Half Day Lord of the Rings Tour
Overview
Available languages
Mobile ticket
We make our way up to the Mount Victoria Lookout to see spectacular views of Wellington’s city by driving up Courtenay Place, past the Embassy Picture Theatre which held two world premieres; The last LOTR instalment The Return of the King (2003), and the first Hobbit movie An Unexpected Journey (2012).
Then it is off to Hobbiton Woods where the filming of his epic trilogy began. Home of the Shortcut to Mushrooms scene; Sam & Frodo’s Second Breakfast; the location where the Hobbits hid from the Black Rider (“Get off the Road!”); the Race to the Buckleberry Ferry scene; and King Théoden’s Dunharrow Encampment.
Now we are off to the Weta Workshop in Miramar. for an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour where you see how props plus weaponry are made and probably maybe meet artists at work.
At the Weta Cave see and have photos with Gollum, Lurtz the Uruk-hai, Bilbo’s three Trolls.
The tour concludes with a drive around the bays back to the city
Additional Info
Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Wheelchair accessible
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Cruise Ship Passenger bookings should select the following option as their pickup location which is the Wellington Cruise Ship Port: Aotea Quay, Pipitea, Wellington 6011, New Zealand
Cruise Ship Passenger bookings should add their ship name in special requirements field.
PICKUP LOCATION MUST BE GIVEN AT TIME OF BOOKING: Default pickup location Wellington iSite Visitor Centre, if you do not know your hotel at time of booking. You can amend your pickup when you know your hotel, if it is located in the CBD pickup area.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What To Expect
Mount Victoria
Mt Victoria Lookout, great view of Wellington
Mount Victoria
Hobbiton Woods 5 filming sites from 1st LORs movie
What‘s Included
Hotel pickup and drop-off
GST (Goods and Services Tax)
Driver/guide
Live commentary on board
Transport by air-conditioned minivan
Gratuities
Bottled water
Coffee and/or Tea
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Options
Half Day Lord of the Rings Tour
Pickup included
Reviews
128 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Fun
Cheryl M,,Feb 4, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Great for any LOTR fans and tour guide was full of knowledge and great for a bit of a laugh. Enjoyed it
Half day Lord of the rings tour
Ali S,,Feb 4, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
4.00We really enjoyed this. Never realised how much went on behind the scenes. Also great to visit some of the filming locations.
A quite enjoyable experience with a very dynamic guide who appeared to enjoy what he was doing.
MaryK L,,Feb 1, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00That there is walking through the forest, which is beautiful but in some areas quite steep. But a wonderful day and the weather was excellent.
Wonderful day at WETA
Maggie M,,Jan 28, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Great day with lots of LOTR places and scenes back story. Fascinating place. Always smart if possible to gather the first LOTR movie before coming. It makes the tour come alive. Our tour guide, Stan, was fabulous.
Great Wellington and Hobbit tour
Jim L,,Dec 13, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Had very knowledgeable and pleasant tour guide and driver. Tour of Wetta was quite remarkable. Go for it!
Unbelievable experience in Hobbiton
ssarcot,,Nov 17, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00This place is straight out of a fairy tale! Or at least that is what it feels like. It is so pretty and absolutely fantastic to see the hobbit holes where a bulk of the shooting was done. The guided tour was spectacular and very well organized.
Great experience
martina r,,Nov 17, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Loved this experience, great guide in Wayne. The Weta workshop is amazing and impressive especially if you love movies
Fun tour
Ellen A,,Oct 10, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Our driver Wayne was great and the actual tour was a lot of fun. WETA is a super cool place to visit, especially if you're a LOTR geek! But even if you're not it's still pretty neat to see how everything is done - and they have their hands in so many other films!
Lester’s the Best!
Patty H,,Oct 7, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Great tour…the tag team LOTR/Hobbit pop quizzes thruout between us (mostly my hubby) and Lester was super entertaining…and we learned new book & film trivia from each other. We started our day with the Mt Victoria overlook…canNOT decide which way to look…stunningly beautiful. And the Mr Toad’s Wild Ride to the top! Rock solid driving skills! And I cannot say enough about the Wētā Workshop🤩 ahhmazing…recommend going to their website for full info on their tours and GO! Lester also very kindly managed personal reenactment photo sessions for all guests. Very patient and amenable. We loved it!
Amazing Experience!
Marta R,,Aug 31, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Beautiful tour on the LOTR locations that allows us to see Wellington under a different perspective! We had a fantastic guide, Lester, that shows us perfectly and passionately all the places (it was like to be in the movie!) and let us know a little bit more about the Māori culture. Thanks a lot!! It was a wonderful experience! Marta e Giancarlo
From NZ$190.00
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Operated by Xplor Tours