Is the Set Tour of Hobbiton Worth It?

If you’re after the one ring to rule them all, if you’d never turn down second breakfast or if you had a poster of Legolas on your wall like one ten year old I knew (it was me!), then you may have heard of a magical land deep in New Zealand’s Waikato district known as Hobbiton.

But even if you’re not a Lord of the Rings fan, the set tour of Hobbiton is something you might want to put on your New Zealand bucket list!

When I was researching and planning our trip to New Zealand, Hobbiton was one of the first places that popped up. Not being a huge LOTR fan myself, I wasn’t sure if I should include it on our itinerary.

But my husband, Colin, is a big fan, so we decided to go for it. And, spoiler alert, it was one of the coolest things we did in New Zealand!

Whether you’re a hobbit, elf or hail from the race of Men, it’s time to find out if it’s actually worth visiting Hobbiton or not.

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What is Hobbiton?

Hobbiton is a fictional town in JRR Tolkien’s books and Peter Jackson’s movies, The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. It’s part of the Shire within Middle-earth and where some of our favourite hobbits, like Frodo, Sam and Bilbo, hail from.

In real life, Hobbiton is a film set on the Alexander family’s 1200 acre beef farm in the middle of the North Island of Aotearoa (the te reo Maori word for New Zealand).

LOTR Director Peter Jackson found the farm during an aerial search in 1998 and began transforming it into the Hobbiton set in 1999 (with the help of the New Zealand Army!).

After filming the original Lord of the Rings trilogy, the set was torn down. But it was rebuilt in 2010 to be used in The Hobbit movies.

Only this time, the Alexander family asked that the set be made permanent so that fans could visit. And thus, the movie set tour of Hobbiton was born!

Set tour of Hobbiton, New Zealand fast facts

Location: All Hobbiton tours leave from The Shire’s Rest at 501 Buckland Road, Hinuera. You can drive yourself there or join a tour from a nearby city (more on those below).

Hours: Hobbiton Movie Set is open 7 days a week and every day except Christmas. Opening hours vary throughout the year.

Regular set tours last 2.5 hours, evening tours last 4.5 hours, Second Breakfast tours last 3.5 hours, and the tour + lunch combo lasts 3 hours. These durations don’t include the time it takes to get to The Shire’s Rest, where tours depart from.

Price: Adult ticket prices range from $120-230 NZD depending on which tour you choose.

Note that prices are current as of Jan 2024 and reflect the price increase that happened in Dec 2023 due to the new addition (more on that below).

Tickets: You can buy your tickets for the movie set tour of Hobbiton here!

For other tours, such as the Evening Banquet or Second Breakfast, it’s best to book directly with Hobbiton Movie Set.

How do you get from Auckland to Hobbiton?

To get from Auckland to Hobbiton you can drive, take the InterCity bus or hop on a day tour.

If you’re planning to rent a car while in New Zealand, which will give you the most freedom and flexibility to see the country, it makes sense to pick it up as you’re leaving Auckland and heading to Hobbiton.

The drive takes about 2-2.5 hours, but give yourself more time in case of traffic or to stop for snacks.

We stopped at Sweet Painted Lady Cafe, about 20 minutes from Hobbiton, and enjoyed some of the best pies we had in Aotearoa! I suggest the steak pie and the Chelsea bun for dessert.

If you decide to rent a car in New Zealand, I highly recommend renting with Discover Cars. We were able to rent our car for just $62 NZD per day including full insurance coverage (see our complete New Zealand trip budget breakdown here).

This was a steal compared to some people who told me they were paying upwards of $120/day! Customer service, pick up and drop off, and insurance were all seamless with Discover Cars.

You can also take the InterCity bus from Auckland to Hobbiton, but it doesn’t look like the service is always offered. When available the journey is apx 2.5 hours.

You could instead take a bus from Auckland to Matamata but you would still need to get from Matamata to Hobbiton, a 15-20 minute drive.

Unfortunately, there are no public transportation options, but you can travel via taxi or take the Hobbiton tour that leaves from Matamata.

Or avoid the hassle of buses and the stress of self-driving by jumping on a day tour to Hobbiton! You can take a Hobbiton tour from Auckland or from Rotorua (or even one that starts in Auckland and ends in Rotorua).

Many of the tours also include stops in the surrounding area, such as to see glow worm caves or geothermal parks, allowing you to make the most of your time in the Waikato region.

