I had to add an update to my last review, my husband and I visited Hobbiton on our honeymoon and treated ourselves to a feast at The Green Dragon. It was such a fun and exciting way to see Hobbiton in a different way then I had before. The dinner tour includes the last tour of the day. It is fun to see Hobbiton begin to light up and watch the sun set behind those emerald green hills studded with sheep. The Green Dragon was as lovely as ever and the wait for the grand opening of the banquet room was unbearable. As they opened the doors to the feast my first thought was- wow, they've outdone themselves. The tables were prepared in such a way that any Hobbit would be proud of. The sheer quantity of food was enough to leave a dwarf in a food induced stupor. We sat, we ate, we ate some more. The food just kept coming and their attention to my gluten allergy and another guests severe nut allergy was incredible especially considering all of the dishes and the general haphazard layout of the tables. We were so incredibly full as we commenced the lamplight tour it was almost difficult to frolic. Almost. But frolic we did. read more

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Very few times in my life have I experienced complete peace and serenity. Hobbiton was one of those places that brought me to that point of utter relaxation. Though Hobbiton is busy, I stayed behind the group (as usual) so I could have an extra amount of time gazing at all of the perfection that is Hobbiton. Yes, this is a movie set but I could imagine myself living here. The peacefulness of Hobbiton in the Lord of the Rings movies is brought to life here. The green rolling hills, the sounds of nature, and sheep in the background truly is what I imagined it to be. You can go inside one Hobbit hole (I accidentally went inside another without knowing we couldn't go in). You can also have a drink at the Green Dragon Inn which is a MUST DO if you're a LOTR fan. I absolutely LOVED Hobbiton and I would come back in a heartbeat. It's pretty cool standing where they filmed but it's a calm place where I just want to lie on the grass and read a book. Hobbiton is perfect. read more

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Back in 1998 Peter Jackson was looking for a great place to set up camp for the Trilogy Lord of the Rings. When he saw the Alexander Farm he knew instantly this was the perfect local! This such a great place!! We took the tour from our hotel. It was about 2 hours away. When we arrived it had so it was rainy. Thankful I always carry an umbrella! This was such a neat place to release your inner child or to find him/her again! It was a set for the movie but the owners asked them not to tear it down. They said, Who knew this would be s thing!! Lol They didn't know we would travel half way around to visit Middle Earth! This is a beautiful village full of hobbit homes, farm, gardens, ponds, live animals and a little Refreshment and light breakfast and lunch. Make the trip! It is so worth visiting! read more

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If you're a gain of the Lord of the Rings and the Hobbjt Trilogy; and you have the chance to visit New Zealand- you must visit the Hobbiton! It brings the movies to life and of course you will have a greater appreciation of the set. It's one of the coolest things I was able to see and I get around just a little bit to say the least. It's a bit on the pricey side due to the 2 to 2 and 1/2 hour distance from Auckland, but nevertheless, unless you frequent to New Zealand, you must go. Also, you can bundle it up and see the glowing worm caves and the geysers and mud pools along with the lake in Rotorua. read more

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This place is seriously one of the cutest little villages EVER! Must see if you are in Auckland New Zealand. We took a tour from Auckland because this place is about 2 hours drive from Auckland city center. The gift center/rest area is about 5min drive from the movie set. We stopped there first to buy souvenirs and use the restrooms. Then we drove over to the set and a local tour guide met us at the entrance to explain to us the history of the movie making, how they picked this lot for the set and how things are made. It was really cool to see all the creativity of the art department in making this set so realistic, including the fake trees, the "aged" fences etc. Complimentary drink at the Green Dragon was very nice, 4 choices of alcoholic and non-alcoholic options. The ginger beer I got was amazing. If you were to come to visit this place on your own the tour is $89 per person, very very expensive. So plan accordingly. read more

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What a magical place to visit while you are in New Zealand. It was definitely at the top of the list for us and most of our itinerary revolved around this. You can get to Hobbiton on your own and do a tour directly from the site, or you can do a tour from neighboring cities such as Auckland, Hamilton, Waitomo, and Rotorua. When we arrived on set we met our tour guide who would be the one to show us all around. Now keep in mind this place is a lot bigger than one may expect and there is a good amount of walking that can be done. We were so exciting to be able to see everything. We started on one side and made our way around to end up at the bar in order to try their famous Ginger Beer. The scenery is stunning and it was exciting for both people that have and have not seen the Lord of the Rings movies. You get to wander around seeing all the colorful hobbit houses, their tools, clothes, etc. There is a body of water within hobbiton that is very pretty to admire. Once you make your way to the barn you are able to try the Ginger Beer or Cider, both of which are fantastic. Afterwords we were escorted to their buffet for lunch. I was fairly pleased with the vast variety of food and dessert options. Definitely recommend a visit to Hobbiton if you are in New Zealand! read more

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The set is much further that I expected from the ticketing office. Once you purchase tickets and choose your tour time, you jump on your bus and head over to the set. This place is breath taking. It was so beautiful and green. After the tour was done, they took us to the Green Dragon for a complementary drink. I personally loved the cider! I kind of wish I watched the movies right before visiting Hobbiton. This way I would remember all the significant scene we were walking through. read more

