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RTW Trip Day #98: A Magical Tour of the Hobbiton Movie Set
- andrewsco3
- 7 days ago
- 3 min read
4 January 2026
Steps: 4,728
We arrived at the Shire's Rest early in the morning, which is where you check in for your guided tour of the Hobbiton Movie Set (a tour is the only way you can visit Hobbiton) and grabbed a quick coffee from the café while we waited.
From there, we hopped on the bus to the movie set, which is around a ten minute ride. Our tour guide introduced himself and we were shown a few short videos on the bus to set the scene and give us some background on the movies, which was a great way to build excitement before arriving on set.
The Hobbiton Movie Set Tour
As you walk through the movie set, the guide points out where scenes from The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings were filmed, along with some of the clever tricks used during filming.
These included different sized doors to make characters appear smaller like hobbits or taller like wizards, the use of actor doubles, and other creative camera techniques used to bring Middle earth to life.
One of the highlights was being able to step inside a hobbit hole. A fully built interior was added in 2023, so it's now possible to experience what living in a hobbit house might feel like!
You could sit on the chairs, lie on the beds, and interact with anything that wasn’t fixed in place. The attention to detail was incredible and really showed the level of craftsmanship that goes into creating film sets. We got to spend around ten minutes pretending to be hobbits - it was so much fun!
After leaving the hobbit hole, we crossed the famous bridge and passed the water mill before stopping for a drink at the Green Dragon Inn.
The tour ticket includes a choice of stout, ale, apple cider, or ginger beer. You can also purchase additional drinks or food if you wish, though we didn’t. It felt just like an old English pub.
The tour finished with the bus ride back, where short clips from the films are shown on the screen, as well as a departing message from the director of the movie, Peter Jackson.
It was a wonderful experience, and even if you’re not a huge Lord of the Rings or Hobbit fan, the tour of the Hobbiton Movie Set is still well worth doing. It was one of the highlights from our 3 weeks travelling through New Zealand.
The Hamilton Gardens
After lunch, we headed to the Hamilton Gardens, and they were absolutely stunning! The gardens are divided into themed areas, each representing different cultures and styles from around the world.
We wandered through the Italian Renaissance Garden, admired the tranquil Japanese Garden, and explored the Ancient Egyptian Garden.
One of the unexpected highlights was discovering a grass court tennis court tucked away among the greenery - what I would pay to have a hit on that court!!! It felt like a little slice of Wimbledon in the middle of New Zealand! It was the perfect way to spend an afternoon after the morning wandering around Hobbiton.
Previous Day #97: Seeing Glowworms in the Waitomo Caves
Next Day #99: xxxxxxx
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