PLEASE NOTE: This tour no longer operates in conjunction with cruise ships docking at the port of Tauranga. All other days will operate as normal.
A must do for all Lord of the Rings fans! Join us for a magical journey to Middle Earth where you can become part of the wonder that was created called Hobbiton! The Hobbiton Movie set was used for the 'Lord of the Rings' and 'The Hobbit' film trilogies and is situated on a family run sheep farm close to the town of Matamata in the Waikato province. It is now a Tolkien tourism destination, offering guided tours of the set.
Pickup included
NB: From October 2024 this tour will no longer operate in conjunction with cruise ships docking at the port of Tauranga. All other days will operate as normal. This tour starts with a scenic drive along the Mount Maunganui beach before heading over the Tauranga Harbour bridge, past the city center and inland over the Kaimai ranges. We climb to around 1800 feet providing spectacular panoramic views across the rich fertile farmland of the Waikato province. From there we make our way towards Hobbiton passing typical New Zealand farms.
On arrival at the Shires Rest Cafe you are collected in the Hobbiton bus and taken to Middle Earth via the 1250-acre sheep farm. Your expert guide will take you on a 2 and a half hour journey through "The Shire". You will be told the story of how the remote set was discovered and how Hobbiton is a living film set maintained by a team of gardeners and maintenance staff. It is the only purpose-built film set in the world where the public can go and experience it as it is in the movie.
After a break for lunch (time permitting) and shopping at the Shires Rest Cafe, we head back over the Kaimai range stopping at the lookout for a photo opportunity looking across the beautiful Waikato farmland and then on to our final stop at McLaren Falls. McLaren Falls is a 190 hectare park of pastoral and horticultural land set alongside Lake McLaren with a ten minute walk through native New Zealand bush-land to view a picturesque waterfall. Finally we return to the city cross the harbour bridge and return you to the beginning of the tour.
You can choose to be picked up from a list of locations, or alternatively, have the choice to make your own way to the meeting points
Please arrive at the pick up point 15 minutes before departure time.
Thank you for booking with Wicked Wanders Tours. ***PLEASE DOUBLE CHECK YOU HAVE BOOKED THE CORRECT DATE AND TIME*** You will receive an automated reminder three weeks prior to your travel date with all the information regarding where to meet on the day, as well as a confirmed departure time for the tour which may differ to the time on your original booking. Please look for this. If you book less than three weeks prior to your travel date, we will still manually send you the meeting information. Thank you and happy holidaying.