Half-Day Lord of the Rings 4WD Tour from Queenstown
4.5
Half-Day Lord of the Rings 4WD Tour from Queenstown
By Nomad Safaris
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About
LOTR fans and their companions are welcome on this off-road adventure. Depart Queenstown aboard a 4WD vehicle for the rugged roads of the Wakatipu Basin. In addition to panning for gold alongside the Arrow River, your guide will help you discover a variety of filming locations for “The Lord of the Rings.”
Lowest price guaranteeReserve now & pay laterFree cancellation
Ages 0-99, max of 6 per group
Duration: 4h
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Live guide: English
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Highlights
- 4WD tour of LOTR filming sites outside Queenstown
- Follow a former gold mining road via the Arrow River
- View the Wakatipu Basin from Coronet Peak
- Guide shares knowledge of the region and provides tea
- Transport by 4WD vehicle with your driver/guide
- Gold panning
- Selected Queenstown Hotel pickup and drop-off
What's not included- Lunch
- Start:
- 37 Shotover Street, Queenstown 9300, New ZealandPick up is from Info & Track, 37 Shotover Street. We may be able to offer pick up from your accomodation in central Queenstown, however please contact us on 034426699 to confirm.
End:This activity ends back at the meeting point. - Not wheelchair accessible
- Near public transportation
If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 5762P6- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
- min 2 per tour for confirmed departure, min 4 on NZ public holidays
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Most travellers can participate
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 6 travellers
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
- If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 5762P6
From
$276.93
per adult
Select date and travellers
Similar experiences
Itinerary
- 37 Shotover Street, Queenstown 9300, New ZealandPick up is from Info & Track, 37 Shotover Street. We may be able to offer pick up from your accomodation in central Queenstown, however please contact us on 034426699 to confirm.
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About the operator
Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
- Steve M0 contributionsAn absolute must for LOTR fans, or anyone wanting a fun day out.We had an fantastic day doing the full day 4WD tour taking in the beautiful views of several filming locations of LOTR, David was our tour guide, his knowledge and enthusiasm for the movies was a bonus to an already great morning. We then stopped back in Queenstown for lunch (Balls & Bagels - absolutely amazing!) After lunch we went off again to look for more filming locations taking in stunning views of the whole of Queenstown. We did gold panning in Arrowtown and had to the most brilliant 4WD experience up and down the river. Totally brilliant day out.Written 6 February 2025
- mikej980 contributionsNot To Be Missed Adventure Even if You are Not a Lord of the Rings FanThis was a fantastic 1/2 day tour - We think Amelia was our guide - in any event she was so good - we are not huge Lord of the Rings Tour but we loved this tour. We crossed the river multiple times, visited the places where they filmed the series, visited Arrowtown and drove along “the most dangerous road in NZ on our way to Skipper Canyon! I have a fear of heights but our driver was so careful and the scenery is jaw dropping! Just not describable really. Just a very memorable day. This was a private trip with only my wife and I in the 4WD vehicle. Our friends did a different tour with 6 people in the vehicle. If you have read other reviews I have done you know I have a fear of heights but I felt safe with our driver on this gravel road along the cliff and back.Written 3 February 2025
- Y5493YFsamc0 contributionsBest tour of LOTR in QueenstownGreat trip seeing this amazing town but also the Lord of the Rings locations. Guides were great and very friendly, happy to hear about your life and what brings you to New Zealand!Written 3 February 2025
- Sightseer044668755440 contributionsAmazing ExperienceThe views were fantastic, and the guides, phoebe and jordie, were super nice and helpful! We all had an amazing time going up and around the Queenstown Hill. Will definitely be doing it again in the future!Written 1 February 2025
- drifly770 contributionsJosh made great outing even better!They were on time, accommodating, friendly…we just felt good about booking with this company. Josh , our driver, was friendly, very knowledgeable, helpful. He seemed to read us quickly and suggested things to do and see that we thoroughly enjoyed!Written 27 January 2025
- hollypO7664PT0 contributions1000000000000/10 EPICBen and pheobe were absolute legends! The trip was amazing and we had such a good time. The guides were incredible and made sure we were safe AND having a good time. Epic views, lots of thrilling turns and bends and an overall downright kiwi adventure. Couldn’t recommend them more. Walked away feeling like it was more just a group of friends going on a ride which is fantastic. LOVED IT! 10/10Written 25 January 2025
