About Us
Doubtful Sound Kayak
Take the opportunity to lose yourself in nature in one of the most spectacular places on earth! Your adventure departs from Te Anau and transports you across the beautiful Lake Manapōuri by boat, over Wilmot Pass by bus and into Deep Cove at the head of Doubtful Sound/Patea. Our Doubtful Sound Kayak Full Day Tour enables you to explore this remote area of Fiordland at a slower pace, with 3.5 hours of kayaking on Doubtful Sound.
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All kayaking gear provided
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Wildlife encounters
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3.5 hours of kayaking
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Courtesy coach
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Water taxi
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Max. 10 passengers per trip
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Suits any level of experience
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Cruise on Lake Manapōuri
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Knowledgeable kayak guides
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Small, local & family owned
What makes us great
Why Choose Us
Your Doubtful Sound Kayak adventure is the longest, best-value kayaking day tour of Doubtful Sound. During your 3.5 hour paddle you will journey up to 15km* into Doubtful Sound following Hall Arm, also known as 'The Sound of Silence'.
Launch your kayak into Doubtful Sound at Deep Cove. Wildlife encounters may include dolphins, seals, or penguins. Your return to Deep Cove is via water taxi cruise, so you aren't backtracking with your kayak.
We are a local family company showing Doubtful Sound to just 10 guests per trip. Our guides are extremely passionate and knowledgeable about Fiordland and ensures a personal experience is provided by your guides.
*Route may vary due to conditions at the time of the tour.
it’s a big world out there
go explore!
Meet the Team
Our Kayaking Experts
Mark has 8 years of experience as a kayak guide in Milford Sound and has made the upgrade to guiding in Doubtful Sound from 2018. Mark has completed his SRL skippers course and has L5 Diploma in Outdoor Instruction and Management.
Nadine is our Italian import who has now made New Zealand her home. She does all those jobs behind the scenes, from coffee making to marketing, to making sure all your kayak gear is clean and fresh for each day's departure. Nadine is on the job!
Clint has been involved in the tourism industry in the Fiordland area for over 45 years. Doubtful Sound is his 'happy place' and he finds any excuse to spend as much time there as possible.
Nepia is the Operations Manager at our sister company Tracknet, and part-time skipper for Doubtful Sound Kayak. He loves breaking the bounds of the office for a day out on the water in Doubtful Sound whenever he gets the chance.
Mousse can be found most days 'helping' at the Doubtful Sound Kayak office. He comes into the office for all the cuddles and pats from staff and customers. He specialises in looking cute.
What our customers say
Happy Customers
Andy G
Tripadvisor
Trip of a Lifetime.
"Experience of a lifetime. Made extra-special by guides Mark and Nepia, whose passion and knowledge for the area, coupled with endless stories, kept us entertained on the long journey to and from the kayaks."
A Wandering Mole
Tripadvisor
Surreal Experience
"We will remember and cherish our day for a long time. It is hard to put words to the feeling of paddling through the towering green cliff-face walls on shimmering, deep, clear water. We were also astonished to have a pod of dolphins come upon us and relished our swim off the boat post-kayak. The experience is extremely well run - thanks to the team for the fun and professional support."
Gemma F
Tripadvisor
" We had the most phenomenal day. Cloudi the guide was fabulous; just the right mix of knowledgeable and chatty without denying you all those magical, quiet moments you can enjoy on the trip (where you just sit in awe of your surroundings). Its a once in a lifetime trip and worth every penny we spent to do Doubtful sounds in style. Seeing two pods of dolphins (one of which swam directly under our hastily made kayak raft) certainly added to the incredible experience."
Anne K
Tripadvisor
"This was such an amazing experience. The weather was calm which made for wonderful kayaking. The scenery was out of this world! It is such a serene environment and really makes you appreciate the remoteness of this area. Cloudi was super fun, enthusiastic, energetic, and and extremely knowledgeable guide! All 6 of us in our group loved this trip and learned so much about New Zealand and particularly the Fiordlands. My sister did this same trip a few years ago and could not speak more highly of Cloudi and the whole experience. Thank you so much! We will be back!"
Learn More
Doubtful Sound
During the trip, your knowledgeable guide will fill you in on a lot of fun facts about Doubtful. Here are some of our favourite facts:
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Doubtful Sound was discovered by Captain James Cook in 1770 who named it 'Doubtful Harbour'
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Captain Cook named it as he was 'Doubtful' that his mode of transport, the ship Endeavour, would be able to navigate out again under sail
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Doubtful Sound is technically a Fiord, being a glaciated valley filled with water. A Sound is a river made valley filled with water.
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At 421 metres deep, Doubtful Sound is the deepest of the South Island's fiords
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Although remote and rugged, Doubtful Sound was explored by Māori and in the 1800s inhabited by whalers and sealers
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In the 1960s, Deep Cove was the site of a village of workers that worked on the Manapōuri Hydroelectricity project.
Dream Discover Explore with Doubtful Sound Kayak
Immerse yourself in the rugged beauty of Doubtful sound.
Looking for accommodation & transport?
Our Local Recommendations
For a wide range of accommodation options including tent sites, powered sites, cabins and motels.
Steamers Beach is a warm and cosy Te Anau Backpackers accommodation option
Relax in your Marakura Deluxe Lakeview Motel while marvelling at the wilderness of Fiordland National Park.
Tracknet Transport have departures daily from October-May between Te Anau, Queenstown and Milford Sound
