Auckland

Cathedral Cove

Hobbiton Movie Set

Waitomo Glowworm Caves

On this tour, you will not only explore iconic filming locations from The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, and The Chronicles of Narnia film series, but you will also see world-famous sites and experience the most breathtaking scenery that New Zealand has to offer. Each night, you will stay at 4 and 5-star establishments, including the Waitomo Boutique Lodge nestled in the rolling countryside of Waitomo and the Heritage Queenstown on the shores of Lake Wakatipu. A luxury coach will transport you from place to place.

This tour will be one of, if not the most, extraordinary trips of your entire life. Your ticket includes a cruise through Milford Sound, passage on the Kaitaki Interislander ferry across Cook Strait, a family-friendly raft ride down the Pelorus River, an off-road tour of Glenorchy and Paradise, and many more exciting activities. (Please note: ticket inclusive of a Lord of the Rings-themed helicopter ride in Te Anau is available at an increased rate upon request.) In addition, all breakfasts, nearly every lunch, and three dinners are covered in your ticket cost.

During this tour, you will receive guiding from author, historian, and avid fantasy fan Solomon Schmidt, who will present a wealth of information and fascinating stories relating to these three film series. Our group will also be joined by expert New Zealand guides, who will immerse you in the history of the country and traditional Maori culture. You will be provided with wireless headsets that make for easy listening no matter the location – whether you’re gazing out to the sea from Cathedral Cove or standing atop Mt. Sunday!

Throughout this tour, you will have personal freedom to break away from the group and explore on your own if you wish. For nine of the twelve nights, you will also be able to make your own dinner plans and spend time exploring incredible cities like Wellington and Queenstown. This tour will be exhilarating, informative, but also relaxing.

After arriving in Auckland, you will be welcomed at the Grand Millennium Hotel in Auckland to an informational get-together on Tuesday night, March 14, and the tour will officially commence!” can you please change to: “After arriving in Auckland, you will be welcomed at the Grand Millennium Hotel in Auckland to an informational get-together on Tuesday night, March 12, and the tour will officially commence!

Following our visit to Cathedral Cove and the village of Hahei, we will make our way south to the town of Matamata, home of the beloved Hobbiton Movie Set. Our group will be guided on an unforgettable tour of Hobbiton, where so many iconic scenes from The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies were filmed. You will visit Bag End and the Green Dragon Inn, where you will be able to purchase food and refreshments fit for a hobbit.

Visiting The Shire is truly a life-changing experience. After our tour of Hobbiton, we will head to the Waitomo Boutique Lodge, nestled in the idyllic, rolling countryside of Waitomo and with commanding views of the Coromandel Mountains beyond. Sir Peter Jackson himself once stayed here while filming part of The Hobbit movie trilogy!

Auckland

Cathedral Cove

Cathedral Cove Arch

Bag End

Green Dragon Inn

Inside the Green Dragon

Waitomo Boutique Lodge

Get ready for an enchanting day in the beautiful region of Waitomo! In the morning, feel free to spend time strolling through the lovely grounds of Waitomo Boutique Lodge, taking in the picturesque landscapes surrounding it. After departing the lodge, we will make our way to the village of Waitomo and take a boat ride through the world-famous Waitomo Glowworm Caves. Thousands of luminescent glowworms light your way as you travel through this dazzling, otherworldly cavern.

Following our tour of the Waitomo Glowworm Caves and a charming lunch in town, we will head over to the Denize Bluff farm, where the towering Mangaotaki Rocks are located. This lovely farmland became Trollshaw Forest in The Hobbit movie trilogy, and it was here that the Company of Thorin Oakenshield encountered the trolls’ hoard, Bilbo Baggins was given his sword “Sting,” and Radagast the Brown brought the company spine-tingling news from Dol Guldur. We will receive a guided tour of these unique locations from farm owners Warrick and Suzie Denize, a wonderful couple who opened their home and farmland to the actors and filmmakers of The Hobbit trilogy.

After a delightful day in Waitomo, it’s on to Ohakune in Tongariro National Park!

