New Zealand is the one place where you can walk through the Shire, look up at Mount Doom and stand on the hill that played Edoras, all in a single trip. The films were shot across both islands, so a Lord of the Rings trip is really a New Zealand trip with a theme. This guide covers how to get there from the UK, what you need to enter the country, the main locations on the North and South Islands, what to book in advance and what it roughly costs. Prices are in New Zealand dollars unless we say otherwise, change often and come from the sources listed at the end, so check official sites before you go. We haven't converted them to pounds because the rate moves.

Before you book: the basics

  • Flights: there are no non-stop flights from the UK. A typical one-stop trip to Auckland is about 23 and a half hours in the air, or nearly 28 hours door to door once you add a layover, according to Expedia. Common stopovers are Singapore and San Francisco. The same source says November is often one of the cheaper months, but fares vary a lot, so compare dates yourself
  • Entry: UK citizens need a New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA) before they fly. According to Wego (April 2026), it costs NZ$17 on the mobile app or NZ$23 on the website, plus a NZ$100 International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (IVL), which is non-refundable even if your application is declined. UK passport holders can stay up to six months. Allow up to three days for processing and check the official Immigration New Zealand page before you apply
  • The levy: the IVL went up from NZ$35 to NZ$100 in October 2024, according to the Otago Daily Times. It's paid with your NZeTA
  • Driving: New Zealand drives on the left, like the UK. A licence in English can be used on its own for up to 12 months, and you don't need an International Driving Permit, according to Discover New Zealand. Check your hire company's age rules and what its insurance covers
  • Seasons: the seasons are reversed. December to February is summer, and Hobbiton lists October to March as its high season

How to plan the trip

You could do the North Island alone in about a week (Hobbiton, Wellington, Tongariro) or the South Island alone in about a week (Queenstown, Glenorchy, Edoras and Fiordland). To see both, allow at least two weeks, and more once you count the flights. Auckland and Wellington are about 650 km apart, which is roughly an eight-hour drive or a one-hour flight, and you need a flight or the Cook Strait ferry to reach the South Island.

Hire a car for most of it. Many of the best locations are away from public transport, and several are on gravel roads. In Queenstown and Wellington you can manage without one.

North Island

Hobbiton Movie Set, near Matamata

This is the Shire. The village was built on private farmland, rebuilt as a permanent set for the Hobbit films, and you can only visit on a guided walking tour. You see the hobbit holes and the gardens, and the tour finishes with a drink at the Green Dragon Inn.

  • Getting there: Matamata is about 170 km, or roughly two hours' drive, from Auckland. Self-drivers book the walking tour and meet at the Shire's Rest at 501 Buckland Road, Hinuera. A coach takes you to the set
  • Price: the Signature walking tour was NZ$130 for adults and NZ$65 for youths as of July 2026, according to Finding the Universe. It takes about 2.5 hours in total, with a coach ride, around 1.5 hours on the guided walk and about 20 minutes at the Green Dragon
  • Evening Banquet: a dusk tour with a drink and a banquet at the Green Dragon Inn was listed at $240 for adults, $182 for youths aged 11 to 17 and 124forchildrenaged5to10.Thelistingdoesn′tgiveacurrency, butit′salmostcertainlyNZ. Check the operator's site
  • With transport: if you don't have a car, a full-day tour from Auckland includes transport and lunch. One operator listed it at $425 for adults and $213 for children in the October to March high season. Another option is a coach tour combined with the Waitomo glowworm caves, usually about 11 hours with hotel pickup. There's a Hobbiton Movie Set and Waitomo Glowworm Caves day trip from Auckland on Viator
  • Booking tip: book well ahead. One guide says dates are released about ten months ahead and tours often sell out. The first or last tour of the day has the best light. Wear enclosed shoes, because the paths climb a hillside. Tours run in all weather, and umbrellas are provided if it rains

Wellington and the Weta Workshop

Wellington is the heart of the film industry here. Peter Jackson's team is based in the suburb of Miramar.

  • Weta Cave and tours: the Weta Cave is the shop and display area, and free to browse. A Weta Workshop experience in Wellington and one in Auckland can be covered by a single combo ticket, listed at about $113 to $122 for an adult and $63 to $69 for a child, valid for 12 months (currency not shown). The Auckland tour, Weta Workshop Unleashed, lasts about 90 minutes and was listed from NZ$67. The tour has some horror-themed content, so parents may want to check before bringing younger children
  • With transfers: there's a Weta Workshop Experience with guided transfers from Wellington, so check the listing for what's included
  • A Wellington movie tour: one listing visits Mount Victoria, Miramar and the Weta Cave for $60 for adults and $30 to $35 for children, with an optional workshop add-on at $28 per adult (currency not stated)
  • Free locations nearby: Mount Victoria forest (Hobbiton Woods, where the hobbits hide from the Black Riders) is within walking distance of the city centre. Kaitoke Regional Park, near Wellington, is Rivendell, and the filming spot is a grassy area surrounded by native forest, signposted from the car park. Harcourt Park was the Gardens of Isengard
  • A longer drive: Putangirua Pinnacles in the Wairarapa, about two hours from Wellington, is the Paths of the Dead. Allow two to four hours for the hike and wear good shoes. Queen Elizabeth Park, near Paraparaumu, was used for the Pelennor Fields

Tongariro National Park: Mordor and Mount Doom

In the middle of the North Island, Mount Ngauruhoe was Mount Doom and the volcanic landscape around it was Mordor.

