The 15 Best Film Location Day Trips from Auckland

1-Day Tours, Auckland Film Location Tours, Film Location Tours, Guided, Hobbiton and Lord of the Rings Tours, Lunch Experiences, New Zealand Film Location Tours, Tour Reviews

Hobbiton & Waitomo Caves Guided Day Trip from Auckland incl lunch

1.Hobbiton & Waitomo Caves Guided Day Trip from Auckland incl lunch

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2,677 reviews · from $229Our pick

Leave Auckland at 6:30 am for Hobbiton Movie Set and its Green Dragon Inn, then continue to Waitomo for a glowworm boat ride and Cathedral Cave. Auckland Scenic Tours uses small vehicles, local guides such as Liam, Shelley, Martin, and Matt, and includes a light Kiwi-style lunch.

“The Hobbiton & Waitomo Glowworm Cave tour is a MUST-DO!! Our guide Mike was very energetic & positive (even though the weather was not the best). The Hobbiton movie set is on a BEAUTIFUL natural property and is well-maintaineRead more”

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From Auckland: Hobbiton & Waitomo Caves Day Trip with Lunch

2.Hobbiton & Waitomo Caves Day Trip with Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 2,505 reviews · 11 hours · from $221

Travel from Auckland in a small group with guides such as Danny, Shelley, Stephen, Liam, and Nelson. Tour Hobbiton’s 10-acre Shire, enter Bagshot Row, enjoy a Green Dragon drink, eat a light Kiwi lunch, then glide beneath Waitomo’s glowworms. Expect an early start, long drives, easy walking, and no cave photography.

“We had an absolutely amazing time on the Hobbiton Tour and Glowworm Caves adventure! The experience itself was magical, but what truly made it unforgettable was our tour guide, Nelson. He was incredibly knowledgeable—sharing fun facts, history, and stories that made every part of the tour come alive. On top of that, he was so kind, friendly, and genuinely passionate about what he does. His energy made the whole day feel easy, fun, and super engaging. We had a blast from start to finish, and we couldn’t have asked for a better guide. Highly recommend this tour—especially with Nelson! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Auckland Scenic tours is the name of their company”

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Auckland: Hobbiton Movie Set Day Trip with Festive Lunch

3.Hobbiton Movie Set Day Trip with Festive Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 1,431 reviews · 8 hours · from $182

Travel from Auckland to Hobbiton with an English-speaking driver-guide, then follow an official walking tour through the Shire, enter a Hobbit hole, enjoy a drink at the Green Dragon Inn, and eat a buffet lunch in the Party Marquee. Guides such as Rachel, Marty, Anna, and Stevie are known for adding humor and useful film details.

“We had a great time touring Hobbiton on our one day in Auckland before a cruise. Anna, our guide, was exceptional. She provided lots of interesting information about the sights and filming details in Hobbiton during our walking tour around the Shire. The highlight of the tour was our visit inside a hobbit hole: the rooms and details given to the decorations and artifacts were incredible and it really felt like a lived-in home. The drink at the Green Dragon was great and the lunch buffet was varied and plentiful.”

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Hobbiton Movie Set Small Group Tour from Auckland

4.Hobbiton Movie Set Small Group Tour from Auckland

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,380 reviews · from $183

Travel from Auckland to Matamata in a small group of up to 15, passing through Waikato farmland before a guided Hobbiton visit. You’ll tour hobbit holes, gardens, and the Green Dragon Inn, with a themed drink included. Drivers such as Wyatt, Grant, Geoff, and Simon add local stories along the way.

“Amazing experience. Hobbiton is beautiful and I recommend it to everybody, also those who hasn’t seen the movie.”

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Hobbiton & Waitomo Caves Small-Group Tour W Lunch from Auckland

5.Hobbiton & Waitomo Caves Small-Group Tour W Lunch from Auckland

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,117 reviews · from $235

Leave Auckland early for a full-day small-group trip through Waikato to Hobbiton and the Waitomo Glowworm Caves. Ride in a comfortable minivan with a guide such as Timmy, Pearl, Simon, or Grant, enjoy lunch, scenic stops, and guided visits to both attractions. Expect walking, stairs, darkness, and a long day on the road.

