Hobbiton Movie Set Tour

Hobbiton is the film set built for The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, preserved on a working farm at 501 Buckland Road, Matamata. It is a day trip from Rotorua, roughly an hour away, and it is one of the most popular outings in the country. The standard Hobbiton and Lord of the Rings Movie Set Tour lasts about two and a half hours and is guided in English, with a Mandarin-language option also listed. You walk through the rolling green hills past round-doored hobbit holes with carefully kept gardens, to the Party Tree and the lake, and finish at the Green Dragon Inn, where the listing mentions a drink. Tiqets also sells longer packages, including a guided day tour from Rotorua of around six hours and combined Hobbiton and Waitomo day tours from Auckland. Tours are timed, so book ahead and plan to arrive early. You do not need to be a film fan to enjoy the landscaping, but if you are, the guides are full of production stories.

The tour is guided throughout, and the guides explain how the set was built, how the gardens are maintained and how the production used the farm landscape. Tour groups move at a steady pace over a few kilometres of paved and gravel paths. Photo stops are frequent, and the light is best on clear mornings and late afternoons.

Decide between the standalone tour and a package. The standalone tour suits those with a car, since Matamata is an easy drive from Rotorua. The day tour from Rotorua is better if you want transport arranged and a longer day, and combined Hobbiton and Waitomo trips, which Tiqets also lists, are handy if you want to see both attractions in one go, though they make for a long day.

Tips: wear comfortable walking shoes and bring a rain jacket, since the weather changes quickly. Arrive early so you are not rushed, and book as far ahead as you can, particularly for weekends and school holidays. There is no need to buy a snack beforehand, as the tour finishes with a drink at the inn and the shop sells souvenirs.