This was an absolute stunning visit for us, fulfilling our lifelong dreams to go see where the…read morehobbits lived in the Shire. Of course, everything is to scale in real life, but it was an unbelievable experience walking on the paths shown in the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies. We had purchased our tickets beforehand online on their website. Upon arriving, it was easy to find parking and the check-in lines. There was a cafe and gift shop available to peruse through while we waited. An attendant checked our ticket times and allowed us to board a bus that took us to the grounds. The tour guide was very knowledgeable about everything we saw, heard, and touched. Anything that was within arm's reach, we could touch. Everything we saw was a real flower, plant, vegetable, or fruit. Nothing was plastic. Everything was made with raw materials as shown in the movies. Different places we walked past and through, the tour guide explained which scenes in the movies were shown. The tour guide was kind enough to take pictures for each group. Pictures and videos were encouraged. The tour itself lasted nearly 2 hours, which we thought was well worth our money spent. Near the end, a free beer was offered at the tavern and light snacks were sold. Any additional beer was extra. It was relaxing sitting inside the tavern as it was enjoying the cool outdoor summer of New Zealand. Hobbiton is a must-visit and we would love to come back if we can!

This review is for the behind the scene Tour…read more I am a huge fan of Lord of the rings. I watch it every year. So this was one of the bucket list that I want to check off while I was in New Zealand. They pick you up from the meeting area, where there is a plenty of parking spot for you, you meet up with your tour guide and at least 15-20 other people in your group. You start out with the main part of the hobbit area where you'll see many many hobbit doors, and almost to the end you get to go inside of the hobbit house where it is all decorated with kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, so it's really fun to check that part out. This was my favorite part of the Tour. After that, they take you to the green dragon inn, where you're able to get one free drink that could be cider, nonalcoholic or beer. I really like their cider and you get to kind of chill till this massive dinner that they have planned for you. You go to this separated VIP area where they have a huge table full of food for you to enjoy. Food was amazing. I have zero complaint which is saying a lot. They were able to accommodate to people who had dietary restriction, which is amazing as well. And then the actual behind the scene part of it starts. You go on another bus ride to this more like a warehouse area. Where they show you the sketches of The Hobbit and the little model of the hobbiton as well. However, I felt that this portion could have been much better. I felt that it wasn't much of a behind a scene Tour. You got to walk around another part of Hobbiton area and they offer another snacks with cheese and wine. Honestly, without all this fantastic food, I felt that it probably would not have been worth the behind the scene portion of the tour. If I would go back or recommended to others, I would recommend just going to do the regular tour.

Absolute must visit for us -- Maybe better than Yellowstone…read more Drive to Lake Rotomahana. and be prepared for geothermal wonderland Well worth the drive and the time Geothermal areas are through out the north island, and this is one of the best

This is a must visit if you are in Rotorua! From the Inferno Crater, the Frying Pan Lake to the…read morewetlands and Lake Rotomahana, Waimangu provides a primordial landscape-an otherworldly atmosphere! Huge ferns tower above you while bubbling craters and streams lead to wetland "jacuzzis" perfect for native and introduced birds such as ducks, geese and swans. There is a boat at Lake Rotomahana that ordinarily takes you to see other geothermal delights but it was under maintenance during our visit. You can contact Waimangu to see whether the boat is operational before booking your tour. The walk to the lake includes a nice ride back to the visitor center via bus. You can catch it at two previous locations along the way if you are not interested in the full walk.

We did this cave as a combo with Waitomo cave. Waitomo is really focused on the glowworms and this…read morecave (while it has some glowworms as well) its highlights are the many rock formations. The ribbon or sheet formations were stunning. The white rock is so beautiful. The cave is fully accessible with no steps. The beginning walk down to the cave door reminds me of being in the sci film, The Silo. Our guide was very knowledgeable about the cave and the area. They encourage photos so we took a few. I really enjoyed this tour.

