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Small-Group Tour: Hobbiton and Waitomo Day Exploration with Lunch from Auckland
5.0
120 Ratings
Auckland
Embark on a small-group tour from Auckland to explore two iconic North Island destinations: Hobbiton and Waitomo. Discover the enchanting Hobbiton Movie Set and the incredible Waitomo Glow Worm caves on this day exploration with lunch included.
Duration:
12 hours
Cancellation:
1 day
learn more
Highlights
- FirePot Cafe - Enjoy a quick stop on your journey to Hobbiton to grab a coffee and use the toilets if needed (cafe may differ depending on day)
- Hobbiton Movie Set - Enjoy a small group tour of Hobbiton Movie Set before a drink in the Green Dragon. You will then enjoy a delicious buffet lunch at the Party Marquee and time for shopping.
*please note from April to November 2023 there will be construction on set due to the Bagshot Row Development. This should not affect your tour too much apart from not seeing Samwise Gamgee’s home and some construction noise.
From 1st December 2023 the tour will be an additional 30 min to include the new Bag Shot Row experience. Prices will increase from 01 Dec to reflect the changes.
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The Green Dragon Inn - Enjoy a complementary cider, ale or ginger beer in the Green Dragon Inn, an iconic location on the Hobbiton Movie set!
Be sure to check out the guest book for some familiar names - Waitomo Glowworm Caves - Discover the Waitomo Glowworm Caves tour. Take the world-renowned boat ride through the glow worm grotto, marvel at thousands of magical glowworms and become part of over 130 years of cultural and natural history.
*please note - attraction does include some steps
What's Included
- Admission to Hobbiton Movie Set & tour
- Admission to Waitomo Glowworm Caves
- Buffet Lunch in Green Dragon Marquee
- Shopping voucher at Hobbiton Gift Shop
- Carbon-zero certified vehicle and tour company
- In-vehicle air conditioning
- Goods and Services Tax (GST)
What's Not Included
- Gratuities
Additional Information
Experience two North Island icons on a day tour from Auckland.
Travel south from Auckland to Hobbiton. On arrival at Shire’s Rest you embark on your Hobbiton Movie Set tour. This location is the largest “green set” in the world. You see 44 hobbit holes, the Mill and double arch bridge and the Party Tree. At this stunning location you can take a photo at the gate to Bilbo’s house, “Bag End”. Finish with a visit to the Green Dragon Inn for a drink.
Following your drink, you will be treated to a sumptuous buffet lunch in the marquee & some time to shop before continuing on to Waitomo.
On arrival in Waitomo, join a 45 minute guided tour of the incredible Waitomo Glow Worm caves. Discover an ancient world 30 million years on the making. Enjoy the delicate cave formations and be wowed in the Cathedral, before taking the iconic boat rode through the glow worm grotto (subject to water levels). Marvel in silence at thousands of magical glow worms.
Return to Auckland in the early evening.
- Please wear comfortable walking shoes and suitable outdoor clothing
- Pick up and drop off from inner city Auckland accommodation included
- Please reconfirm your pick up time 24 hours before the tours departure
- Please note the tours at Hobbiton and Waitomo are walks - including stairs
- Tour available for ages 5+ - not suitable for infants
- Not recommended for travellers with walking difficulties
Location
SkyCity Auckland
Federal Street
If you have not confirmed an inner city hotel pick up time with us then our central meeting point is SkyCity Hotel entrance. Pick up from here is at 6.40am - If you are meeting here this will need to be confirmed with us. Please call to confirm the night prior - 0800 423 224
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
5.0
(120 Ratings)
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Odyssey487195
May 25, 2024
Memorable experience - My fiancé and I had the best time. We are huge fans and couldn’t wait to do this specific tour. This company made the trip so smooth and easy to commute from Auckland. If we could give them 6 stars we would, the hospitality was Amazing! By far the best tour for any fans or anyone who has not seen the movies before. Truly a wonderful experience.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Katia_a
May 25, 2024
Amazing - This tour was fantastic. If you're planning to do Hobbiton, this company is the best one to go with as they were the first to do tours in that area. Guide Mischelle was so knowledgeable on NZ history, Hobbiton and LOTR history as well as knowing the background of the caves. I loved that this tour had 4 hours in Hobbiton and included lunch. I'm a pretty picky eater and I loved the buffet lunch!
Overall, such an excellent experience. It is a long day but it's totally worth it.
Review provided by Viator
Sunci_b
May 17, 2024
Amazing experience especially for a LOTR/Hobbit fan - Milton was an awesome guide and driver! He gave us so much interesting information on the way to the sites as well as on the way back. He took care of us and made sure we had enough breaks along the way.
