Hobbiton Afternoon Tour in Luxury Minibus from Auckland
Recommended by 98% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Auckland, New Zealand
- 8 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Explore J.R.R Tolkien’s vivid imagination in real life on this afternoon trip to the Hobbiton™ Movie Set from Auckland. Unlike most tours, this one starts late-morning, meaning you can sleep in. Get an up-close view of Hobbit holes and filming locations at Hobbiton™ and feel the magic of New Zealand’s very own Middle-earth on a guided walking tour, followed by a drink at the Green Dragon Inn.
- Cruise through the lush Waikato region, known for dairy farming and sheep
- Option to buy lunch and souvenirs at the Shires Rest
- Receive personalized attention on a small-group tour
- No need to set your alarm early with an 11am departure time
What's Included
- Air-conditioned vehicle
- Luxury seating with Leather seats and extra leg room
- Extra wide VIP seating in back row of coach
- Admission Fee - Admission to Hobbiton Movie Set
- LunchOpportunity to buy own lunch if needed at Shires Rest Cafe at Hobbiton
- Pickup outside of the City Centre, shuttles can be arranged for a small fee
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Pickup details
We pick from any accomodation but if it is not centrally located we can organise a shuttle for you. These are generally much cheaper than an Uber or a Taxi because we would like you to be collected by on of our team to make sure you get to the tour Guaranteed departure - Due to low numbers and sustained losses caused by Covid 19, until further notice we will need a minimum of 4 people (or price equivalent) to run tours. We build the groups so you do not need to be a group of 4 to book. It is helpful but not essential If you are able to be flexible with your dates.
Operating hours.11:00 am
Itinerary
1
Hobbiton Movie Set
2 hours • Admission Ticket Included
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking, unless booked within 1 day of travel. In this case confirmation will be received as soon as possible, subject to availability
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Infant seats available
- Not recommended for travelers with back problems
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- not suitable for people with mobility problems - with advance notice a golf cart may be able to be arranged
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 15 travelers
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.9
based on 43 reviews
Eileen_M, Mar 2026
Dirk our driver and guide was so lovely - he made our experience so special with history, fun facts and recommendations. The Hobbiton movie set is a must see attraction when visiting the North Island.
SUSAN_L, Mar 2026
Excellent and met all expectations. Very knowledgable guide at Hobiton. Return transfer with helpful and interesting driver.
evelyn_T, Mar 2026
Mike was very safe driver and was very informative. Long car ride, but did one each wave just a stretch our legs and the van was comfortable.. Once you’re there at Hobbiton, you take their tour bus, but everything was arranged, and it was a very smooth and the tour was excellent.
Diana_K, Feb 2026
You don't have to be a hobbit or a wizard to enjoy Hobbiton. Looking for a great adventure? Visit Hobbiton!
Tony_L, Feb 2026
Both of the drivers, to Hobbiton, and away from Hobbiton were very knowledgeable of the area and gave many fun facts along the way. They were very flexible on pickup and drop off points, and even got a phone call a few minutes before they would be showing up. The went above and beyond to give us a fun, entertaining, and educational ride to Hobbiton. Hobbition itself is magical. I am a big Lord of the Rings fan, so that’s easy for me to say, but others in our tour group hadn’t seen the movies, read the books, or knew anything about it, and they loved it just as much as I did. It is a beautiful countryside and the landscape and hobbit holes make you feel as though you are entering into the movies yourself. The walking tour guide (Joe) was phenomenal. You could tell that he truly loved giving the tours and sharing all of his knowledge with the group. 150% recommend this tour, start to finish!
Wooje_K, Feb 2026
Our driver (Ethan) was fantastic and shared so much interesting information on the way to Hobbiton. My daughter really enjoyed the ride and learned a lot during the trip. The tour guide at Hobbiton was also fun and knowledgeable. It was a wonderful experience for the whole family!
RobertS_S, Feb 2026
Great when you get there. However, two hour bus ride each way. Requires substantial walking over dirt roads and some steps but well worth it.
Steve_R, Jan 2026
The ride with Brett into Hobbiton was a wonderful part of the journey. An Auckland native, his life’s knowledge of New Zealand was fascinating. Hobbiton was everything one expected and more. Our guide, a native Māori, was informative and funny. She reallly knew everything about the history of the site and the movies. A North Island must!
Herb_Y, Jan 2026
Philip was great. He tried to explain the local culture in Auckland and, more generally, in New Zealand. The Hobbit tour was excellent. After the tour, I plan to watch the movies again. However, the tour bus was a bit disappointing. It was not as deluxe as expected. Because of the road noise, much of what Philip talked about could only be heard with difficulty, even though he used a speaker that didn’t always work. Overall, I still enjoyed the trip.
Courtney_J, Dec 2025
It was amazing! Magical! I can’t say enough superlatives for the beauty, efficiency, and exquisite detail of this tour. Our tour guides James (at Hobbiton) and Bunty (our driver and kiwi representative) were the best!
ChingHan_B, Dec 2025
Our tour kid was so fun & engaging. He was an Auckland native and the oldest skydiver in New Zealand! It was so awesome to have him tell us all about the sights as we drove to and back from Hobbiton.
Hobbiton itself of course was just as dreamy as expected. Totally worth it when you're in NZ!
Dawn_N, Dec 2025
Hobbiton was amazing and is not to be missed. The transportation was not as advertised. There was absolutely nothing luxury about it. The vehicle used is not rated as a luxury class vehicle. It’s rated for short distance transfers only. It felt as though the seats were sitting on the wheel well with cardboard separating them. It was so noisy that we couldn’t hear each other talk. Every bump caused our heads to hit the roof and/or our spines to be compressed. The driver was nice enough but was very soft spoken and didn’t use a headset. It was a struggle to hear the few things he pointed out to us along the way. 5 out of 8 hours of the tour are sitting in a vehicle. We chose this operator because they advertised “luxury”. Far from it. Not advisable.
Response from Host, Jan 2026
The Vehicle was a Mercedes Benz Valante with leather fit out. In the height of summer when we are extremely busy this vehicle is used for small groups and you are the first person to class this Mercedes as not up to standard
We have nothing in the fleet that is not Mercedes. I am sorry you were not comfortable. Most of the fleet are Sprinters with extra leg room and extra wide seats, but we try not to disappoint, by cancelling last minute, but at times we may have to use a smaller vehicle. What we will never do is squash too many people into vehicles.
I am glad you loved hobbiton
Clifford_W, Apr 2025
This was a true experience in seeing how Bolbo Buggins’s village Lord of the Rings and Hobit films actually were.
Although a lengthy drive to get there the scenery was amazing and the trip back to Auckland with the view of the city as the sun went down was stunning,
Scott_C, Jan 2025
Our guide, Louise, was fantastic. Very knowledgeable and easy going. Really appreciated her insights and getting us where we needed to be on time, while smiling along the way.
Response from Host, Mar 2025
Thanks for your lovely review! We're so happy to hear you enjoyed your time with Louise.
Louise's knowledge and easy-going attitude make all the difference on our tours. Getting everyone where they need to be with a smile is what we're all about.
We appreciate you sharing your experience and are glad Louise made your Hobbiton adventure special!
robert_k, Jan 2025
what a great adventure!! thank you to our host Shaun who gave us a wonderful experience. luxury van/scenic drive to Hobbiton. the tour itself was amazing!!! try the Amber Ale and the Meat Pies at the Green Dragon - delicious!
Response from Host, Mar 2025
Thanks for your review! Great to hear you had such a wonderful adventure with Shaun as your guide.
The scenic drive in our luxury van sets the stage for the magic of Hobbiton.
We're grateful you took the time to share your experience with future travelers. Hope to see you again soon!
Matthias_M, Jan 2025
It was a magical experience. The attention to details was phenomenal! Our guide was also well informed about the book and challenges faced during filmaking
Response from Host, Mar 2025
Thanks for your lovely review! We're so happy you found your Hobbiton experience magical.
The attention to detail throughout the movie set is truly remarkable. Great to hear you appreciated our guide's knowledge about both Tolkien's work and the filmmaking process.
We appreciate you sharing your experience with other travelers!
Christopher_S, Dec 2024
Our driver, Grayson, was very kind and made the journey to hobbiton an unforgettable experience for us.
Response from Host, Dec 2024
I am glad you enjoyed your tour
Tanya_B, Oct 2024
We had a lovely time and our tour driver was an excellent host and had a whole lot of stories to share which made the experience very memorable.
malou_l, Aug 2024
Very efficient tour from Auckland to Hobbiton. Scenic tour. Very good guide. The Hobbiton site and organisation are tremendous.
Shelby_L, Oct 2023
Darryl was a very interesting and informative host, told us so much about the history of New Zealand and the Maori people and culture. Kia Ora (that means thank you, right?)!
Sonia_C, Apr 2023
Derryl was just fantastic, he was friendly and funny at times. He puts a lot of passion in this job and the minibus conditions were an added proof to this. My wife and I had a very nice time, Derryl would add some insights to places and sights we were passing by on our way to Matamata. We highly recommend the tour, great quality for a great service.
Lamya_K, Feb 2023
The tour operator arranged a golf cart for us at the last minute which was very helpful to us . Bush and Beach guides are very helpful
Lili_K, Jan 2023
In the van, it was full with 9 passengers and our driver, Andy. Great drive and time flew as everyone participated in the various conversational topics.
The driver, Andy drove us to Hobbiton and got us our tickets. He did not conduct the actual tour.
On the roundttip drive, Andy would share about the various places we passed by on the drive.
The actual Hobbiton tour was conducted by Hobbiton stuff. Our Hobbiton guide, Lola, was very knowledgeable about the movie set. A lot of information regarding: filming, set, stories, tibbits, etc.
Highly recommend the tour and tour company, Flexi Tours NZ.
Patricia_G, Dec 2022
Not having any knowledge of Lord of the rings or Hobbiton I found this tour a great entertainment and quite unique experience. We were on a ship and were picked up from right at the dock and returned there in plenty of time.
Naomi_M, Dec 2022
Our driver was terrific, Darryl. He told us about the countryside we were passing through and history and about The Hobbit filming etc. we had a great time with him and recommend him highly to others.
From $235.45
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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