What To Expect

What‘s Included

Reviews

• Much more that a Lord of the Rings tour!

  harryhY5627GU,,Jan 18, 2026

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  Although this is labeled a Lord of the Rings tour, it is much, much more that that. Upon leaving Queenstown, after about 5 minutes, we were literally at the top of one of the roads when we pulled over and were shown a few of the scenes. I couldn't believe how the 'movie magic' managed to shoot so close to the town and still make it look deserted. After that we went through Arrowtown. A quaint, but beautiful town. A few of out family, went back for a more through browse the following day. From there, we did some 'four wheel driving' through one of the local rivers. This, for our kids (and the bigger kids) was the highlight. We also panned for gold. Then drove down on one of the 'skinniest' roads in New Zealand for a few fantastic photo ops. (Skippers Canyon). This is definitely one for the local drivers only to attempt. The tour would not have been half as good without the 2 tour guides that took our family. Massive shout out to Dan and Jodie. They were the right balance of fun/engaging and seriousness. Keeping the tour rolling along with their knowledge of both Lord of the Rings and the local area.

• Great tour - highly recommend

  Tharanie V,,Jan 18, 2026

  - Review from Viator

  5.00

  Loved the adventure option on the 4WD experience, and incredible guide in Nick who was knowledgeable about all manner of things incl LOTR. Simply fabulous, highly recommend.

• Gold and Lords of the Rings

  870bol,,Jan 18, 2026

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  Gold and Lord of the Rings "Thank you for a wonderful and magnificent 4x4 tour around Queenstown and the surrounding area. The views were spectacular, and the ride was... let’s just say 'pleasantly bumpy' :-)) as we navigated through rivers and challenging terrain. Our guide, Hannah, is a truly skilled driver who handled the landscape with ease. She has a great sense of humor and is an excellent storyteller, sharing the local history in a way that was both engaging and informative. A fantastic experience all around."

  

• Family fun and adventure

  scottcM2934VQ,,Jan 16, 2026

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  The Lord of the Rings (LotR) Tour was packed with breathtaking LotR filming locations and a great 4WD river run interaction. Our enthusiastic guide retold the story of Peter Jackson's Middle-earth filming with facts and thrilling tales based out of his photo guidebook to orinentate us to the scenery. We saw LotR movie trilogy filming locations including the Pillars of the Kings and the Misty Mountains. We also panned for river gold, whilst enjoying a warm cup of tea and banana bread.

  

• Fantastic 4WD LOTR Scenery Tour

  Discover67922100955,,Jan 15, 2026

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  Our guide, Roger, was incredibly welcoming, well versed and knowledgeable. Scenery was incredible and loved the connections to LOTR as well as other movies. Very good for small groups to get the best value for time and anecdotal stories. Half day length was enough to see so many wonderful sights, take some photos and dress up a bit without getting too tired. Not overcrowded even in the summer time. Big thanks to our experienced guide and his entertaining stories.

• Very disappointing

  Fiona H,,Jan 1, 2026

  - Review from Viator

  2.00

  Disappointing. Did not match the description of “off road adventure in the wild of New Zealand”. Expected much more off roading as indicated in the description and photos. Unprofessional guides. Minimal regard for client safety. Total waste of money and afternoon.

• A great way to spend half a day in Queenstown

  Joe W,,Dec 26, 2025

  - Review from Viator

  5.00

  A brilliant tour that packs so much in to a half day. Lots of LOTR sights, amazing views across the Basin, and a very good tour guide who was enthusiastic and engaging. While we only found a few gold flashes sadly it was still an exciting & fun part of the day! We would still heartily recommend if you are visiting Queenstown or are an LOTR fan.

• LOTR Tour

  A8723OJtimothyc,,Dec 12, 2025

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  Best day ever. So knowledge, considerate and interesting. Highly recommend this tour to see all of New Zealand hidden landmarks

  

  

  

• Great half day tour

  Ashley S,,Dec 5, 2025

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  Was so much fun going off road, we also got a lesson in panning for gold which was fun, our guide was great, loved the lord of the rings stops!

• Disappointed

  grahambJ8914PR,,Nov 20, 2025

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  2.00

  We booked the Lord of Rings tour, however we were taken on the Skippers Canyon tour. We did not see one scene from the LOR. We were also supposed to get afternoon tea which did not happen. Finally the schedule included gold panning near Albert Town, whereas we had the gold panning in the Skipper’s Canyon. Very disappointed with the experience. The Shot-over Jet Boat ride was fantastic.

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