Hobbiton & Rotorua Tour: Explore Te Puia & Lord of The Rings Set from Auckland
4.9
87 Ratings
Auckland
Embark on an unforgettable adventure from Auckland to Hobbiton and Rotorua. Explore the iconic Lord of The Rings movie set, witness the geothermal wonders of Te Puia, and immerse yourself in Maori culture. Join our small group tour for a personalized experience with passionate guides and surprises along the way.
Duration: 13 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Auckland Central - Your tour starts in New Zealand’s largest city. As we drive out of the city your guide will not only set the scene for your adventure today but also point out and guide you past some of the city’s top highlights.
  • Waikato Region - Exiting Auckland we travel south through the stunning Waikato countryside, the most extensive farming area in the world, encountering beautiful scenery, mighty rivers, great photo opportunities, impressive mountains and a variety of farm animals along the way.
  • Hobbiton Movie Set - Arriving at the first feature attraction ‘Hobbiton’ you will board one of the big green Hobbiton buses and depart on a two hour fully guided tour of this amazing 12 acre movie set, with a professional Hobbiton guide to ensure you get the most out of your visit. During your tour step into the lush pastures of the Shire, visit 44 hobbit holes, see amazing gardens, hear the secrets and stories about the making of the movies and enjoy a cold complimentary beverage at the famous Hobbiton pub ‘The Green Dragon Inn’.
  • Tirau - Departing for Rotorua we pass through Tirau on our adventure. Dubbed the ‘Corrugated Iron Capital of the World’ because of the many unique corrugated iron sculptures and buildings, this town never fails to get a look and a laugh and our guides will point out all the main highlights on the way through.
  • Te Puia - Rotorua, NZ - Arriving at our second feature destination, Te Puia, you will receive a fully guided tour to best experience the geothermal and Maori cultural wonders including: Pōhutu Geyser, Māori Architecture, The National Māori Arts School, geothermal craters, geothermal events and even the chance to view a Kiwi bird in the Kiwi viewing house. Add optional extras, if you choose, like the Maori Cultural Performance or Traditional Maori Hangi Buffet Lunch.
  • Rotorua - To finish off our Rotorua experience we do a guided driving tour seeing the most famous sites in Rotorua city including: Lake Rotorua, Rotorua Museum, Government Gardens, Whangapipiro (Rachel Spring) & the Blue Baths. If there is time, we may even visit a special souvenir shop for some discounted shopping and to try Manuka Honey.
  • Auckland - Sadly we must start to head north again but your day is not over with a fully guided return trip to Auckland including secret stops along the way.
What's Included
  • Enjoy an intimate experience with a Small Group Tour.
  • Benefit from a Fully Guided Tour with knowledgeable guides.
  • Stay hydrated with Complimentary Bottled Water.
  • Keep your energy up with Tasty Snacks provided.
  • Gain hassle-free entry with Pre-Purchased Entry Tickets.
What's Not Included
  • Gratuities
  • Souvenir photos (available to purchase)
  • Lunch - opportunities to purchase along the way.
Additional Information

Immerse yourself in the iconic Lord of The Rings Hobbiton Movie Set and marvel at Te Puia’s geothermal marvels and unique Maori culture in a single day. This memorable double-feature tour will whisk you off to two of the most popular tourist destinations in the North Island.

Your journey will include:
• A visit to Hobbiton & Alexander Family Sheep Farm
• An exploration of Te Puia Geothermal Park & Pohutu
• A tour of Maori Cultural Village and Arts School
• A look at the highlights of Rotorua City

What makes this tour stand out is not just the amazing places you’ll see, but also the intimate group sizes, knowledgeable guides, and the additional touches that we at Cheeky Kiwi Travel incorporate. Our specially curated secret stops, viewings of local wildlife, custom-built vehicles, and many other delightful surprises ensure that our tours stand out as unforgettable experiences.

Each of our tours is directed by our enthusiastic tour guides who are famous for bringing the history of the places alive with their rich narrative and background information. The tours are conducted in contemporary, well-equipped minibuses designed for optimal comfort and protection.

