Wellington's Original LOTR Experience - includes Weta and Lunch
Overview
Available languages
8 hours
Mobile ticket
Enjoy a full day, all-inclusive adventure in Wellington, the home of middle-Earth. Visit some amazing locations from the Lord of the Rings movies, enjoy a delicious lunch and visit the famous Weta Workshop, where the films were created.
We are Wellington's original Lord of the Rings tour and have been operating since 2002. Formerly Rover Rings Tours [before Covid], Welly Rings Tours is proud to show you Wellington as Middle-earth. Our fans-turned-guides will share with you fascinating stories of the making of these movies that you likely won't hear anywhere else - mainly because some of our guides were actually there!
Additional Info
Public transportation options are available nearby
Specialized infant seats are available
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Not recommended for participants with walkers or limited mobility
Please advise any specific dietary requirements at time of booking
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What‘s Included
Weta Workshop tour and a lunch feast fit for a Hobbit included in tour price
Pick up and drop off available direct from cruise ships - we've never missed a drop off
Owned and operated by genuine fans, several of whom worked on the films
Expert guides with film industry experience
Guaranteed drop off back to Cruise Ship on time. We haven't missed a drop off in 15 years
Visit the best LOTR filming locations
Bonus native forest walk in a 1000-year-old temperate rainforest
Central Wellington pick up
Gratuities
What To Expect
Weta Workshop
Delve into the heart of Wellywood and visit the Weta Workshop, a physical effects workshop who created all the props, armour, weapons, costumes, miniatures and prosthetics for the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit movies. Learn the secrets of movie magic on a behind-the-scenes tour by a Weta employee, who will explain the creative process behind bringing these films to life. You'll also have chance to take photos with various characters and weapons, as well as treating yourself to a souvenir or two, if desired.
Mount Victoria Lookout
Enjoy a stunning panoramic view of the harbour and city from the Mt Victoria lookout. Your guide will talk about the landmarks you can see from the top and help you take photos. Mt Victoria is always on the list of things to do in Wellington, so we thought we'd save you the trouble of walking up the hill to get there!
Options
Wellington's Original LOTR FD
Pickup included
LOTR FD for CRUISE PAX ONLY
Pickup included
Reviews
462 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Great tour!
Karin G,
Jun 19, 2025
- Viator
5.00A very infomative experience for fans of LOTR. It was especially cool to learn that our guide worked on set and even appeared in the movie so we also heard personal stories about the actors and director. We had a small group of only 4 so we had plenty of time at each place to recreate photos of the scenes. He had laminated books that contained pictures of the scenes that were taken the places we went to. Lunch was fantastic too! A nice hot meal was welcome since the weather was unfortunately a bit cold and rainy that day.
Goated tour
Cameron D,
Jun 17, 2025
- Viator
5.00Made me want to get drunk with Elijah Wood. Great locations and workshop tour, amazing guide. Good interactive experience for LOTR fans.
LOTD nerds need this one!
John P,
May 12, 2025
- Viator
5.00This was a fantastic tour. Our guide was Grant and he knocked it out of the park! We travels to several of the filming locations from the LOTD movies and were amazed to see how intact the sites remained…no movie sets, but even tree branches as seen in the movies were visible. Grant had pictures from the time of the filming and you could clearly see the magic they accomplished just a few feet from a busy street. Traveling to WĒTĀ studio was awesome. We had a fantastic lunch at a quaint and very popular spot and then finished off the tour. If you get Grant as your guide, you will not be disappointed! A good guide makes or breaks a tour and he is wonderful.
Personalized tour, can't get this anywhere else!
Jennifer J,
May 7, 2025
- Viator
5.00We did the full-day LOTR experience with Marc. 5-star experience from the booking to final drop-off. Traveling internationally, it's hard to know how an experience will go. However, from the start the agency was communicative and intentional about giving us a personalized experienced. Including a delicious lunch and a Weta Cave tour made the experience seamless and stress-free. From pickup-dropoff, Marc, our guide, engaged us with stories from both the movies and Wellington. He kept it fun and personable, but with a respect for the history of the movie and Wellington's rich, natural landscape. He left plenty of time for photos (with props, costumes and optimal angles ;), questions, and even trivia! I don't think any experience on this tour will be the same, as different tour guides have unique stories, but it's clear that the LOTR movie production was one of a kind, and that history is being preserved through their knowledgeable, local guides. LOTR movies will live on generations into the future, but the people who were there, who sweated and bled and invested years into this incredible work of art are in Wellington now and giving their firsthand experiences. Don't miss this, and book Marc if you can!
The tour was great and...
Gilles G,
May 1, 2025
- Viator
5.00The tour was great and the guide was exceptional. We were a small group for the full day experience which was great to provide more dialogue with the guide and amongst the participants. The full day tour was worth every dollar, including the great meal which was not sandwiches but actual meat and vegetables buffet. Well done to all.
Related Experiences
Operated by Wellington Rings Tours