Join a Hobbiton tour from Auckland:

Join a Hobbiton tour from Rotorua:

Planning to head to Rotorua after Hobbiton? Check out this tour that picks up in Auckland, stops in Hobbiton and drops you off in Rotorua!

Can you visit Hobbiton village without a tour?

While you don’t have to join a day tour from Auckland or Rotorua, you do have to go on a guided tour once you arrive at Hobbiton. You are not able to drive or walk through the area by yourself; all visits are via guided tour.

One does not simply walk into Mordor Hobbiton.

The Hobbiton village is on private land, the Alexander family farm, and set back quite a bit from the main road. So even if you do drive up to the entrance, you won’t be able to see anything without joining one of the guided tours.

Which tour of Hobbiton should you do?

Hobbiton offers a variety of tours depending on how you want to spend your time in the Shire. We opted for the standard movie set tour of Hobbiton.

Since visiting Hobbiton is not the most budget-friendly activity in New Zealand, we wanted a more affordable tour that still gave us great value.

At two hours (now 2.5 hours with the addition), this tour still gives you plenty of time to explore Hobbiton and learn all about it from the tour guides. It also includes a complimentary drink at The Green Dragon Inn.

If you’re not a diehard Ringer, this movie set tour will more than satisfy you!

However if you are a big fan or have the budget for other Hobbiton tours and experiences, I have heard only good things about them. The most popular ones are the Evening Banquet and Second Breakfast, both of which include a meal and more time in Hobbiton.

I’ve heard the food is fantastic and for the evening tour, you also get to see the village all lit up at night.

In addition to these tours, you can buy tickets to special celebrations at Hobbiton such as Mid Winter Feast, International Hobbit Day, Hobbiton Beer Festival and A Hobbiton Christmas. You can also organize a private set tour of Hobbiton.

Note: No matter what tour of Hobbiton you choose, you need to book early! This is especially true for the tours that include meals, as there are fewer of these each day, and they book out months in advance.

Was the tour of Hobbiton worth it during the 2023 construction?

Jan 2024 update: The construction at Hobbiton is now complete and visitors can visit the interiors of Hobbit Holes on Bagshot Row. The below is my experience visiting during the construction phase.

From March to December 2023, part of Hobbiton was under construction to create the interiors of two Hobbit Holes.

During filming, the interior shots were all filmed on sound stages. But in order to make Hobbiton more immersive for fans, they decided to recreate the interiors at Hobbiton so visitors can actually walk through the Hobbit Hole doors and into a real Hobbit’s house.

While this will be super cool for those who visit after construction is over, it was not as fun for those who visited while construction was going on. Luckily, during our April 2023 visit to Hobbiton, it wasn’t a problem at all!

The construction noise was minimal. There were a few times we heard it but it never took away from our tour experience; I suspect this varied based on what phase of construction they were in.

The construction was visible, but off to the side from the main section of Hobbit Holes, not in the background of all of your photos. You also aren’t made to walk through or near the construction, as a route has been created that goes around it.

A downside of the construction was that the three homes involved on Bagshot Row, including Samwise Gamgee’s house, were not accessible to visitors. If you’re a Sam super fan, I can see how this would be disappointing.

And of course, the big downside was that we were visiting before the construction was done so we didn’t actually get to see inside the Hobbit Holes!

However, there were a few pluses to visiting during the 2023 Hobbiton construction.

For one, ticket prices were cheaper. Prices went up by $30 NZD per person once the Hobbit Hole interiors were part of the tour (tours also increased by 30 minutes though, which helps explain the price increase).

The second plus was that as an apology for the disruption to our tour (which again, was very minor), we were gifted Green Dragon Inn mugs! We weren’t expecting anything so it was such a nice surprise to be given a souvenir mug towards the end of our tour.

What happens on the movie set tour of Hobbiton?

Curious what actually happens during the tour of Hobbiton? Let me walk you through it!

Getting to/from The Shire

The first stop on your movie set tour of Hobbiton is The Shire’s Rest, where your tour bus or taxi will drop you off or where you’ll park your car.

This is where you’ll check in ahead of your Hobbiton tour, use the bathroom, and pop into the cafe or gift shop. There are also lots of picnic tables and benches around.

We showed up pretty early for our tour so had a lot of time to kill at The Shire’s Rest. Since we had filled up on pies at Sweet Painted Lady Cafe, we weren’t hungry enough to visit the cafe.

