Auckland New Zealand To Hobbiton – The movies are shot in New Zealand, but none of them transport you to Middle Earth like Hobbiton.
In the Hobbiton film set you will find the green rolling hills of the Shire where you can tour the Hobbit Holes and drink at the Green Dragon Inn.
Auckland New Zealand To Hobbiton
I’m not a big fan of the movies and I visited for Simon (like him) but I was won over by the charming hobbit village and the amazing attention to detail.
Hobbiton Movie Set Tours From The Shires Rest
You can visit Hobbiton on a guided walking tour, but it’s fun and interesting, and you learn a lot about filmmaking.
In 1998, Peter Jackson’s group of scouts searched New Zealand for the perfect location for Hobbiton, the village where the hobbits live, for the future.
As they flew over Alexander’s 1,250-hectare sheep farm in the Waikato, they noticed details of the Shire depicted in JRR Tolkien’s novels: unspoiled green pastures, a high hill (where Bag End will sit later) and a majestic pine tree by the lake.
It started in 1999 and lasted for three months. The set was later demolished, but when the films were released to great success, fans wanted to visit the location.
Hobbiton Movie Set New Zealand Stock Photo 1304401009
Trilogy in 2009, this time they decided to build a permanent set of 44 Hobbit Holes and the Green Dragon Inn.
In 2012, the Hobbiton Movie Set was opened to the public for tours and has become one of New Zealand’s most popular tourist spots.
Hobbiton tours start at The Shire’s Rest where there is a ticket office, gift shop, garden bar and cafe with beautiful countryside views.
We had lunch at the cafe before our tour – tomato soup and toasted sandwiches – and while it wasn’t anything special, it was convenient and perfectly edible.
Hobbiton & Te Puia Experience (auckland To Rotorua)
The two-hour tour begins with a short bus ride from The Shire’s Rest to the farm. Along the way, they show behind-the-scenes videos.
Our group is led by Maggie who is lively and knowledgeable. The group is quite large and there are many other groups on the site but they are well managed and not too crowded.
When we entered Hobbiton, I was surprised by how big it was. The 44 Hobbit Holes are spread over the hillsides and have lots of green areas.
I was also amazed at how green it was, reminiscent of our English homeland, thought to be the inspiration for the Shire.
New Flights From Auckland Will Take You Straight To Hobbiton
However, in late summer Hobbiton is not as usual due to water restrictions. It takes a lot of work to keep the village green—there are several full-time workers whose only job is to irrigate the area.
Some of the doors are large so that during filming people look like hobbits, while others are small so that Gandalf the Wizard looks tall.
You can’t go inside the houses – the interior scenes were shot at the Weta Workshop in Wellington – but you can look out some of the windows (watch out for the cheese maker).
We didn’t feel like we were missing out, though, because there were so many details to explore. Outside each house there are props that indicate who lives inside – a checkerboard, beehive, sack of flour, wheels of cheese, a giant pumpkin, a pestle and mortar or an easel.
Hobbiton Movie Set Tour Hobbiton Movie Set Tour
There is even a real vegetable garden and orchard, and the fences are old fake molds that look real. Colorful flowers are blooming all over the village.
As we wandered down the dirt path to Bag End, Maggie shared behind-the-scenes details of the production.
Peter Jackson was so obsessed with making sure the set accurately reflected the books that a crew spent two weeks turning apple trees into plum trees – and then the footage was cut from the film.
In Hobbiton, the wealthier residents live higher, and at the top of the hill we reach Bag End, the home of Bilbo and Frodo Baggins.
Hobbiton Movie Set, Auckland (2022)
A large tree grows on top of it – although it looks real, this tree is not real and requires a lot of work to recreate by hand.
At the foot of the hill we visited the amusement grounds, home to a huge (real) pine tree and lots of wooden games to play.
Samwise Gangee lives at the bottom of Bagshot Row in the house on the right with the yellow door
When we reached the end of the tour, it was time to go to the Green Dragon Inn for a drink. There we were left wandering alone in the forest, past the water mill and the stone bridge.
