When Sir Peter Jackson (PJ) embarked on his Lord of the Rings trilogy in 1999, no one could have predicted how big the films were to become. Shooting all three films at once with a budget of $281 million, it was touted as one of the most ambitious filmmaking projects of all time.

The success of the films was unprecedented. Winning a total of 17 Academy Awards and grossing nearly $3 billion, the cinematic masterpiece was embraced and celebrated by people all around the world. Middle Earth had been brought to life thanks in no small part to PJ’s incredible use of locations all around New Zealand.

Since the films’ release, New Zealand has been a must-do destination for a whole legion of new fans with many visitors keen to see and experience the world of Middle Earth. We refer to this as the “real” Middle Earth and as you’ll see in this guide, the experiences you can have are very real and just as epic as those in the films!

Best Lord of the Rings Destinations in New Zealand

Sir Peter Jackson and his team went up and down the country during the shoot, creating little bits of Middle Earth along the way.

As a result, no matter where you are, you can get a taste of Tolkien’s world during your travels. In saying that, there are some especially important locations that we think every fan simply can’t afford to miss.

  • Matamata

    Matamata

    You may not have heard of Matamata before today but you will have heard of Hobbiton and this is exactly where you’ll find it! The Hobbiton Movie Set experience is easily the most popular Lord of the Rings activity in the country and o

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    You may not have heard of Matamata before today but you will have heard of Hobbiton and this is exactly where you’ll find it!

    The Hobbiton Movie Set experience is easily the most popular Lord of the Rings activity in the country and one of the most highly rated tourist attractions too. The Hobbit Holes have been wonderfully maintained with 44 of them to explore that were used in the films!

    As well as this there is a cafe, a gift shop and the Green Dragon Inn where you can enjoy a refreshing Hobbit Ale! For the ultimate experience, you can indulge in the Evening Banquet Tour which includes the best feast in Middle Earth!

  • Wellington

    Wellington

    You can’t talk about Lord of the Rings or filmmaking in New Zealand without mentioning Wellington, or “Wellywood” as it became known during the production of the films. Not only is it where they did a lot of the soundstage

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    You can’t talk about Lord of the Rings or filmmaking in New Zealand without mentioning Wellington, or “Wellywood” as it became known during the production of the films.

    Not only is it where they did a lot of the soundstage shooting as well as location shooting in places such as Mount Victoria (Frodo’s “get off the road!”), the Hutt River (River Anduin) and Kaitoke Regional Park (Rivendell). It’s where Weta Workshop is based, the birthplace of all the amazing props and costumes used in the trilogy.

    You can visit the workshop via the Weta Cave in Miramar where you can go on a Workshop Tour and/or Miniatures Tour to see all their great work on these films and more. There are also plenty of souvenirs to buy and life-sized models to take awesome selfies with too!

  • Queenstown

    Queenstown

    With so much of the films having been shot in the South Island, you need a good base from which to explore and Queenstown is the perfect spot. Queenstown’s been a tourist hotspot for years with its beautiful scenery and surroundings,

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    With so much of the films having been shot in the South Island, you need a good base from which to explore and Queenstown is the perfect spot.

    Queenstown’s been a tourist hotspot for years with its beautiful scenery and surroundings, many of which were chosen for the films. Skippers Canyon (Arwen’s River of Horses), Lake Alta (Dimrill Dale) and the Twelve Mile Delta (Ithilien Camp) are all within close proximity.

    As well as this, there are a number of operators offering movie location tours (which we’ll talk more about later) to save you finding these and others yourself!

Another iconic landmark of the films (and New Zealand) is Tongariro National Park which served as the backdrop of Mordor and Mount Doom in the films. Mighty, immense and awe-inspiring, visitors find them a breathtaking sight and the Tongariro Alpine Crossing is one of the best day hikes in the country.

Best Lord of the Rings Activities

There are plenty of things to do that will easily fill up an itinerary for your Lord of the Rings adventures in New Zealand. Some of these are specific Lord of the Rings activities whilst others are things you can enjoy in a Middle Earth setting.

