Hobbiton Movie Set Tour: Journey from Auckland to Rotorua with Scenic Magic
4.9
32 Ratings
Auckland
Embark on a scenic journey from Auckland to Rotorua on a small group tour. Visit the iconic Hobbiton Movie Set, explore Rotorua's highlights, and discover secret stops along the way. Book now!
Duration:
8 hours
Cancellation:
1 day
learn more
Highlights
- Auckland Central - Your tour starts in New Zealand’s largest city. As we drive out of the city your guide will not only set the scene for your adventure today but also point out and guide you past some of the city’s top highlights.
- Waikato Region - Exiting Auckland we travel south through the stunning Waikato countryside, the most extensive farming area in the world, encountering beautiful scenery, mighty rivers, great photo opportunities, impressive mountains and a variety of farm animals along the way.
- Hobbiton Movie Set - Arriving at the first feature attraction ‘Hobbiton’ you will board one of the big green Hobbiton buses and depart on a two hour fully guided tour of this amazing 12 acre movie set, with a professional Hobbiton guide to ensure you get the most out of your visit. During your tour step into the lush pastures of the Shire, visit 44 hobbit holes, see amazing gardens, hear the secrets and stories about the making of the movies and enjoy a cold complimentary beverage at the famous Hobbiton pub ‘The Green Dragon Inn’.
- Tirau - Departing for Rotorua we pass through Tirau on our adventure. Dubbed the ‘Corrugated Iron Capital of the World’ because of the many unique corrugated iron sculptures and buildings, this town never fails to get a look and a laugh and our guides will point out all the main highlights on the way through.
- Lake Rotorua - Once in Rotorua your guide will drop you at your accommodation in Rotorua (central hotels only) or at a main Rotorua central location. drop you to a central location. Or you are welcome to continue with us to another Rotorua attraction (at extra cost).
What's Included
- Entry ticket to Hobbiton Movie Set
- Fully guided tour experience
- Complimentary bottled water
- Snacks provided
- Small group for a personalized experience
What's Not Included
- Food and drinks, unless specified
- Gratuities
- Souvenir photos (available to purchase)
- Optional extras and activities - please select the tour option you want at time of booking
Additional Information
Embark on a comprehensive, fully guided day trip with a small group to explore the globally recognized Hobbiton Movie Set from The Lord of the Rings and other unpredictable locations on the route from Auckland to Rotorua.
Main attractions:
• Hobbiton & Alexander Family Sheep Farm
• The renowned Green Dragon Inn
• Highlights of Rotorua City
• The agricultural landscape of Waikato Farming Region
• Unexpected Stops
Our tours are led by our highly enthusiastic tour guides, known for their ability to animate your journey with their storytelling and in-depth knowledge. Conducted in present-day, well-equipped minibuses enhanced with amenities for your coziness and security.
At Cheeky Kiwi Travel, we believe that while the locations you’ll explore are stunning, what truly makes our tours distinctive is the small groups, our guides, the trip itself, and the minor details. Unanticipated stops, viewings of local fauna, specially designed vehicles, on-the-house refreshments, and several other delightful surprises make our tours a memorable experience.
- Minimum numbers apply. There is a possibility of cancellation after confirmation if there are not enough passengers to meet requirements. In the event of this occurring, you will be offered an alternative or full refund.
- A moderate amount of walking is involved.
- Due to uneven surfaces, this tour is not recommended for those with walking disabilities or using a wheelchair.
- Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately.
- Children below 7 years old are required to travel in a child safety car seat. If you don’t have a car seat one can be provided (with 24 hours notice).
Location
SkyCity Hotel Auckland
Victoria Street West
Please pick this location if your hotel is not on our list. We do not pick up from your hotel if it is not listed
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.9
(32 Ratings)
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Lee_f
May 1, 2024
A truly engaging and fun day. - Pickup at our hotel was easy and our guide (Grant) was a native Aucklander full of interesting history and engaging stories. The early morning start gave us the opportunity to see the sunrise on our way out of Auckland. Grant gave a running commentary on what we were seeing along the way and how the day would play out. A couple of rest stops allowed for bio-breaks and grabbing coffee and food en route.
Hobbiton was magical… even those who had never read the Trilogy was mesmerized by the beauty of the site and the attention to detail in every aspect of the experience.
We did the one-way trip to Rotorua, so Grant dropped us at our hotel and said farewell. A truly engaging and fun day.