Stay In A Hobbit Hole New Zealand
Except unlike Disney, drinks (beer, cider, or ginger ale) are included in the price of the tour, and the fireplaces are real (even in the summer). We loved relaxing in the armchairs by the fire.
After a final walk along the lake, it’s time to get back on the bus and head back to The Shire’s Rest.
You really feel like you are visiting The Shire and we had a great time exploring all the beautiful Hobbiton houses. The level of detail is impressive and it’s a magical place to wander through the beautiful landscape.
Even if you’re not a movie buff, Hobbiton is worth a visit because it’s so beautiful. I recommend even watching the first part of The Fellowship of the Ring to see Hobbiton on screen before your visit.
The Fascinating Story Behind ‘hobbit Tourism’ In New Zealand
The Hobbiton Movie Set can only be visited by guided walking tour. It is very popular so it is best to book as early as possible, especially in summer. Tours depart daily several times.
Tickets cost NZ$89 per person for the two-hour tour. You can pre-book your Hobbiton tour here.
Next time we want to do the evening banquet tour which costs NZ$199 as you can see the village lit up at night after the festival. They are currently only open on certain weekends – check the Hobbiton website for the latest schedule.
You can also join the Second Breakfast Tour which costs NZ$149 and includes a second breakfast spread at their newest venue, The Millhouse. The tour departs on selected weekend days at 8.45am.
A Grown Up’s Guide To Hobbiton, New Zealand
Make sure you wear reasonable shoes as the tour involves a gentle hill walk on unpaved paths.
Hobbiton and The Shire are located in Matamata on the North Island. You need your own car to visit, or you can take a tour from Rotorua or Auckland.
The drive from Auckland to Hobbiton takes 2.5 hours. You can also join a full-day bus tour of Hobbiton from Auckland.
The Shire is 1 hour from Rotorua and 1.5 hours from Taupo, two other popular North Island destinations.
Best Time For Hobbiton In New Zealand 2022
Hobbiton fits easily into most North Island itineraries – see our detailed North Island itinerary for suggestions.
We only had two days to travel between Wellington and Auckland, and visited Hobbiton on the second day after spending the night near Turangi (at the beautiful Omori Lakehouse B&B) on the south shore of Lake Taupo. The tour was a great way to end the trip.
Unfortunately, it is not possible to stay at the Hobbiton Movie Set site, but you will feel like you are in the Shire in the surrounding countryside of the Waikato region.
You can even stay in a Hobbit-hole inspired cave at the quaint Woodlyn Park Motel. The motel is a 1 hour 15 minute drive from Hobbiton, but close to the Waitomo Caves, which are well worth a visit.
Hobbiton™ Movie Set Tours
If you want to stay closer to Hobbiton (especially if you’re taking the evening banquet tour), the closest option down the road is Hills Vista Lodge, which has a beautiful view of the Shire.
Matamata, a 15-minute drive from the Shire, also has plenty of accommodation. Denchys B&B is an affordable and highly rated B&B on the edge of town or Chalet Frodo is a one bedroom apartment giving you the feeling of a home away from home.
Top tip: Don’t forget travel insurance for your trip to New Zealand. We recommend SafetyWing, which is great for long-term travelers, which is available worldwide and can be purchased even after you leave. Although I’ve always thought of myself as someone who likes to learn new things and meet new people, I was skeptical about spending the summer in New Zealand. I went to visit Kiwi country for the first time in August 2014 and I have to say it was one of the best winter experiences I’ve ever had.
When I took my second trip to New Zealand earlier this year for an Emirates press junket, I was worried about heat waves. I looked through my Instagram feed and found a friend who had taken her son to university in Wellington, North Island. One of his photos shows my friend covered in snow, wearing a big sweater and wool tights. No need to worry about a heat wave, I thought, but what about Auckland?
Hobbiton Tour From Auckland With Bush And Beach
So I asked a friend who is a chef in Auckland, who said that the city is very hot, with temperatures up to 31 degrees Celsius. “People here wear t-shirts and shorts,” he said on WhatsApp, though he later suggested I pack a light sweater, cardigan, and some long-sleeved shirts.
The day before my departure I decided to take it
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