Mitre Peak or Rahotu, jutting majestically from the iconic Milford Sound in New Zealand, stands as a symbol of natural grandeur. Rising 5,560 feet, this sheer granite giant has witnessed centuries of Maori and European exploration. Named for its resemblance to a bishop's mitre, it's a testament to the country's geological marvels.
Mitre Peak is more than a stunning landmark; it's a cherished piece of Kiwi identity, drawing adventurers and nature enthusiasts alike. Its vertical cliffs and stunning reflection on the sound's waters make it an irresistible icon in New Zealand's picturesque landscape.
Towering 1,692 meters above Milford Sound, Mitre Peak's sheer granite cliffs, formed by glacial erosion, dominate the fiord's breathtaking landscape. A landmark for millennia, Mitre Peak serves as a navigational aid for sailors and continues to inspire artists and adventurers with its unique shape and geological wonder.
Mitre Peak's history is deeply rooted in the ancient geology of New Zealand's Fiordland region. Carved by glacial forces over thousands of years, the peak stands as a testament to the Earth's transformative powers. Indigenous Maori people, the earliest inhabitants, called the Peak Rahotu and revered these landscapes, contributing their rich cultural history to the region. European exploration in the 19th century marked a new chapter, with Captain John Lort Stokes of HMS Acheron naming the peak so due to its resemblance to a bishop's mitre. Since then, Mitre Peak has become an iconic symbol, featuring prominently in the establishment of Fiordland National Park in 1952. Its allure continues to draw visitors, connecting them to both geological epochs and human histories.
Mitre Peak is not a solitary point but rather a cluster of five peaks, though it presents itself as a singular entity from most vantage points. Situated in Milford Sound, a UNESCO-declared World Heritage Site within Te Wahipounamu, the peak's commanding presence has made it a sought-after subject for painters. Among them, Charles Decimus Barraud's masterpiece, housed at the Sarjeant Gallery in Whanganui, captures the imposing allure of this iconic New Zealand landmark.
Mitre Peak is a famous mountain in New Zealand’s South Island, located within the Fiordland National Park near the Milford Sound shores.
You can see the majestic Mitre Peak by purchasing a Milford Sound cruise tour or scenic flight ticket.
Yes, you can see Mitre Peak with Milford Sound cruise or tours. You can opt for a scenic flyover and cruise tour or go on a guided walk along Milford Track and Milford Sound cruise.
Yes, Mitre Peak cruises and flights come with expert local guides. You’ll leave knowing the spot like the back of your hand.
You can see other natural wonders of the region, such as Bowen Falls, Stirling Falls, Seal Point, Milford Sound, Southern Alps, Lake Quill, Sutherland Falls, and other native natural wonders.
Mitre Peak is located in Milford Sound, nestled within the Fiordland National Park in New Zealand.
Yes, you can take photos of Mitre Peak. Make sure to keep all your photography essentials handy and carry protective gear to protect your device from the elements, like mist or rain.
Mitre Peak is 1,683 m or 5,560 feet tall, making it the highest peak in Milford Sound.
Yes both Mitre Peak cruises and flights are accessibility-friendly.
The Milford Sound Cruise was incredibly beautiful. Despite the bad weather, it was a very impressive experience. You could see an enormous number of waterfalls and it was well explained which mountain or waterfall you could see. The option to go on deck was also excellent despite the rain. I really enjoyed it and can only recommend it to anyone! My highlight was that they also got really close to the big waterfalls so that you could really see the spray from the bubbling water and really appreciate the size of the waterfall.
Great views from the top deck. Not hurried, just felt a relaxing look around the sound.
good good good good good good 👍
We had a great time but sad not to see more waterfalls like we had seen at Doubtfall Sounds. The crew were great and it was a beautiful day!
The view is not my expectation
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Sarah
Jezel
Marguerite
Absolutely fantastic the smaller boat so much better and the crew where the best ticketing was so easy and they even kept in touch to let us know when we where expected aboard x our friends did it a few days earlier and had the same wonderful experience xx I recommend you go on the small boat you get closer to nature 👏❤️
It's a spectacular experience, a wonderful adventure in the heart of Mildford Sound! What's more, we were lucky enough to see some dolphins!
Loved the small boat and that we could get close to the waterfall. My husband and I were happy to be able to stand in front of the boat while the boat was turning. Best experience of our trip! Thanks so much and for the skipper for all the information given during the tour.
A pro tip for future visitors
Ticketing was very easy and fhe small boat ride was really worth the amount paid.
