t take it).
At the price of a small holiday overseas, it comes down to little details. Missing these made the experience less enjoyable.
Written 11 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
rscollo
Melbourne, Australia36 contributions
July 2021
My family of 5 had the absolute please of doing the 2night Doubtful Sound Cruise with Real Journeys this month. It was worth the 2 hours scenic drive from Queenstown to Manapouri, 1hour boat trip across the Manapouri Lake and 45minute bus trip (as it snowed!) to Deep Cove where we boarded the cruise. We loved the food, staff, our cabins and meeting lots of other fun people on the boat. Courtney was a wealth of knowledge and was constantly keeping us updated about our magnificent surroundings. We saw seals, lots of dolphins, waterfalls, magnificent rainbows and beautiful scenery. We got to Kayak one morning and my crazy son alongside a few others jumped into the water for a swim! Apart from the first afternoon when it drizzled we had constant blue skies. I wouldn’t have minded a little more rain as it added to the ambience! It was an amazing experience and couldn’t recommended it more highly!
Written 17 July 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Chris F
Wroughton, UK245 contributions
Feb 2020 • Couples
Did the overnight cruise on the MV Southern Secret. Travelled to lake Manapouri, took the ferry across and a relatively short drive over the Wilmot Pass Road to board the vessel in Deep Cove, Doubtful Sound. Our driver and captain was Sean, very well travelled skipper and tour guide and on-board Chef and chief bottle washer Jennie. Although there are six cabins there were only 8 of us on this trip and what fun we had. We started with lunch already under way gorging on fresh crayfish collected from the pots the day before and other delicious salads. As if that wasn’t enough there was afternoon tea as well. The weather forecast was for pretty torrential rain for most of our time on board. However, that did not quell our enjoyment and enthusiasm. We sighted seals and large pods of dolphins more than once, we fished for our supper again expertly cooked by Jennie and enjoyed a bottle of wine for one of our number’s birthday. Nationalities represented were Dutch, British and American, all great company. Too much cloud cover thwarted any attempt to star gaze and it continued to rain, as predicted all night. In the morning we woke to more rain, a delightful continental breakfast and the news that the road from the sound to Manapouri Lake was blocked by a tree and rock avalanche which, funnily enough was described to us on the way over. were we going to be helicoptered out or not? We rather hoped we would for the sheer experience, but they managed to clear the road with heavy equipment. Meanwhile 200+ tourists were trapped in the Milford Sound due to multiple avalanches and flooding over a very much longer road access. So in some respects we were lucky, although none of us would have objected in the slightest to ‘having’ to stay on the Southern Secret for another night! What a great experience - absolutely fabulous despite the rain which actually enhanced the cascades enormously to a most dramatic effect. Just go - because you won’t experience anything like it elsewhere.
Written 17 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Angela C
Hartlepool, UK7 contributions
Feb 2020
We originally booked for a trip on Milford Sound but had to rebook when that trip had to be cancelled because of storm damage to the road.
this trip is longer - but includes a scenic journey across the Manipoura lake, and a coach trip through the pass tp Doubtful Sound .
Maybe we were lucky as the weather was superb with a calm sea and bright sunlit conditions, but we made it through to the Tasman sea and saw seal colonies and large numbers of Shearwaters fishing.
A very special moment was when the Captain turned everything off for 5 minutes and we could soak in the silence.
The facilities were first rate with plenty of inside and outside seating despite the trip being completely subscribed, and with complimentary tea and coffee.
An undoubted highlight of our month in New Zealand, although at a big cost: when you see the investment made in facilities to deliver a comfortable and worthwhile excursion, you get to understand why it is actually good value.
Only slight regret was that we would have liked to have stayed longer and had opportunity to do a little kayak expedition as well.
this trip is longer - but includes a scenic journey across the Manipoura lake, and a coach trip through the pass tp Doubtful Sound .
Maybe we were lucky as the weather was superb with a calm sea and bright sunlit conditions, but we made it through to the Tasman sea and saw seal colonies and large numbers of Shearwaters fishing.
A very special moment was when the Captain turned everything off for 5 minutes and we could soak in the silence.
The facilities were first rate with plenty of inside and outside seating despite the trip being completely subscribed, and with complimentary tea and coffee.
An undoubted highlight of our month in New Zealand, although at a big cost: when you see the investment made in facilities to deliver a comfortable and worthwhile excursion, you get to understand why it is actually good value.
Only slight regret was that we would have liked to have stayed longer and had opportunity to do a little kayak expedition as well.
Written 11 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Superpear
New Plymouth, New Zealand1,323 contributions
Jan 2020
We travelled to Doubtful Sound with Real Journeys who were excellent. Their operation is very slick, the boats and buses are in very good condition, and the commentary was first class.
The weather was not the kindest for our trip, but considering it rains 2 out of every 3 days, you cannot complain. Also, I have yet to meet the person who controls weather!!
