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New Zealand
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Bay of Plenty Region
Tauranga
Mount Maunganui
Things to do in Mount Maunganui
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Tauranga Shore Excursion: Lord of the Rings Hobbiton Movie Set Tour provided by Zealandier Tours

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Tauranga Shore Excursion: Lord of the Rings Hobbiton Movie Set Tour

See all things to do
See all things to do
Tauranga Shore Excursion: Lord of the Rings Hobbiton Movie Set Tour
5
41
By Zealandier Tours
Book in advance
from $169.00 per adult
Free Cancellation up to 24 hours in advance
Full view
About
The famous Hobbiton movie set, where the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit movies were filmed, is less than an hour from Tauranga. On this shore excursion, journey to The Shire and step into the fantasy world of Peter Jackson on a guided tour of Hobbiton. See iconic sites such as the Party Tree and the Mill, enjoy a drink at the Green Dragon Inn, then stop at McLaren Falls Park for a LOTR-themed photoshoot in the forest.
Know before you go
  • Duration: 6h
  • Mobile tickets accepted
  • Instant confirmation
Cancellation policy
  • For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
Available languages
English
Know before you go
  • Duration: 6h
  • Mobile tickets accepted
  • Instant confirmation
Available languages
English
Cancellation policy
  • For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
Highlights
Guided behind-the-scenes tour of the Hobbiton movie set
Sip a glass of ale or ginger beer at the Green Dragon Inn
Unforgettable photo ops: dress up in LOTR-style cloaks and swords
Worry-free shore excursion: guaranteed on-time return to your ship
What to expect
Located about an hour from Tauranga, where you’ll be picked up at the port, the Hobbiton Movie Set is situated on rolling farmland that depicts the Shire, a region inhabited by hobbits in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. Departing the Bay of Plenty over the Tauranga Harbour Bridge, you’ll journey through the Kaimai mountain range before your group arrives at your Waikato destination near the town of Matamata. Meet a specialized guide for a tour of the Hobbiton Movie Set, which provides an up-close look behind the scenes of director Peter Jackson’s famous film trilogies. LOTR fans can crouch in front of hobbit holes for photo ops and see structures such as the double-arched bridge, the Mill and the party tree, where Bilbo had his farewell birthday party. Walk to the Green Dragon Inn, sip a complimentary local ale, cider or ginger beer. After your meal, leave Hobbiton behind and make a stop at McLaren Falls Park for a bush walk to its namesake waterfalls. Here, your guide provides cloaks, hats and swords so you can dress up as your favorite character from The Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit, posing for photos against this scenic backdrop. On the way back to the Tauranga port, make a quick stop to taste New Zealand manuka honey, try local ice cream or stop at a beach, if time permits. Worry-free Shore Excursion:We will ensure your timely return to the Tauranga port for this activity. In the rare event your ship has departed, we will arrange for transportation to the next port-of call. If your ship is delayed and you are unable to attend this activity, your money will be refunded. See our terms and conditions for full details.
Need help booking?
Call the number below and use the product code: 6050PRTTRGHOB
Call +1 855 275 5071
Important information
Inclusions
Driver/guide • Live commentary on board • Air-conditioned vehicle • Glass of ale, cider or gingerbeer • Port pickup and drop-off • Covered by Viator's worry-free policy: guaranteed on-time return to your ship • Entry/Admission - Zealandier Tours
Exclusions
Gratuities • Lunch
Duration
6h
Departure details
Salisbury Avenue, Mount Maunganui 3116, New Zealand Out side port of Tauranga main pedestrian gate on the corner of Salisbury Avenue and the Mall, under the flagpole.
Inclusions
Driver/guide • Live commentary on board • Air-conditioned vehicle • Glass of ale, cider or gingerbeer • Port pickup and drop-off • Covered by Viator's worry-free policy: guaranteed on-time return to your ship • Entry/Admission - Zealandier Tours
Exclusions
Gratuities • Lunch
Departure details
Salisbury Avenue, Mount Maunganui 3116, New Zealand Out side port of Tauranga main pedestrian gate on the corner of Salisbury Avenue and the Mall, under the flagpole.
