How Safe Is the Milford Road?
You may have heard that the Milford Road has a reputation for being dangerous, with a higher-than-average accident rate compared to other roads in New Zealand.
Our aim in this article isn't to scare you away from driving. It's to help you understand the different factors to consider if you're planning to drive yourself to Milford Sound, so you can make an informed decision about whether driving or taking a tour is the best choice for you.
Key Takeaways
The road itself isn't unusually challenging compared to other South Island alpine roads, but factors like heavy summer congestion, sudden weather changes, and winter black ice make it more accident-prone than average.
Self-driving works well for confident drivers who are comfortable on New Zealand roads and aren't visiting during the worst of winter.
A guided tour is the safer option if you're new to driving in New Zealand, prone to fatigue, or visiting during snow, ice, or heavy rain.
Winter and early spring bring the highest risks due to black ice and snow, and it's when a guided tour is most strongly recommended.
Milford Road Congestion
The Milford Road's geography (twists, tight turns, and blind corners) isn't dramatically different from many other NZ South Island roads.
What sets the Milford Road apart is congestion. Because Milford Sound cruises start by 9 am and finish around 5 pm, most of the traffic is condensed into just 8 to 12 hours a day.
Over 4,000 people visit Milford Sound each day in summer. While many travel in by coach with tour companies, a large portion make the journey by private vehicle. Cars are constantly crossing in both directions during the busier months, which increases the risk of centreline crossings on blind corners. New Zealand roads are also quite different from those in bigger overseas cities, where multi-lane highways dominate. The road into Milford Sound is full of blind corners, steep climbs, and steep drops. It's not a road to tackle in your first few days of driving in New Zealand.
Milford Road Conditions
As with any part of Fiordland, the Milford Road is exposed to sudden weather changes. Locals know it well: sunshine on the horizon one minute, dark rain clouds the next.
Parts of the drive, including the Eglinton Valley, The Divide, and the Hollyford Valley, tend to draw in rain systems that get trapped between the mountains. Rainfall can go from zero to 30mm (one inch) an hour at times, which makes grip and visibility challenging.
Lighting in the mountain sections can also be poor, and with few pull-over spots between the main scenic stops, it's common to find cars stacked behind each other trying to navigate slowly.
Winter and early spring bring their own risks. Black ice is common in the early morning and sometimes throughout the day, depending on sun exposure.
Snow is common between May and September. While beautiful, it can make the road extremely dangerous, and a guided tour that carries tyre chains and other essentials is highly recommended in these conditions.
Should You Drive the Milford Road Yourself?
The trip to Milford Sound is beautiful whether you self-drive or take a tour. But if you're visiting from overseas or new to the area, it's worth thinking carefully about whether driving is the right choice.
Here are the main pros and cons:
Pros | Cons |
Choice of when to pull over and where to stop. | The driver can't take in much of the scenery, as focusing on the road is crucial. |
Comfort and privacy of your own vehicle. | May waste time at stops that are not worth it. |
Overall cost saving. | Parking at Milford Sound is a 10-20 minute walk from the cruise terminal (a tour drops you there directly). |
Full control over your itinerary. | No guide to explain what you're seeing or point out the best photo spots. |
| Can be stressful in bad weather, particularly in winter. |
When Self-Driving Is a Hard No
There are some situations where we'd strongly recommend taking a tour instead of driving yourself.
If you come from a right-hand drive country. Drivers from the United States, European Union, and other right-hand-drive countries can find it challenging to focus on driving on the left while also taking in the stunning surroundings. Tour drivers regularly see cars crossing the centreline as drivers look out at the scenery.
If this is one of your first days driving in New Zealand. A full day of driving on twisting alpine roads isn't ideal when you're still adjusting to left-side driving. Fatigue is a serious risk on this journey.
In heavy rain, snow, frost, or high winds. These conditions make the road significantly more difficult and less forgiving. If you're not experienced in alpine driving, take a tour.
How Will a Tour Change Your Experience?
You get to enjoy the scenery. Being able to look out the windows and take in the Milford Road properly is a big part of the experience. Nobody has to miss it because they're driving.
Avoiding the crowds. At Luxe Tours, for example, we choose our cruise time and departure to minimise the number of vehicles and other tourists around us at any one time.
Sharing the experience with your travel companions. Everyone gets to enjoy the day together, without one person stuck focusing on the road while the others get to sightsee.
Safety. Your day is in the hands of an experienced driver who is specifically trained on the Milford Road and drives it most days of the year.
The Milford Road isn't as dangerous as some reputations suggest, but it does have real risks that come from a combination of congestion, alpine conditions, and drivers who aren't used to New Zealand roads. Whether you should drive yourself or take a tour comes down to your confidence, your experience, and the road conditions at certain times of the year.
