What To Expect

What‘s Included

Reviews

• Loved it!

  Joanne W,,Jan 30, 2026

  - Review from Viator

  5.00

  OMG! This is a must DO!! Hobbiton was fantastic! My husband and I never seen the movies but we still wanted to go and we are so happy we did. Everything was fabulous! Waitomo was amazing!

• Bush and Beach is a fantastic tour outfit

  498lynnef,,Jan 28, 2026

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  Bush and Beach is a fantastic outfit for this excursion. Our tour guide, Chris was absolutely wonderful. He was extremely knowledgeable about the areas we passed through and we learned a great deal about the people and ecology of New Zealand as we traveled to our excursions. Loved that our tour started and ended with several options for pickup/drop-off and the thoughtfully spaced bathroom breaks gave us time to stretch our legs. Hobbiton does a great job with the logistics and timing of the groups. I was a little worried at first at the number of people in our group, but it worked out great. Had lots of opportunities for pictures and our Hobbiton guide, Andrew, used our phones to take pictures of us coming out of a Hobbit hole. We also got to go into a fully furnished hobbit hole including getting to interact with the items inside, sitting on the chairs/beds and even in the tub (much easier to do if you are closer to hobbit sized). Lunch (included) started with a beer or cider and was a delicious buffet. Overall amazing experience. The Glow worms were awesome. Part of an absolutely gorgeous limestone cave system. Walking through the first part the rock formations were stunning. Our guide, Steven, demonstrated the acoustics of the cathedral cavern with a Māori song that was absolutely lovely and left me with goosebumps. It was fascinating to learn about the life cycle of the glow worms and seeing them for ourselves was incredible The time in the cave with the glow worms was relatively short, but that is probably the only reason I didn’t get a neck cramp from staring non stop at the ceiling. No pictures and no touching the rocks inside. (You can take some pictures at the very end, but they don’t turn out well). They can put you into pictures with the glow worms or cavern from a green screen picture they take of you at the start. Those are available for purchase at the end. Truly a day to remember for a lifetime. Lynne and Tina

  

  

  

• This tour is a must!

  Larry N,,Jan 28, 2026

  - Review from Viator

  5.00

  This is a long tour, but very worth while. It gives you a great opportunity to see the country around Auckland and two of New Zealand’s top tourist attractions.

• Special day Hobbiton and Waitomo caves

  S5688HYjeffe,,Jan 28, 2026

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  A very special day. Our group of 4 had not seen Lord of the Rings and were not sure that we had any interest in the tour. Friends had said that you did not want to miss the tour to Hobbiton. This was very special. It was a full day that went by so fast. I am on our way home to the US and started watching the movie. Our second stop was the glow worm caves. Another unbelievable experience Our tour guide Damian was so informative about Hobbiton, the caves, and New Zealand. It was a master class on New Zealand and how to conduct a tour. You thought that you were listening to a recording. I would take any tour with him.

• Group Hobbiton and Waitomo Day Trip with Lunch

  ANDREA M,,Jan 28, 2026

  - Review from Viator

  5.00

  The intricate details of Hobbiton and information shared regarding the making of The Lord of Rings movie(s) made this excursion worth it. The food and drink was delicious! The glow worms and caves were interesting. Our coach driver, Dameon, did an amazing job! He was very knowledgeable and engaging! The information he shared with our group helped make the day even more enjoyable.

• Amazing tour

  benedictet2026,,Jan 27, 2026

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  It was an amazing day even if it was raining. At Hobbiton there were a lot of visitors but the organization it's well done so we can take photos without anyone in them. The buffet was very good and a lot of choices. Everything was nice! I recommend!

• Wonderful day out

  Leanne H,,Jan 22, 2026

  - Review from Viator

  5.00

  Damien was an amazing guide. Gave us so much information about the local area, gave us time for breaks and quick photos. Knowledgeable about the tour and gave us hints and tips on when and what to do. The process of the tours was laid out well, always knowing where to be at what time. Hobbiton was amazing so much detail (but expect nothing less from Peter Jackson) and the caves were stunning

• What a memorable day!

  charlesfQ4347UG,,Jan 21, 2026

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  It was a 12-hour day, but the day went by fast. Here are some highlights. - All members in the group (a total of 13 people) got picked up at their hotels, respectively, between 6:30 and 7:00 in the morning and dropped off at the hotels at the end of the day. Such a welcome service for people unfamiliar with Auckland. - Hobbiton (in Matamata) has its own touring system. If you are not a die-hard Hobbit/Lord of the Rings fan, you may find it somewhat ‘tourist trap-like.’ However, the 90-minute guided walk through the breath-taking scenery was worth every penny! - Lunch at Hobbiton’s Green Dragon Tavern was a bit rushed due to the total number of guests on site, but the food was delicious. It certainly was a worthwhile break for the day. - The Waitomo Caves also has its own touring system. The guide took us on a boat ride (via a rope system!) in the dark caves for about 15 minutes. Wow, the glowworms did not disappoint! It almost felt like the Milky Way at a reachable height. Magical and unforgettable. The most impressive part of the tour, though, was our guide/driver, Damian, who was professional, energetic, thoughtful and personable. He talked about New Zealand’s history, Māori culture, daily life, shopping tips and everything in between. The could-have-been-boring drives between destinations (round trips, about 270 miles in total) became the best classroom to understand NZ and its peoples. He even found time for us to experience local baked goodies and the best NZ ice cream. On a previous excursion (offered by a cruise 2 days prior), we had met two other guides from the same company, Annie & Meredith, who also made us feel safe, engaged and well cared for. No wonder Bush & Beach has won awards and is highly regarded in NZ. When the opportunity arises in the future, we would definitely use their services again!

• Fantastic tour--great value!

  mwpyle,,Jan 19, 2026

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  We were absolutely delighted by this tour. Our driver Damien was kind, informative, and made the drive fly by. We started at Hobbiton set. What a delight. The tour operator was so helpful. Bought tickets for us, helped keep our purchases from the gift shop... We then joined a wonderful group tour of the site. Fantastic! Our driver then met us to ensure we were led directly into the lunch. WOW! A buffet for a Shire! Lamb, roast beef, fish.... An amazing spread. Then it was off to the Glow worm caves. Again, more insight from our driver! As special treat was an unexpected stop to feed an ostrich! We were whisked to the front of the line at the caves and afterwards shared a great local ice cream cone. We've been all over Europe, the Med, England , etc. I'd rate this one of the best tours--and an excellent value for what you get!

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

• Had the best day!!

  Jorge H,,Jan 12, 2026

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  We had the best time!! We traveled with our 2 kids, 9 and 11 and everyone loved it! We were a bit worried about the amount of driving but our driver Damian made it seem like it wasn’t much at all!! He was so kind, had lots of interesting information and a soothing voice, we all agreed we could hear him all day long 😆 100% recommend!!

  

  

  

  

  

  
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