We were, however, very excited to peruse the gift shop, expecting lots of items to browse through. Unfortunately, it was disappointing. The shop itself is very small and doesn’t have many options.

You would think the only souvenir shop at one of the biggest attractions in the country would be full of magnets, postcards and unique souvenirs. But nope! They only had three magnets to choose from, and most of the limited floor space was dedicated to figurines.

When it was just about time for our tour, we joined the roped off line with the rest of our group and loaded onto a big green bus. Once everyone was on the bus we met our tour guide, Lindsey, and started the drive to Hobbiton.

During the drive, a welcome video is shown where Peter Jackson explains how Hobbiton came to be. Lindsey also pointed out various parts of the landscape on our scenic 10 minute ride.

After your tour, you’ll load back onto a green bus and drive the same route back to The Shire’s Rest. This time, they’ll play clips of the LOTR movies so you can see the movie sets you just walked through on screen.

Once back at The Shire’s Rest, you can take your time and enjoy the cafe or (limited) souvenir shop again before leaving.

Tour of Hobbiton village

Passing the Hobbiton sign, we were led down the same path that Gandalf and Frodo ride on their way into Hobbiton.

There we got our first look at the Hobbit Holes and gardens up close. Lindsey explained that Hobbiton has over 40 Hobbit Holes and that they were built at different sizes so they could use forced perspective while filming.

Right away I was so impressed by the attention to detail. Hobbit Holes that I’m sure are on screen for just a few seconds are intricately decorated with entire gardens and window scapes.

Many of the Hobbit Holes had a theme based on the profession of the hobbit who lived there; the beekeeper’s house had jars of honey out front and a bee on his mailbox while the fisherman’s mailbox was shaped like a fish.

To really prove Peter Jackson’s attention to detail, Lindsey pointed out a fruit tree to us.

It was an apple tree that had been planted for filming but because Tolkien mentioned a plum tree in his books, Jackson had all of the apples and apple leaves removed and attached individual plum and plum leaves in their place.

After walking along the first few rows of houses, we headed up the hill to a full-size Hobbit Hole that visitors are allowed to enter.

This was not the interior Hobbit Holes as, unfortunately, those were still under construction during our visit. With this one, there’s just enough space to take a step inside for a cute photo opp looking out the door.

Once our group had all taken photos in the doorway, we journeyed on to the most important house in Hobbiton, Bag End. This is Bilbo and Frodo’s home from the movies and features the famous sign, “No admittance except on party business.”

Fun fact: The tree above Bag End is actually fake! It’s built out of steel and foam with 200,000 leaves that were all painted and attached by hand.

Bag End is the highest point in Hobbiton and allows you to look out over The Shire (aka the Alexander family farm).

I had a huge grin on my face staring out over the rolling green hills dotted with Hobbit Holes. It truly felt like walking through a magical fantasy land and not just a movie set.

Drinks at The Green Dragon Inn

After admiring many Hobbit Holes and hearing stories about filming Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, we made our way to the Green Dragon Inn.

On the way we took a quick break in an open field to talk about the construction and see concept art of what the interiors will look like when they’re done. And then it was onto the pub!

Because of the construction, it was a bit of a longer walk to get to The Green Dragon Inn but the walk was very pretty and lush. When you finally emerge from the jungle pathway you see the mill, cross over a bridge and then enter The Green Dragon.

Included in the movie set tour is a free drink, which the bartenders at the inn will quickly serve you in an old-timey mug. I highly recommend the cider!

In addition to the free drink, there were other snacks and drinks for purchase. We didn’t try any but it looked like they had a big selection of baked goods.

The inn itself was very charming and definitely still felt like you were in Tolkien’s magical world. I was trying to track all of the little details, like signage behind the bar and even the gold leaf hangers in the bathroom (like the Leaves of Lórien brooches the fellowship members wear!).

Once we finished with our drinks, we met our guide back outside the inn and were presented with our free mugs (gifts to apologize for the construction).

I would have liked a bit more time to enjoy The Green Dragon and walk around the outside, as it was really pretty under the tree by the water and looking out over the mill. But as all of the tours keep to a tight schedule, it was time for us to leave.

We headed back to the main Hobbit Hole area, passing through a beautifully maintained garden, and then back onto the bus.

7 tips for visiting Hobbiton in New Zealand

1) You need to book in advance

With 1500 people visiting Hobbiton every single day, and only a limited number of tours, you need to book your tickets to Hobbiton in advance.