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Hobbiton overly exceeded my expectations. So I was visiting New Zealand as a part of a non-school-sponsored field trip through EF Tours that my old teacher hosted with school friends, and I was SO excited when I saw Hobbiton as a part of the itinerary! I read all the books right before going, as well as watched all the movies, so I was prepared for the amazing experience. I had already heard so many great things about this place, but I had no idea that I would have the chance to see the actual Hobbit holes and the original filming places for all the movies up close! And wow, I was astonished by how vast the whole filming set is, covering acres and acres of green land. You literally feel like you're part of the Lord of the Rings when you visit. We got a tour of the entire filming set and we had plenty of time to tour the Hobbit Holes and everything else on our own. We took some unforgettable pictures and as it was getting closer to nighttime, the filming set lit up and it looked even cooler. Throughout the whole tour, we were able to go to the Green Dragon Pub and try some delicious ginger ale with free refills and we even had dinner at this special, reservation-only place incorporated into the filming set. The food that was served was identical to the food they ate in the movies and books. I ate wayyyy too much and I had become a true Hobbit. Overall, this is the best experience for anyone who loves the Hobbit or the Lord of the Rings and I recommend getting a tour guide to take you around. Our guide was fantastic and I learned so much from him. He made the whole experience wonderful and the Hobbiton staff did too! read more

Lord of the what? More like "oh Lord, why did I allow myself to be dragged on this tour when all I did was sleep through the first movie over 10 years ago?!!" Not a LOTR geek at all and I guess only those would truly appreciate the set and seeing others get overly excited, posing in front of the little doors with their gold rings and floppy, big ears. Whatever trips your trigger! I appreciated our tour guide, I appreciated the beauty of the landscape and the story behind how they found that place to film. The Alexander family is hella lucky and set for life! Not sure if it's an accurate number but heard they get 50% of all profits from the movies, tour, all things-related. Damn, just for owning the perfect plot of land! The lunch was an awesome cap to the tour. Not even close to a sack lunch but a whole buffet all decked out with chicken, sweet/sour meatballs (our table's fav), fish, short ribs, veggies, pasta and desserts. Definitely get that your package! read more

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Obviously Hobbiton, or the Shire, is probably one of the easiest of all LOTR / The Hobbit sites to visit. We chose getting here via the bus tour route. From the time we arrived, the tour was a good three hours long. In my opinion, this was enough time to explore the set in it's entirety. I consider myself a big fan, but not an ultra fan-boy that needs to spend the whole day there. I mean, wouldn't you rather head down to Queenstown to check out Milford Sound? I'll let you research that Lord of the Rings site. Regarding the Hobbiton movie set itself, "EXCITING"! Now before actually getting there, the bus driver shared little facts about the general area. How this sheep farm area was selected, the temporary house Peter Jackson rented out, and the sheep and cattle that currently roam the land. Checking out the whole greenery of the land, exploring the actual hobbit-holes, and a admiring the details simply made for a fascinating time! Kicking it at the Green Dragon Inn and having an ale was sheer enjoyment as well. That ale they served up was pretty damn good too! About our tour guides, Ethan and Hari, they were superb! They knew information and facts from both the movies and books; Answered whatever was thrown at them, and answered any questions that weren't too tough. Patiently helped our group have a fair opportunity to take photos. Last year Hobbiton had over three hundred and ten thousand visitors to the site. Just another fact they shared. Ethan and Hari made our journey into Hobbiton a true "adventure"! Hobbit sized things you may not know: ~ The apple trees are real, and they don't mind you taking some apples home. ~ If you plan to stay all night, inquire about the Evening Dinner Tours at The Green Dragon Inn. ~ The Auckland International Airport (departure gate) has a giant dwarf statue next to the escalator. Approximately 15ft tall. I know, unrelated... read more

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I've never been into science fiction or fantasy. I haven't read a single Harry Potter novel and couldn't even begin to fake knowing the plot line for Lord of the Rings (other than it involves a ring... And a gremlin-like creature who constantly says, "my precious"). And yes, I've seen all the movies. Don't judge! I have a hard enough time remembering all The Avengers. With all that said, it isn't too shocking that I never visited this place when I studied in nearby Hamilton 16 years ago. Back then, the set pretty much was just holes in the ground as most of the set was built to be temporary. But fast forward to 2009, when The Hobbit began filming. It took a total of 2 years to construct the current sturdy set, which transports this New Zealand hillside into the magical world. Depending on the time of year, tours leave every 20-30 minutes from the Shire's Rest (i.e. a gift shop). We arrived 30 minutes ahead of our tour, but were happy to have that time to check out the massive store with all things for those Lord of the Rings junkies. I mean, it had everything including Middle Earth wine to even a adult-sized cloak. It sounds like a party. Hobbiton is incredibly popular. It remains in the top 3 places that tourists visit in the entire country. I was slightly concerned that I wouldn't enjoy the tour given the massive size. But it actually felt very intimate and we got to chat up our guide Scarlett for pretty much most of the tour. Plus, it's a 12 acre set so you can certainly fit a lot of people in. From the Shire's Rest, we boarded the tour bus, which drove us a short distance to where we'd check out the magical Hobbit homes by foot. We were both relieved that it wasn't all on the tour bus (since we'd likely fall fast asleep from the moving vehicle). Along the way, you'll drive along the rolling hills of the Alexander family sheep farm and watch a video of the famed director, Sir Peter Jackson. Insider tip: try to get a seat at the FRONT of the bus. There is only one monitor. Of course, soon as we got to the Hobbiton holes, everyone was off running (including us). This place was basically Instagram heaven with its tiny doors and miniature decorations. But clearly keeping Hobbiton Hollywood ready is a big job. We were told that the site has 6 full-time gardeners who work around the clock. Forced perspective was a major tool in making Hobbiton look authentic on camera. So depending on the character, whether it was towering Gandolf or a tiny hobbit, the size of the background would change (big sets for Hobbits, and little sets for Gandolf). There are clearly a lot of Hobbiton homes to visit here -- a total of 44 holes for 300 hobbits to be exact. But I could tell our group of super fans were very excited for the home at the very top of the Hobbiton village that belonged to Bilbo Baggins, the main character of the film. One of the more interesting facts we learned is that the tree on top of this home was completely artificial. It was made for the 2009 Hobbiton movies to appear smaller than the original films. This was because the Hobbiton movies were set 60 years prior. And clearly, no detail was overlooked in this production. We learned so many interesting facts as we rounded our way down to the final stop -- like in order to be an extra you had to be under 5'4″ (I'd missed it!) and that none of the interior sets were shot here. Basically, these are just empty holes in the ground but with a pretty cool exterior. But perhaps my favorite fact was the scene where the Wizard hits his head on the chandelier, which was actually an accident, but was kept in the film. As we reached the Green Dragon, we were told that we'd have about 20-30 minutes to enjoy a drink included with the tour. Kevin got the hard cider and I had a beer. It was a nice way to wrap up the tour and a really fun setting. And that's a wrap. I couldn't believe that 2 hours passed. It felt more like 20 minutes. Who knows? Maybe I will become a big sci-fi fantasy geek? Okay, probably not. read more