- lindajbevan0 contributionsFantastic experienceWhat a fantastic experience we had today I cannot recommend this activity highly enough well maintained clean quad bikes and kit Ben and Phoebe our trainers and guides were excellent patient professional and great company at our rest stop over They really looked after everyone in our group thank you bothWritten 25 January 2025
- charliecZ9333NF0 contributionsAmazing experience!We had a fantastic trip on quad bikes with Benjamin and Phoebe! The training was fun but thorough, they made sure you felt very comfortable before we set out. The tour itself was amazing, great views of the surrounding area. The ride was very exciting, lots of twists and turns and ups and downs. Thanks so much Nomad, and thanks so much Ben and Pheobe!Written 25 January 2025
- A4299YAraymondl0 contributionsGreat experience!Great tour of the canyon with our driver Josh. He looked after us very well on and off the road, with informative commentary, anecdotes, and good humour. Highly professional and courteous - many thanks for a super experienceWritten 24 January 2025
- Z1385EGkathyj0 contributionsSO MUCH FUN - Thrilling rideWow George was our able driver and he was full of fun and really wanted his passengers to have a safe but thrilling experience. We went off road on and through waters of Arrowtown - superb fun we laughed so much Tag it on to Shotover boat adventure too fun Adrenalin fuelled dayWritten 21 January 2025
- CamD D0 contributions4wd bush bashing adventure with little Lord of the Rings relevanceSome great sites and friendly crew but little relevance to Lord of the Rings. Spotted a few points of context with a few pictures of the movies but that was about it. The rest of the time was visiting Arrowtown, slippers canyon, bush basking through some water ways and then a fun gold panning experience. Morning tea and coffee provided. Not what we expected but it was an enjoyable day and our driver Hannah was good fun and a great driver. Thanks to the teamWritten 14 January 2025
- H7530TNrichardj0 contributionsFound gold!Fantastic trip. High recommend it. The tour guide we had was superb. Entertaining, engaging and knowledgeable, and very safe driver. We even found gold in the river. Good afternoon tea as well.Written 13 January 2025
- H5152PVrobertd0 contributionsGreat trip, even in the rain!On a rainy morning in Queenstown, I took Nomad Safaris' 4WD tour to Skipper's Canyon. At least I was in the vehicle most of the time. The road to Skipper's Canyon is not for the faint-hearted. It is very narrow with a sharp drop at the side. It even has a warning. En route, we saw Gorilla Rock. Skipper's Canyon was famous for its gold mining. As the supply of gold dwindled, so did the population. The Welcome Home Hotel operated from 1908 to 1942. All that remains today is the chimney and the foundation stone. The road follows the Shotover River. We could not get to the old Skipper's Canyon township, now abandoned. All that remains are a school, a homestead, and a cemetery. As you can see from my photo, the road was closed. We had our morning tea break here. There were nice views from Blue Slip, where the road ended. You can see the closed part of the road. We saw several goats atop the mountains on the way back. From the beginning of the Skipper's Canyon Road, there is a nice view of the Remarkables. These mountains are a ski resort, but the ski season ended several weeks ago. Our driver/guide was excellent and her commentary as well as safe driving skills made for an enjoyable trip, even in the rain.Written 13 January 2025
- davidlQ6565RF0 contributionsA must for LotR lovers.Dan was a great guide & driver for our full day of LotR activity North and South of Queenstown. Loved dressing up and great lunch back in town. Did not make our fortune panning for Au gold but had lots of fun. The 4x4 river crossings are not for those with a bad back but we loved itWritten 10 January 2025
- D1850UHvictorias0 contributionsMust do experience!!!!One of the best things I have done in NZ!!!! Did the quad bike tour with my 2 adult kids and it was soooo much fun. Jordy - our instructor - was great at helping us get comfortable with driving the quad bikes and made the whole afternoon so much fun! Would highly recommend this adventure to all 😊Written 4 January 2025
These reviews are the subjective opinions of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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4.5
195 reviews
Excellent
170
Very good
9
Average
4
Poor
8
Terrible
4
Mike J
New Providence, NJ75 contributions
Jan 2025 • Couples
We had a fantastic tour with Nomad Safaris. We visited the key Lord of the Rings sights - traversed the Arrow river multiple times, panned for gold, climbed up to Skippers canyon and the views were jaw dropping. The travel along the cliff road is not for the feint of heart - especially if you have a fear of heights like me! But it was so worth it! Our guide Phoebe was awesome - friendly, knowledgeable and a great driver who had to maneuver on the cliff to allow a couple of other vehicles to pass us. Highly recommend her as your guide. We have so many photos to treasure. This was a private tour and worth it since we got to see everything we wanted to and so many other things we didn’t know we wanted to!