Review provided by Viator
Jemimarjo
Apr 22, 2024
Great Day 10/10 - highly recommend and you are very lucky if you get Don as your guide. - I had the most amazing day. Don our bus driver really made my day. He was fun, friendly and just very knowledgeable about everything New Zealand. He was the best guide I have ever had on a group tour and my friend and I had a blast of a day at hobbiton.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Luisp799
Feb 14, 2024
Great experience from a professional team - The service was amazing. My tour guide went above and beyond in terms of friendliness, answering all of our questions and trying to make us feel comfortable throughout the drive.
But where they really shine is in accommodating and dealing with change: there were road issues and one of the parks was closed due to unforeseen circumstances. Not only they immediately figured ways to make sure the passengers got full value out of their trip but also in a speedy fashion: negotiated om the spot with another of the parks (Te Puia) to let the stranded passangers see an attraction and not go home dissatisfied.
While the trip took longer that expected and roads were chaotic, pur driver didnt Lose his humor and kept us entertained and comfortable.
Kudos guys.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Cynthia_b
Feb 8, 2024
Great place to visit - Fantastic experience seeing the grounds and especially inside one of the hobbit huts. Our tour guide and also our driver were great.
Review provided by Viator
Zanzourga
Feb 6, 2024
A wonderful, fun, memorable day at Hobbiton - We had the most amazing day. Our pick up in Auckland was great, small bus, on time, and the very best driver and host we could ever have wished for, Alejandro, he is a very kind gracious man. Hobbiton is spectacular, especially if you are a lord of the rings fan. The property is beautiful, the little homes really fun to see, and we were fortunate to tour one of the 2 new homes you can go into, and wander thru. Beautifully done, way larger than expected, so many tiny details. Our time in the house wasn’t rushed, and the general feel of the tour was easy paced. Our start in Auckland was early, but it was great to arrive at Hobbiton before the big lineups.
We had a bright sunny day, it was a great tour, highly recommend this company
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mgtraveler87
Feb 6, 2024
Great Customer Service - My tour was cancelled due to vehicle maintenance issue and since this was my way to Rotorua they still made sure i made it to Rotorua and showed me a few places around the city. I appreciated the professionalism and commitment to providing what they could
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Fernandomuoz
Feb 6, 2024
Fun from Auckland to Rotorua - I’m traveling New Zealand with a friend and this was our first tour in our visit. It was a practical and fun way to go from Auckland to Rotorua.
Huzefa was our guide and we got very lucky with him. He is very cool and likes to integrate all the group. He also provides interesting facts along the way. I have to mention that the company provides all the logistics and Huzefa takes care really well of this.
The stop at Hobbiton was really good. You go with the guide that they have there and we also got lucky with a very dedicated one. The set it’s great and you’ll enjoy it despite if you’re fan of the LoR or not.
After, we took the Te Puia visit, in Rotoura, which was great as well. After, Houzefa left us at our hotel.
I’d recommend this tour, no doubts.
Review provided by Viator
Ray_s
Feb 2, 2024
Best tour ever! - Absolutely one of the best highlights of our trip. Pick up from hotel for our bus trip to Hobbiton through to Rotorua. Hobbiton was so much fun and such a delight to visit. Then personalized drop off to our hotel. Great easy way to travel.
Review provided by Viator
Janan925
Jan 28, 2024
Magical day - Met our expectations and even more. The driver was very knowledgeable and added so much to our trip. Took us on unexpected visits and helped us along the way. Would highly recommend.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Vtrujillo14
Jan 20, 2024
A Truly Great Day! - We had the best time on this tour!! Starting off with our guide/driver for the day, Alessandro was an absolutely joy! Not only was he knowledgeable about every place we drove through and each destination we stopped at, but he was quick witted and funny, and incredibly kind - he made our tour so much fun!! We started the day in Hobbiton and seeing the set was like living in a fantasy. All of the attention to detail and energy from the staff made this stop so worth it, and exceeded our expectations. We ended our day in Te Puia and didn’t know fully what to expect, but we are so glad we stopped here! We learned about the Maori Arts and Crafts Institute, observed students in action, and we were able to ask questions about their craft and the history of the institute. It really was a treat to learn more about Maori culture.
Our only recommend to future travelers is to bring snacks. The breakfast provided was light, and it’s a long day with so much to see!
Overall, this tour was a GEM of a find. It made for a memorable day and we couldn’t recommend it more! Special thank you to Alessandro for making this day such a great one!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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