“Overall amazing experience everything was planned down to the minute. Our driver and guide Pearl was amazing.”

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Hobbiton & Waitomo Caves Guided Tour from Auckland with Lunch

6.Hobbiton & Waitomo Caves Guided Tour from Auckland with Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 796 reviews · from $271

Leave Auckland at 7:45 a.m. for Waitomo’s limestone caves and a silent boat ride beneath glowworms, then tour Hobbiton near Matamata. GreatSights guides such as Rachel, David, Nicky, and Rachael provide commentary along the way. The 12-hour trip includes transport, morning refreshments, lunch, Wi-Fi when working, and a drink at the Green Dragon Inn.

“Charming trip for anyone who is a Tolkien fan. The glow worm cave tour was very well guided- we particularly appreciated the total silence during thr boat ride. And the Hobbiton set tour is very well done.. as you walk through the paths the views are all authentic. The he tour guide was vey knowledgable, with lots of facts about the making of the movies.”

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From Auckland: Waitomo & Hobbiton Bus Tour with Lunch

7.Waitomo & Hobbiton Bus Tour with Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 789 reviews · 11h 30m · from $261

Travel from Auckland by premium coach to the Waitomo Glowworm Caves and Hobbiton Movie Set. You’ll take a 45-minute cave tour with a boat ride beneath the glowworms, then spend about two hours at Hobbiton, including the Green Dragon Inn and a Hobbit hole. Guides such as Rachel, Dave, and Kenny are known for lively New Zealand commentary.

“David our driver was amazing , he gave us so much information about NZ, he was like a parents taking care of child perfect. Mu at the waitomo cave was explaining everything in a smooth way. Victoria from the hobbiton let us enter in this magical set with some drop of new movie coming and all the secret about the lord of the ring set from the past . 5 stars”

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Auckland: Hobbiton & Waitomo Caves Small-Group Tour & Lunch

8.Hobbiton & Waitomo Caves Small-Group Tour & Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 607 reviews · 13 hours · from $226

Travel from Auckland in a comfortable 16-seat minibus with an English-speaking guide such as Grant, Aled, or Timmy. Visit Hobbiton for a 2.5-hour guided walk and Green Dragon drink, stop at Lake Karapiro, then explore Waitomo Glowworm Caves by boat. Lunch, snacks, water, hotel pickup, and entry fees are included.

“Wonderful day! Grant is superb and coordinated an amazing day of adventure. He did a spectacular job of breaking up the long drive with plenty of breaks for good eats. Book this tour, you won't regret it.”

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From Auckland: Hobbiton Movie Set Small Group Tour

9.Hobbiton Movie Set Small Group Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 598 reviews · 9 hours · from $176Best value

Travel from central Auckland in a 16-seat van with a guide such as Grant, Dave, Simon, or Timmy. Enjoy Waikato farm scenery, a 2.5-hour guided walk around Hobbiton’s 44 Hobbit Holes, a drink at the Green Dragon Inn, and stops for food, snacks, souvenirs, and ice cream.

“My trip was excellent. Our driver Simon was charming and knowledgeable while also letting us have times of quiet to enjoy the gorgeous NZ countryside. I loved getting off the beaten path on our route back and seeing more of NZ then I thought I could in my very short stop over.”

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Hobbiton Movie set & Waitomo Caves Small Group Tour From Auckland

10.Hobbiton Movie set & Waitomo Caves Small Group Tour From Auckland

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 556 reviews · from $279

Leave Auckland at 6:00 am for Hobbiton, where an official guide leads you past Hobbit Holes, the Mill, and the Green Dragon Inn. After a complimentary drink, continue to Waitomo for a guided cave tour and underground boat ride. Auckland & Beyond Tours uses small groups of up to 19, with Wi-Fi, snacks, and CBD pickup included.