The Hobbiton experience was excellent. As an LOTR fan, I could have spent a week exploring Hobbiton and the one hobbit home so for me everything was too rushed, I would have loved to have been able to spend more time there. But for the average person 2 hours would probably be just right. Food at the buffet was excellent, they had everything marked with dietary info (gluten free, vegan, etc).
Glowworm caves were spectacular!! The caves themselves were incredibly beautiful and the glowworm experience was wonderful. Loved every minute of it!
I would highly recommend this tour and would do it again in the future as well. Thank you Milton, Ben, Michelle for taking such great care of us!
Review provided by Viator
Michael_g
May 6, 2024
Unforgettable tour, a must for Hobbits and Lord of the Rings addicts (like me) - Excellent driver on the tour (a born German like me), with lots of interesting stories about New Zealand in general and the making of "The Hobbit" in particular. The tour of Hobbiton was excellent. Waitomo Caves were also very nice, you don't see glow-worms every day. The day passed much too quickly.
Review provided by Viator
Daniel_b
May 5, 2024
Spellbinding journey with expert guides! 🌟📚🧙♂️ - Absolutely magical! The Hobbiton tour brought Tolkien's world to life, and the Waitomo Caves were a surreal experience under a canopy of glow worms. 📖🌿🌌 The buffet lunch was a delightful Hobbit feast. 🥗🍰 Our tour guides were perfect; their deep knowledge of New Zealand’s history, myths, and sightings made the tour not only fun but also incredibly informative. 🗺️📚 Every detail, from hotel pickup to drop-off, was handled flawlessly. Highly recommend for an enchanting escape! 🧙♂️🍃
Review provided by Viator
Ana
May 3, 2024
Highly recommended! 10 out the 10 - Best experience ever!
Every single part of the tour was perfect.
Pick-up on time, friendly driver, and good knowledge.
Hobbiton tour is absolutely amazing. Every single detail makes you feel part of the movie and The Shire, lovely stories. The new Hobbit hole is spectacular, delicious lunch, and great beer.
The Waitomo caves are breathtaking.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Laurenhanson026
Apr 25, 2024
I’ll be back! - I cannot express the greatness of this tour!! Not only both places we were to were phenomenal but our Tour guide Damien was absolutely excellent. He made sure we were taken care of the entire way and even made an extra stop so we could experience Hokey Pokey ice cream after raving about it. He also kindly took pictures for my husband and I as we renewed our vows at hobbiton and for us dressed up for pictures!!! This was the best experience!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Shelbymu4951za
Apr 22, 2024
Amazing day with Damien! - We had an amazing day with Damien who went above and beyond! The journey to Hobbiton and the Waitomo caves didn’t feel long at all because Damien’s amazing storytelling about NZ. You can tell he loves what he does. We got each site with plenty of time to spare while also taking scenic routes to look at the countryside. He even went above and beyond by stopping on the way back to Auckland for us to try Hokey Pokey ice cream. I can promise you if you book this tour and have Damien as your guide you will have an amazing time!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Grandtour56850110331
Apr 15, 2024
Delightful day full of whimsy! - Our tour was very well organized to make the best use of our day. But all credit of our wonderful time goes to our amazing tour guide, Damian!
He was very lovely and personable, giving us fun facts and telling us stories about our destinations as well as Auckland and NZ. I was the only New Zealander in our group and Damian’s storytelling made me proud of my country. He even told us some things about NZ that I didn’t know before.
Damian was especially very caring of the elderly people in our group, some who had issues with mobility, as he made sure they were well accommodated for to enjoy their tour. He kept the mood alive the entire day and made a great effort to connect with us as well as join everyone together in our tour group despite us being strangers from different parts of the globe.
It was only because of Damian that our day was as delightful as it was. I felt very lucky to have him as our tour guide. Thank you, Damian!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Annao643
Apr 15, 2024
Fantastic adventure & Damien is the GOAT! - HUGE SHOUTOUT TO DAMIEN! We started the day with our absolutely brilliant and friendly guide, Damien, in a pristine van and started our trek to Hobbiton. We learned SO much from Damien about the sites, the NZ culture, the flora, the fauna, and so much more. Hobbiton was just as magical as we wanted it to be! The entire day was seamless and was SO worth it. We then headed to Waitamo Caves and that was also a great once in a lifetime experience. I can’t speak highly enough of Damien, as I can’t imagine having a better or more pleasant and educational experience had we not been with him. We had a great group and Damien helped get the group acquainted with each other in an organic way so that we learned from each other the whole day. Overall wonderful experience that we will remember forever.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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