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Hobbiton and Waitomo Caves: Ultimate Auckland Day Tour
4.9
738 Ratings
Auckland
Explore Hobbiton and Waitomo Caves in one day. Enjoy secret stops, wildlife viewings, and expert guides on this unforgettable small group tour from Auckland.
Duration:
13 hours
Cancellation:
1 day
learn more
Highlights
- Auckland Central - Your tour begins in New Zealand’s largest city. As we leave the city, your guide will not only set the stage for your adventure but also highlight some of the city’s top attractions.
- Waikato Region - Heading south from Auckland, we travel through the breathtaking Waikato countryside, the world’s largest farming area, featuring stunning landscapes, powerful rivers, excellent photo opportunities, impressive mountains, and various farm animals along the way.
- Hobbiton Movie Set - Upon arriving at the first main attraction, ‘Hobbiton,’ you will board one of the large green Hobbiton buses for a two and a half hour fully guided tour of this incredible 12-acre movie set. A professional Hobbiton guide will ensure you make the most of your visit. During the tour, you will step into the lush pastures of the Shire, visit 44 hobbit holes, explore beautiful gardens, learn the secrets and stories behind the movies, and enjoy a complimentary cold beverage at the famous Hobbiton pub, ‘The Green Dragon Inn.’
- Karapiro - This beautiful lake is home to one of New Zealand’s first hydro dams and is the origin of some of the country’s great rowers. With viewpoints offering stunning views across the lake and countryside, it’s an ideal spot for a quick break and some photos.
- Otorohanga - Leaving Hobbiton and heading towards Waitomo, we will pass more scenic wonders, including racehorse breeding areas, rivers, and lakes, before entering Otorohanga, known as “The Kiwiana capital of New Zealand.” Experience all things Kiwi as you pass through this unique and charming town.
- Waitomo Big Bird & Miniature Animal Petting Farm - Nearing our second main destination, we stop outside the Big Bird & Miniature Animal Petting Farm to meet some local animals. Although we don’t have time to enter the park, the friendly animals often come to the fences for a photo or two, delighting guests.
- Waitomo Glowworm Caves - At our second main attraction, you will be guided through the ancient and stunning caves, observing various formations such as Stalactites, Stalagmites, and Lime Columns. You will then descend further underground for your Glowworm experience. Board a glowworm boat for a cruise on the grotto river, with thousands of Glowworms sparkling above you. Unique to New Zealand for over 120 years, the Waitomo Glowworm Caves are a must-see for any traveler.
- Auckland - Unfortunately, after Waitomo, we must head north again, but your day isn’t over yet. Enjoy a fully guided return trip to Auckland, including some secret stops along the way.
What's Included
- Small Group and Fully Guided Tour
- Entry Tickets
- Water available & snacks provided
What's Not Included
- Gratuities
- Souvenir photos (available to purchase)
- Lunch - opportunities to purchase along the way.
Additional Information
Experience the world-famous Lord of The Rings Hobbiton Movie Set plus the Waitomo Glowworm Caves all in one day. This unforgettable combo tour takes you to the top tourist attractions in the North Island.
Highlights:
• Hobbiton & Alexander Family Sheep Farm
• Waitomo Glowworm Caves
• Secret Animal Viewing Stops
• Waikato Farming Region
While the destinations you will be visiting are truly spectacular, Cheeky Kiwi Travel believe it is our small groups, our guides, the journey and the little details that set our tours well apart. Secret stops, wildlife viewings, specially designed vehicles and many other pleasant surprises ensure our tours are an experience to remember.
This tour is less rushed than others, making it the ultimate Auckland day tour, and is led by our passionate tour guides, notorious for bringing your journey to life by sharing their stories and rich background knowledge, and run in modern, comfortable minibuses packed with extras ensuring your comfort and safety.
- Children must be accompanied by an adult.
- Minimum drinking age is 18 years.
- 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 7 years old and under are required to travel in a child safety car seat. If you don’t have a car seat one can be provided, please contact us at least 24 hours in advance to arrange this.