Hobbiton Movie Set

If there’s only one thing you do as a Lord of the Rings fan during your New Zealand road trip it would have to be this. As previously mentioned, Hobbiton is based in Matamata, a couple of hours drive from Auckland, and is a completely immersive and memorable experience. We’ve covered the key highlights but another thing to bear in mind is they often host events like the International Hobbit Day in September which a fantastic celebration including a marketplace and entertainment! It’s a great little bonus on top of an already unique attraction.

Tongariro National Park

Mordor was the origin for all things evil in the Lord of the Rings but the actual site is far less dangerous and threatening and makes for a great day out. As well as the famous Tongariro Alpine Crossing and numerous other hikes, it’s also a great place to do a bit of skiing and snowboarding with the Whakapapa Skifield (the largest in NZ) on the slopes of Mount Ruapehu. The Whakapapa Skifield was actually where Isildur cut off Sauron’s finger to claim the one ring too!

Weta Cave

The Weta Cave gives you the opportunity to have the ultimate behind-the-scenes look at all the prop and costume magic for Weta Workshop. This includes the Lord of the Rings films and all the other films (and exhibitions) Weta Workshop has been involved in. If you happen to book for the complete tour, you’ll be taken into the Workshop itself where you can see many of the props and costumes up close and personal and speak with the some of the artists themselves!

Embassy Theatre

The Embassy Theatre is an iconic cinema in New Zealand and the only custom-built 1920’s cinema still in use in the country. Besides being of great historical significance it is also the venue which all three world premieres for the Lord of the Rings films were held. The premieres attracted thousands of Hobbit-crazed fans from all around the country with pictures from the events beamed all across the world. As a true fan yourself, you just have to pay your respects with a visit.

See the One Ring

If you happen to be passing by or staying in Nelson (and there is plenty of reason to do so) then a little boutique jewellery shop in the middle of town may be tempting. That’s because it’s the jewellery shop where the One Ring was made as opposed to the fires of Mount Doom which is widely believed. The shop is Jens Hansen – The Ringmaker and they have a few of the versions used in the film in the shop. You may even want to forge your own replica ring or get your own Elvish Character Ring to take back home.

Middle Earth from above

It’s one thing to see Middle Earth from the ground. It’s quite another to see it from the skies which is exactly what you can do by going on an epic Heliworks Lord of the Rings flight. What’s special about these guys is not only do they take you to some of the most stunning South Island locations, but the pilots themselves were the ones that worked with PJ on the films for aerial filming and transportation! From the Misty Mountains to Dimrill Dale and the Great Gates of Khazad-dum, you’ll see your favourite settings in the most breathtaking way.

Middle Earth by 4WD

Another great mode of transport to enjoy a Lord of the Rings experience is via 4WD with a variety of options offered by Nomad Safaris in Queenstown. You can choose half day or full day options covering locations like the Wakatipu Basin, Arrowtown, Skippers Canyon and Glenorchy. You might otherwise know these as locations for the Refugees of Rohan, Battle of the Wargs, Pillars of the Kings, Ford of Bruinen and Gladden Fields. There are all sorts of extras for these tours like refreshments and movie props to pose with so be sure to check it out!

Edoras Tour

One of the most popular Lord of the Rings themed tours to do whilst in New Zealand is the Edoras Tour, the iconic capital city of Rohan, featuring the beautiful Mount Sunday. Hassle Free Tours offer a great experience guiding you to the summit of Mount Sunday where you can appreciate the breathtaking views and pose with replica props from the films. You’ll also get a great commentary from the friendly guides and enjoy a delicious picnic lunch as well. This one is absolutely loved by the fans and should definitely be near the top of your list.

Lord of the Rings Filming Locations

The great thing about our Lord of the Rings filming locations is that many of them are very accessible for locals and tourists to visit. It really does allow you to do the ultimate self-guided tour of Middle Earth.

To help you, we’ve included a few map locations to many of these below!

Middle Earth at its most spectacular

To get featured in a big Hollywood blockbuster as a film location, you have to be pretty spectacular and PJ found some that were above and beyond. Below are some of the most breathtaking!

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