Full Day in Middle Earth - Lord of the Rings Tour
Overview
Available languages
10 hours
Mobile ticket
Combine our Half Day in Middle Earth with a second Half Day Adventure into another part of Middle Earth with our partner company. We have a 1 hour lunch break back in Queenstown and change buses for the afternoon tour. Morning and Afternoon Tour itineraries are interchangeable and can be switched due to availability or weather conditions.
You will be visiting the Skippers Canyon Lookout (weather permitting), Arrowtown, The Gibbston Valley, Glenorchy and Paradise.
You will admire LOTR locations such as The Ford of Bruinen, The Gladden Fields, Pillars of the Kings, Ithilien, Isengard, Beorn's House, Lothlorien, Amon Hen and more!
Additional Info
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Travel time between locations is included on the total tour duration.
Children under 10 years not permitted. Please book a private tour for Families with Children under 10, or look at our Half Day Tour or Mavora Lakes Adventure Tour options.
Not recommended for travelers who cannot walk more than 20mins on uneven ground. There is 1 walk where people unable to walk may have to wait for up to 20 mins.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What To Expect
Skippers Canyon
We head to the Skippers Canyon Lookout to view New Zealand's "Most Dangerous Road". Not only a spectacular view but also a Lord of the Rings Filming location located further within the Canyon. We stop afterwards at the nearby Coronet Viewpoint to taking in the surrounding views of the Wakatipu Basin and navigate our journeys plan from a birds eye perspective. (These stops are weather permitting)
Arrowtown
Awarded New Zealand's 'Most Beautiful Small Town' award in 2020 and 2023. We learn about the gold rush history of this rustic yet charming village the seems to appear right out of the 1800's. We explore 2 Lord of the Rings filming locations a short walk from town, followed by morning or afternoon tea in this quaint village.
What‘s Included
Photos with Authentic Props - We have the largest selection of Authentic Replica swords, axes, daggers & Helmets. Along with costumes to dress up.
1 % of all proceeds go to the Love Queenstown Community Fund preserving our breathtaking landscapes.
Morning/Afternoon Tea and a snacks
We also have copies of the original scripts and production call sheets
Lunch
Options
Full Day in Middle Earth - Lord of the Rings Tour
Reviews
83 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Fun day around Qtown
Craig M,Mar 24, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Great experience. only issue is that this was 2 tours combined into one, and a lot of repetition on commentary between the two. May try to split up some of it.
Great excursion for LOTR fans
c1ph3rd,Mar 15, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00This was a great time for a LOTR fan. I did the all day trip, which is actually two 1/2 day with two related companies. The drivers were fun and knowledgeable. Dressing up in the costumes was a blast. The swords and props they have are really good.
Great fun tour. Very informative and entertaining. Highly recommended.
rogerlC3848QK,Mar 2, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00This was a completely awesome day. The route takes in some of the key moments in the books and movies, their relevance to story, the script, why they were chosen. Our guide, Benji, showed us scenery, held up stills from the movies, let me read the script and casting directions for specific days filming, and added interesting anecdotes about the actual productions. Some of the landscapes we saw were just about as beautiful as anything I had ever seen. He was interesting company, very knowledgable, keen to talk through specific scenes from the books and films, why creative decisions were taken, explore his thoughts about both trilogies and listen to mine. That added another dimension to the whole experience and made it a lot more memorable for me. We ended with some fun 'cosplay' and I now have photos of me as Gollum, a dwarf and an elf, which have amused my family and friends. I even have a short video in which I try on the One Ring and promptly disappear. I would highly recommend this tour to anybody considering it. My wife, less of a fan of the source material also had a great time. I couldn't persuade her to dress up but she was happy to wave swords and other props in my general direction.
Enjoyable full day tour
andrewgI5117LS,Feb 28, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00The full day tour is 2 separate tours with different drivers/groups, with time for a lunchbreak in central Queenstown in between. I preferred the one which included Arrowtown/Gibbston Valley, but I was happy to do the full tour so could see as much as possible in my short time in Queenstown. The tour was guided by Francesco, who was well-versed in all things LOTR. We were transported around in a comfortable vehicle, and driven to all the locations safely. I would definitely recommend the tours from this company, they will be the highlight of your trip.
We went on an adventure
mauricec860,Feb 2, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We had a fantastic time. Never seemed rushed and Tristan and Ian did a great job making each stop informative and the overall tour fun. Thanks for the Adventure.
Great locations, comments and part of original scripts! I am fan and I was excited!
Resort11655607041,Jan 17, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00If you are lucky enough to get Francesco as a guide, you are winner! Amazing deepdive into LOTR. He helps with photos and gives some great ideas for video! Absolutely love it and recommend it!
Highly recommended by another LOTR tour company!
Jennifer C,Jan 12, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Ian was a great guide. Very knowledgeable with great details and context to share. The call sheets and production details inherited from the original owner provided great insights into the business of filmmaking. Ian also had the gift of personalizing the experience and making it accessible to people who were only marginally LOTR fans. As a rabid LOTR fan (scoring 9 out of 10 on Ian's scale), I found his tour to be one of the best we experienced in NZ. He and his tour company (Southern Trails/Trails of Middle Earth) showed true love for and command of the source material (the written trilogy & Silmarillion) without coming across as pedantic or offputting. The only negative part of this tour was missing out on visiting the Ford of Bruinen location on the Shotover because of foggy conditions. However, this was something that Ian could not control, and he made the call to prioritize our safety Solomon provided the second half of the full day tour. He was incredibly approachable and easygoing and provided lots of insights into not only LOTR filming locations in Glenorchy/Paradise but also local history and Maori folklore. I particularly enjoyed the audio journeys that he produced and shared with us during the journey. It was very cool to see the Lothlorien filming location as well as the site for the Vale of Isengard. However, my top experience was him pointing out the mountain that was used for Caradhras -- totally awesome!
Immersion into LOTR film lore
Vim320,Jan 11, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Highly recommend the full day tour for a full immersion. We had tour guides Shane and Dan and they were both informative, funny, and were great with our kids. The vehicles were clean and prop collection was impressive. Shane guided us during the first half of the day - in and around Queenstown, recommended we come back to Arrowtown (which we did!), and gave us a great overview of how the LOTR films were produced. You get to see a lot of epic movie locations from the Fellowship of the Ring. Highlights included Ford of Bruinen and getting to play dress up with a panoramic view of the Remarkables. On the second half of the tour, we got a little less LOTR film lore which was perfectly fine as we got a primer in the morning. We had more epic scenery as we made our way to Glenorchy/Paradise (highlight was seeing Isengard with dust clouds for some added mystery). The lunch break in between the tours felt a little rushed so if you can order ahead of time so you can pick up a sandwich and have a leisurely stroll in downtown QT.
Tour Guide Made LOTR Tour Even Better
603abigailr,Jan 11, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Benji was SO nerdy, funny, and humble to be around. He made the trip so much better than we imagined. We spent all day with him and wow. He was a wealth of knowledge about everything. I felt like we were talking to a human encyclopedia. He was able to get along with my family and I the entire 10 hours we spent with him. He was able to talk and drive so smooth. Incredible talent in itself. Middle Earth tour allowed us to see a good portion of Queenstown. Stunning sights of many places around the area. Cannot recommend this tour enough!
Great day tour!
Departure253643,Jan 10, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00This was a great tour not only for LOTR fans but for anyone who wants to see the beauty of the country. We had great guides who talked about the movie but also explained the history and nature of the area. It was a fantastic day trip and highly recommend this tour.
From NZ$388.00
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Related Experiences
Operated by Southern Trails - Lord of the Rings Sightseeing Tours