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
(738 Ratings)
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389caridadr
Jul 29, 2024
Michael’s amazing Auckland - The sights along the way from Auckland were amazing as were Hobbiton movie set and Glowwom caves but Michael was an absolutely spectacular tour guide!! The love and knowledge of his city are evident and you can’t help fall more in love with all things Auckland because of him. He made are group feel as old friends!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Iwin14
Jul 29, 2024
Great activities, Great guide - We thoroughly enjoyed both activity's on this trip, however it was made by our tour guide John, who's funny yet informative style perfected our day, his road trip playlist alone is worth the money!!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
994oanai
Jul 27, 2024
Great! - Amazing trip. The locations we saw were very nice.
Also the tour guide was very friendly and knowledgeble.
I recommend !
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Bencosbie
Jul 27, 2024
tino pai and worth every penny/cent - We took the trip as a family of 4 with the younger people unfortunately not being 14 or below. The big decision to make for people considering the tour is that the cost is pretty high BUT it is worth every penny of the cost. Felix was the driver/guide for our group and you learn so much travelling between the main two attractions and there are loads of stops. The trip is well organise and well planned and all stress and hassles and timings are taken away.
Hobbiton and Waitomo are must sees if you are visiting Auckland and being able to combine them is well worth doing.
Felix clearly loves living in NZ, is passionate and knowledgeable about the native flaura and fauna and animals, and sensitive to the cultural history of New Zealand.
And you will be well prepared for any pub quiz if you are asked why Kiwis are called Kiwis.
I can't recommend the trip enough as a solo traveller or as a family.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Gmnhome
Jul 27, 2024
Beautiful experience! - A well planned and excellent trip. Our tour guide Felix was amazing and so knowledgeable. Thank you for an amazing time and smooth ride.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
L1916qcgemmac
Jul 23, 2024
Book this excursion, you won't regret it! - This was a brilliant day trip and one I would recommend to all, whether you're travelling with a group or going solo. Our tour guide and driver Michael was amazing, friendly and engaging throughout the whole day! I was travelling solo, however Michael made efforts for everyone to get to know everyone, as well as always helping out with potential photo ops 😁
Review provided by Tripadvisor
P1749xsannag
Jul 22, 2024
Hobbiton and Waitomo Cave - Great trip to Hobbiton and Waitomo cave. Our tour guide John went on beyond for the trip, super funny and knowledgeable. Thank you John and Cheeky Tour
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Gscarpentry05
Jul 19, 2024
A Wonderful Experience!! - Our day trip to Hobbiton and Waitomo Glowworm Caves was incredible. Greg was our driver and we were greeted with a warm and friendly welcome as we embarked on our journey. His knowledge of New Zealand was immense and he shared a variety of history, fun facts and funny stories with us during the day. He also went out of his way to make sure everyone was comfortable and even Kent charging cords for passengers mobile phones. He was happy to drop off closer to our hotel at the conclusion of the trip too which he didn’t have to do after a long day.. the only thing that could have made the day better was that one of our family members missed out on the tour due to illness which was disappointing! Overall a fantastic trip with a great guide and lovely people from around the world
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Passport02945452372
Jul 13, 2024
Fantastic day at Hobbiton and Waitomo - Felix was an awesome and super personable guide! Gave us great information on the road between stops, a font of NZ history, and even gave my husband and me suggestions for the South Island. It was great getting to Hobbiton so early before there were many other tourists around and the glow worm caves at Waitomo were just as amazing as I remember from 30 years ago. Would definitely recommend Cheeky Kiwi and we’re so glad we had Felix as our guide 👍
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ngochbui
Jul 13, 2024
Fun visit to Hobbiton and Waitomo Caves - We had a fun time with John, our tour guide, to the Hobbiton area and Waitomo Caves. He provided interesting facts about not just New Zealand but about everyone's country (there were 11 of us from 4 different countries). The ride is long but he kept it fun. The only thing I would change is having more time for breakfast and lunch. We felt kind of rushed but managed to grab bites to eat throughout the day.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
