Fiordland: rainforest, rock walls and a lot of weather
Fiordland is the wettest, wildest and arguably most spectacular corner of New Zealand — carved valleys, sheer rock faces and waterfalls that appear the moment it rains, which is often. Rain here is a feature, not a ruined day.
What it's known for
- Milford Sound and Doubtful Sound cruises
- Te Anau as the region's base town
- Great Walks including the Milford, Kepler and Routeburn tracks
- Waterfalls that multiply in wet weather
- Dense rainforest and near-vertical valley walls
- Some of the most remote road in the country
Getting around
- Queenstown is the usual starting point for visitors
- The road in is long, winding and best driven unhurried
- Weather and avalanche risk can close the route in winter
- Private drivers handle the timing around cruise departures
Most visitors see Fiordland as a day out from Queenstown, which makes for a very long day on the road. It works, and thousands do it, but the drive is a big part of the experience and worth being comfortable for.
Staying in Te Anau shortens the morning considerably and gives you the region at a gentler pace. Either way the fixed point is the cruise departure, and the drive needs planning backwards from it.
We run this route regularly and know how long it really takes in each season. Your driver handles the timing, the stops and the weather, so the day is yours to look at rather than manage.
Towns and cities we drive in Fiordland
Travelling it without a rental car
Highway 1 Tours & Transfers runs private vehicles with local drivers right across New Zealand — single transfers, full touring days, or a driver who stays with you for the whole trip. You get a fixed price agreed before you travel, no left-hand-side driving to learn, and someone who knows the roads and the weather.
Common questions
Keep exploring
Other services we offer
A private transfer is only part of what we do. The same NZTA-licensed drivers and vehicles cover tours, hourly hire, airport and cruise work, corporate travel and group bookings throughout New Zealand.
Private, luxury & multi-day travel
Private touring, chauffeur hire, honeymoon travel and a driver for your whole New Zealand trip.
Explore private travelArriving in New Zealand
First-time visitor guides to landing at Auckland, Christchurch, Queenstown, Wellington and Dunedin.
Read the arrival guidesIsland & region guides
What each part of New Zealand is known for, how long the drives really take, and how to travel it without a rental car.
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Driving on the left, kilometres to miles, money and tipping, the seasons, and travelling without a rental car.
Read visitor infoAirport shuttle alternative
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Compare the optionsCity taxi, upgraded
A fixed-price private car instead of the taxi rank — city-by-city guides across New Zealand.
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Keep the same driver for the day and shape the route around what you'd like to see nationwide.
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A driver and vehicle held for a block of time — best when your travel starts and finishes in the same town.
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Rental car alternativeWhat transfers and taxis cost
Plain answers on what moves the price of an airport run in New Zealand, and how a fixed total compares with a meter.
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Ride there and ride home for the big nights — concerts, festivals and events across New Zealand.
Event transport
Please note: by-the-hour driver hire is only suitable when your travel starts and finishes in the same town. If you're finishing somewhere else, book a private transfer or a day trip so your fare covers the driver's travel.