“I had a wonderful experience on this experience. My driver was very knowledgeable on the activities and New Zealand in general. I learned a lot during my day and Adil made sure to go above and beyond to make this a memorable experience.”

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Small-Group Hobbiton Tour from Auckland with Party Marquee Lunch

11.Small-Group Hobbiton Tour from Auckland with Party Marquee Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 488 reviews · from $254

Travel from central Auckland to Matamata in a small Mercedes Sprinter with guides such as Chris, Damien, Jason, or Michelle. Walk through 44 Hobbit holes, see Bag End, the Mill, Party Tree, and double-arch bridge, then enjoy a Green Dragon drink and buffet lunch in the Party Marquee. A NZ$10 shop voucher is included.

“Very well organized and a great setting. Lunch was very good. Very well maintained and the new hobbit houses that you can go into have a lot of detail”

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Auckland: Hobbiton, Rotorua and Wai-O-Tapu Day Tour

12.Hobbiton, Rotorua and Wai-O-Tapu Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 458 reviews · 9 - 13 hours · from $256

Travel from Auckland through Waikato farmland to Hobbiton, where a local guide leads you past 44 hobbit holes and into the Green Dragon Inn. Continue to Rotorua for city sights and Wai-O-Tapu’s colorful thermal pools. Guides such as Alfredo, Aled, Grant, and John add local stories during the long but comfortable minibus journey.

“Great and worth tour to see in one day all these locations. Grant was really valuable to drive safely and be able to give us all the insights and information about the landscapes and the New Zealand history. Fully recommended.”

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Hobbiton & Rotorua including Wai-O-Tapu – Small Group Tour from Auckland

13.Hobbiton & Rotorua including Wai-O-Tapu – Small Group Tour from Auckland

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 450 reviews · from $266

Leave Auckland at 6:00 am for a small-group day trip to Hobbiton and Wai-O-Tapu. Your driver-guide, such as Simon, Mike, David, or Jeoff, adds local stories along the way. Tour the 12-acre film set, enjoy a Green Dragon drink, see Rotorua, and walk past Champagne Lake, mud pools, and volcanic craters.

“Small group tour, very enjoyable day out. Guide was informative about the scenery and places as we drove to and from the venues. Hobbiton itself was amazing, the addition of Hobbit hole houses you could go in and interact with the props was extra from my last visit. The aroma at the geothermal pools will be stuck in my nostrils for ever, amazing to see but should have worn a nose clip 🤢”

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Hobbiton Movie Set day tour From Auckland

14.Hobbiton Movie Set day tour From Auckland

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 340 reviews · from $204

Travel from Auckland to Hobbiton by air-conditioned minibus, with hotel pickup, snacks, WiFi, and a professional driver-guide. At the farm, a Hobbiton guide leads you past hobbit holes and film props before a complimentary drink at the Green Dragon Inn. The small-group tour takes about eight hours.

“We did the excursion from Auckland prior to going on a cruise. It was a long drive but worth it. I driver Paul was great. The experience was extremely professional well run and very timely. If you go I would definitely do it first thing in the morning so you have less people to photograph around. We actually had lunch prior to ours and the food was great at the cafe. The new Hobie holes are amazing.”

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From Auckland or Rotorua: Hobbiton & Waitomo Tour with Lunch

15.From Auckland or Rotorua: Hobbiton & Waitomo Tour with Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 281 reviews · 11 - 13 hours · from $286

Spend 11 to 13 hours visiting Hobbiton and Waitomo with FlexiToursNZ. Ride in a small, roomy vehicle with up to 12 people, enjoy a buffet lunch at Hobbiton, and travel by boat beneath Waitomo’s glowworms. Guides such as Peter, Herms, Michael, and Pete are known for adding local stories and helpful care to the long day.

“Michelle my driver and guide was amazing . Had the best day with her . Found out lots of information about culture etc … Hobbiton is amazing a definitely brill place to visit , the glow worm caves were really fun . I had fantastic food at lunch … the day was so magical which was made extra special due to Michelle …”

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