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Doubtful Sound by Helicopter

From Te Anau over New Zealand’s second-largest fiord, with landings in the mountains.

Top picks
Doubtful Sound With Dusky Sound With Milford Sound

Doubtful Sound

Doubtful Sound Discovery with Snow Landing (55 min)
Fiordland Helicopters · 55 min Doubtful Sound Discovery with Snow Landing (55 min)
★ 5.0 (4) from NZ$ 1015 per person
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Doubtful Sound with Two Alpine Landings (70 min)
Southern Lakes Helicopters · 70 min Doubtful Sound with Two Alpine Landings (70 min)
★ 5.0 (21) from NZ$ 1125 per person
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With Dusky Sound

Doubtful & Dusky Sound with Two Landings (1.5 h)
Te Anau Helicopter Services · 90 min Doubtful & Dusky Sound with Two Landings (1.5 h)
★ 5.0 (1) from NZ$ 1550 per person
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Southern Explorer – Dusky & Doubtful Sound, 3 Landings (2.5 h)
Fiordland Helicopters · 150 min Southern Explorer – Dusky & Doubtful Sound, 3 Landings (2.5 h)
from NZ$ 2145 per person
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With Milford Sound

Doubtful & Milford Sound with Two Landings (2 h 15 min)
Southern Lakes Helicopters · 135 min Doubtful & Milford Sound with Two Landings (2 h 15 min)
★ 5.0 (2) from NZ$ 2185 per person
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Milford, Dusky & Doubtful Sound with 3 Landings (3 h)
Southern Lakes Helicopters · 180 min Milford, Dusky & Doubtful Sound with 3 Landings (3 h)
★ 5.0 (1) from NZ$ 3250 per person
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Which Doubtful Sound flight is best?

For Doubtful Sound alone, the 55-minute Fiordland Helicopters flight with one snow landing is the shortest. Southern Lakes Helicopters flies 70 minutes with two landings, one of them on Mount Kidd, and detours into Campbell’s Kingdom. If you want Dusky Sound as well, take the 1.5-hour Te Anau Helicopter Services flight, which also collects you from your accommodation, or the 2.5-hour Southern Explorer with three landings. Southern Lakes Helicopters also combines Doubtful with Milford Sound, or flies all three fiords in three hours.

Doubtful Sound

The fiord on its own: 55 or 70 minutes in the air, with one or two landings.

Doubtful Sound Discovery with Snow Landing (55 min)
Fiordland Helicopters

Doubtful Sound Discovery with Snow Landing (55 min)

  • Duration: 55 min
  • ✓ Free cancellation up to 24 hours before
from NZ$ 1015 per person ★ 5.0 (4 reviews)
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Full flight details

About this flight

From the Fiordland Helicopters hangar at Te Anau Airport to Doubtful Sound, New Zealand's second-largest fiord, with one snow landing on the way. Minimum passenger numbers apply, and exact weights are required at booking.

Meeting point

Te Anau Airport, 65 Aviation Drive, Manapouri 9679

Flight details as the listing on the booking site states them.

Doubtful Sound with Two Alpine Landings (70 min)
Southern Lakes Helicopters

Doubtful Sound with Two Alpine Landings (70 min)

  • Duration: 70 min
  • ✓ Free cancellation up to 24 hours before
from NZ$ 1125 per person ★ 5.0 (21 reviews)
Book now
Full flight details

About this flight

Up the Iris Burn valley, across Lake Manapouri and Wilmot Pass to Doubtful Sound, with a detour into Campbell's Kingdom and a look into Bradshaw Sound: two remote alpine landings, one of them on Mount Kidd.

Meeting point

79 Lakefront Drive, Te Anau 9600

Flight details as the listing on the booking site states them.

With Dusky Sound

Further south into the remote fiords, with two or three landings.

Doubtful & Dusky Sound with Two Landings (1.5 h)
Te Anau Helicopter Services

Doubtful & Dusky Sound with Two Landings (1.5 h)

  • Duration: 90 min
  • ✓ Free cancellation up to 24 hours before
from NZ$ 1550 per person ★ 5.0 (1 reviews)
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Full flight details

About this flight

Doubtful and Dusky Sound plus Breaksea Sound and Wet Jacket Arm, with two remote landings. It is the only flight on this page with a transfer from and back to your accommodation in Te Anau.