Duration
6h
Return details
Returns to original departure point
Additional information
Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Please wear comfortable clothing and walking shoes
Please bring sun protection and a light jacket for cooler weather
Travellers should have a moderate physical fitness level
This experience requires good weather. If it’s cancelled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 19 travellers
Itinerary
  • You'll start at
    Salisbury Avenue
    Salisbury Avenue, Mount Maunganui 3116, New Zealand
    Out side port of Tauranga main pedestrian gate on the corner of Salisbury Avenue and the Mall, under the flagpole.
    See address & details
  • 1
    Zealandier Tours
    Stop: 6 hours - Admission included
    From the port of Tauranga - enjoy the local sights, history and points of interest en-route to the film site of the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies. A unique movie set situated in the hills of a beautiful sheep and beef farm in Matamata. Enjoy a tour hour guided tour of the set and a nice cold ale or cider in the Green Dragon pub at the end, before being returned back to your ship.
    Read more
  • You'll end at
    Salisbury Avenue
    Salisbury Avenue, Mount Maunganui 3116, New Zealand
    Out side port of Tauranga main pedestrian gate on the corner of Salisbury Avenue and the Mall, under the flagpole.
    See address & details
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Popular mentions
5.0
41 reviews
Excellent
38
Very good
2
Average
1
Poor
0
Terrible
0
BruceSheree W
Brisbane, Australia180 contributions
Exceptional Service & Tour
Feb 2020
This tour was the highlight of our trip. Zealandier Tours were fantastic from start to finish. We booked this tour directly rather than through the cruise ship, and we had inadvertently got the start time wrong from our cruise ship by 1/2 hour, but Jan the director of the company was there to meet us and then drive us to meet the rest of the group at the first stop point - Mossops Honey. I can not speak highly enough of Jan and the way she looked after us and made us feel comfortable and de-stressed the situation.
We stopped at McLaren Falls which was a lovely walk in the NZ bush, the driver took pics of everyone in front of the falls - Thanks
Then onto Hobbiton - this is amazing in itself and is not to be missed, even if you do not know anything of the movies, the scenery is a photographers paradise - you could not take a bad photo even if you tried - Hobbiton have their own guides that take you through the movie set and you end up in Green Dragons Pub for a drink.
The tour then continued back to the ship.
I cannot recommend Zealandier tours enough, they are professional and very informative and organised and willing to accommodate any requests.
They also get you back to the ship in plenty of time

Thanks Jan for your company and service - outstanding
Written 30 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
jennifergH2008ZG
7 contributions
Amazing tour from start to finish
Mar 2020
Shona our tour guide was awesome,she told us about so many things of Tauranga & surroundings all the way through to Hobbiton.
Shona waited while we ventured in a Hobbiton bus with a Hobbiton tour guide, who explains all about this beautiful magical place with so many photo opportunities. There is also free cider, ginger ale or beer at The Green Dragon Inn. There is a gift shop to buy many souvenirs to take home & a cafe for eats & drink.
After our tour of Hobbiton, Shona drove us to a lookout & McLaren falls, with a short guided walk explaining all the different plants & trees. We also stopped at a kiwi farm.
We then stopped at Mossops Honey shop for free icecream.
Then Shona drove us back to Tauranga & along the foreshore near mt Maunganui
Thankyou for an amazing tour with so many highlights
Highly recommend everyone do this well planned tour.