Tongariro National Park is home to Mt. Ruapehu and Mt. Ngauruhoe, and both of these towering volcanoes were used as the backdrop for the barren wasteland Mordor in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. We will start our day with a visit to the Mangawhero River and Falls, where a freezing Andy Serkis nearly died trying to film Gollum chasing after a fish in the water. From there, we will take a pleasant drive through Tongariro National Park to Tawhai Falls, which was used as the filming location for the Forbidden Pool in The Two Towers. It was here that Gollum was nearly put to death by Faramir’s archers. After seeing this beautiful location, we will head to lunch at the Grand Chateau, one of the most famous hotels in New Zealand and where Sir Edmund Hillary used to stay during climbing trips in the Southern Alps.

After our exciting time in Tongariro National Park, it’s on to Wellington, the capital city of New Zealand and home of the world-famous Weta Workshop!

Mt. Ngauruhoe

Mt. Ruapehu

Tawhai Falls

Mangawhero River

Grand Chateau

Wellington. Located on the southern coast of the North Island off Cook Strait, it’s known as Windy Wellington. It’s also been nicknamed Wellyworld because of its connection to significant New Zealand films like The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, The Chronicles of Narnia, and Avatar, among many others. Wellington is also the home of Sir Peter Jackson, world-renowned director of the two Middle-earth trilogies.

The Lord of the Rings filming locations are sprinkled throughout the city. We will start our day exploring Mt. Victoria, where several key scenes from The Fellowship of the Ring were filmed, including “A Shortcut to Mushrooms” and “Race to the Buckleberry Ferry.” From there, we will head over to the suburb of Miramar, hub of the New Zealand film industry.

Miramar is home to Weta Workshop, a truly magical place. Overseen by creative masterminds Sir Richard Taylor and his wife Tania Rodger, it was here that the incredible armor, weapons, and other props and practical effects from The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, and The Chronicles of Narnia were created. During our time in Wellington, you will be able to take a once-in-a-lifetime tour through this eye-opening, inspirational place, where you will get a unique chance to see how these spectacular films were brought to life.

Following lunch and an early afternoon tour of Weta Workshop, you will have the rest of the day to relax, explore Wellington, and make dinner plans on your own.

View from Mt. Victoria

“Get off the road!”

Tour of Weta Workshop

Tour of Weta Workshop

Cook Strait is one of the most beautiful channels in the world. It separates the North and South Islands of New Zealand, and your cruise across it will be one of the most memorable journeys you ever take. We will sail on the luxurious Kaitaki Interislander ferry on a three-hour voyage from Wellington to Picton.

After arriving in Picton, our South Island adventure will begin in the lovely town of Havelock. Here we will go on a fantastic family-friendly raft tour down the Pelorus River – the same river that the Company of Thorin Oakenshield floated down in barrels in The Desolation of Smaug! Following this, we will head to the city of Nelson, situated on the northern coast of the South Island in Tasman Bay.

On Monday, March 18, get ready to sit back, relax, and enjoy a beautiful ride down the stunning west coast of New Zealand en route to the town of Kumara, where we will stay the night.”

Inside the Kaitaki Interislander ferry

Havelock

Pelorus River – Hobbit filming location

Raft ride down the Pelorus River

Nelson

West coast of New Zealand

Pancake Rocks, Punakaiki

On this day of our spectacular tour, we will visit one of the most iconic fantasy filming locations of all time. After departing our hotel in Kumara, we will make our way through scenic Arthur’s Pass National Park, and from there, it’s on to the capital city of Rohan: Edoras…or at least the mountain it once rested upon! For The Lord of the Rings trilogy, the magnificent Edoras set was built on top of Mt. Sunday, which lies in the Rangitata River valley and is surrounded by the looming peaks of the mighty Southern Alps. It is an easy trek up the mountain, and the view at the top is striking. You will stand where Eowyn stood, as she watched the flag of Rohan wearily blow off into the distance in The Two Towers. After a peaceful walk back to our coach, we will drive to our hotel in the alpine town of Methven, a popular skiing destination located in the shadows of the Southern Alps.

Arthur’s Pass National Park

Mt. Sunday

View from Mt. Sunday

Methven

Prepare for an awe-inspiring day. After leaving Methven in the morning, we will take a relaxing, scenic drive to the remarkable town of Twizel, which has served as one of the most prominent locations in several blockbuster films, including The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies and Disney’s live-action Mulan. In Twizel, we will be joined by local guide Dawn Ghoorah, who has great expertise in the filming locations in Twizel. We will visit the inspiring location for the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, where nearly 300 horsemen portrayed the army of Rohan as they charged downhill into the ranks of the forces of Mordor.