Came here with the grandparents and the kids and everyone loved it. Our guide, Jetta, was…read moreexcellent - she was knowledgable about the history of the place, some of the science behind the worms, and managed the tour from start to finish really well. The caves themselves are really impressive - with the Ruakuri cave you get both the glowworms (including fairly up close) and the stalactite and stalagmite formations on an accessible walking tour. Yes, it is also accessible with a wheelchair and it's great that it was a priority for the owners to make it that way. Definitely book in advance so that you know you have a spot. Also, to clarify this is actually a separate cave to the Waitomo Glowworm Caves where you take a boat - so if you are torn on which one to do you can do both without a lot of overlap.

A true highlight of our New Zealand trip. After a ton of research, we found Glowing Adventures,…read morewhich was a unique mix of caving/spelunking and getting up close and personal with glow worms! But the best part of the trip was that it was a small tour, run by the family that's opened up their farm to the public to share this magical experience. Highly recommended!!!

If you are going to see glowworms, you have to go with glowing Adventures! No one else signed up…read morefor our time, so we got a personal 2 people tour. Not rushed, had all the time on the world. We got great explanations and our tour guide even took pictures of us, including a long exposure one that captured the beauty of the glowworms. We were provided with all the clothing/boots we needed, and got cookies and coffee afterwards. It's on their private farm, so the caves were in pristine condition, non-commercialized. Some areas got pretty tight, and required some scrambling, but your tour guide will guide you into the appropriate areas of the cave. Also inevitable to get water in the boots, but felt great and the clothing they supplied kept us at a perfect temperature. All in all one of the best tours we have ever been on! We were also fortunate to come in the spring when it wasn't too busy and get a great $100 dealing bookme.co.nz 2 days before!

Way back when in 2015 we came to NZ as one of first bucket list trips. This location is must to…read moreappreciate the nature of NZ. One gets a guided tour and see nature coming up out of the ground. Bonus points if you can pronounce the name place. And appreciate the Maori culture and lifestyle.

We went on a day tour to this village from Auckland and the experience was worth the long drive. It…read morewas freezing on the day we went but our village tour guide was still informative and entertaining. We learned a lot about the Maori culture and how some still live day to say in their old school customs. We saw and learned about the geyser and boiling pools used for cooking and bathing. We saw active geysers from a distance. We saw a native performance that was upbeat and cool to see. You were able to take pictures with the performers at the end. There are a few local vendors selling native products. The best part of my experience was the local food that was delicious. We were able to taste the local dish, hangi pe that was very tasty and hearty. Definitely a place to check out!

I mainly wanted this glowworm tour because they allow pictures to be taken while in the cave. The…read moretour date I was looking at was fully booked but you can email them to be added to the waitlist. I asked to be added to the waitlist for 2 on October 12, and got off the waitlist on November 9, for a tour on December 28 so don't give up hope if it is originally fully booked! I did the spellbound explorer tour which included a walk through a cave as well as a boat ride through a cave for the glowworms. The tour guide was great and allowed pictures during the first back and forth on the boat ride and asked us to put away our phones during the second. This is because the first go-around allows for the eyes to adjust and see the glowworms better so the second go-around the glowworms are much brighter. The cave walk was also a nice add on for 20 NZD but if the tour with the cave walk is not available the regular boat ride is perfect on its own. I loved this tour as our tour guide took pictures for each group that wanted some with glowworms and also provided us with personal pictures of glowworms taken with a nicer camera with a longer shutter speed.

Oceane was an informative and friendly guide. We were able to see so many glow worms! It was like…read moreseeing the milky way! Ask her about Mama Mia if you like aquatic wildlife.