I think the Yelp rating speaks for itself on this one! This is the experience of a lifetime. Even if you aren't a huge LOTR fan, you can just enjoy the beauty of it all. The tour is so amazingly beautiful throughout. It's not "touristy" at all. You get to walk around and look at everything. You can take your time; I never felt rushed. You really get to enjoy the experience and you learn SO much from the guide. Ending it all with a drink and meat pie at The Green Dragon is the perfect cherry on top of this magical experience sundae. I really can't find the words to express how much I enjoyed this experience. It is well worth all the time and money you put into it. I was able to make incredible, lasting memories with the person I love most! As Yelp says, this is "Woohoo! As good as it gets!" read more

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AS a giant Tolkien and Peter Jackson fan (LoTR and The Hobbit) visiting this tourist attraction was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Since I didn't know if I'd ever be able to come back, I sprung for the weekly evening tour (Wednesday nights!) which includes their regular tour, plus dinner in The Green Dragon Inn, and then an additional night tour. I arrived early and perused their gift shop, making several purchases. Our tour guide welcomed us and we rode a bus to the actual movie set about a mile or so into the farm. IT WAS AMAZING. We were guided all over the movie set, allowed to pose inside the door of one of the hobbit holes, and the guides were very accommodating in taking photos and even quick videos for single travelers like myself. The Green Dragon Inn was fantastic. Don't forget to take a peek at the Guestbook for the celebrity signatures. Their brewed ales are delicious and exclusively available at the Inn. I loved my stout. After our initial tour, we were led into a vast dining room and served a meal fit for any Hobbit. There was a wide variety of meat, salad, vegetables, and desserts and ALL were fantastic. I was thrilled with my meal and ate to discomfort. After our meal, we were then given individual lanterns and taken on another guided tour of the movie set, only now it was dark and the set was all lit up. It was a wonderful experience and one I'll never forget. I highly suggest dressing for the weather, you are on a farm and it can get cold in Winter/Spring. Bring a GOOD camera, as a lot of the photos you'll want to take will need a good lens. Wear comfy shoes as you will do a lot of walking, and some of it is on hills so make sure you're in reasonable health and able to walk/hike. Thank you Hobbiton, and thank you to the farm owners for allowing this piece of history to remain. read more

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It wasn't hard to find this place, coming from Auckland...and Waze does work really well in New Zealand. My family and I love this place! So much scenery, and the guided tour explains each and every part of the landscape as it relates to the movie. In fact, I watched the 3 LOTR and 3 Hobbit movies again as soon as we came home...just to be able to say, "So that's where that scene was filmed". Bring a lot of batteries and memory cards to capture the place... The souvenir shops are well stocked of items from the two movie trilogies. And the restaurant looked reasonably priced...but crowded during our visit. We decided to have lunch someplace along the drive home. If you visit the North Island of New Zealand, this is one of the places that should be a must on every itinerary! read more

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First of all, I am not a fan of Lord of the Rings and have never watched the Hobbit movies. The reason I went on this tour is because my boyfriend loves the movies. We drove 2.5 hours from Auckland and the green rolling hills with speckled sheep greeted us into hobbiton. We parked in a large car park and I quickly realized how much success the movies have brought to this tourist attraction. There was a shire building with a check in point for tickets, restrooms, a very decently priced cafe (you would never find such affordable prices in California...) and a gift shop with average priced souvenirs. The waiting area is just outside and you're to be there five minutes prior to your scheduled departure. I visited the cafe for a chicken/brie turkish sandwich and a fresh fruit salad. Both were worth ordering again and super affordable $12NZ. We did the regular two hour tour and it starts with a 10-15 minute shuttle ride to the welcome to hobbiton sign. Our tour guide (Chloe) was cheerful, informative, and engaging. Her quirky personality livened the tour for me and I enjoyed her corny jokes, "Why can't hobbits go boxing?" The walk through hobbiton was about 60 minutes or so. My boyfriend loved it and the only disappointment was not being able to go inside any of the hobbits houses. We were able to take a photo within a doorway but that's about it. We learned some interesting facts and my favorite part was probably the fake tree with 200,000 spray painted leaves that was a huge ordeal to create and was only in the movie for about 10 seconds. Crazy the extent professionals go for their movies. The tour finished in a building where a complimentary drink was offered. There were 4 options: pale ale, dark stout, apple cider with 5% alcohol, non-alcoholic ginger beer (which I ordered and if you love strong ginger you will like this.) You can also purchase soup, stew, a scone, a raspberry chocolate chip muffin, and biscuits (the chocolate chip was absolutely fantastic btw, do yourself a favor and spend $3NZ on this joy!) Coffee and tea are available as well. We shuttled back to our starting point and that was that. A total of 2 hours exactly. Very memorable experience and well worth the price. read more

