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Hobbiton™ Movie Set Walking Tour from Shires Rest

Recommended by 96% of travelers
North Island, New Zealand
Viator Experience Award
Trending
Booked 5+ times in 12 hours.
  • 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.)
  • Offered in: English

Why travelers loved this

4.8
·
· Chris_W ·
May 2026
We really enjoyed the whole tour. Lana was a great tour guide and we enjoyed the background stories about the movie filming. The detail of the furnished hobbit house was unbelievable. Highly recommend this tour.
· Ariel_A ·
May 2026
Absolutely magical experience! The drive up to the movie set alone was jaw dropping with the all green hills, and the actual tour was so beautiful and fun to walk around. Aimee our tour guide was phenomenal and made the whole experience a joy. One of the highlights of my NZ trip!

Overview

Step into Peter Jackson's Middle-earth with this guided group tour of the Hobbiton™ Movie Set from 'The Lord of the Rings' film trilogy. Learn more about the movies than you ever would by exploring by yourself with the help of your local guide. And with a shuttle service at your disposal, you enjoy a truly seamless Matamata experience.
  • Small-group walking tour of the Hobbiton™ Movie Set
  • Enjoy a complimentary Southfarthing™ beverage to end the tour
  • This Hobbiton™ Movie Set experience is wheelchair accessible
  • Choice of morning or afternoon departure to suit your schedule

What's Included

  • Driver/guide
  • Professional guide
  • Shuttle services in the grounds
  • Alcoholic Beverages
  • Food and drinks (available for purchase)
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off

Meeting and Pickup

Departure Point

  • Hobbiton Movie Set, 501 Buckland Road, Hinuera 3472 New Zealand

What To Expect

1

Hobbiton Movie Set

Admission Ticket Included

Additional Info

  • Confirmation will be received within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability
  • Not wheelchair accessible
  • Stroller accessible
  • Infant seats available
  • Most travelers can participate
  • Wheelchair access is limited due to the terrain and layout of the movie set. Please visit website for detailed information and contact Hobbiton team to make a booking.
  • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 41 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)
Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)
Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)
Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)
Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Reviews

4.8
based on 3,879 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

An experience that should...

John_A, Jul 2026
An experience that should not be missed Especially the new addition of the tour inside the Hobbit homes Amazing design and detail

It is a must do for...

Jan_H, Jun 2026
It is a must do for people from NZ and for those visiting from overseas. This was my second visit. This time it was with a 19 year old grand-daughter visiting from the UK. A nearly 21 year old grand-daughter will visit me soon and she may well want to do the Hobbiton tour too. Rob our tour guide was fun, informative and made sure that he included all of the people in the group. Well done Rob.

Magical Tour

Jocelyn_C, Jun 2026
Very well organized and the guide was very informative 👍 Best seen on a beautiful sunshiny day. The attention to detail was amazing and the maintenance of the movie set was very impressive.

Go

Dylan_B, Jun 2026
It's Hobitton, nuff said. But if you're really need more, yes it's awesome! The entire area is beautiful so just go.

Fantastic!

Amanda_F, Jun 2026
We had the BEST experience at Hobbiton! My husband and I would recommend it to anyone. We were fortunate to be in a small group (8 people), and I think it made for an even better experience. Our tour guide, John, was amazing! He was enthusiastic, informative, and always willing to play photographer.

The Hobbiton Is Happening!

Brett_G, Jun 2026
This is truly a surreal experience. Once the Hobbiton Tours-branded bus drops you off at the entrance to the movie set, the excitement builds to a crescendo. And when you take your first step inside the Shire, you are instantly transported to the fantasy world that is Middle Earth! The hills and Hobbit houses look exactly like they do in the movies. If you’re a Tolkien fan, you will not be disappointed. The movie set that has been erected and preserved on the Alexander Farm has to be exactly what Tolkien envisioned. The tour guides are great. They share some wonderful behind-the-scenes nuggets of trivia that you can impress your family and friends with when re-watching the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings trilogies.

In a hole, in the ground. There lived a hobbit

Bryden_H, Jun 2026
Travelling here is an experience for anyone that anyone can hope for. As would bilbo. Resting at home, wondering what an adventure would be. Running out of the shire with the contract in hand with the reoccurring thought. “What if, I do participate in this endeavour”. I advise you to try. Go experience this. Enjoy the magic that is New Zealand and hobbiton. You will look back on this adventure and won’t regret.

Great view and hobbit home.

fauzirohman, Jun 2026
Great experience and definitely worth the money. The weather is not that good but we get to view rainbows.

Fantastic experience

Lindsay_W, Jun 2026
Well worth the visit. Excellent attention to detail in the exhibits. Our guide was excellent, providing plenty of interesting information around the site and the films.

Simply unmissable

Mo_N, Jun 2026
It is a well paced experience, and beautifully laid out. Our Hobbit guide, Sam, was simply fantastic, with a treasure trove of knowledge. My wife has never read the books nor seen the movies, but also enjoyed it immensely and would go back. Will have to watch all the movies again.

Awesome Hobitton Trip

Yasmine_K, Jun 2026
Beautiful experience like as if you are in the movies. Value for money. Guide was superbly informative and tons of beautiful pictures to take. When I watch the movies again, it will never be the same now.

Pure beauty

Brittany_G, Jun 2026
Absolutely beautiful tour! Lots of hobbit holes and even got to go inside one. Tour guide was also super friendly.

It’s fantasy world that...

