Greetings, Internet Stranger, and welcome to the best Auckland Hobbiton tours! If you’re looking for the best Auckland Hobbiton tours, I assume you already know what Hobbiton is.
Want to cut right to the chase, Internet Stranger? The best Auckland Hobbiton tour is this Hobbiton Express tour with tons of five-star reviews!
1) Hobbiton Express Day Tour
Hobbiton sounds like a magical kingdom, but have no fear! It isn’t really a magical kingdom, just a replica of a most magical place inhabited by fine, second breakfast eating folks known as Hobbits from the Lord of the Rings books and movies. It’s one of the most popular tourist attractions in New Zealand, so there are several tours that leave here going from Auckland.
This fantastic Lord of the Rings experience which you can find over here merely happens to be my favorite.
Check rates and availability by going here to find out more about hobbits!
Your tour driver will pick you up very early in the morning so you can have the maximum amount of time in Hobbitland. But don’t worry! You can sleep as much as you like on the bus.
Why is Hobbiton in New Zealand? Well, Peter Jackson, the director of the movies, is famously from New Zealand, and he wanted to film the movies there. (New Zealand does look a ton like Middle-Earth.) Since the Lord of the Rings movies were filmed first, and Hobbiton is just a small part of those movies, they made a temporary set for Hobbiton.
However, when Peter Jackson made his adaptation of The Hobbit, Hobbiton obviously plays a more important role in that. That’s why he built a real, solid little town on a New Zealand sheep farm where his hobbits could prance and eat and shave their toes.
Now this spot is a wonderful place for tourists and Lord of the Rings fans from all over the world to come and enjoy.
The most exciting part of the day will be your tour of the Hobbiton set. There are so many amazing details that I can’t possibly show you all of them in my photos. However, you’ll be able to see special Hobbit signs, like this one indicating that the Hobbit who lives here is a fisher-hobbit.
This house has a honeycomb because a beekeeper lives here.
You’ll also get to learn how the movie magicians and set designers behind the LOTR movies got this gate to look so old. (Spoiler alert! Foam was involved.)
Hobbits have to eat a lot of vegetables.
At the end of the tour, your guide will take your photo inside a Hobbit house. Most of the Hobbit houses don’t have working doors, but this one does! That’s how we can make it look like you live here and are a Hobbit.
That’s really me in the photo above, but I am actually human sized, not Hobbit sized. I just got on my knees behind the door frame so I would look like a wee little Hobbit in my wee little Hobbit home! Also, my jacket matches the door, but there was no way I could have planned that.
You may also feel free to shrink yourself for the Hobbit photo. Just tell your guide that I was the one who gave you the idea!
Included with your tour is a yummy all you can eat buffet. I mean, I only had one helping of each dish, but apparently you can go back for seconds, just like a Hobbit would. You also get a drink at the Green Dragon Inn, with both alcoholic and non options. I suggest the fine house made ale.
After lunch, you’ll have some time for souvenirs, and then you can get back on the bus! I bought a replica of the famous treasure map from The Hobbit, which I have hanging on the wall of my bedroom right now. Why yes, I am a devastatingly glamorous lady with my Hobbit map, why do you ask?
Goodbye sheep! Thanks for welcoming us to your home!
24 Hour Tip
Those are all the secrets of this first Hobbiton tour that I can share with you for now.
Check rates and availability by going here to find out the rest of the Hobbit secrets!
2) Hobbiton and Waitomo Tour
The first tour I introduced you to just took you to Hobbiton. However, there are several Auckland Hobbiton tours that also take you to the famous nearby glowworm caves in Waitomo. If you won’t be going to Waitomo separately, this can be an amazing way to experience both beautiful places.
This guided experience is the one that I recommend because it has the best overall reviews. Just like the first Hobbiton tour, they’ll pick you up from your hotel early in the morning. It’s a small group tour, limited to no more than 15 people, so you’ll get a relaxed experience and really be able to get to know your guide.
Check rates and availability by going here to experience this small group tour!