Written 16 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Paul Z
Ottawa, Canada24 contributions
This tour basically for fans of the books/movies
Mar 2020
Took a tour to the Hobbiton Movie Set while visiting this part of New Zealand, It's located at least an hour away from any major centre, but the drive there is scenic. The family who own the land and operate this site run it on a fairly tight schedule with tours setting out from the starting point every ten minutes. Groups tend to be large; ours had almost 40 people. The site is well kept; the "Hobbit houses" are bright and colourful, but you basically just get to see the exteriors and some of the open areas used in the movies. Our guide pointed out particular spots that were featured in the movies, but there really is only a limited amount to see. I am glad I went, but wouldn't particularly urge other people to go out of their way to see it. The best part of the excursion was the trip to and from the site with a knowledgeable local driver who took us to a number of interesting locations on the way back to the Tauranga area. But that wouldn't be available to everyone.
Written 15 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
ferdyEngland
Devizes, UK151 contributions
Hobbiton
We booked directly via the website for this tour which was a bit cheaper than going through the ship . I would highly recommend you do this early as it does sell out and you really wouldn’t want to miss it. Our guide Grant was very informative during the journey to Hobbiton. He took us to a waterfall in a park on the way back , which was beautiful. And lastly a visit to a honey shop where you can see inside the hives. All very interesting. I highly recommend booking with Zealandier tours they were very organised and professional. And guaranteed to get you back to ship in time .
Written 14 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
daniela1234224
Sydney, Australia64 contributions
Really enjoyable visit to Hobbiton Movie Set!
Feb 2020
Comfy bus & really friendly driver picked us up just outside Tauranga Port. Drove us to McLaren Falls on the way to Hobbiton Movie Set, which was an amazing detour! Got to Hobbiton & set off with our guide for a look around. Couldn't believe we were actually there, it was sooo green & gorgeous & just like in the movies! Well maintained & a pleasure to see for ourselves. Our guide was helpful, knowledgeable & patient while we snapped loads of pics. I only wish there was something behind the one door we could open but there was literally nothing. We'd have loved to see it look like an actual room with furniture! Other than that we really loved it & going to the pub at the end of the tour for a complimentary beer was perfect! We didn't have much time to browse the souvenir shops but still picked up a few things. On the way back our driver took us to a bee-keeper & treated us to a free ice-cream. Then dropped us back at Tauranga Port. Highly recommend Zealandier Tours, very safe & well organised & fairly priced!
Written 3 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Neil N
1 contribution
Tauranga Shore Excursion Lord of the Rings Hobbiton Movie set tour
Feb 2020 • Family
Jennifer was a fantastic guide full of information, she went out of her way to make sure we saw everything and enjoyed ourselves. This was time well spent on shore from our cruise and wanting to see the best of Tauranga as well as Hobbiton.
Written 18 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Debra D
1 contribution
Hobbiton
Feb 2020 • Couples
My husband and I visited Hobbiton with Zealander Tours. Our tour guide was Sharron and she was AMAZING! It was absolutely worth every cent! It is so picturesque, colourful, quaint and makes for magnificent photography! We thoroughly enjoyed our day visiting there and learning about the history of Hobbiton and how it came to be. We highly recommend this as a must see destination in Tauranga.
Written 17 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
SueCincinnati_OH
Cincinnati, OH56 contributions
Great shore excursion!
Jan 2020
Great shore excursion! Less expensive than the cruise ship but appeared to be the exact same tour (as observed by the ship tour buses). Our guide was friendly and full of information about the Hobbiton movie set. Answered every question our group presented with patience and helped us with pictures. We could not have asked for a better tour! No problems with pick up or drop off. Very conscious of our time available.
Written 14 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Nancy W
Delaware6 contributions
Excellent Tauranga Tour
Feb 2020 • Couples
Great tour with our guide Sharon. She gave us so much information about NZ . Much more than we expected. Thank you for a wonderful day!
Written 6 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Juan Gomez
1 contribution
An exciting excursion
Feb 2020
Steve Ashton was our guide. He was knowledgeable, friendly,and a professional. We were picked up and dropped off at the port in a timely manner, Throughout our journey to and from the Hobbiton location, he gave a brief description of several interesting places.
