Best time to visit Milford Sound

Re-score for me — drag the dial — every chart on the page recolours live for your heat limit 27°C
I'm comfortable up to 27°C feels-like
22° heat-averse 30° heat-loving

Default 27 °C is the upper edge of the Holiday Climate Index "ideal comfort" band (Scott, Rutty, Amelung & Tang, 2016). Above this, most warm-tourism travellers report measurable discomfort.

Saved to this browser. Changes update the strips below.
Recent · 2020-2024
Interest Google Trends 2021-2025 searches, not arrivals (?)
Day · avg daily high (?)
Night · avg overnight low (?)
UV index · On a typical day around midday, UV is about this (?)
864211112357
On the sunniest 1 in 10 days, UV reaches this — and even higher
1197446910
PM2.5 air quality · on a typical day (?)
332111122333
On the worst 1 in 10 days, PM2.5 reaches this — and even higher
553322334554
February 5/10 feels 19°C (−1°C vs 1991-2020) · HCI 52/100
Day 19° · Night 12° 76% humidity 16 km/h wind 14 rain days (252h) 198h sun
Thermal 7
Sky 3
Rain 3
Wind 10

Higher = better, including rain & wind (green = "doesn't hurt the score", not "lots of it").

How is this scored? HCI / Steadman / CCI gate — full methodology and citations below.

Compare with another destination

Add as many as you like — stacked below the main strips above. Each row is just the recent-window score strip and (for beach destinations) sea-temperature strip.

Tours in Milford Sound

6 top-rated tours via Viator. Booking links earn this site a commission at no cost to you. Map locations are approximate (centred on Milford Sound).

  1. 1Premium Milford Sound Small Group Tour & Cruise from Queenstown4.92★ (3,458)13hfrom $202
  2. 2Cruise Milford NZ Small Boutique Cruise Experience4.90★ (3,174)1h 45mfrom $111
  3. 3Milford Sound Day Tour with Scenic Cruise from Queenstown4.64★ (564)13hfrom $187🔥 Selling fast
  4. 4Milford Sound Extended Cruise with Southern Discoveries4.85★ (20)2h 15mfrom $117🔥 Selling fast
  5. 5Premium Milford Sound Tour, Cruise & Lunch from Te Anau4.94★ (924)7hfrom $176
  6. 62-Hour Milford Sound Scenic Cruise4.83★ (1,608)2hfrom $99

Last refreshed 2026-06-22.

Similar climatesPerito Moreno Glacier77% · Ushuaia72% · Puerto Varas71%

Other destinations with the most-alike year-round climate to Milford Sound (apparent temperature, rain hours, sunshine — matched within the same trip-profile). The ±N chip compares each match's typical score for the current month against Milford Sound's. Based on the 2020-2024 climatology, not this year's actual weather.

Month-by-month

Month Temp °C Feels °C Rain days Rain h Rain h/day Humidity Wind km/h Sun h UV Interest Score
Jan 12–19 19 20 300 15.0 76% 15 222 8 Quiet 4
Feb 12–19 19 14 252 18.0 76% 16 198 6 Quiet 5
Mar 11–18 17 20 300 15.0 76% 15 194 4 Quiet 4
Apr 9–16 15 20 334 16.7 81% 15 146 2 Quiet 3
May 7–14 12 18 282 15.7 82% 15 128 1 Quiet 3
Jun 6–12 10 14 254 18.1 82% 14 114 1 Quiet 4
Jul 5–11 9 18 277 15.4 80% 15 120 1 Quiet 3
Aug 5–12 9 20 354 17.7 81% 15 132 1 Moderate 2
Sep 5–12 10 22 389 17.7 80% 17 141 2 Moderate 2
Oct 7–14 12 22 367 16.7 78% 16 164 3 Quiet 3
Nov 9–16 15 19 315 16.6 76% 15 203 5 Peak 4
Dec 11–18 18 22 379 17.2 78% 16 204 7 Busy 4

UV Index in Milford Sound by Month

UV index in Milford Sound peaks at 8 (high) in January, dropping to 1 (low) in June. January, February, December have high UV — SPF 30+ and sunglasses recommended.

Best months in detail

February

5/10

12–19°C · 14 rain days (252h) · 198 sun hours · 76% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 6 (high) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 9 (very high)

January

4/10

12–19°C · 20 rain days (300h) · 222 sun hours · 76% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 8 (high) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 11 (extreme)

March

4/10

11–18°C · 20 rain days (300h) · 194 sun hours · 76% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 4 (moderate) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 7 (high)

Every month

Show the other 9 months in detail

April

3/10

9–16°C (feels 15°C) · 20 rain days (334h) · 146 sun hours · 81% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 2 (low) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 4 (moderate)

May

3/10

7–14°C (feels 12°C) · 18 rain days (282h) · 128 sun hours · 82% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 1 (low)

June

4/10

6–12°C (feels 10°C) · 14 rain days (254h) · 114 sun hours · 82% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 1 (low)

July

3/10

5–11°C (feels 9°C) · 18 rain days (277h) · 120 sun hours · 80% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 1 (low)

August

2/10

5–12°C (feels 9°C) · 20 rain days (354h) · 132 sun hours · 81% humidity · Moderate crowd · UV 1 (low)

September

2/10

5–12°C (feels 10°C) · 22 rain days (389h) · 141 sun hours · 80% humidity · Moderate crowd · UV 2 (low) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 4 (moderate)

October

3/10

7–14°C (feels 12°C) · 22 rain days (367h) · 164 sun hours · 78% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 3 (moderate) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 6 (high)

November

4/10

9–16°C (feels 15°C) · 19 rain days (315h) · 203 sun hours · 76% humidity · Peak crowd · UV 5 (moderate) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 9 (very high)

December

4/10

11–18°C · 22 rain days (379h) · 204 sun hours · 78% humidity · Busy crowd · UV 7 (high) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 10 (very high)

Frequently asked questions about visiting Milford Sound

When is the best time to visit Milford Sound?

February is the highest-scoring month (5/10 on the Holiday Climate Index). Typical conditions: 12–19°C (14 rainy days). The top three months by score are February, January, March.

What is the worst time to visit Milford Sound?

September is the lowest-scoring month (2/10). Typical conditions: 5–12°C (22 rainy days).

When are crowds lowest in Milford Sound?

Search-interest seasonality (Google Trends 2021-2025) is lowest in March and peaks in November. Interest tracks both in-trip visitors and lead-time planners, so treat it as a "destination is on people's minds" signal rather than literal arrivals.

What is the UV index in Milford Sound by month?

UV peaks at 8 (high) in January and is lowest in June at 1 (low). Monthly peak values: Jan 8, Feb 6, Mar 4, Apr 2, May 1, Jun 1, Jul 1, Aug 1, Sep 2, Oct 3, Nov 5, Dec 7.

What is the UV index in Milford Sound in January?

January is the peak UV month in Milford Sound, with a daily-peak UV index of 8 (high). Apply SPF 30+, wear sunglasses, and seek shade during midday hours.

How high can UV get in Milford Sound on the sunniest days?

Most days look like the monthly average, but on the sunniest ~1 in 10 days UV climbs higher than the mean suggests. January is the worst case: typical days average UV 8 (high), but the top 10% of days reach UV 11 (extreme) — and even higher. Months where the sunniest days routinely exceed the typical reading: January, February, March, April, September, October, November, December. Plan sun protection for the worst case, not the average.