Just like the Hobbiton only tour, you’ll be able to have a two hour tour of the set and learn all of the fun facts that you wish to learn. There will be the complimentary beverage included as well, but this time you won’t get the lunch buffet.
Up next, it’s off to Waitomo to see the famous Glowworm Caves! I promise this is a gorgeous experience that you will never forget. Why, I myself still sometimes dream of the glowworm caves. And you’ll be able to enjoy the gorgeous New Zealand North Island countryside as you drive.
See! Doesn’t it look amazing inside the caves? Unfortunately, I couldn’t get any pictures of the glowworms glowing because the cameras freak them out, but that will just encourage you to get to Waitomo and see the worms for yourself!
After all that excitement it’s time to head back to Auckland and enjoy all the memories of your wonderful day!
Check rates and availability by going here to meet the glowworms!
3) Affordable Hobbiton Tour
So, the next guided experience that I’m going to recommend is Hobbiton only, which means no Waitomo. It’s also the most affordable Hobbiton tour that I recommend, which means no lunch is included. However, you still get the complimentary beverage at the Green Dragon, which can be with or without alcohol.
Check rates and availability by going here to get your Hobbit drink on!
You also still get the small group experience! This tour is limited to eleven people, which means you get plenty of individualized attention. You’ll still get the guided tour of Hobbiton as you arrive, followed by time to explore and shop on your own. You’ll also get some other perks, like bottled water.
And depending on the weather, your guide, and how prompt everyone is getting ready for the car in the morning, you will be able to stop along the way and see some surprise sights in the country as you travel.
No, I can’t tell you exactly what the surprises will be! That is why they are surprises!
Check rates and availability by going here to be surprised in the Land of Hobbits!
4) Hobbiton and Glowworm Caves with Lunch
So this next on this list of Auckland Hobbiton tours which you can find here that I recommend also takes you to Waitomo and the magical glowworm caves. This means that it will take more time away from Auckland than the tours that just take you to Hobbiton and back. However, that shouldn’t be much of a problem. You can always nap on the bus going there and back again.
Just like all the other Auckland Hobbiton tours that I could find, this tour includes the complimentary beverage at the Green Dragon. However, it also includes lunch! This won’t be the buffet lunch that you saw in my first tour. We’re going to get a separate Kiwi cafe lunch. (Kiwi as in New Zealand food, not Kiwi as in the fruit.)
Check rates and availability by going here to get a Kiwi lunch!
Many of the same things on the other tours will be included. You’ll get a hotel pick up in Auckland, followed by a guided tour of the Hobbiton movie set, which will include time to drink, shop and explore.
Then your driver will take you to Waitomo, where you will experience a gorgeous boat ride through the famous glowworm caves. This ride will last for about 45 minutes, which will be more than enough time to take in the amazing views.
This is what the glowworms look like when the lights are out. However, they look much more gorgeous and also BLUE when the lights are out. I don’t have any photos of that because we can’t take photos of the glowworms, as the flash from our cameras will make them glow away. However, you can see what they look like by going here.
Check rates and availability by going here to see the glowworms for yourself!
5) Hobbiton and Rotorua Tour
The final tour on this list of the best Auckland Hobbiton tours is a Hobbiton and Rotorua tour. The Hobbiton portion of this tour will be pretty similar to the other Hobbiton tours on this list. You’ll get a pickup from your Auckland hotel, and then you’ll be driven to Hobbiton.
You’ll get the two hour tour of Hobbiton, and that all important free drink at the Green Dragon Inn. Lunch isn’t included with the tour, though you do get bottled water and some snacks. But what happens next is a little more interesting because you’ll be taken to the geothermal activity in the city of Rotorua. This is a one of a kind place you’ll truly only find in New Zealand.
Check rates and availability by going here to experience geothermal activity!
In Rotorua, you’ll be taken on a tour of the Te Puia Geothermal Park, which is home to a group of geysers that put Old Faithful at Yellowstone National Park back in the USA to shame.
