Our Accommodation - Three-Day Milford Sound Tour
- Alice Neilson - Fiordland Enthusiast & Writer
- Sep 3
- 6 min read
Continuing our exploration of Luxe Tours' new three-day Milford Sound tour from Queenstown, this guide covers everything you need to know about your accommodation and activities during your stay.
As part of this new multi-day tour, you'll spend two nights in Te Anau at the Distinction Hotel and Villas.
Rather than simply passing through Te Anau like most Milford Sound tours, this extended stay allows you to discover the peaceful charm of this lakeside town.
With two evenings to explore at your leisure, you'll have time to truly experience what Te Anau has to offer.
Key Takeaways
Stay two nights at the Distinction Hotel and Villas opposite the Te Anau lakefront.
Your accommodation is located a five-minute walk from the main street and two minutes from the lakefront.
Every booking receives its own private room.
Enjoy two buffet breakfasts at your accommodation.
Discover varied dining options, from upscale restaurant meals to casual takeaway favourites.
Visit the Te Anau Bird Sanctuary to see critically endangered takahē and other rare native species.
Add evening activities like a glowworm cave tour, scenic flight, or historic sailing experience.
Experience Te Anau as a peaceful alternative to busier tourist destinations with authentic small-town hospitality.
The 3-Day Milford Sound Tour via Walter Peak & Von Valley
Your Accommodation Package
Your three-day tour package includes two nights' accommodation at Distinction Hotel and Villas in a garden view room. Two buffet breakfasts are provided on tour days two and three, with options to upgrade to a lake view room or remove breakfast if preferred.
All check-in processes are handled by your tour guide, ensuring a seamless arrival experience. If rain is forecast, your guide will leave an umbrella with you.
Your guide manages departure arrangements on day three for the return journey to Queenstown via the scenic backcountry route.
Distinction Hotel and Villas
Accommodation Overview
The Distinction Hotel and Villas sits opposite Te Anau's lakefront, offering stunning mountain and garden views. Located just a two-minute walk to the lakefront and a five-minute walk to Te Anau’s main street, this accommodation provides the perfect base for your Milford Sound adventure with all the comfort and convenience you need.
Each room features two queen beds with a maximum of two adults per booking, unless you wish otherwise.
Every tour booking receives its own private room, so you'll never be sharing your accommodation with someone you don’t know.
For group bookings larger than two adults, a hotel room with two queen double beds is added for every booking of 1 - 2 people.
Each booking receives a garden view room that overlooks landscaped gardens, creating a peaceful retreat after days of exploration. Room upgrades to lake view rooms are available upon request.
Important: Hotel Room Combinations
Below is a table of what you will get for different booking combinations:
Single Guest booking alone | One Private Hotel Room |
Two x Guests | One Private Hotel Room |
Three x Guests | Two Private Hotel Rooms |
Four x Guests | Two Private Hotel Rooms |
Five x Guests | Three Private Hotel Rooms |
Six x Guests | Three Private Hotel Rooms |
Seven x Guests | Four Private Hotel Rooms |
Eight x Guests | Four Private Hotel Rooms |
Nine x Guests | Five Private Hotel Rooms |
Ten x Guests | Five Private Hotel Rooms |
Need help or have a question regarding accommodation for this tour? Contact us below:
Room Amenities and Services
The room includes an ensuite bathroom with shower over bath, flat-screen TV with satellite channels, and unlimited Wi-Fi throughout your stay.
Standard amenities include a small kitchenette area with fridge and tea and coffee-making facilities. Complimentary toiletries are also provided through the hotel’s partnership with The Hotel Weka’s end-to-end recycling program, which prevents excess toiletries from reaching landfill.
Two buffet breakfasts at the hotel are included on days two and three of your tour. The breakfast offers a range of options to fuel your adventures, though you can customise your booking to exclude breakfast if preferred.
Your tour guide handles all check-in processes when you arrive on day one and the check-out process on day three. This seamless service means you can simply relax while administrative details are managed for you.
Discovering Te Anau
Te Anau is also known as the gateway to Fiordland National Park, as it's impossible to reach Milford Sound by road without passing through this charming town.
Positioned on the shores of New Zealand's second-largest lake, Te Anau combines beautiful mountain scenery with a tranquil atmosphere that feels refreshingly different from busier tourist destinations.
The town offers a peaceful retreat, particularly compared to Queenstown's more high-energy atmosphere. Because most visitors simply pass through on their way to Milford Sound, those who actually stay get to experience a more relaxed side of New Zealand.
The town's friendly atmosphere and safe environment make it ideal for leisurely exploration, with beautiful scenery everywhere you look, from the idyllic lakefront to the surrounding mountain ranges.
