Ah, the Milford Sound swing – you’ve probably seen the gorgeous photos on your Instagram feed. That’s how I first came across it. The Milford Sound swing has the most epic view of Mitre Peak and the surrounding Milford landscape. So, I was obviously very keen to check it out on our recent visit to Milford Sound.
The Milford Swing can be quite hard to find with no signposts anywhere
Did you know the Milford Sound swing is actually quite hard to find, it’s not signposted or anything. I guess, the locals want to keep it kind of a secret. The story goes that a local worker made this swing for his girlfriend, so she could enjoy it on her days off. Now, that’s pretty sweet!
After doing a quick google search, the directions to the swing were still a little unclear to us. So, when we got off our cruise we asked one of the staff and she gave us detailed directions, even drawing us a little map on a piece of paper.
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How we found the Milford Sound Swing
From the carpark (not the coach carpark) the actual carpark, cross the road and enter the start of the Milford Foreshore Walk. Walk to the left, away from the Cruise boats. After several steps you will cross a wooden bridge. Keep walking for 5 minutes and keep a lookout to your right, through the trees you will see the swing. It’s on a sandy patch jutting out into the water, towards Mitre Peak. We walked through the trees to the sandy area. You will see the swing in front of you just keep following your line of sight.
Here’s a map of where the Milford Sound Swing is located –
We were lucky because there wasn’t a soul around when we visited. Meaning we could enjoy the swing and take our time with photographs. We visited the Milford Sound swing at mid-day, when most people are on their cruise.
Some points to note about the Milford Sound Swing –
- Wear closed-toe shoes, the sandy area you have to walk across can be very wet
- Bring insect repellent, there are lots of sandflies in Milford Sound
- We recommend walking the rest of the Foreshore Walk, it only takes an extra 10 minutes and there are some great photo opportunities.
- If you get lost, please go back to the Visitor Centre and ask one of the staff members there. They will be more than happy to assist.
And there you have it our detailed directions to the famous Milford Sound swing. I hope you found it helpful. Be sure to take lots of photographs when you visit. Also worth noting is that bad weather can hinder a great photo so be sure to check the weather forecast in advance.
Our recommendations for Te Anau (the closest town to Milford Sound)
If you fancy spending the night in Te Anau, we highly recommend Kingsgate Hotel. It is situated just a two-minute walk into Te Anua & conveniently Lake Te Anau is across the road. Be sure to watch sunset on Lake Te Anau.
The restaurant options in Te Anau are surprisingly good. We loved Paradiso Pizzeria an authentic Italian with excellent wood-fired pizzas. We also loved Bao Now a food-truck serving delicious Vietnamese fare.
Tell me: have you been to Milford Sound before? Did you manage to find the Milford Sound Swing, I’d love to hear about your experience in the comment section below.
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15 replies on “How to find the Milford Sound Swing”
I have never travelled or hiked for a swing, but this particular one looks so cute and the story behind that makes it so romantic
This looks amazing! When we went to Milford Sound, the weather was horrendous so I’d love to go back in better weather and find this! I’d never even heard of it, so thanks for sharing.
Thank you for these detailed directions. I am so going when I am there in June! I absolutely love swings and love taking pictures on them.
I actually didn’t even realise it was there. We are heading there at Christmas so thanks for the tip!
Awesome! I’ve seen this swing in many ig pics. Great to know how to find it 🙂 Thanks!
That looks like so much longer than a 5-minute walk on the map! I wonder if there are more well-defined trails in that area.
We were walking pretty quick as it was raining but I reckon longest it would take is 10 minutes to the swing. There are lots of walks in the area, you may need to drive to the start point though – it’s so gorgeous there.
There are so many swings like this around the world. I think they are all so whimiscal! I love that this particular swing was made with love. What a cute romantic story. The hike there doesn’t sound too strenuous. How lucky you were to have the entire place to yourselves!
This is so cool and informative too. I’ve not yet made it to New Zealand, but would love to see this. So lucky that no one was there either! And thanks for the tip on the sandflies, they’re so annoying!
Such a sweet swing! Dying to make it to Milford Sound, and will be sure to check out this swing! I take it there won’t be many others at this swing then? That would be a nice change from other spots in this area!
Wow I’ve been here and didnt know about this! Not seen any pictures of it either! Looks awesome 😛
So cute! I bet it’s a really nice place to contemplate your surroundings. Hopefully, it stays hidden for a little while, it seems like a too beautiful area to let it be disturbed. 🙂
I’ve actually never seen or heard of this swing, what a unique adventure! Thank you for spreading the knowledge so that others can enjoy as well! Looks like a blast!
Haha I love posts that tell me how to get to secret locations! Definitely going to remember to come back to this if I ever visit Milford Sound!
I love this detailed post! There are so many swings in Southern California that I’m dying to know where they are, but can’t find any posts on them. Thanks for sharing 🙂