Middle Earth Experience - Hobbiton Movie Set & Te Puia Geothermal Valley

Experience the real Middle-earth with a visit to the Hobbiton Movie Set, featured in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit films. Travel in style from Auckland to Hobbiton Movie Set - set on rolling farmland, this is the world famous movie set where you'll see the intricately created 'Hobbit holes' the Green Dragon Inn, the Party Tree and so much more cinematic magic! Immerse yourself in the sights, smells, sounds and tastes of the Shire as featured in the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit trilogies.

Leaving Auckland through the rolling hills of the Waikato region and beautiful farming towns along the way, you'll experience beautiful countryside in luxurious coach comfort. Located 10 minutes away from the bustling Matamata Township the Shires Rest sits among the hills on a private working farm awaiting our arrival. Your guided tour starts with a drive through our picturesque 1,250 acre sheep farm with spectacular views across to the Kaimai Ranges.
 
Walk into the real-world landscape of Middle Earth on a walking tour of the Hobbiton™ Movie Set, where you get a behind-the-scenes look at ‘The Lord of the Rings’ and ‘The Hobbit.’ Pause at the Green Dragon™ Inn to for a draft of Hobbit™ Southfarthing™, see the remarkable detailing that brought Hobbiton™ to life on screen, and visit the places where key scenes were created. Take a look at Bag End, where Frodo and Bilbo’s adventures began. Get lost among the hobbit holes and visit the Green Dragon Inn, the mill and the Party Tree. Listen to spell-binding tales of how Hobbiton came to be.

​Fall in love with the Alexander family sheep farm, just as acclaimed director Sir Peter Jackson did, as you journey through the unequivocal beauty of the land, with the mighty Kaimai Ranges towering in the distance. Your guide will escort you around the set, showing the intricate detailing, pointing out the most famous locations and explaining how the movie magic was made.
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After returning to Matamata, re-join the luxury coach to discover Te Puia Geothermal Valley in Rotorua. Te Puia is a must-do activity in Rotorua, and a day tour of Te Puia is the best way to experience this top visitor attraction in New Zealand. There are few places in the world where geothermal phenomena such as geysers and mud pools are as extensive and accessible as in Rotorua. Situated five minutes from central Rotorua, Te Puia is an iconic destination for visitors featuring the world famous Pohutu Geyser, Māori cultural performances, live Kiwi, boiling mud pools, native bush and the National Schools of Wood Carving and Weaving. Explore Te Puia’s unique Whakarewarewa geothermal valley home to the world famous Pohutu Geyser, which erupts up to twenty times a day, and up to thirty metres high into the air. Explore the boiling mud pools and the boiling waters which are still used to cook in.Te Puia is an iconic New Zealand destination for visitors. Our tradition of guiding in the Whakarewarewa geothermal valley extends for generations.