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Whether you are a fan of the movies or not (1 in our group of 6 had not seen ANY!), a super impressive, immaculately kept Movie set. You got the feeling they could show up at any time and start filming another movie. You were able to go into a few of the homes to see. They were just big enough to change what was in the window! The pub at the end was FULL Size and included a beverage. There were some 'costumes' around to put on too! Gardens were well kept and blooming and there were nice touches like smoke coming out the the chimney! A MUST see if you anywhere near it. read more

This place is incredible! I'm embarrassed to admit that I've never seen LOTR or any of the little hobbit movies. BUT I am still SO HAPPY that I went here. I've been living slash traveling around New Zealand for five months now. In that time, I have done a lot of things around the North Island (I'm based in Auckland) and have contemplated going to Hobbiton. I never felt like the time was right, until last Friday, my partner and I decided to just go. We booked two tickets online on Friday night, and there were only a few time slots left for the next day (book ahead of time!). The tickets were $79 each, which is what held us back from going earlier, but I can tell you after going that it was totally worth it. Hobbiton is definitely a highlight of my New Zealand trip. We booked the tour for 4:50, and we arrived to the Shire about 4:30. Good timing, because you have to wait in line to check in, and your bus that takes you to Hobbiton LEAVES at the time of your tour. So be prepared, folks. We had just enough time to check in, use the bathroom, and hop on the bus. The bus ride is short, less than 5 minutes. We watched a short video on the way there, which told us about how the land was found and scouted for the film. I'd done research the night before, which confirmed that the set we see at Hobbiton was not always so - it was built originally as a temporary set, and then after filming LOTR, it was taken down and rebuilt as a permanent set for tourism. Smart guys, these are. The family that owns the land is in charge of the tours, and they do a great job. You don't actually see or meet them, but they have it set up well. You'll have a tour guide who will lead you through the winding paths of Hobbiton. Don't worry - they give you plenty of time to take photos, and they're really nice (unless you are trying to sabotage the gardens - don't do that). I was really happy with our tour time as the lighting calmed down a bit by the middle of our tour (New Zealand sun is HARSH). I got some amazing photos, we were able to verify that the hobbit homes have nothing in them, and we even finished the tour with a cheeky beer at the Green Dragon. Totally recommend visiting Hobbiton while in New Zealand, even as just a day trip from Auckland (like I did). It's just over two hours and 1000% worth the drive. read more

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So this place is a must do. I have never watched the films and was instructed to not miss it. I drove the 2 hours from Auckland to arrive. The drive is not easy and this place is worth it. Make sure you book in advance, the place was super packed and it is a ver intimate tour. They have a really nice restaurant at the location. Plan to arrive early and eat at the restaurant if you can. The drive is pretty long to not leave a margin for error. When you pull into the parking lot the magic starts. It is a lot like Disney world. We got super lucky that we were able to get tickets without making a reservation btw. The tickets were 84 new zealand. The tour lasts 2 hours and comes with a free beer or ginger beer for the kids. I have never taken so many pictures and had 2 hours disappear so quickly. The place is so relaxing and beautiful. I noticed right away what kinda of work was put into to building this place. I know want to watch the movies. Enjoy this place and you can also do the glowworm caves if you want to have a long day. read more

And my 200th review goes to Hobbiton! You come to Hobbiton for one thing -- to see the hobbit holes and live out your LotR/The Hobbit dreams. For a steep admission (we paid $75/person), you are granted an expansive look into the land of Hobbiton. It's a small price to pay for any fan of Middle Earth. You hop on a bus that drops you off at the entrance of Hobbiton, and from there, a tour guide will take you through the paths and give you fun factoids about places that you are standing in/around and how they relate to the movies. You are allowed freedom to take pictures of whatever you want so long as you stay on the path and within the certain area that the group is traveling through. Your nearly 2-hour tour ends with a free drink at the Green Dragon Inn -- a choice of a pale ale, cider, or ginger beer (non-alcoholic); I chose the cider, and it was delicious! The visit was a nice way to wrap everything up! You can also purchase some small snacks at the Green Dragon as long as you finish them within the allotted time that you have to spend there (which is about 20 minutes). The beauty of the set and the knowledge from the tour guides will make this trip well worth the price. read more

Hobbiton - Tours Near Me - Matamata, WKO

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I went to the film site of Edoras - Capital of Rohan which was great. (See my review http://www.yelp.com/biz/hassle-free-tours-christchurch?hrid=FhRCfIhukkEehyt65rPoyg) But nothing makes you feel that you are in Middle Earth like this place - Hobbiton Movie Set. All these cute little Hobbit house and beautiful green hills and trees, it was so peaceful and so magical to be there. This spot is definitely bucket list item for many and I'm proud that I've checked it off. Not sure where else it departs from, but I got picked up from Auckland. Check out "Great Sight" bus tour. They are the one who offers the trip from Auckland to here. "Sarah" the tour guide was friendly, informative, and kind. Kudo to her for good work. Tour ends with complimentary drink at The Green Dragon. I had pretty fine ale there. If you are in New Zealand(Auckland especially) and not coming here? I'm sure you'd feel like an asshole. So, come here! read more