Pritpal_D, Jun 2026
It’s fantasy world that you can explore behind the scenes. In just a little garden there is a green dragon with drinks non alcoholic and alcoholic and guides tell you about a lot of hobbity stories

Very lovely tour. Everyone is lovely

Henriettah_M, Jun 2026
From the booking to the actual tour everything is smooth, lovely & the staff are nice. Definitely going back again

Awesome trip

Wendy_D, Jun 2026
Was a well organised trip highly recommend .The tour guide was lovely and knew everything about the village

Middle earth magic

Jill_c, May 2026
Absolutely NOT cheesy. A must for anyone who fancies themselves as a craftsman, designer or gardener. Even if your not a fan of LOTR.

This place is magical,...

Meenakshi_M, May 2026
This place is magical, like a scene from a fairytale. Loved everything abt this tour, our tourguide was also great.

Hobbiton

Amanda_M, May 2026
Amazing r perimenopause e so well done and very life like. Worth every cent and well organised for the tour

Highly Recommend

Ainslie_P, May 2026
Well informed tour guide, Sebastian made it informative and fun. There was a lot more hobbit holes than I was expecting and they were each personalised for a different hobbit. There was a lot of thought gone in to the construction.

A wonderful adventure in Hobbiton

Donna_L, May 2026
Getting the reservation was the most difficult part of this outing. We were unsure if we were going to be there until 6 weeks before the travel date (a work dependency) and then we did not know what days we had to explore (work meeting either at the start or end of the trip). Once all of the work times were settled then the trip details could be set. At first, I opted to purchase this as part of a bigger trip but then, using the option to pay later, I was able to get a better day and time that suited our overall trip better. The outing itself was wonderful. We drove to the beginning point and then waited for our timeslot. While we were waiting, a nearer timeslot had an opening so we jumped at not waiting around. A win-win. Our guide was from Germany and had been working there for about 2 years. She was so enthusiastic and knowledgeable about the site that she pumped everyone up - something I did not think was possible especially with us since we were so excited to be going. The visit to Hobbiton was magical. You could see where the scenes were filmed, could see the way they shot things to make it believable (force perspective where Gandalf being bigger and the hobbits being smaller). Everyone was able to ask questions and take pictures along the way. It is amazing that a bus load comes every 10 minutes - it does not feel crowded or rushed. At the end you are given a mug and then you can explore the Green Dragon Inn and the setting for a while. This was great. We even were witness to a marriage proposal on the bridge to the Green Dragon Inn - congratulations to the newly engaged couple! Was this commercialized - yes it was. Would I recommend it to anyone who enjoyed the Hobbit moves - yes I would.

Excellent Afternoon

Laura_F, May 2026
We had a fabulous afternoon, which was totally unexpected for me as I have never watched the movies. The weather was beautiful, and our guide Dion was very entertaining. He was full of so many fun facts about the set building as well as the movie itself. Even if you’re not a fan, the grounds are amazing to walk-through. I would highly recommend this outing to anyone who wants to see some very creative set building.

We enjoyed our time in...

Robert_D, May 2026
We enjoyed our time in Hobbiton so much! We had a great tour guide called Cory. He was really good at talking to the group. He gave us some interesting facts on the way round and he also made some humorous comments which made it more memorable. Throughout the whole experience he was extremely nice to the group and very knowledgeable.

Well organised tour with...

Dorothy_C, May 2026
Well organised tour with very informative guide. Wear comfortable walking shoes as the ground can be uneven and muddy . If you have walking difficulties there is a ‘golf’ type buggy available

Fun at the Shire

Chris_W, May 2026
We really enjoyed the whole tour. Lana was a great tour guide and we enjoyed the background stories about the movie filming. The detail of the furnished hobbit house was unbelievable. Highly recommend this tour.

Away with the fairies

Sue_S, May 2026
Absolutely magical departure from the everyday for several blissful hours. Wonderful guides in a beautiful natural environment.

007 brings you through Hobbiton

Kim_M, May 2026
Truly breathtaking scenery, just the ride to Hobbiton was incredible!! Much more than I was expecting. The short bus trip to the Shire was great and our tour guide, James “007” was incredible. His enthusiasm and knowledge of information made the journey through Hobbiton so memorable. If you find yourself in New Zealand you must make the trip to Hobbiton, and ask for 007 as your guide. 🙂

Absolutely magical...

Ariel_A, May 2026
Absolutely magical experience! The drive up to the movie set alone was jaw dropping with the all green hills, and the actual tour was so beautiful and fun to walk around. Aimee our tour guide was phenomenal and made the whole experience a joy. One of the highlights of my NZ trip!

Well worth going!!

Jonathan_B, May 2026
A beautiful and iconic location, with a lovely team of friendly and hilarious tour guides. They're all very happy to answer questions, and very much cater to the nerdy crowds! Make sure to show up early for a smooth tour experience. Umbrellas are available to borrow so not necessary to bring your own

No movies watched

Lindsay_N, May 2026
You don't have to have watched any movies and still enjoy it.. Bit of walking up hill. So make sure you don't wear high heals. Recommend....please have something about the characters and photos so we can get an idea who you are talking about.. We are inspired to now watch them.

Hobbiton: Simply The Best

nicholas_H, May 2026
Hobbiton is already, automatically the best place on earth, however our tour guide, Rob, made it just that much better. He had facts, and jokes, puns and quips, and so much deep knowledge. We really appreciated Rob!! Love the new walk through feature of the Hobbit home. So many wonderful little details. 100% TELLING EVERYONE TO GO TO THIS ADVENTURE!

From $76.05

per person

up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)

Book ahead!
On average, this is booked 67 days in advance.

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