The most surreal experience. Highly recommend. So so beautiful!!!!
Crew was fantastic both in their knowledge and hospitality. They even helped us spot dolphins in the crazy rainy weather. Captain especially made sure everyone stayed safe onboard and the hot chocolate was like icing on cake. Ticketing experience and check in was quite smooth and hassle free
Well organised, good explanations and tailored to surprises such as a group of dolphins surfing in the waves of the boat.
Everything. The skippers delivery of commentary was great. Ability to see everything easily. Plenty of time to take photos. Has been on my list of things to do for years and it did not disappoint. Loved it.
The entire experience was great starting from the booking to the ease of navigation to the place and check in.
really good !! Would recommend anytime. We saw Dolphins and the guide was amazing.
Wonderful trip in extraordinary scenery. Smaller ship, lesser people, better views.
Great crew. We really enjoyed our experience. Thanks
Personal approach with smaller vessel, and can feell closer experiences to the shores
The knowledge of the captain and the expert way he handled the boat.
Amazing experience on Milford Sound!
Inclusions
2-hour Milford Sound cruise
Complimentary tea and coffee on board
Small boat cruise of up to 75 people
Live commentary on cruise
Milford Track Guided Walk (if option selected)
3.5-hour Milford Track guided walk
English-speaking guide for walk
Small group of up to 12 people for guided walk
Round-trip water taxi transfers from Deep Water Basin to Sandfly Point
Safety gear for guided walk
Virginia
Yash
Izzah
Smoothly driving Stunning view Nice service on the board
Well organized, super driver/guide Food could be better Coordination on WhatsApp would be appreciated to avoid misunderstandings for the pick up
Brian, the bus driver! A font of knowledge about what we saw along the way plus extra info on farming & fishing, very very interesting to get an insight on that aspect. Great sense of dry humour too. He is a very experienced driver! The ride and the boat trip were spectacular but Brian was the cherry on the cake! 🙂
Informative commentary, such a beautiful, magical place to visit.
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Inge
Ferdinand
The nature was the best. Flight was fantastic. Cruise was OK, but better and bigger cruises also were available, but in more cost. The experience was incredible during my trip in New Zealand 😊😊. Thanks for headout for making everything better.
The flight was absolutely unique and we had two great pilots in Nikita and Jake. We found the cruise rather boring because there was simply too little to see. We've seen more exciting fjords.
Great experience. I would recommend to anyone.
Amazing experience, one of our favorite from the trip so far. We had perfect weather for the flight and boat trip and were able to see fur seals, penguins and get up close to the waterfalls.
Inclusions
Full-day or half-day tour of Milford Sound from Queenstown (based on option selected)
Small-group experience
Round-trip flight transfers from Queenstown (if option selected)
One-way coach to Milford Sound (if option selected)
Return flight transfer to Queenstown (if option selected)
Hotel pick-up and drop-off
Live commentary
2-hour Milford Sound cruise
Complimentary tea, coffee, & water on cruise
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Seyyedmehdi
Christopher
Great activity. Lovely place and Brendon was really informative and funny.
The driver "Gordon" gave us a very pleasant trip with entertaining stories, stops with beautiful panoramas ... and a dream cruise that met our expectations . The schedules were all respected. Thank you, I highly recommend
Good evening, a little difficult to find the meeting point and especially to find the bus company. It should be specified that the meal is included in the day. Very nice experience and fabulous day. Thank you for everything. Yours sincerely, Dominique Jean-Jacques and Sandra
It was a good day! Cruise was 2 hours, not 3, but that was adequate. Bus travel was somewhat shorter than advertised. All that aside, it was a very good day. RealNZ was a great provider! Thanks.
Bus driver friendly and informative. Felt very safe with his driving. Majestic scenery and so many interesting land formations on both bus and boatrip.
Amazing nature, good information! Good to go there early in the morning before it gets to crowded. Some hints: - the meeting at 8.30 am is a bit to early, we only left from Te Anau at 9 am. - I didn't know about the included lunch, would have been good to announce it.
The bus driver Scarlet was exyremely informative and made us feel welcome. The boat trip was great even though it was drizzling
Ticketing was excellent and the scenery was magnificent
EXCELLENT DRIVER AND BREATHTAKING VIEWS
Great weather, great buys driver who gave out fantastic information.