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This tour is absolutely worth the time and expense. The tour is about an hour in length and the tour guide shares a wealth of information. The ending at the pub and gift shop top off the experience. My husband loved every minute of it and knew all of the trivia questions the guide asked. Please do not take this tour if you know nothing about Lord of the Rings. You ruin it for those who are fed up with tourist who take photos for popularity instead of presence. We especially loved the Chinese Nationalist who was reprimanded 5 times on the tour and then finally removed with his big camera, stench of Jean Nate and tacky Burberry shirt. I'm such case, might I suggest a concentration camp tour instead? I recall the Internet loving people having no respect for genocide a few years back, but hey, photo! You'll feel right at home with your philistine peers. read more

It's sort of a secret, hard to find on the map and such. Tours are not cheap but if your reading this review chances are you don't care anyways because your a nerd. It's totally worth the time and money. The photo ops and the information you'll learn on the tour is all worth it. At the end you get a drink. read more

It's been years since I last saw the Lord of the Rings or the Hobbit series. However, I do remember loving them! So when my wife decided that she wanted to take a trip to New Zealand, the first thing I planned was a stop at the Movie Set. I even booked our tour tickets after our flights and planned our journey through the North Island around when we would be visiting this site. The day we arrived, it was wet and rainy. That just added to our "journey". Overall, it was super cool to see all of the hobbit holes. I felt like a child at the toy store. The best part about it all, is they have it running like a well oiled machine. They have tours constantly throughout the day and they are on schedule. So unlike *COUGH* the glow caves, people who have traveled across the world can visit. read more

Even IF you are not a LOTR fan or know nothing about it, go here if you want some enchantment and fairy taleness. Not only that the drive down from Aukland or where ever you are in New Zealand is absolutely lovely. Full of green rolling hills dotted with cattle and sheep, we were simply awestruck by the simple beauty of our trip. Tours from Hobitton leave every half hour aboard a very comfy transport bus lead by a guide. There are about 35 people? Aboard and if your lucky enough to get a group who doesn't talk over the guide (we were not) you"ll revisit some f your favorite Hobbit scenes. At the end they treat you to a great glass of ale or ginger beer, etc and then back to a great gift shop chock full of crazy LOTR fans. We enjoyed this very much even though it was a bit spendy. You can also get a night tour complete with dinner which I hear is really great. We just couldn't be on the road after dark--inexperienced Kiwi drivers that we are:) BTW the weather was really sunny which is a great thing for this outdoor tour. It was fun to be a kid again. read more

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First impression: Wow, they must make so much money. Tour groups depart every 10 or so minutes and the whole area is jam packed with people. At a minimum of $55 USD/person and full tour buses, things add up fast. Situated in the middle of nowhere, the Shire's Rest is bustling with tour buses, cars, and RVs. They even have parking attendants that direct you to empty parking spots. I opted in for a relocation deal which involved me driving up north from Wellington and taking a night's rest in Lake Taupo. From there it was another 1.5 hours to the parking lot. At the central courtyard you can pickup your ticket and enjoy an ice cream, drinks, or snacks at the on-site cafe. When your tour group is called up, a tour bus whisks you away to a private farm sitting just next door. It's not hard to be enamored by Hobbiton because the set dresser in charge did an outstanding job with the color and detail of each hobbit hole you pass by. Lots of people were working around the farm to maintain appearances, hang up laundry, and manicure the flowers and the lawn. The roughly 1.5 hour tour (not including the 20 minute roundtrip bus ride) takes you through a one-way path through Hobbiton and famous "landmarks" that were prominently shown in the movie. This all culminates with a a "free" drink at the Green Dragon inn toward the end of the tour. But toward the end you begin to understand that, as the name implies, a movie set is meant to look great superficially. After all, a majority of the indoor scenes were filmed in a studio. So while Hobbiton looks great, you really can't do much more than take pictures in front of a few painted doors. For half of the price of Disneyland, you really don't get very much. The price gouging continues into the gift shop as well; I saw a few items overlap with items also for sale at the Weta Cave in Wellington and noticed a significant markup in prices. As an example, the tea towel that goes for $50 NZD here is only $40 NZD at the Weta Cave. Thankfully, if you've made it this far, I'll share a tip: look for Expedia activity coupons. They have 20% coupons running fairly regularly and can even go up to $20/30/50+ off on sale days (like Black Friday). I booked Hobbiton for around $40 USD which made things slightly more worth it. While Hobbiton is easily a five star destination, the price to value ratio doesn't quite justify the experience. Though with constantly sold out tours, it doesn't seem like pricing is a deterrent for most. read more

Must stop for all Hobbit fans or even non-fans. You can only visit the movie set via tours. Tips on booking a tour: You can purchase the tour tickets from the visitor center or the Matamata i-SITE and it is $79/person. There are various sites that will set up transportation from various area and may combo it with other tours. If you don't mind the time and effort to save some money, take the InterCity bus from Auckland and book the tour directly from the site. I learned that it's cheaper this way versus booking a package. The drive is about 2.5 hours from Auckland. The buses have free Wifi. The nice thing about the tour sites are they arrange the rides for you with plenty of time to spare. The InterCity bus drops you off at the i-SITE and if you have a lot of time to spare, grab a drink at the nearby bars. Be a true Hobbit and come barefoot. Make sure you have enough foot hair to pass. The tour runs about 2 hours around the shire. I came on a somewhat wet/rainy day and they provided umbrellas for everyone. There's plenty of time to go around and take pictures. The last part of the tours takes you into the Green Dragon where a choice of drink is provided. There's a couple beer choices and cider for the non-alcoholics. read more