Written 27 January 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Paul H
Windsor, Australia43 contributions
Sept 2024 • Couples
Just completed the half day Lord of the Rings 4WD Adventure from Queenstown. An excellent tour that took us to places we never would have ventured on our own. We visited several Lord of the Rings sites and also stopped by a river for a spot of gold panning (even found a couple of specks of gold). The overall experience was first class and made all the better by our guide and driver Jono. He gave great commentary throughout the whole trip and his knowledge of the area, the flora and fauna, the geology and of course Lord of the Rings were exceptional. Would highly recommend this tour to anyone planning a visit to Queenstown.
Written 18 September 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for the wonderful review! We’re so glad to hear that you enjoyed the half-day Lord of the Rings 4WD Adventure. It’s fantastic that you were able to visit sites you wouldn’t have discovered on your own and even tried your hand at gold panning—finding some specks of gold is a great bonus!
We’re thrilled that Jono made your experience first-class with his exceptional knowledge and engaging commentary. Your high recommendation means a lot to us, and we hope to welcome you back for more adventures in Queenstown!
Written 14 October 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Raquel L
Winnipeg, Canada9 contributions
Mar 2024 • Friends
This was our first trip to New Zealand’s South Island. Although I wasn’t a LOTR fanatic, I was intrigued to experience it with some adventure - and Nico with Nomad Safaris did not disappoint! It was a fun morning of seeing the interesting sites in Queenstown and surrounding areas, including Arrowtown and the Gold Rush. But the most exhilarating part, was Nico’s 4-wheel driving through the rushing Arrow River, water splashing over the hood and over the running boards! Nico offered for us to try gold panning, but all passengers declined because it was pouring rain. But, we all took him up on the hot chocolate, fresh banana bread and cookies. Nice touch! Nico had us back, on time, to continue our day. Price is good value for the adventure. Thank you!
Written 1 April 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for this review, we will pass this on to Nico. We're glad you had a great trip!
Written 4 April 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
michelleswanderlust7
Singapore, Singapore15 contributions
We had a blast on this tour! Justin was our guide. He did a great job explaining the LOTR scenes at each site. We had the most fun at crossing the rivers in the 4WD and at Skippers Canyon. The team was also very helpful when I requested to change the pick-up location. Highly recommended!
Written 26 June 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello,
Thank you so much for taking the time to write such a positive review about your recent Lord of the Rings tour with
Nomad Safaris. I will make sure that Justin is aware of your great feedback!
All the staff at Nomad Safaris work extremely hard so its always nice when that gets noticed.
Once again thank You.
Written 21 July 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
LXdaddy
Hampshire, UK145 contributions
Feb 2023
Excellent half day with our driver/guide Jenny. This was a tour of several of the locations used in the LOTR films. Jenny (aided by stills from the films) painted effective pictures of how the locations were used.
Although a 4wd was probably not essential to reach all of these locations it was an excellent off-road exploration.
Although a 4wd was probably not essential to reach all of these locations it was an excellent off-road exploration.
Written 14 February 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
It sounds like you were on a Glenorchy LOTR tour.
The 4WDs on the Queenstown trip are definately needed as we head up the river but the LOTR locations in Glenorchy in the Summer are easier to get to without a 4WD, but we use them as they are great for small groups (max of 6 passengers)
Written 29 March 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
EDG5
Potters Bar, UK28 contributions
We really enjoyed our tour. Our tour guide Darrell was brilliant, he was knowledgeable & had a great sense of humour. We had great fun dressing up and enjoyed coffee & cake at a site in the woods where filming took place.
