TV & Movie Tours

Peter Jackson turned New Zealand into Middle-earth, and the country has been showing it off ever since. From the rolling hills of Matamata to the mountains around Queenstown and the film studios of Wellington, our New Zealand TV and movie tours take fans of the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit trilogies to the real locations behind the films, along with the workshops where the props and creatures were built.

Hobbiton in the Waikato and Rotorua

Hobbiton itself sits on a working sheep farm in Matamata, and it remains the most visited film set in the country. The Hobbiton Movie Set Tour from Auckland covers the full day return trip through the Waikato, while the Hobbiton and Waitomo Day Tour pairs the hobbit holes with the glowworm caves further south. Travelling from the other direction, the Hobbiton Tour from Rotorua and Hobbit Movie Set Tour from Rotorua both make the shorter run out to the shire from the geothermal city.

Middle-earth Around Queenstown and Glenorchy

Queenstown and the head of Lake Wakatipu doubled for Isengard, Lothlorien and the plains of Rohan, and the landscape has barely changed since filming wrapped. The Four Wheel Drive Lord of the Rings tour and Glenorchy Lord of the Rings Tour both head out to the beech forests and river flats used on screen, and the Full Day in Middle-earth combines several filming locations into one longer trip. For a different angle entirely, the Lord of the Rings Helicopter Flight with Landing takes in the Southern Alps scenery used across the trilogy from the air, with a landing among it.

Wellington's Film Industry Heart

Wellington is where the films were actually made, not just filmed. The Lord of the Rings Filming Location Immersive Tour covers sites around the capital used in the trilogy, and the Lord of the Rings Tours Wellington option digs further into the city's Middle-earth connections. To see how it was built rather than where it was filmed, the Weta Workshop Experience in Miramar puts you inside the workshop behind the trilogy's props, armour and creatures.

Why Book Your New Zealand Movie Tour with Everything New Zealand

We are your local travel partner across New Zealand, not the operator, so we only list film location tours and experiences we would genuinely recommend to family and friends. Compare Hobbiton, Middle-earth and Weta Workshop tours side by side across Matamata, Rotorua, Queenstown and Wellington, book online in a few minutes and get instant confirmation. Less scrolling, more strolling, straight to the good bits of Middle-earth.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Hobbiton actually located? Hobbiton is on a working farm in Matamata, in the Waikato region, and it is reached on day tours from both Auckland and Rotorua.

Which Lord of the Rings filming locations can I visit near Queenstown? Queenstown and nearby Glenorchy stood in for Isengard, Lothlorien and parts of Rohan, and several tours take visitors through the same river flats and beech forests used in the films.

What is Weta Workshop and where is it? Weta Workshop is the Wellington based design studio, founded by Richard Taylor and Peter Jackson, that built the props, armour and creatures for the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit trilogies, and it is open for tours in the suburb of Miramar.

Can I see Middle-earth filming locations from the air? Yes, a Lord of the Rings Helicopter Flight with Landing near Queenstown covers the Southern Alps scenery from above, with a landing in among it.

Do I need to be a Lord of the Rings fan to enjoy these tours? Not at all. Hobbiton, the Queenstown and Glenorchy locations and Weta Workshop are all worth visiting for the scenery and craftsmanship on their own, film knowledge is a bonus rather than a requirement.