I thought I would not go because I am not a movie person but my boyfriend loves the series so I said fine. I end up loving it! What a piece of heaven! I would. Is it again if the price was not that high. Really! On on bus is a fortune that can feed hundred. read more

Hobbiton - Fun! A dreamland! - Tours Near Me - Matamata, WKO

Fun and worthy tourist trap, particularity alluring to tourists who have read The Lord of The Rings or watched the movies.... like ME! Even if you haven't read or seen the movies, it is quite fun to check out the movie set, located over sprawling acreage. It is a pricey, yet fun, way to spend 2-3 hours. It cost $168 NZD for two adults which includes an entertaining ten-minute bus ride to and from the set with movie clips, tour guide, and drink at the pub in the end (including ginger beer). Favorite part of the tour was learning about the fake tree. People organize tour events including weddings and private tours. What looked like a lot of fun was the event after our tour. The guests of the birthday tour after ours were dressed like movie characters. How fun! This is a great source of revenue and work opportunity for locals. Really enjoyed the tour guide and overall experience. I felt it was worth it. read more

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TOTALLY worth going to! Even if you're not a huge LOTR fan, like myself. We were hesitant thinking it would be super touristy and were turned off after reading some negative reviews. However, I'm so glad we pulled the trigger! It's on the way between several North Island destinations, so definitely plan for a stop if you're thinking about it! Some tour times fill up/sell out closer to the day of, so be sure to book online ahead of time if you're on a schedule. We wanted to book the lunch feast package but they were all sold out. You meet at the gift shop/cafe until your tour begins. It started off with a short bus ride to the movie set. The drive is so scenic overlooking rolling hills and a sheep farm. Once we arrived at the movie set, our guide shared lots of info about Peter Jackson's (LOTR director) quirkiness and attention to detail, the phases of building and remodeling of Hobbitton, and random fun facts. You're relatively free to explore the area and take fun photos up close to the little homes. The tour ended at the Green Dragon Inn, where the Hobbit party was in the first LOTR, and the ticket gets you an alcoholic/non-alcoholic drink of your choice! It was so amazing to see the little homes up close and to learn about how they did it all without CGI. That means they build giant homes for Frodo to look tiny and tiny homes for Gandalf to look giant. We really enjoyed this cute part of the trip. read more

I am not a die-hard fan of LOTR, though I have seen all the films, but have not watched all the movies in their extended versions or with commentary. However, I am friends w/enough people who would have disowned me had I not made the "pilgrimage" here. I drove and parked at the "Shire's Rest" where there are restrooms, a café, a giftshop, and where the big fancy buses pick you up to actually take you to the tour of the sets. It was raining when I went, which I guess worked in my favor because apparently tours sell out mad crazy and they highly recommend you book online and well in-advance. Thankfully, because of the weather, I was able to just walk up, by a ticket, and then jump on a waiting bus. I am told this is an atypical experience, so win for the wet! The bus trip is a few mins and you drive through the pastoral landscape, past sheep and cows, and Peter Jackson says his hellos via a tv screen on the bus. Our bus driver was amazing and quite funny and honestly, had she not been at the helm, I probably would have gotten bored on the drive. When you get to the beginning of the tour, you are assigned a guide and he accompanies you everywhere and gives you tidbits about the films, the shoots, and the references to what you are seeing. They also provide you with huge umbrellas, which was nice since I just had my pancho. Our guide, Liam, was great and engaging, but I missed a lot of what he was saying because the tour moves fast as there are preceding and proceeding tours, literally on top of each other. There were a few times I lost our group and just kinda listened to the tour guide I had fallen in with. Also, though they do their best to accommodate pictures, there is not a lot of time allotted, so for a big group like ours (like 12 people, which I was told is a small one for them), stopping for 12 people to get their pics caused a bit of a log jam. It was neat seeing all the little hobbit-holes and the immense attention to detail. Seriously, the detail in each and everything we saw was utterly astounding! You end your tour at the Green Dragon w/an included beverage, which can include cider or beer. I chose the Southfarthing stout, which was actually pretty decent to my surprise. They also offer food options and after walking in the cold and rain, the steak pie sounded delicious and was! It was quite well w/the stout too! You get about 20mins or so in the Green Dragon before regrouping w/your guide and getting back on the bus and going back to the Shire's Rest. Even though the weather was bleak, it seemed to work in my favor since many of the people who work there said the place was really "slow". If that was the case, I would hate to be there on a "busy day". That being said, I think for the price, this tour was a bit lacking. I'm sure for the hardcore fan, it would be incredible and the price would be auxiliary to the experience. But, for the casual fan such as myself $79NZ($55 US) was a bit much for what you got. I wish the tours were spaced out a bit more so that you didn't feel rushed through walk-through and it would be nice to have smaller individual groups to really get to hear and relate the experience to the films via the stories relayed by the guides. In the end, I was glad I did it, but felt a bit jilted as the experience seemed to focus on moving the herds of tourists through as quickly as possible to the gift shop. I will say the highlight of the tour was one of our group dug out what she initially thought was a lost wedding band from the mud. It turned out to be a gold ring w/an elvish inscription. Whether it was one of the lost rings from the set or the gift shop, maybe we'll never know, but it was cool to witness someone leave with such an memorable souvenir found in such an incredible way! read more

