Step aboard M.Y. Beluga, our 35 metre explorer-style yacht

Day 1: Queenstown to Preservation Inlet
Fly by helicopter from Queenstown over Lake Wakatipu and the peaks of Fiordland to join Beluga at anchor in Preservation Inlet, the southernmost of the fiords. Settle in on board and enjoy a first dinner at anchor.

Day 2: Preservation Inlet
Walk to the Puysegur Point lighthouse for views across Foveaux Strait to Stewart Island, and visit the remains of the 1890s gold-rush town of Cromarty and the site of New Zealand’s first shore whaling station at Cuttle Cove. In the afternoon, fish for blue cod or set pots for crayfish.

Days 3–4: Chalky Inlet
Cruise to Chalky Inlet, marked by the pale cliffs of Chalky Island. Explore North Port and South Port by tender, where fur seals and dolphins are often seen, or kayak the inlet’s quiet arms. A layer of fresh rainwater on the surface of the fiords filters the light, so black coral and sea pens grow at depths divers can easily reach. Dive or snorkel among them, then explore Edwardson Sound by tender.

Days 5–7: Dusky Sound
Dusky Sound is the largest of the fiords, with more than 300 islands, and Captain Cook spent five weeks here in 1773. Walk to Astronomers Point, where his crew set up an observatory to fix New Zealand’s position on the chart. Cruise to Supper Cove at the head of the sound, passing Anchor Island, a protected sanctuary for kākāpō and little spotted kiwi, and fish for blue cod and groper for dinner. Conditions permitting, take a helicopter to an alpine tarn or ridgeline for lunch with views across Fiordland.

Days 8–9: Acheron Passage & Breaksea Sound
Cruise through the sheltered Acheron Passage, past Wet Jacket Arm, to Breaksea Sound, where bottlenose dolphins are often seen. Breaksea Island, at the entrance, was cleared of rats in 1988 and is now a haven for native birds. Explore Vancouver Arm and the outer islands, dive or snorkel the kelp walls, visit the fur seal colonies by tender and end the day in the jacuzzi.

Days 10–11: Doubtful Sound
Doubtful Sound is the deepest of the fiords, stretching around 40 kilometres inland and home to a resident pod of bottlenose dolphins. In Crooked Arm, we turn off the engines to enjoy the silence. After rain, hundreds of waterfalls appear on the fiord walls. On clear days, explore Hall Arm and Deep Cove, or cross Wilmot Pass to Lake Manapōuri.

Day 12: Charles & Caswell Sounds
Two of the least visited sounds in Fiordland. Snorkel in the Kahukura Marine Reserve in Charles Sound, and take the tender up the Stillwater River towards Lake Marchant in Caswell Sound.

Day 13: George Sound
Take the tender to Alice Falls, where Lake Alice drains through the forest into the head of the sound, kayak the sheltered upper reaches, or fish for blue cod for dinner.

Day 14: Bligh Sound to Milford Sound
Cruise north to Bligh Sound, named after Captain William Bligh, and spend the morning in the sheltered anchorage of Bounty Haven. In the afternoon, continue to Milford Sound, arriving after the day boats have left, for a final evening at anchor beneath Mitre Peak.

Day 15: Milford Sound to Queenstown
Enjoy an early cruise beneath Mitre Peak, rising 1,692 metres from the water, and up to Stirling Falls. After breakfast, return to Queenstown by helicopter.