Written 5 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
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About the operator

Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator.

By: Zealandier Tours
241
Sabrina D
Sabrina D
00
better than any ship tour as they combined both popular tourist sites in one day
They were there at the ship and easy to find .. they were fun and friendly always mindful of the time so that we we…
karenbN4605TW
karenbN4605TW
00
An enjoyable & interesting excursion
Had a fantastic time. Comfortable coach journey with the added extra of a goody bag left on our seats. Special…
evelynf686
evelynf686
00
Waitomo Glow-worm Caves Experience
Our guide Jennifer with Zealandier tours was fantastic. We stopped at the Kiwi bird house before going to the Glow-…
ChristineLD
ChristineLD
00
Lovely Waterfall
Thanks Steve for a great trip around Tauranga. We really enjoyed our ice cream too. It was very easy to find the to…
Niec
Niec
00
Plenty of sights
We were picked up outside the port as we came off a cruise. There was much to see, MtMaunganui area on route,stoppe…
rerp
rerp
00
A full day, but covered everything worth seeing
Arrived on a Cruise Ship (Arcadia) and covered similar items to those covered by the cruise ship's own tour but in …
bdmcd2017
bdmcd2017
00
An all-day tour.
Yes, it was in excess of 8 hours, but it included everything we wanted to see in this area of New Zealand. Nick wa…
110daleh
110daleh
00
Absolute rip off - driver was on day release from age care facility
Our ships itinerary was changed last minute from Sth Pacific Island to Tauranga. We were excited to spend the day s…
carolynwG6800WF
carolynwG6800WF
00
Okay
This trip follows its description, although each stop is rather quick. Tour through Tauranga could have been short…
Karen S
Karen S
00
Excellent tour of Maori Village and other highlights around Tauranga
This was our favorite shore excursion from the NCL Jewel. We found the guide was excellent, took us to several sto…
777kylieb
777kylieb
00
Great Tour Guide
Our guide picked us up at Tauranga Port where we got off our Cruise; full day out starting with Hobbiton then Rotor…
leaanneh2020
leaanneh2020
00
Fun day!
This was a fun, informative visit to a Maori Living Village to experience the deep history of a proud native cultur…
Carole J
Carole J
00
The best tour ever!
We just took this trip last week (early February, 2020) and there were 6 of us. Les was our tour guide - he did a…
Patty M
Patty M
00
Waitomo Glow-worm Caves
We had an amazing tour on January 5, 2020 and our guide was exceptional. I believe his name was Phillip. He took …
darrylcginns
darrylcginns
00
Zealandier Tours
My name is Darryl. I am a local (resident of Napier Hawkes Bay). I have family living at Papamoa Beach. In fact one…
Frequently Asked Questions about Tauranga Shore Excursion: Lord of the Rings Hobbiton Movie Set Tour
Tauranga Shore Excursion: Lord of the Rings Hobbiton Movie Set Tour will start at 10:00 AM. Discover and book Tauranga Shore Excursion: Lord of the Rings Hobbiton Movie Set Tour on Tripadvisor
Tauranga Shore Excursion: Lord of the Rings Hobbiton Movie Set Tour price starts from $170.55. Discover and book Tauranga Shore Excursion: Lord of the Rings Hobbiton Movie Set Tour on Tripadvisor
Tauranga Shore Excursion: Lord of the Rings Hobbiton Movie Set Tour cancellation policy: For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience. Discover and book Tauranga Shore Excursion: Lord of the Rings Hobbiton Movie Set Tour on Tripadvisor
Tauranga Shore Excursion: Lord of the Rings Hobbiton Movie Set Tour is hosted by Zealandier Tours. Read reviews, discover additonal experiences or contact Zealandier Tours on Tripadvisor. Discover and book Tauranga Shore Excursion: Lord of the Rings Hobbiton Movie Set Tour on Tripadvisor