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Hobbit holes across the hillside at Hobbiton Movie Set in Matamata
New Zealand · 25 Years of the Fellowship

The locations were never a set.

Twenty-five years after The Fellowship of the Ring, the landscapes of Middle-earth are still real, still here and still reachable.

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The anniversary

Why this is the year to go.

Peter Jackson filmed the trilogy across more than 150 locations on both islands. Hobbiton's forty-four hobbit holes remain in Matamata. Most other locations returned to what they were: working stations, national parks and river valleys.

The 25th anniversary of The Fellowship of the Ring falls on 19 December 2026. Demand for the guides who genuinely know the locations will be stronger, so we secure the important days early.

Hobbiton Movie Set on a working sheep farm in Matamata
Matamata, Waikato

The preserved film set at Matamata

The permanent set sits on the Alexander family's working sheep farm. The standard guided visit runs about two and a half hours through forty-four hobbit holes, the Party Tree, the Mill and the Green Dragon Inn. Private, breakfast and banquet options let us match the depth of the visit to the traveler.

Central Plateau

Tongariro National Park

The volcanic plateau around Mount Ngauruhoe became Mordor. The Tongariro Alpine Crossing passes red craters, emerald lakes and steam vents, while nearby Tawhai Falls appeared as the Forbidden Pool. Shorter guided sections and scenic flights work for travelers who do not want the full nineteen kilometres.

Film costume and prop display on a Weta Workshop tour in Wellington
The filmmakers' city

Wellington's filmmaking craft

Weta Workshop's tours show the prosthetics, armour and miniature-making trade at working scale. Mount Victoria became the woods where the hobbits hid from a Black Rider; Hutt River became the Anduin; Harcourt Park supplied Isengard's gardens; and Kaitoke Regional Park became Rivendell.

Beech forest near Glenorchy used as a Lord of the Rings filming location
South Island

Canterbury peaks, beech forest and river gorges.

The South Island carried the epic landscapes: Rohan's capital on a Canterbury outcrop, beech forest near Glenorchy and river gorges around Queenstown.

Rangitata Valley and Mount Sunday, the Edoras filming location
Canterbury High Country

Mount Sunday and the Rangitata Valley

Edoras stood on Mount Sunday, a lone outcrop in a glacial valley inland from Christchurch. Nothing of the set remains. A private 4WD day with a location guide reaches the summit and puts the film references back into the landscape.

Jetboat on the Dart River valley near Glenorchy
Queenstown and Glenorchy

Glenorchy, Paradise and the Kawarau Gorge

The beech forest at Paradise became Lothlórien and Isengard's grounds. The Kawarau Gorge carried the Anduin beneath the Pillars of the Kings, and Arrowtown's river flats staged the Ford of Bruinen. These sites cluster around Queenstown, making it the natural southern base.

Starting points

Choose the depth of the story.

Hobbiton can be one excellent day, three regions can carry a focused route, or Middle-earth Explorer can connect both islands.

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Ian Swain, President and Owner

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Ian SwainPresident and Owner
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Filming-location travel, answered.

Where was The Lord of the Rings filmed in New Zealand?

Across more than 150 locations on both islands. The most visited are Hobbiton at Matamata, Tongariro National Park (Mordor), the Wellington region (Rivendell, the Anduin and Isengard's gardens), Mount Sunday in the Rangitata Valley (Edoras) and the beech forest at Paradise near Glenorchy (Lothlórien).

Can you still visit the Hobbiton movie set?

Yes. Hobbiton is the one permanent set, kept on a working sheep farm at Matamata with forty-four hobbit holes, the Party Tree and the Green Dragon Inn. Standard visits run about two and a half hours; private, breakfast and banquet options go deeper.

How many days do you need for a Lord of the Rings tour of New Zealand?

Middle-earth Explorer covers both islands in eleven days. Twelve to fourteen days allows slower pacing or additions beyond the filming locations. A South-Island-only route works in eight to ten.

When is the 25th anniversary of The Fellowship of the Ring?

19 December 2026, twenty-five years after the film's 2001 release. Hobbiton and the strongest location guides will book more heavily through the anniversary year, so confirming four to six months ahead gives greater choice.

Do you have to be a Lord of the Rings fan to enjoy these trips?

No. The locations are among New Zealand's strongest landscapes with or without the films, and most routes pair them with wine, wildlife and lodges.

Can you arrange private or after-hours access at filming locations?

Private Hobbiton options are available through the operator. At natural locations, privacy comes from timing, station access, early starts and guides who know when the light and crowds are right.

Twenty-five years is a good reason. New Zealand is a better one.

Tell us which locations matter most and a New Zealand Destination Expert will build the journey around them.

The Lord of the Rings and its marks are the property of their respective owners. Swain Destinations is an independent travel company and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the rights holders.

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