Written 1 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We're glad that you had a great time and that we could contribute to making your tour enjoyable. Thank you for sharing your positive feedback, and we hope to welcome you back for more adventures in the future!
Written 8 March 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Marie B
Yeppoon, Queensland, Australia23 contributions
Jun 2023 • Couples
This tour is so over priced. $245 per person for a 4 hour drive in a beat up old troop carrier. We didn’t even receive afternoon tea. In saying this Josh our guide was amazing. Very knowledgeable, a good driver and we enjoyed his company. And the scenery is spectacular. In comparison though a trip on TSS Earnshaw to Walter Peak station with a huge gourmet bbq and sheep dog show was only $135 per person. I can’t see how they can charge so much for the lord of the rings tour. Most disappointing.
Written 1 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We appreciate your feedback and are glad to hear that you found our guide, Josh, to be amazing and knowledgeable. We strive to provide a memorable experience with beautiful scenery. We understand that pricing is an important consideration, and we continually evaluate our offerings to ensure they provide value to our customers. Thank you for bringing this to our attention, and we hope to have the opportunity to serve you again in the future.
Written 10 July 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
mattjonespm
Brisbane, Australia2 contributions
Sept 2024 • Couples
We had a great time, there were a few parts of the normal itinerary that weren’t available due to weather, but Justin filled in with some spectacular alternatives for the tour and we managed to cram another day trips itinerary into this tour! Being a local Justin had a heap of local historical knowledge which we loved! We had a load of goofy Lord of the Rings fun and saw some great locations from the films with some really interesting filming facts that we didn’t know, and even came away with our very own (very small) piece of gold panned from the Arrow River! Keep an eye out for Justin’s pranks and tricks! Great Banana bread too. 👌
Written 7 October 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for the fantastic review! We’re thrilled to hear that you had such a great time on your tour with Justin. It’s wonderful that he was able to adapt the itinerary and still provide you with an unforgettable experience, complete with local history and fun Lord of the Rings insights!
We’re glad you enjoyed the unique locations and even managed to pan for some gold from the Arrow River! Justin’s pranks and tricks definitely add to the fun, and we’re happy to hear you enjoyed the banana bread too.
We hope to see you again for more adventures and laughs!
Written 14 October 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Omar R
13 contributions
Sept 2024 • Couples
My wife and I went. We had a snowy day but our driver made it magical. He knew a lot about the subject since he was originally from Queenstown and he gave us a lot of details about everything. Plus, he took us to a snowy mountain, Coronet Peak. We highly recommend it!
Written 15 September 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for the wonderful review! We’re so glad to hear that you and your wife had a magical experience on a snowy day. It’s great to know that your driver, with his local knowledge, made the tour special by sharing fascinating details and taking you to Coronet Peak.
Your high recommendation means a lot to us! We hope to welcome you both back for more adventures in the future!
Written 14 October 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Ana F
3 contributions
Sept 2023 • Couples
This tour is amazing! Please pass on our feedback to Justin, he was an amazing, knowledgeable tour guide who answered all our questions and took us to the most incredible, beautiful LOTR locations. He had a great sense of humour and we learnt so much about lord of the rings. The tea and biscuits was also much appreciated. Thank you! Will highly recommend it to everyone who comes to queenstown
Written 12 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you so much for your glowing review! We're thrilled to hear that you had such a wonderful experience with Justin as your tour guide. We'll definitely pass on your kind words to Justin, and we appreciate your recommendation and hope to welcome you again in the future. Safe travels!
Written 30 September 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Our flight gets in at 12:45pm. Is the 1:30pm start time when we are picked up from the hotel? . If not, what time would we be collected from Crowne Plaza for the 1:30pm tour..
Written 24 April 2019
I think that would work, but if you have to search for your bags or it takes a while to get off the plane you could be late. IF you can walk right our to a taxi and get to your hotel immediately you should be fine. We ended up saving this longer adventure for the start of a day (since they just have the two start times) and we did the Shotover Jet Boat and Stratosphere Dinner. That was beautiful, if you are worried about a time crunch i suggest not booking something till 2 if possible. Good luck! Everything in Queenstown is awesome so you can't go wrong :)
Written 23 May 2019
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