This is a full day trip first crossing Lake Manapouri, then a bus journey through an incredible rain forest, to Doubtful Sound itself. Having done Milford Sound several years ago, I can say that Doubtful Sound is the better experience in my opinion. The biggest thing is that its remoteness means that there are far fewer people and tour boats. Also, Doubtful Sound is so much bigger so the incredible views go on and on. We were also lucky enough to see a pod of dolphins, and the Sound of Silence is something else when they turn off the whole boat and ask everyone to be silent.
Well worth the trip and highly recommended.
Also, a short word about the Real Journeys pack lunch - excellent and very filling.
The weather was not the kindest for our trip, but considering it rains 2 out of every 3 days, you cannot complain. Also, I have yet to meet the person who controls weather!!
This is a full day trip first crossing Lake Manapouri, then a bus journey through an incredible rain forest, to Doubtful Sound itself. Having done Milford Sound several years ago, I can say that Doubtful Sound is the better experience in my opinion. The biggest thing is that its remoteness means that there are far fewer people and tour boats. Also, Doubtful Sound is so much bigger so the incredible views go on and on. We were also lucky enough to see a pod of dolphins, and the Sound of Silence is something else when they turn off the whole boat and ask everyone to be silent.
Well worth the trip and highly recommended.
Also, a short word about the Real Journeys pack lunch - excellent and very filling.
Written 6 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
How can 2 people get from Te Anau to Manapouri if we do not have a car?
Written 3 September 2022
Shuttle service was great
Written 23 May 2023
Looking for a 2 night cruise, on board a small boat offering fishing, kayaking and crayfish. I would love any suggestions. April 2021. Thank you
Written 6 March 2021
We had a one night cruise with “Real Journeys”
Well worth it.
A cruise around the sound and it’s arms -
Kayaking
Swimming
On board commentary
10/10
Fabulous- and I don’t say that lightly!
Written 6 March 2021
Is kayaking in Doubtful sound a risky activity?
I’m interested in the kayaking tour provided by Go orange.
Written 25 February 2020
Planning on visiting NZ with another couple next February
Is it possible to stay at Te Anau and use the water taxi to drop off and pick up as we walk the fiord?
Written 18 August 2019
Agree with mikevdb that car is best due to distance. Helitours are good but expensive and we found we had to prioritise where to do them but of course depends on your budget. Doubtful sound is very beautiful. We did overnight cruise but had to book a fair way out. You can read my review on this and Bailiez Cafe Te Anau. Te Anau has some good eating options but you definitely need to book ahead as popular tourist place and busy for dinner.
Written 19 August 2019
I am flying into Logan Airport then traveling to Rockport, MA. I see on the maps that Rockport is about an hour’s drive from the airport. Does anybody know if I can use Uber or Lyft between the airport and Rockport? Thank you.
Written 13 February 2019
Sorry all. I posted this in the wrong place.
Written 13 February 2019
Can anyone give me advice on a cruise company/boat for an overnight cruise on Doubtful Sound?
Written 22 August 2018
We went with Real Journeys and we’re very happy.
Written 27 August 2018
We'd like to do one of the overnight cruises in Doubtful Sound and torn between Real Journeys or one of the smaller ones (I think there are only 2 others?). Also, do we need to hire a guide to really get the best out of a day hike on the Milford Track? Can you do that and a day cruise on Milford Sound in one day? I guess we'd stay in Te Anau 2 nights and do the overnight cruise on the 3rd night and head back towards Queenstown once they drop us off? Or do we need a full day for the Track and a full day to go on Milford Sound? I'm not sure if distances and times. Any advice welcome.
Written 6 August 2018
Overnight cruise with Real Journeys on Doubtful Sound was our NZ highlight too. We were there with our two girls in their early twenties and everyone loved it. We met some interesting people, food was good, and there was a specialist guide on board too who was very well informed on the geography and wildlife. More info in my TA review.
Written 9 August 2018
Hi again can anyone advise about the kayaking on the overnight doubtful sound cruise? What I would like to know is are they double kayaks or singles?
Written 13 July 2018
Singles, but I failed to mention the sand fleas are bad there. Put on plenty of repellent.
The water is smooth as glass, so should be no problem
Written 16 July 2018
Please could anyone advise on the 4 person births on the boats at Doubtful sound?
Written 8 July 2018
We took a 4 person berth on a doubtful sound overnight cruise in April with Real Journeys for our family of 4. It was great and good value for money. Good sized single beds with plenty of space between bunks. A small window. Space for luggage and a curtain across the door affording privacy. A large open common area outside the door and clean shared bathroom facilities. The 4 person berths were much better than I had expected and the doubtful sound overnight cruise was one of the highlights of our NZ trip. If you look at my TA review of Doubtful Sound you will see my photo of the bunks.
Written 8 July 2018
…
Showing results 1-10 of 35
*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.