  • Tongariro Alpine Crossing: this is a long one-way day hike of about 19 to 20 km (sources differ slightly, and we haven't confirmed the walking time). Check conditions with the Department of Conservation before you go, because weather can stop you
  • Shuttle: one provider listed a one-way shuttle at about $75 per person, with 7:15 am and 8:15 am departures. You park at the end of the track and the shuttle drives you about 30 minutes to the start. The minimum age is 8, and the operator may cancel for weather or safety. If you'd rather not drive, there are also round-trip transfers between Turangi and Whakapapa, so check the listing for the exact pick-up points and times
  • Easier options: Tawhai Falls, the Forbidden Pool where Gollum is spotted in The Two Towers, is a roughly 10-minute walk from a point about 4 km from Whakapapa Village. The shorter Tama Lakes track also gives views of the area

South Island

Edoras: Mount Sunday

Edoras, the capital of Rohan, was Mount Sunday in Canterbury. No set remains, so it's about the view.

  • Getting there: about 160 km, or two hours 20 minutes, from Christchurch. The last 26 km is unsealed gravel. The road is usually fine for a two-wheel-drive car but can wash out after heavy rain and ice over after snow. After a single-lane bridge there are two fords before the car park, so check what your hire agreement says about unsealed roads
  • The walk: about 30 minutes on a DOC-maintained track, then a short climb of about 10 minutes
  • Good to know: there's no mobile signal, so download your maps first. It can be very windy and cold at the top. The nearby hill used for Helm's Deep is on private land, and you need the landowner's permission to climb it
  • Cost: the walk is free. A nine-hour guided Edoras tour was listed at NZ$259 to NZ$299 in a 2024 guide, so check the current price. If you'd rather not drive the gravel road, there's a private tour to Mount Sunday (Edoras) from Christchurch

Queenstown, Glenorchy and Paradise

Queenstown is the best base on the South Island, and the area has a lot of locations.

  • Glenorchy and Paradise: the beech forest near Paradise was Lothlórien, and Mount Earnslaw appears in the opening of The Two Towers. Glenorchy was also used for scenes including Isengard and the Battle of Amon Hen
  • Arrowtown: the Arrow River was the Ford of Bruinen, and both Arrowtown sites can be reached on foot
  • Kawarau Gorge, Chard Farm and the Crown Range: the Argonath view from the Chard Farm winery lookout was computer-generated in the studio, so this is a view, not a set. The Crown Range road gives a wider panorama
  • The Remarkables: the mountains were the Misty Mountains, and you can see them from Bob's Peak by the Skyline Queenstown Gondola
  • Guided tours: a Glenorchy Lord of the Rings tour with Nomad Safaris lasts about 4 hours 15 minutes and was listed at $315 for adults and $150 for children aged 4 to 14, with props and costumes. On Viator there's a Glenorchy and Paradise half-day explorer from Queenstown. A full-day 4WD tour that also covers Arrowtown and Skippers Canyon was listed at $650 for adults and $335 for children (currencies not stated)

Fiordland and Te Anau

Fiordland has quieter locations.

  • Fangorn Forest: the beech forest on both sides of Takaro Road near Te Anau
  • Mavora Lakes: used for the Fellowship's departure from Lothlórien and the paddling down the Anduin
  • Waiau River: between Te Anau and Manapouri, used as the River Anduin

More of the South Island

  • Nelson and Tākaka Hill: Chetwood Forest. The goldsmith Jens Hansen, who made the rings used in production, is in Nelson, and one original ring is on display
  • Twizel and the Mackenzie Country: the Pelennor Fields battle was filmed here, on private land, so you'll need a tour

Two sample routes

  • North Island, about 7 days: Auckland, Hobbiton, Rotorua or Taupō, Tongariro, Wellington (Weta and Kaitoke)
  • South Island, about 7 days: Christchurch, Mount Sunday, Twizel, Queenstown (Glenorchy, Paradise, Arrowtown), Te Anau (Fiordland)
  • Both islands, about 14 days: the North Island loop, a flight from Wellington to Queenstown or Christchurch, then the South Island loop

What it costs: rough guide

  • NZeTA plus IVL: NZ$117 on the app or NZ$123 on the website
  • Hobbiton Signature walking tour: NZ$130 for adults (NZ$65 for youths) as of July 2026
  • Tongariro shuttle: about $75 per person
  • Weta combo (Wellington and Auckland): about $113 to $122 for adults
  • Glenorchy LOTR tour: $315 for adults
  • Mount Sunday: free, plus fuel and car hire
  • A 2024 guide put car hire at NZ$50 to NZ$100 a day, accommodation at NZ$50 to NZ$200 a night and a daily budget for food, activities and transport at NZ$150 to NZ$200. Those figures are older, so treat them as a rough guide

Before you go

Apply for your NZeTA once your dates are confirmed, book Hobbiton and the Tongariro shuttle early, and check Department of Conservation advice for the crossing. Take out travel insurance, because health care is not free for visitors, and read the policy for activities like hiking and helicopter flights. For driving, you can compare car hire prices on DiscoverCars.

Planning more? See all our travel guides for UK travellers.

Where this comes from

Prices and rules change, and the sources don't always agree, so this is a snapshot checked on 28 October 2026. These are the sources it draws on: