Set jetting is a travel trend where you visit filming locations of movies and shows. And if ever there were a perfect movie for set jetting, The Lord of the Rings is it! The Fellowship of the Ring was released 23 years ago, on December 19, 2001, so we thought this would be a fun time to explore The Lord of the Rings experiences in New Zealand.
The world is not in your books and maps; it’s out there.
Gandalf
Hobbiton in Matamata
An idyllic 1,250 sheep and beef farm is home of The Shire and the Hobbiton Movie Set, where The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit Trilogies were filmed. The lush rolling hills of Matamata are on the North Island of New Zealand, about a 2.5 hour drive from Auckland.
With the help of the New Zealand Army, 39 Hobbit Holes across 12 acres were originally constructed for The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit film trilogies. After filming concluded, 17 Hobbit Holes remained and would serve as the foundation of Hobbiton as it is today. Now, a tour of The Shire and Hobbiton includes 44 permanently constructed Hobbit Holes, the Party Tree, the site of Bilbo’s 111st birthday, The Green Dragon Inn, and so much more to explore. Hobbiton offers several different touring options, each one showing off the gorgeous scenery that led location scouts to choose the Waikato region back in 1998. In 2024, opportunities to go inside a Hobbit Hole and take an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour were added to Hobbiton’s repertoire.
Swain Destinations clients Joseph and Kathleen recently toured Hobbiton and shared photos from their visit.
Lord of the Rings Tour in Wellington
Many iconic sites from The Lord of the Rings trilogy are in and around Wellington, including Helm’s Deep and Minas Tirith, Amon Hen, Hobbiton Woods, and Rivendell Ripple. A tour of this area not only takes visitors to filming sites, they’ll also have a behind-the-scenes opportunity to visit the Wētā Workshop, Peter Jackson’s studio where props, costumes, weaponry, and special effects are made.
Safari of the Scenes in Queenstown
Queenstown, located on New Zealand’s South Island, was a key filming location of The Lord of the Rings trilogy. A 4WD tour takes visitors on an adventure of the dramatic mountains, pristine lakes, and rugged landscapes that were used to depict several iconic locations in Middle-earth. While no sets remain, visitors have the opportunity to dress up and take photos with replica props.
Lord of the Rings Tour in Christchurch
While this region was not used extensively in filming, its distinctive landscapes were home to noteworthy scenes. A 4WD tour takes visitors through the remote high country right onto Edoras, the capital city of the Rohan people in TheLord of the Rings trilogy. The set took nine months to construct and the tour includes exclusive behind-the-scenes photos of Edoras under construction. While nothing remains of the set now, photo opportunities of the breathtaking scenery with movie replicas of Aragorn’s Sword, King Theoden’s Sword, Gimli’s Axe and Flag of Rohan are part of the tour.
Set Jet with Swain
We are plain quiet folk and have no use for adventures. Nasty, disturbing, uncomfortable things! Make you late for dinner!
Bilbo
When you work with Swain Destinations, our goal is to make your travels as comfortable and smooth as possible. If only Bilbo could have worked with one of our travel consultants! He would have received an itinerary outlining everything needed for a carefree adventure, including dinner reservations with complete details on when and where to be.
Seeing something in person that you have spent hours and hours watching is mind-blowing. When I first arrived at The Shire, I was overwhelmed with excitement and even teared up a little!
Cathi Landowski, Senior Travel Consultant, Swain Destinations
Cathi is our self-proclaimed resident nerd at Swain Destinations. She shared that the main reason she first watched The Lord of the Rings film series was because of her love for New Zealand. Little did she know that she would also fall in love with the fantastical stories of Middle-earth.
In The Fellowship of the Ring, Gandalf writes a poem to Frodo that includes the famous quote, “Not all those who wander are lost.” While the quote has a specific intent for Frodo, the broader meaning is that wandering can help us learn and grow by stepping out of our comfort zones.
Sample Itineraries That Include The Lord of the Rings
Other Set Jetting Destinations in New Zealand
- Mission: Impossible – Fallout: This movie features helicopter sequences over Queenstown and Milford Sound.
- King Kong: This movie was filmed around Wellington, including at Lyall Bay and Shelly Bay.
- The Chronicles of Narnia: Much of the mystical land of Narnia is actually New Zealand, with filming locations in Canterbury, Glenorchy, and Waitaki.
- The Piano: This movie was filmed in Auckland, and features memorable scenes like the abandoned piano on Karekare Beach.
- Mulan: This Disney film was shot in Ahuriri Valley, Canterbury.
- Pete’s Dragon: This Disney film was shot in Rotorua, central North Island.
- X-Men Origins – Wolverine: Many of this films most scenic moments were filmed in Queenstown, Milford Sound, and Glenorchy.
- Alien: Covenant: Scenes depicting the unchartered Earth-like planet were shot in Milford Sound.
- The Last Samurai: New Zealand was a controversial stand-in for Japan in this film, shot in the Taranaki region of the North Island.
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