Hobbiton, as most fans of Lord of The Rings know, is where The Shire was filmed. It is out in the New Zealand countryside set on private land. The tour guide told us that when Peter Jackson's crew was looking for locations to film, they found this farmer's land from the plane. Now it's a part farm, part tourist attraction. A bus takes you out from the ticket office to the Shire. You can see Hobbit homes littered throughout. It's quite spectacular. A tour guide walks you through Hobbiton and describes how the homes were built, what scenes in the movies the set is from and the amount of detail that went into designing The Shire. At the end of the tour, we were invited to have a drink at the Green Dragon (the local pub). We had a choice between beer, ginger beer or cider that is brewed by a local brewery exclusively for Hobbiton. The cider was delicious! A fun tour and a must-do when you're in New Zealand (even if you're not a LOTR fan like myself). read more

TLDR: If you're a fan of the LOTR & Hobbit trilogies, this place is a must visit if you're in New Zealand. While New Zealand is known for many things in the great outdoors, being the setting for the LOTR and Hobbit films is one of its main claims to fame. One of the settings that was utilized was a farm located just outside of Matamata that became Hobbiton that we all saw in the films. Keep in mind that outside of the city center in Matamata, there isn't exactly too much to do around the Hobbiton movie set. You may have to commit a good part of your day to seeing this place. Fortunately, some of the establishments in Matamata have embraced LOTR, so your Middle Earth experience doesn't have to be restricted to just Hobbiton. If you don't have a car, there are buses that do have round trips from Rotorua and Auckland. Otherwise, a bus takes you from Shire's rest and goes to the Hobbiton movie set. The tours themselves start at $84 NZD and allows you access to see all of the Hobbit Holes, including Bag End. It's a walking tour that goes up and down small hills and you can take as many pictures as you'd like. After the walking tour, you end up at the Green Dragon for a complimentary beer, which was actually pretty good. After that, you have a chance to go to the gift shop and then take a short bus ride back to Shire's rest/I-Site. LOTR fan or not, it is such a great experience and one that I highly recommend for anyone visiting New Zealand. read more

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I really enjoyed my visit to hobbiton. I was able to walk through the same area that was filmed in the movies. It's a great location where one can become one with nature. The only way to get in is by purchasing tickets for a tour. The tour guide was very informative. At the end of the tour, everyone was treated with a free cup of beer. read more

I'm a lotrs fan and really enjoyed this place. I wish there were actual sets behind the doors of the homes so I could take pictures but the guide informed up it was just 6x6 containers :/. 1. Vibe It was nice to see where the movie was made. The tour guide was super patient and nice. Everyone onsite was nice and it was just a chill vibe overall. 2. Service I think there should be a separate line for people who order their tickets online vs people buying tickets day of. We missed our tour time even though we came 30 min ahead because the line was so long to pick up our tickets we ordered online. But after that chaos everything else was chill. 3. Taste You get a free beer or cider with your admission ticket. I had the meat pie and cider which were both really good. I don't think you can get a full on meal there unless you get the dinner package. I wish the menu was bigger, but then again you go in a large group so it would be hard to accommodate everyone. 4. Value I think it's worth it to see at least once if you're a LOTRs fan. I definitely enjoyed it. My plus one just came along for the ride. I got a 10% discount from my airline soooo check with yours :). I think tickets are around $70/$80. read more

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Well, I go against the norm of 5 star ratings for Hobbiton, but I'm not going to complain endlessly about it and say it was terrible. It wasn't. Quite the opposite, it was a pleasant experience. It's not really close to anything so if you are coming to Hobbiton... you are coming to Hobbiton. That's about it. That's likely a good thing as you know you aren't seeing one green valley amongst skyscrapers and freeways like how we fudge things in Los Angeles with filming. In fact, It's far more lush and green than it even looked when watching the movies and I enjoyed the scenery so much more than the actual tour. I'm not really a big Lord of the Rings fan, but since I work in the entertainment industry, I knew I couldn't come to New Zealand without a trip to Hobbiton or I'd be disowned by my colleagues! The tour is 2 hours long and it's all about hobbit homes. Big ones, small ones, famous ones, ones just barely in the background of a scene. Kuddos to the company that developed this as they charge a hefty price to see a bunch of hobbit facades. There's one you can kind of go in, but basically, they are all garden sheds. You do get to go into a hobbit pub and have a cup of ale and sit by the scenic pond. It makes for a lot of very nice photos you can take. They give you a bunch of information about how the designed everything for the film, but remember, the shire is pretty much at the beginning of the first film and the end of the final film. I'm sure LOTR and Hobbit fans get a lot more out of this than I did, but I'm glad I at least saw it once. I wouldn't have to go back to it. read more

What else to say?! This is totally worth going to! Hobbiton is soooooo cute - even if you don't watch LOTR, enjoy the greenery and the beautiful scenery! Our guide was sweet and friendly and kept our group of 50 well-reigned. I thoroughly enjoyed our tour and taking photos and our little stop at the Green Dragon for libations. Great time!! This was the only place we didn't get one of those professional "green screen" photos and I wish they had one, haha. read more