Visiting Hobbiton was easily one of the highlights of our trip to the north island. The experience…read morebegan with a scenic bus ride across a working sheep farm, during which we learned about how the location was discovered and transformed into the iconic film set that it is today. Once we arrived, we were taken on a guided walking tour through the beautifully preserved set. Along the way, we saw some of the most memorable spots from the films, including the famous hillside where Frodo sets off on his adventure. One of my favorite parts came toward the end of the tour, when we were able to step inside a hobbit hole. The interiors were meticulously decorated, making it easy to imagine what life in the Shire might actually feel like! At the end of the tour, we stopped by Green Dragon Inn, where we enjoyed a complimentary drink (there's both alcoholic and non-alcoholic options available). Overall, this was such a magical experience! Be sure to book ahead, as the popular tour times tend to get booked out pretty far in advance during peak season.

Hobbiton is exactly what you think it will be. If you're a fan of the movies and most importantly a…read morefan of Hobbiton, you are stepping into a real life fantasy. I was there for a wedding and we received our own private tour, so I can't say whether it was like the standard tour. You start off from essentially their home base. You get on a bus and drive across to an active live sheep and cattle farm. The sets are built on the farm. The hobbit homes are all exterior and gorgeous. The details are immaculate. They even have real smoke coming from chimneys! There is a built out interior for tourists to traverse and the details are amazing. I found an accordion in one and it worked! There are alcoholic beverages at the Pony, but alcohol content is low. Probably to keep us from acting out scenes from the movies. The tour guides were also awesome, funny, and knowledgeable. Magical place. 10/10

Lord of the Ring fans will definitely want to add this to their New Zealand vacation agenda. This…read morehilly farm site was extensively used in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. The enthusiastic owner Suzie takes you on a wonderful 90 minute tour of all the exact filming locations on the farm. While the rocky, hilly and forested farm isn't the most ideal for sheep farming, the landscapes and scenery are incredibly enchanting...its no wonder Peter Jackson chose to film here. Suzie takes you through scene by scene, and even helps you stage photos to duplicate scenes from the movie, even with some props! The tours are small, limited to 9 people maximum, but as luck would have it my wife and I were the only ones, so we got a private tour! $60 isn't cheap, but for LOTR fans its totally worth it.

Best tour ever. I'm a huge Lord of the rings/hobbit fan and they spoiled us rotten with cool props,…read morephotos, facts, and more. I'd do it again and highly recommend. They were so nice and personable it really made the experience personal and not just another tour. I loved it!

Done a fair few zipline courses in my time -- pushing 50 or so -- with about half over in Hawai'i…read more But today was my first crack here in lush Rotorua, and honestly... blew me away, eh. Place is unreal, and the scale's next level. Longest line's around 400 metres, and you're absolutely sending it over a ravine that's gotta be pushing 100 metres deep. Reckon I'm about ready to move back here -- ready, set, jet if Canopy starts flogging an annual pass . Quick post-mortem: there's two courses - Canopy and Ultimate. If you're a proper zipline fiend, start with the classic and work your way up. I stuffed it and went straight for Ultimate thinking it was just longer. Looking back, I'd book both back-to-back... just not on the same day if you're stepping down a notch in the views and buzz.

My Dad and I had an absolute blast doing the ultimate canopy tour!! The guides were excellent! They…read morekept the group laughing and having a great time while making everyone feel very safe at height. Would definitely recommend!!

We booked this activity through Viator several weeks in advance. We received confirmation and…read moretickets. We arrived at the pickup location early and messaged the operator to ensure we were in the right location. We did not receive a response. Contacted Viator directly who spoke with the operator wan advised that we had not been out on their calendar. We had one day in Auckland and were left with no tour as everything else was booked. So unprofessional and they didn't even respond to us. I would give them zero stars if I could. Nothing was offered to compensate for this oversight.

We took many wine tours during our New Zealand vacation and this was by far the best. John, the…read moreowner operator provided our group with a great selection of Auckland area vineyards and wineries. We didn't just visit the tasting rooms, John provided us a detailed cellar tour where he explained the entire wine making process. We were given excellent commentary on New Zealand, various trends, and the economic forces at play. It was a very informative drive through the region as we made our way from winery to winery. It was a perfect way to spend our final day in New Zealand as we were also able to hire John to transport us straight to the airport at the conclusion of our tour. I highly recommend NZ Wine Pro.