  • Minimum numbers apply. There is a possibility of cancellation after confirmation if there are not enough passengers to meet requirements. In the event of this occurring, you will be offered an alternative or full refund.
  • A moderate amount of walking is involved.
  • Due to uneven surfaces, this tour is not recommended for those with walking disabilities or using a wheelchair.
  • Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately.
  • Children aged 7 years and below are required to travel in a child safety car seat. If you don’t have a car seat one can be provided (with at least 24hrs notice).
Location
SkyCity Hotel Auckland
Victoria Street West
Please pick this location if your hotel is not on our list. We do not pick up from your hotel if it is not listed
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.9
(87 Ratings)
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William
May 16, 2024
Great experience ! - I did the tour starting from Auckland and including the hobbiton movie set and the te puia tour. The guide (Greg) did a great job and was a big factor in this tour being an awesome experience. He made everyone welcome and took the time to discuss with everyone. He also told us some of his best stories about rotorua, the hobbiton movie set as well as New Zealand more generally. He also taught us some words in Māori which I thought was great. Even as a solo traveller it was great to take the tour as the guide took the time to have a chat. The bus was overall comfortable and far from overbooked with plenty of space for everyone. I recommend this tour as the visit of hobbiton and te puia were great too (different companies of course but worth the visit, I’ll make sure to leave a comment to them too) Perhaps next time I’ll come back for the gloworm cave tour ! This tour was really worth the money!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Maichollg
May 2, 2024
A good tour and quite professional - The tour is responsible for the time, has good treatment with passengers and has extensive knowledge of the country's history, which is mentioned during the trip. The destination, Hobbiton, is incredible for those who are followers of the works, and those unfamiliar will have an excellent impression. It's a little weaker about Rotorua, but it is integral to the history, and the Kiwis are beautiful. The geyser is fine.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
736mayz
Apr 24, 2024
Hobbiton and Rotorua Day Tour - We had a fantastic day. Cameron picked us up from our hotel along with the other guests and we drove to Hobitton. It was a nice drive with lots of things to see. The view is spectacular, all the green valley, lovely house you will see along the way. Cameron is kind enough to tell us lots of stories of different iconic places. Hop into the green bus to Hobitton movie set and transform into the life of Hobbits. The view is amazing, every corner is photo worthy for your next Instagram post. Then, get into the Hobbit-hole, look at all the details they put in it. Touch them, sit on them, the photos and videos! You are a child again! Or at least, I am. Dion, our tour guide in Hobbiton is lovely and patient and happy to answer all your questions and take your photos too. Then we get to the Dragon inn on our last stop to enjoy a drink on the house! Yay! Back to the main bus, we travelled to Rotorua where we learned and appreciate the Maori culture, Our tour guide taught us to say our Welcome in Maori, but if course it's so long I only remembered Kia Ora! I forgot his name because it's long, sorry, but he is lovely and funny and answered all the questions. Then we went to the Kiwi conservation and I saw a fat male Kiwi for the first time in my life! His name is Kete, if u remembered it right. Then we walked near the mud section and I learned the many healthy and beauty benefits of the natural NZ mud. Then went to Te Whakarewarewa Geothermal Valley, and Maori Arts and Crafts Institute. It's great to learn about Maori culture and it's good that the youth of Rotorua are so engaged in enriching their culture and kind enough to share it with us. Thank you. Back on the bus to drive home and I just fall asleep because it was such a long day 😉.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Boon
Apr 21, 2024
Value for money - I believe it's Asnoz that made the entire trip pleasant and enjoyable. He made sure that we're all well hydrated with snacks along the journey. Along the way, recommendations to attractions and foods were made. When we tried, they were very good and reasonably priced.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jason_s
Apr 9, 2024
An amazing day - bucket list ticked! - Fantastic day out visiting Hobbiton and Te Puia Maori Center and hot springs in Rotorua. John the driver is knowledgeable, fun and has a great sense of humor! After a really early start (5:40am early…) we got to Hobbiton in time for the 9:00am group tour, which lasts around 2 1/2 hours, including a drink at the Green Dragon pub. Then on to Rotorua for the 1:00pm guided tour of Te Puia which lasts till 3:00pm. Following that John took us in a brief tour of central Rotorua and the lake before heading back to Auckland, dropping us off around 7:00pm. We were lucky to have only 8 on the bus so we could stretch out (it holds up to 16). Highly recommended!
Review provided by Viator
Bayareacouple2
Apr 3, 2024
Fabulous Tour - First we have to say a big thank you to Grant who did an awesome job picking up everyone on a very tight schedule!!! He had amazing energy and always was clear on the instructions on when and where to meet. He repeated the instructions more than once which was great. We enjoyed his narration on the history and culture of NZ during the drive. It was a very expensive tour but we didn’t want to drive so that made it worth it. Hobbiton was wonderful and loved how they recently opened the replica, where you could go inside one of the 2 homes and see the living room, den, bedroom, kitchen, etc. At the cultural center, we were happy to see the Kiwi in the special enclosure and the geysers were really gushing which I guess is not a guarantee. Also we saw the Maori men learning to carve to carry out their tradition.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
933markh
Mar 24, 2024
Great tour! - The tour guides were amazing! They were all very knowledgeable about the movies and able to share information that I would never have known. It was a well ran tour!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Manish_c
Mar 17, 2024
Great day trip! - We had a great day at hobbiton and Te Puia. The tour was exactly as described and fully met our expectations. Thanks for a memorable experience.
Review provided by Viator
Steveoz1967
Mar 12, 2024
A great way to venture beyond Auckland for a day - Greg was a great driver, host, and guide for our round trip to Hobbiton and Te Puia. He lightly ribbed the Aussies and others on the trip, gave details as we traveled between destinations, and provided snacks and drinks along the way. At both Hobbiton and Te Puia we were handed off to guides on site and then met up with the bus after the respective tours were done. His love of country, the region, and the laughter of his passengers was self-evident. Overall, the tour was great value and an excellent day trip outside Auckland.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
X3487gcshaner
Mar 9, 2024
Great day out - John was a fantastic guide and host, he kept us all entertained on the long road trips and helped the group connect with each other through fun facts and friendly banter. Time spent at the Hobbit village was absolutely amazing and we could have just wandered around for hours. Our schedule never felt rushed and we always had plenty of time at the activities. Learning about the traditions of carving and weaving at the school was very educational and informative. A very pleasant day out with lots of fantastic memories to cherish. Thanks to John and Cheeky Kiwi tours. Very delighted Shane and Jodie
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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June 2024
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