What better place to drown your sorrows and hear travelers' tales of dwarves, elves and orcs? The Green Dragon can only be visited as part of a Hobbiton movie set tour, but it's absolutely worth it and serves as the tour's ultimate highlight. (after the Shire itself, of course) The pub offers up a fantastic selection of custom-brewed ales, the first pint of which is complimentary as you walk in the door. They also have some pretty excellent Middle Earth fare, including a steak and ale pie that really hits the spot after escaping Sauron's minions. The only tragedy is how little time you get in the pub itself. The tour only allocates about 15 minutes or so, but I'd recommend a linger (and an extra ale) since the tours run every 45 minutes and you can easily catch the next bus back to the Shire's Rest cafe. read more

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This is an absolute must if you are even remotely interested in Lord of the Rings/Hobbit. I also highly recommend purchasing the night/dinner tour if you are able to. We booked our tour several months in advance to ensure we were able to book the day we were switching airbnbs. The views are amazing. Even if you know nothing about the Lord of the Rings, the views itself is breathtaking. There is only 1 night/dinner tour offered for the day. Remember to make your purchases at the gift shop before you head onto the bus because the store will be closed by the time you return. The tour was from 5:30-10pm. It was a very long and entertaining tour. You get bused to the movie set and see all the hobbit holes during the day. I was very intrigued by all the sheep that were roaming around the property. You have many opportunities to stop and take photos of the hobbit holes and you can even enter one of them. As the sun sets, you are escorted to the Green Dragon where drinks and dinner is served. Your tour includes 1 free beverage and for those who do not wish to drink alcohol, there is a ginger ale that is really good. They then reveal the dinner and it is quite a show which I adored. The guides really try to make this tour exciting and interesting for everyone. My sister is usually the least amused person and scoffs at these types of things when I drag her; and she was impressed with the dinner. The staff really took a lot of effort to make it spectacular with decorations. The meal was delicious and filling. There was way more than enough food. Also, because my group was large, we were able to take a whole end for ourselves. The guides were considerate enough to arrange groups to sit together by allowing us to see the dinner first and dedicated a table just for large groups. The food was seasoned well and there was something for everyone. I wasn't so interested in the pig leg, but the chicken was really good. I was really excited by the variety of food as well. There were about 5-6 vegetable side dishes and I filled up on that. I didn't realize there was dessert so I ate like I had a worm in my stomach and then when they came out for dessert...omg. It was amazing. They had pavlova (originated from New Zealand), poached pears, baked apples, and other baked goods. The dinner was set in front of a fire place and you were able to try on some hobbit clothing after dinner. Thankfully, after dinner they gave you a night tour of Hobbiton. It was magnificent. They gave you a lantern to walk around with and the sky was so clear. I wish I brought a real camera to take photos of the hobbit holes at night, but it's forever in my memory. Remember to dress warm for the night/dinner tour. It will get really cold. read more

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One of the best tours I have ever been on! I recommend for everyone even if you're not a Lord of the Rings super fan. As long as you have seen the movies you will enjoy going to Hobbiton. You get to see where the Shire was filmed and learn a lot of interesting facts about the production of the movies. The overall experience is out of this world. Also the cider at the green dragon was a pretty good addition to the tour. read more

Hobbiton - Tours Near Me - Matamata, WKO

It all started in 1998, when Peter Jackson was exploring New Zealand to find suitable locations for Lord of the Rings trilogy. The moment Peter Jackson set his eyes on the Alexander Farm, he knew this was the apt location for the movies. From them, negotiations began with the farm owners and the rest is history. The set was originally built with untreated timber, ply and polystyrene, with the intention of taking it down after shooting ended. However, with the popularity of the film, the set came very prominent and the first guided tours began in 2002. Eventually, the Hobbiton film set became a permanent attraction with 44 hobbit holes, Green Dragon Pub, Mill, Double-arched bridge and the Party Tree. On a warm, sunny day, we woke up to the smell of fresh bread in Rotorua. Our AirBNB host was very sweet to wake up early in the morning and prepare fresh breakfast for us with different varieties of bread, jam, fruits and a nice cup of coffee. Always love it when somebody makes breakfast for me. After a healthy and mouth-watering brekkie, we started driving to the Hobbiton Tour Set in Matamata. We parked the car, slathered sunscreen lotion all over and strolled around the gift shop and visitor center grounds. A large statue of Gandalf inside the Visitor Center welcomes you to Hobbiton. Then we boarded the bus and rode through rolling green landscapes and the sheep farms to get to the entrance of the Hobbiton Set. My husband, being a very huge and crazy fan of the Lord of the Rings, his heart was pounding with excitement. I could see the slight sappy smile on his face. We walked into the view of the huge farm with numerous, flamboyant hobbit holes. There's nothing behind the doors, because the interiors of hobbit holes are shot inside a studio. It was pretty cool to see all the hobbit holes, flowers, gardens and tiny things for the little hobbits. The view of the double arched bridge and the Green Dragon Inn from Bilbo Baggin's hobbit hole is a pretty amazing one. Then of course, something that is not easy to miss is the huge Party Tree, which apparently is one of the most photographed trees in New Zealand. We then crossed the double arched bridge and walked to the Green Dragon Inn, the meeting place for the hobbits. The interiors look very similar to what you see in the movies, though in reality the interiors were shot in a studio. Inside the Green Dragon Inn, we were served complimentary drink, just what was needed after a long day in the sun. They also have a menu you can order off of. After enjoying the amazing Hobbiton experience, we boarded the bus back to the Visitor Center read more

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