Grab your movie set tour of Hobbiton tickets here (or book a Hobbiton tour from Auckland or Hobbiton tour from Rotorua).

2) Arrive early to check in

You don’t have to arrive outrageously early but definitely arrive 15-20 minutes before your tour time to check in and ensure you’re all set to go before the tour.

There’s not a ton to do at The Shire’s Rest but they do have a limited gift shop, cafe, bathrooms and nice outdoor seating areas. A wizard may never be late or early but us humans sure can be!

3) The Hobbiton set tour is outside, so dress appropriately

Besides the bus ride from The Shire’s Rest to Hobbiton and The Green Dragon Inn, the rest of the tour is outside in the elements.

Dress for the weather and don’t forget about sunscreen. If it’s raining, Hobbiton will provide umbrellas.

4) Stick with your tour group

Your tour of Hobbiton is guided so you’ll want to stick with your group so you don’t get lost or miss out on any information.

The tours run on a tight schedule so that every group can enjoy the area they’re in without other groups (an impressive feat!) so be sure to keep up and not slow your group down.

5) Don’t worry, you will get your photo in a Hobbit Hole!

I was worried heading to Hobbiton that all of my photos would have other people in them since you have to visit on a guided tour. But there are lots of opportunities to take photos without anyone in them.

And at the main Hobbit Hole that visitors can pose in, your tour guide will ensure everyone has a chance to get their photo taken (our guide even offered to be everyone’s photographer).

6) Hobbiton is more fun if you’ve seen the movies but you don’t have to be a huge fan

If you’ve seen the movies and/or have read the books, Hobbiton is all that more magical. Even better is rewatching the films right before your visit so you can pick out moments from the movies.

But you don’t have to be an expert or die-hard fan to enjoy yourself. I’m certainly not and I had a great time.

7) Lower your expectations for the gift shop

As I mentioned, I was disappointed by the souvenirs on offer at Hobbiton. The shop was small and really lacked options.

Considering this is the key place to go for LOTR fans who are obviously happy to spend money on LOTR experiences, you’d think their merch store would be more substantial!

What other Lord of the Rings tours are there in New Zealand?

Didn’t get enough Lord of the Rings at the Hobbiton movie set? Lucky for you, there’s lots of other LOTR tours and activities in New Zealand!

You can visit Weta Workshop, the visual effects company behind Lord of the Rings and other big name films like Avatar, Mad Max, Black Panther and more. Their home base is in Wellington, where you can tour Weta Cave.

But if you’re not going to be in Wellington, or want even more Weta, you can also tour Weta Workshop Unleashed in Auckland. We did the Auckland tour and it was a ton of fun; I was so blown away by the practical effects!

Check out more things to do in Auckland based on your travel style & interests! 

On the South Island, you can join a 4WD Lord of the Rings discovery tour from Queenstown, checking out filming sites for Minas Tirith, Misty Mountains, the Pillars of the Kings and more.

You can also DIY a tour of Lord of the Rings film locations using the Department of Conservation’s list.

Final thoughts: Is the set tour of Hobbiton worth it?

Yes! As you may have gathered by this point in the blog post, I definitely think the set tour of Hobbiton is worth it and highly recommend adding it to your New Zealand itinerary.

If you’re a Lord of the Rings fan, Hobbiton is a must-visit. In fact, you might even want to splurge on one of the meal + tour options in order to spend more time in the Shire.

We had a few big fans on our tour (you know the type: quoting the movie and wearing elf ears) and they definitely loved their visit.

But even if you’re not a huge fan or haven’t seen the movies in many years, I think you’ll still enjoy a trip to Hobbiton.

It’s a beautiful place and really does feel like you’re entering a magical land full of real tiny homes for tiny creatures. Learning about the work that went into creating this place is fascinating, even if you can’t recall exactly what happens in the movies.

Yes, it’s expensive. But Hobbiton is one of a kind; there’s no other place like it in the world.

That unique factor definitely makes it worth visiting in my opinion. Even though I’m not super into LOTR, I’m really glad we took the time to visit this magical place in New Zealand.

Plus, Hobbiton is easy to visit on your way out of Auckland, whether you’re self-driving or seeing it on a tour. And since most international flights to Aotearoa land in Auckland, you’re likely passing by Hobbiton anyway. So yes, it’s well worth the stop!

Book your set tour of Hobbiton tickets here!

Check out more bucket list experiences in New Zealand:

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