Meeting point

Te Anau–Manapouri Airport

Flight details as the listing on the booking site states them.

Southern Explorer – Dusky & Doubtful Sound, 3 Landings (2.5 h)
Fiordland Helicopters

Southern Explorer – Dusky & Doubtful Sound, 3 Landings (2.5 h)

  • Duration: 150 min
  • ✓ Free cancellation up to 24 hours before
from NZ$ 2145 per person
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Full flight details

About this flight

Over Preservation Inlet, Dusky and Doubtful Sound with three 10-minute landings: at Dusky Sound, at Doubtful Sound and in Campbell's Kingdom. Minimum passenger numbers apply, and exact weights are required at booking.

Meeting point

Te Anau Airport, 65 Aviation Drive, Manapouri 9679

Flight details as the listing on the booking site states them.

With Milford Sound

Southern Lakes Helicopters from the lakefront in Te Anau: Doubtful and Milford, or all three great fiords.

Doubtful & Milford Sound with Two Landings (2 h 15 min)
Southern Lakes Helicopters

Doubtful & Milford Sound with Two Landings (2 h 15 min)

  • Duration: 135 min
  • ✓ Free cancellation up to 24 hours before
from NZ$ 2185 per person ★ 5.0 (2 reviews)
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Full flight details

About this flight

Lake Manapouri, Doubtful Sound and more fiords on the way to Milford Sound, landing in Campbell's Kingdom, a hanging valley above Doubtful Sound, and at Lake Quill, the source of the Sutherland Falls.

Meeting point

79 Lakefront Drive, Te Anau 9600

Flight details as the listing on the booking site states them.

Milford, Dusky & Doubtful Sound with 3 Landings (3 h)
Southern Lakes Helicopters

Milford, Dusky & Doubtful Sound with 3 Landings (3 h)

  • Duration: 180 min
  • ✓ Free cancellation up to 24 hours before
from NZ$ 3250 per person ★ 5.0 (1 reviews)
Book now
Full flight details

About this flight

All three great fiords in one flight: Dusky, Doubtful and Milford Sound, past Crooked Arm, Campbell's Kingdom, the Pembroke Glacier, the Sutherland Falls and Mitre Peak, with three mountain landings.

Meeting point

79 Lakefront Drive, Te Anau 9600

Flight details as the listing on the booking site states them.

Good to know

Departure points

Two departure points: Southern Lakes Helicopters takes off from the lakefront in Te Anau (79 Lakefront Drive); Fiordland Helicopters and Te Anau Helicopter Services fly from Te Anau Airport near Manapouri, south of town. Te Anau Helicopter Services includes a transfer from your accommodation.

Pickups and minimum numbers

Several flights only operate with a minimum number of passengers. If it is not reached, you get a full refund. Fiordland Helicopters asks for exact body weights at booking.

Weather calls the shots

Fiordland is one of the wettest regions in New Zealand, and every flight depends on the weather. Fiordland Helicopters refunds in full if it cannot fly because of the weather. Plan a spare day if you can.

Free cancellation

Every flight listed here can be cancelled free of charge up to 24 hours before departure (checked on each product page).

FAQ

Should I fly to Doubtful Sound or Milford Sound?

Milford Sound is the famous one, with Mitre Peak and the Sutherland Falls; Doubtful Sound is larger and much harder to reach on the ground. If you want both, two flights from Te Anau combine them: Doubtful & Milford Sound (2 h 15 min) or all three fiords including Dusky Sound (3 h).

What happens if the weather is bad?

You can cancel every listed flight free of charge up to 24 hours ahead. Several operators also refund in full if they cannot fly because of the weather or too few passengers. The exact terms are on each booking page.

Related on this site

Te Anau

Doubtful & Dusky Sound

Kepler Track Heli-Hike

Fly up, walk down

Which helicopter flight in New Zealand is best?

Our pick for a first flight, and which region fits which wish.

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