Hobbiton & Whakarewarewa - The Living Maori Village - Day Tour - Ex Auckland

Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product

Stop At: Hobbiton Movie Set, 501 Buckland Road Matamata, Hinuera 3472 New Zealand

Experience the real Middle-earth with a visit to the Hobbiton Movie Set, featured in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit films.

Your guided tour starts with a drive through our picturesque 1,250 acre sheep farm with spectacular views across to the Kaimai Ranges.

Take a look at Bag End, where Frodo and Bilbo’s adventures began. Get lost among the hobbit holes and visit the Green Dragon Inn, the mill and the Party Tree. Listen to spell-binding tales of how Hobbiton came to be.

Tours depart daily from the Shire's Rest Cafe, 501 Buckland Road Matamata and from the Matamata & Rotorua i-SITEs.

Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Whakarewarewa - The Living Maori Village, 17 Tryon Street Whakarewarewa Village, Rotorua 3010 New Zealand

Experience the warmth of Māori Culture and get to know our living geothermal village with a fully guided village tour.

Our friendly, local guides are direct descendants of the early Māori guides who shaped tourism in New Zealand for generations. Their insights, knowledge and legendary hospitality (manaakitanga) adds depth and richness to the experience you’ll have at Whakarewarewa – The Living Māori Village.

On the Whakarewarewa Guided Tour, you will:

Explore an authentic living Māori village where people live on a daily basis, using natural geothermal resources to cook, bathe and heat their homes as they have for centuries.
Discover the vibrancy of Māori culture and the fascinating traditions of the Tūhourangi Ngāti Wāhiao people, who shaped tourism in New Zealand.
View the geothermal wonders of Whakarewarewa Geothermal Valley up close, including the world-famous Pōhutu geyser, boiling mud-pools, steam vents and bubbling pools.
Enjoy a traditional cooking demonstration – watch our residents prepare Hāngi meals in our in-ground steam boxes, and cook corn in the bubbling water of our geothermal hot pools – as they have for generations.
Learn what it’s like to live in the challenging environment of the Whakarewarewa Valley, where daily life includes cooking in the bubbling pools and steam vents, and bathing in the refreshing therapeutic waters.
Take in our various historical landmarks and buildings, including an active Marae, our WWII Memorial Archway, two historic churches, and tapu (sacred) burial grounds.
Our Living Māori Village is just that – it’s alive; a real, functioning Māori village, steeped in fascinating history. Whakarewarewa – The Living Māori Village offers an immersive snapshot of our culture, people and their unique way of life.

Duration: 2 hours