Last Updated on March 3, 2023 by Suzy McCullough
Being huge Hobbit and Lord of the Rings fans, we were super excited to visit Hobbiton and tick it off of our bucket list. Hobbiton is located on the North Island of New Zealand near Hamilton. The scenic drive there leaves you in no doubt as to why Sir Peter Jackson chose this area to turn these world-famous books into spectacular movies. Rolling hills as far as the eye can see, in every shade of green, scattered with lakes, ponds, and sparkling streams. It is simply idyllic.
This is a Guest Post – written by Vikki
On arrival at Hobbiton you feel the buzz of excitement straight away, everybody there is excited to be going on this adventure as the next. It’s a really lovely atmosphere.
We visited the spotlessly clean facilities, grabbed some water, and then went to queue for our bus, which was the 4pm.
Hobbiton Movie Set Tours New Zealand
Our tickets were scanned, and at 4 pm on the dot we loaded onto our green Hobbiton bus. Our tour guide introduced himself and explained a little about the history of the set, and what we could expect to see and do on our tour. As we set off across the hills a large screen at the front of the bus showed scenes from the film that were shot in the areas we were passing through. It was so exciting to see these places for real! On arrival at The Shire, we departed the bus and followed our guide through the woods and it to the magical village itself.
There are 44 Hobbit holes all together. Each has its very own scene going on and the attention to detail is extraordinary. Our guide explained in depth about the building, developing, and decorating of the set, along with some trade secrets about perspective and some funny stories too.
There was plenty of time to take as many photos as we wanted too and given that the weather was literally perfect, we really made the most of that!
Eight gardeners work full-time to keep The Shire looking as magnificent as it does, with the most stunning array of flowers, trees, plants, and vegetables. All food grown in the Hobbits gardens’ is served at the Banquet tour.
When we arrived at the Green Dragon Inn we were able to choose our refreshment of choice – either ale, cider, or ginger beer for the kids. We sat on the cobbled bridge, next to the fully functioning water mill, overlooking the lake, and enjoyed our drinks, while the kids gabbled excitedly about what scene had been set where.
After around one and a half hours the tour was over, and it was time to head back to the buses. At no point did it feel rushed, which was nice? There is the obligatory, very well-stocked gift shop at the other end. I was very happy to discover that there were plenty of lovely, quality gifts to suit all budgets.
The Hobbiton tour was more than we ever expected, and we highly recommend it!