After our tour of Twizel, we will head to Braemar Station on the shores of the beautiful Lake Pukaki, which became the Long Lake and the location of Lake-town in The Hobbit movie trilogy. From your room, you will be able to look across the pristine blue waters of Lake Pukaki and behold the magnificent Mt. Cook towering over the surrounding landscape. Named after the legendary British explorer Captain James Cook, Mt. Cook is the tallest mountain in New Zealand and one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country.

Twizel

Pelennor Fields location

View of Lake Pukaki and Mt. Cook from Braemar Station

Lake-town location

Following a pleasant morning and breakfast at Braemar Sation on the shores of Lake Pukaki, our day will begin with a beautiful drive to the historic town of Bannockburn en route to Te Anau. After stopping for lunch at the beautifully located Bannockburn Hotel, we will make our way to Te Anau, gateway to the magnificent Fiordland National Park and world-famous Milford Sound.

Once we arrive in Te Anau, you will have the option to embark on an exclusive Lord of the Rings-themed helicopter ride over the Southern Lakes region, which can be added on to your ticket for an additional cost. This flight visits locations that became the Dead Marshes (Kepler Mire), the Anduin River (Waiau River), and the lands between Rivendell and the Mines of Moria (Lake Norwest). You will feel like one of the members of the Fellowship on this ultimate Lord of the Rings-themed flight!

On this afternoon, you will have time to explore the town of Te Anau or just relax back at our hotel the Distinction Luxmore, which is near the shores of Lake Te Anau and has commanding views of the stunning mountains surrounding the town.

Bannockburn

Bannockburn Hotel

Te Anau

Fiordland National Park

Helicopter tour of the Southern Lakes region

Kepler Mire – Dead Marshes location

Waiau River – Anduin River location

Lake Norwest – south of Rivendell location

Lake Te Anau

The serene bays, the cascading waterfalls, and the ethereal mountains of Milford Sound make this breathtaking place equivalent to Tolkien’s Valinor on earth. Though not used as a filming location in The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, or The Chronicles of Narnia, Milford Sound is called “the Eighth Wonder of the World” and the most popular destination in New Zealand. After a refreshing breakfast at our hotel, we will leave Te Anau and make our way to Milford Sound via a beautiful scenic route through Fiordland National Park.

We will be taking an exhilarating, 2-hour luxury cruise through Milford Sound. During this cruise, we will visit iconic locations, such as the Hanging Gardens, Fairy Falls, Stirling Falls, and you will also get close-up views of New Zealand wildlife like fur seals and dolphins. This is an amazing experience that you will never forget!

Following our cruise through Milford Sound, we will make our way to the city known as the “adventure capital of the world”: Queenstown! We will be spending two nights in Queenstown at the luxury Heritage Queenstown on the shores of tranquil Lake Wakatipu.

Cruise through Milford Sound

Hanging Gardens, Milford Sound

Fairy Falls, Milford Sound

Stirling Falls, Milford Sound

Wildlife in Milford Sound

Wildlife in Milford Sound

Heritage Queenstown

Lake Wakatipu

Get ready for an exciting day of adventure into Middle-earth, as we explore the wilderness lands around Queenstown and visit some of the most awesome filming locations from The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, and The Chronicles of Narnia. We will go on an off-road tour of the region, beginning in the morning with a drive west from Queenstown to Glenorchy and then on to the region of Paradise.

Our drive will take us by the Dart River and the mighty Mt. Earnslaw, and we will visit numerous scenic and movie locations, including the valley of Isengard and the enchanted forests of Lothlorien and Ithilien. To top it all off, you will follow the path of Prince Caspian through Paradise, as he fled on horseback from Miraz’s soldiers in the opening scenes of the second Narnia film. Throughout our off-road journey, we will be surrounded by Tolkienesque mountain landscapes that were used as backdrop locations in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit movie trilogies.

After our thrilling adventure concludes, you will be able to make your own plans for the rest of the afternoon. On this final night of the tour, we will celebrate with a memorable private dinner at The Grille by Eichardt’s, one of the finest restaurants in Queenstown with gorgeous views of Lake Wakatipu. The perfect end to a spectacular trip!

Mt. Earnslaw

Isengard location

Lothlorien location

Ithilien location

Prince Caspian river location

Mountains in Paradise

The Grille by Eichardt’s

Queenstown at night