Bus driver was excellent giving us excellent commentary on the area, cruise was excellent as again was the commentary,
Inclusions
Full-day tour to Milford Sound from Te Anau
2-hour Milford Sound cruise
English-speaking driver/guide
Round-trip transfers with stops for short walks
Complimentary tea & coffee on-board
Dominique
Laurent
Anne-marie
Inclusions
Overnight Milford Sound cruise
Expert nature guide onboard
Round-trip coach transfers from Te Anau/ Queenstown (as per option selected)
Private cabins
3-course buffet dinner and continental breakfast (vegetarian option available)
Onboard chef
Access to kayak or small boat for exploring shoreline
Complimentary tea and coffee
Well organized, super driver/guide Food could be better Coordination on WhatsApp would be appreciated to avoid misunderstandings for the pick up
Tour was great and tour guide was exceptional. Full of interesting facts and humerous as well. He really made the tour for us. Please thank him. Luke
Beautiful enrobe to Milford. The lady driving the our van was also very sweet
Absolutely wonderful! It was so nice to be a smaller group for this adventure. The little van was really confortable for the trip. Our guide Collin was awesome. His explanations on the culture and the region made the 5 hours to get there fly by and the stops were great to relax and enjoy fjordland park. 100% recommended.
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Small group guided tour
Tour guide
Round-trip transfers
Milford sound cruise
Cruise entry
Minibus
Start from Queenstown.
The following stops will be included on the way to and back from Milford Sound.
Minibus
Cruise
These are the sights you can look out for during the cruise:
Milford Sound
Mitre Peak
Pop's View Lookout
Return to Queenstown
We enjoyed the whole experience starting with the lovely lady who helped me organise transport after I said I didn't need it. The driver Hygi was awesome dealing with an older vehicle and a non working headset. The people on the cruise were excellent and friendly and the cruise was awesome. The hardest part was that as I am a larger person, the seatbelt was extremely tight and very uncomfortable. Please remember that not everyone is tiny.
The cruise itself was lovely along with a small group and lovely food and champagne. Highly recommended for a more intimate experience.
The entire day from the pickup in Queenstown to return. The cruise team were excellent. The scene fantastic. Plus our driver to and from Queenstown
Everything was is wonderfull and magical. Thank you
Awesome experience. Very comfortable. Excellent guide.
Best explanations blue sky and lots of dolphins. What luck
Wonderful way to experience the beauty of the Fiords!
Inclusions
2.5-hour Milford Sound cruise
Expert nature guide
Small group experience
Live commentary on cruise
Curated canape menu
A glass of Mumm Champagne
Reserved seating
Round-trip transfers from Queenstown or Te Anau (based on option selected)
Rebecca
Apoorv
All went perfectly. The drivers were cool and drove safely. We got good informations about the region and the Doubtful Sound. The stay in quiet without machines were fantastic.
Easy to buy tickets. Helpful and friendly staff
Inclusions
Full-day Doubtful Sound Wilderness tour
Cruise across Lake Manapouri
Coach trip over Wilmot Pass
Knowledgable nature guide
Informative commentary
Interpretation hand-out sheets in 5 languages: English, German, French, Spanish & Japanese
Complimentary tea & coffee
Exclusions
You can cancel these tickets up to 24 hours before the experience begins and get a full refund.
Book now without paying anything. Cancel for free if your plans change.
You can cancel these tickets up to 24 hours before the experience begins and get a full refund.
Book now without paying anything. Cancel for free if your plans change.
You can cancel these tickets up to 24 hours before the experience begins and get a full refund.
Book now without paying anything. Cancel for free if your plans change.
You can cancel these tickets up to 24 hours before the experience begins and get a full refund.
Book now without paying anything. Cancel for free if your plans change.
You can cancel these tickets up to 24 hours before the experience begins and get a full refund.
Book now without paying anything. Cancel for free if your plans change.
You can cancel these tickets up to 14 days before the experience begins and get a full refund.
Book now without paying anything. Cancel for free if your plans change.
You can cancel these tickets up to 24 hours before the experience begins and get a full refund.
Book now without paying anything. Cancel for free if your plans change.
You can cancel these tickets up to 24 hours before the experience begins and get a full refund.
Book now without paying anything. Cancel for free if your plans change.
You can cancel these tickets up to 24 hours before the experience begins and get a full refund.
Book now without paying anything. Cancel for free if your plans change.
You can cancel these tickets up to 24 hours before the experience begins and get a full refund.
Book now without paying anything. Cancel for free if your plans change.
Fiord and alpine landings on a 1.5–2 hr heli tour to Milford Sound from Queenstown.
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1.5 to 2-hour Milford Sound helicopter tour from Queensland
Pilot guide
Landing in Milford Sound
Glacier landing
