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Milford Sound

Countries in the atlas · USA and Oceania

New Zealand

Fiords, volcanoes and glaciers on two islands — nature often called the best in the world for walking.

Russian passport: visa requiredprices ×2.4 vs Russia

Photo: W. Bulach · CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Milford Sound
Photo: W. Bulach · CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Fiordland, New Zealand · World’s best

Milford Sound

Access 2/5 · fairly easyJFMAMJJASOND

Milford Sound is a fiord in Fiordland National Park: sheer walls, Mitre Peak and waterfalls that number in the hundreds after rain. In the rain it is even more beautiful.

Boats and kayaks travel the fiord, and nearby is the Milford Track, “the finest walk in the world”. The park is part of Te Wāhipounamu, a UNESCO site.

Getting there
From Te Anau, about 2 hours by car on a scenic road, or a light-aircraft flight from Queenstown.
Sources (1)
Tongariro
Photo: Julien Carnot · CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

North Island, New Zealand

Tongariro

Access 2/5 · fairly easyJFMAMJJASOND

The Tongariro Alpine Crossing is about 19 kilometres across craters, past the Ngauruhoe volcano and the colourful Emerald Lakes.

Tongariro National Park is the oldest in the country and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, both for its nature and as a sacred place of the Māori people.

Getting there
From Auckland or Wellington, 4–5 hours by car to the village of National Park; a shuttle takes you to the start of the track.
Fees and tickets
There is no entry fee, and booking the track is free; the shuttle costs about 40 New Zealand dollars.
Sources (2)
Aoraki / Mount Cook
Photo: Krzysztof Golik · CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Canterbury, New Zealand

Aoraki / Mount Cook

Access 2/5 · fairly easyJFMAMJJASOND

Aoraki (3,724 metres) is the highest point in New Zealand. The Hooker Valley Track crosses swing bridges to a lake with icebergs at the foot of the mountain — about three hours there and back.

The night sky here is part of the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve.

Getting there
From Queenstown or Christchurch, 3–4 hours by car.
Fees and tickets
Parking at the start of the Hooker Valley Track costs 25 New Zealand dollars a day or 2.50 for half an hour.
Sources (2)

Before you go

New Zealand: entry, safety, money, flights, laws and budget — with sources.

Entry

Russian citizens need a Visitor Visa, applied for online on the immigration service portal; 80% of applications are processed within 2 weeks. The cost is from 441 New Zealand dollars, including the IVL tourist levy (100 dollars).

The New Zealand Traveller Declaration is mandatory for every arrival; you can drive only with an international driving permit.

Rules for any passport

Checked 2 November 2026. These are the rules for a Russian citizen with an international passport on a tourist trip. For other passports and purposes, see the official website — the button above.

Sources (5)

Safety

No Russian Foreign Ministry advice to refrain from travel (as of 02.11.2026).

Sources (2)

Money and cards

Russian cards do not work — bring dollars in cash and change them locally.

Sources (2)

Flights

There are no direct flights. Connections are via Dubai, Doha, Abu Dhabi, Bangkok, Guangzhou and Shanghai.

Sources (1)

Laws and bans

  • Biosecurity: nuts, fruit, vegetables, meat and dairy products may not be brought in; declare anything you are unsure about.
  • Drones on Department of Conservation land only with a permit.
  • Traffic drives on the left; a Russian national driving licence is not accepted.
Sources (4)

Budget

prices ×2.4 vs Russia · price level 0.89 (US = 1), 2025

Prices are 2.4 times higher than in Russia. National parks currently have no entry fee; parking at Aoraki costs 25 dollars a day.

The price level is the ratio of purchasing power parity for household consumption to the market exchange rate (World Bank). These are national averages: resorts and capitals cost more, the countryside less. Flights are not included.

Sources (3)