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Tauranga Shore Excursion: Lord of the Rings Hobbiton Movie Set Tour Including Rotorua Sightseeing
1 day
Instant confirmation
About this activity
Your shore excursion begins with pickup from your cruise ship port at Tauranga. The scenic route to Middle Earth takes you across the Tauranga harbor bridge, then leaves the Bay of Plenty coast to climb the Kaimai mountain range and enter the Waikato district's lush farmlands.
Arriving at Hobbiton near the town of Matamata in Waikato, meet your guide and take a two-hour tour of this famous movie set location. Enter the world of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings on a walk past hobbit holes, stand under the party tree and admire the gently rolling farmland that brought the Shire to life. Your Hobbiton tour concludes with a drink of beer, cider or ginger beer at the Green Dragon Inn.
Your tour continues over the Mamaku mountain range and into Rotorua. Stop for lunch (own expense) beside Lake Rotorua, then continue to the living thermal village of Whakarewarewa.
Accompanied by a Maori guide, admire the amazing thermal springs and bubbling mud pools, and see the famous Pohutu Geyser burst into life. Listen to your guide's fascinating commentary, and hear how people learned to live in harmony with the geothermal activity, cooking over steam vents and bathing in the hot springs.
Your tour also takes you to the traditional Maori meeting house, Whare Tupuna, with its ancient wood carvings. See Maori customs and legends come to life when you experience a traditional Maori welcome, songs and dances, including the warlike Haka dance with its demonstration of fighting skills.
The return trip to the port follows a different route, revealing more of New Zealand's scenic beauty. If time allows, stop at a redwood forest en route for a photo shoot -- with cloaks, hats, staffs and swords provided, you can dress up as Bilbo, Gandalf, Eowyn and other favorite characters from The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit for the ultimate souvenir of your trip to Middle Earth!
Worry-free Shore Excursion:
We will ensure your timely return to the Tauranga port for this activity. In the rare event your ship has departed, we will arrange for transportation to the next port-of call. If your ship is delayed and you are unable to attend this activity, your money will be refunded. See our terms and conditions for full details.
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Arriving at Hobbiton near the town of Matamata in Waikato, meet your guide and take a two-hour tour of this famous movie set location. Enter the world of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings on a walk past hobbit holes, stand under the party tree and admire the gently rolling farmland that brought the Shire to life. Your Hobbiton tour concludes with a drink of beer, cider or ginger beer at the Green Dragon Inn.
Your tour continues over the Mamaku mountain range and into Rotorua. Stop for lunch (own expense) beside Lake Rotorua, then continue to the living thermal village of Whakarewarewa.
Accompanied by a Maori guide, admire the amazing thermal springs and bubbling mud pools, and see the famous Pohutu Geyser burst into life. Listen to your guide's fascinating commentary, and hear how people learned to live in harmony with the geothermal activity, cooking over steam vents and bathing in the hot springs.
Your tour also takes you to the traditional Maori meeting house, Whare Tupuna, with its ancient wood carvings. See Maori customs and legends come to life when you experience a traditional Maori welcome, songs and dances, including the warlike Haka dance with its demonstration of fighting skills.
The return trip to the port follows a different route, revealing more of New Zealand's scenic beauty. If time allows, stop at a redwood forest en route for a photo shoot -- with cloaks, hats, staffs and swords provided, you can dress up as Bilbo, Gandalf, Eowyn and other favorite characters from The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit for the ultimate souvenir of your trip to Middle Earth!
Worry-free Shore Excursion:
We will ensure your timely return to the Tauranga port for this activity. In the rare event your ship has departed, we will arrange for transportation to the next port-of call. If your ship is delayed and you are unable to attend this activity, your money will be refunded. See our terms and conditions for full details.
Included
- Driver/guide
- Live commentary on board
- Air-conditioned vehicle
- Port pickup and drop-off
- Snacks & bottled wwater
- Covered by Viator's worry-free policy: guaranteed on-time return to your ship
Not included
- Gratuities
- Food and drinks
Additional
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- Please wear comfortable clothing and walking shoes
- Please bring sun protection and a light jacket for cooler weather
Features
Tourism
100%
Cultural
60%
Aquatic
30%
Reviews
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I really wanted to do something special on my birthday and went on this tour with Zealandier Tour and I couldn't ask for a better day! The whole trip with Jan was fun, she knew a lot about New Zealand and is such a wonderful, lovely and funny lady! I loved everything about the tour. Also the day was sunny and Hobbiton was truly a highlight! I highly recommend the tour to everyone and I would do the tour with this tour operator again! Thank you again Jan for being my guide and Emma for organizing the beautiful day for me!
Highly worth the longer drive and cost. Beautiful local and the attention to detail relative to the movie set was amazing. Tour guides were excellent!
This was an absolutely outstanding experience. The travel guide was wonderful,highly organised and knowledgeable on her subjects. I would rate this as one of the best tours we have undergone at about half the price of the cruise ship tour. I would definitely use them again.
Fantastic tour! Our tour guide Philip was amazing, going the extra mile to ensure we saw all the interesting things in the areas visited and sharing his knowledge along the way. Was great to see both locations as we were only in port for 1 day. Some very unique sights at Rotorua and Hobbiton is beautiful, you wouldn't even need to be a Lord of the Rings fan to enjoy it. I highly recommend this tour.
Excellent tour, a must do. Great visit to Hobbiton with Two hours to look around with a guide. Then Rotorua and mauri cultural experience and geysers. Graeme our guide had excellent knowledge. Great countryside views. Fantastic snack pack.