Activity Options
Te Anau Glowworm Caves Tour
The Te Anau Glowworm Caves offer a magical underground experience. The tour begins with a scenic cruise across Lake Te Anau and departs from the RealNZ Visitors Centre, located right across the road from your accommodation.
You’ll head to the lake’s Western Shores and enter the caves where safe boardwalks guide you through the cave system. These 12,000-year-old caves were carved by underground waterfalls fed from the Murchison Mountains, creating a unique ecosystem filled with thousands of bioluminescent glowworms.
The highlight is boarding small boats to silently glide through the glowworm grotto, where complete darkness reveals the dazzling natural light display.
Three evening departure times (5:45 PM, 7:00 PM, and 8:15 PM) make this activity perfect for day two of your tour. Complimentary tea and coffee are provided, and Luxe Tours can help arrange this as an add-on experience to your three-day package.
Wings & Water Floatplane Flight
The Wings & Water Floatplane offers aerial perspectives of Fiordland's dramatic landscapes from Te Anau.
Flight options range from 15-minute scenic tours to hour-long adventures, with routes covering Milford Sound, Doubtful Sound, or mystery destinations where the pilot chooses your aerial journey.
These flights provide unique photographic opportunities and showcase the vast scale of Fiordland National Park from above. The floatplane experience adds an extra dimension to your understanding of the region's geography and pristine wilderness areas.
The Faith Historic Sailing Experience
The Faith sailing boat provides a unique combination of history and natural beauty on Lake Te Anau. This historic vessel, built in Scotland in 1935, served in World War II and once hosted Sir Winston Churchill during its voyages.
Now permanently based on Lake Te Anau, Faith offers the only sailing experience of its kind in New Zealand. Evening cruises include complimentary canapés and refreshments, with dinner cruise platters available on the 6:00 PM departure, perfect timing after your Milford Sound tour on day two.
With over 200 five-star TripAdvisor ratings, this sailing experience combines maritime history with Te Anau's tranquil lake setting for a memorable evening activity.
Additional Evening Options
Te Anau's small cinema provides a cozy entertainment option with an attached bar for drinks during movies. The intimate setting offers a relaxed way to spend an evening while staying warm and comfortable.
For those preferring outdoor activities, the lakefront itself provides relaxing entertainment.
Evening walks are particularly magical as sunset colours reflect across the calm lake surface, and many guests enjoy grabbing food from town to eat lakeside while watching the sun disappear behind the mountains.
Whether taking photos of the stunning reflections or simply strolling the peaceful shores, Te Anau's serene setting offers the perfect backdrop for unwinding after adventure-filled days.
Dining in Te Anau
Your tour guide will provide you with an information guide to help you explore Te Anau's dining options. The Distinction Hotel’s own MacKinnon Restaurant offers high-quality dining specialising in South Island flavours, featuring local lamb and beef paired with New Zealand wines and fresh regional ingredients.
Other popular options include Redcliff, a cosy cottage-style restaurant serving seasonal cuisine with local ingredients, and Black Duck gastropub, which offers both lighter bar snacks and substantial meals featuring local flavours.
La Toscana is a favorite for excellent pizza with dine-in or takeaway options, plus daily dessert specials featuring decadent cheesecakes.For quicker options, Ditto provides Asian fusion cuisine with dine-in and takeaway options, ideal for lighter meals with international flavours.
You’ll find a Subway as well as a local fish and chip shop offering classic Kiwi takeaways.
The Distinction Hotel and Villas provides quality accommodation for your multi-day journey, while Te Anau’s peaceful atmosphere and diverse activities create opportunities for genuine relaxation between tour days.
From observing rare native birds to exploring ancient glowworm caves, Te Anau reveals why this peaceful town deserves more than a quick passing through, offering the perfect balance of comfort, convenience, and beautiful scenery for your three-day Milford Sound adventure.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it safe to walk around Te Anau at night?
Yes, Te Anau is a very safe town with a welcoming, small-town atmosphere. The lakefront walking tracks are well-maintained and the town centre is well-lit. Many guests enjoy evening strolls along the lake or walking to restaurants for dinner.
Are there shops in Te Anau if I need to buy things?
Yes, Te Anau has several shops including a pharmacy, grocery store, and outdoor gear shops. The main street is only a five-minute walk from your accommodation, making it easy to pick up any essentials or souvenirs during your stay.
Can Luxe Tours Help Arrange Activities?
Yes, we can help you arrange experiences like glowworm cave tours, scenic flights, or sailing trips. Let us know the activities you’d like to do, and we can help coordinate timing and bookings to complement your three-day itinerary.