The most famous is Pohutu Geyser, which is the largest geyser in the Southern Hemisphere. (Are there larger in the Northern Hemisphere? No one would tell me.)
Pohutu also has the distinction of being one of the most reliable geysers in the world, and I hope you’ll be able to experience it while you are enjoying your guided tour. But just because Pohutu is the biggest, don’t neglect the other geysers. There are at least six others.
The geysers aren’t the only things to see at Te Puia because this place is also an important Maori cultural center where you can learn traditional Maori stories and see Maori crafts. Traditionally, Maori have believed that geysers were gifts from the gods. So please be respectful and careful around the geysers. Both because the Maori will ask you to and because the geysers are full of hot water and can burn you if you touch them.
Though Te Puia is not a spa, the pools are full of mud that is supposedly jam-packed with all sorts of amazing health benefits. But please don’t actually reach down into the pools and try to get some mud for yourself because the pools can get up to 200 degrees Fahrenheit. That would be a terrible end to the best Auckland Hobbiton tours.
After your experience at Te Puia, your guide will drive you back to your hotel in Auckland. Please feel free to sleep along the way. No one will judge you. And hopefully you will feel it was a perfect end to a perfect day!
Check rates and availability by going here to meet the famous mud!
Best Auckland Hobbiton Tours
Where to Stay?
In my opinion, the JW Marriott is the perfect place to spend your time with the best Auckland Hobbiton tours. It has lovely and comfortable rooms, a great bar downstairs, and the perfect location within walking distance of all the attractions on this itinerary.
Plus the staff couldn’t be nicer! My room wasn’t quite ready when I arrived, so they set me up with a free glass of wine at the hotel bar and took care of me until the room was ready. Thanks, staff!
If you want a great deal on this hotel, click here.
And if you’d rather explore deals on many other hotels in Auckland, click here.
This search engine will help you find the perfect place to stay during your day of the best Auckland Hobbiton tours. With plenty of options to choose from, I’m sure you’ll find something for your schedule and budget.
Best Auckland Hobbiton Tours
What to Pack?
- A cell charger so that you’ll be able to keep taking photos of the best Auckland Hobbiton tours
- The best international travel adapter because if you’re American like I am, or European like I am not, you’ll need one to be able to plug in electronics in New Zealand while you explore the best Auckland Hobbiton tours
- My book Get Lost, that I wrote myself with all my best travel tips. This book will show you exactly how solo travel can take your life from BLAH to amazing!
- My favorite travel guide to New Zealand which will help you find even more of the best Auckland Hobbiton tours
Best Auckland Hobbiton Tours
How to Get There
By Plane: If you are coming to New Zealand from literally any other country in the world, you’ll need to take a plane. Most of my readers come from the United States or the UK, so you’ll definitely need a flight and they’re not cheap! I recommend using a search engine like Expedia to search for the best prices on flights.
By Car: If you’re coming to the best Auckland Hobbiton tours from somewhere else in New Zealand, you’ll need a car. I actually came to Auckland by car from Paihia in the North Islands, but I wasn’t driving! Instead, I rode in a car with a group tour of New Zealand, which ended in Auckland.
If you’re looking for a group tour in New Zealand, I highly recommend booking with the excellent G Adventures. You can check out the tours they offer here.
Bus: New Zealand is a popular destination for backpackers, and most of the backpackers I met get around NZ by bus. You’ll want to use the InterCity website to see all the bus routes if you’re going to get to Auckland by bus from somewhere else in New Zealand. They even have highly convenient bus passes.
That’s the best Auckland Hobbiton tours!
What do you think are the best Auckland Hobbiton tours?
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Please email me at stellajane@aroundtheworldin24hours.com.
Note: If you want to know how I put my travel itineraries together, just click here. Keep in mind that while each article is about how to spend 24 hours in a place, that doesn’t mean you should ONLY spend 24 hours with the best Auckland Hobbiton tours. If you have time for another 24 hours in Auckland, try this itinerary. And if you want to add 24 hours in Paihia and the Bay of Islands, click here.