The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit trilogy must see filming locations in beautiful New Zealand.
Updated: Sep 4
The Hobbit Trilogy and The lord of the Rings where filmed entirely in New Zealand, throughout locations in both the beautiful North and South Islands. Find out where to go and what to see to experience Middle‑earth™ for yourself with Cheeky Kea Tours... :)
The rolling hills of the Shire were once again brought to life near Matamata, where the Hobbiton movie set (was re-built for The Hobbit Trilogy) and also used in The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, Hobbiton has remained open as an attraction for Middle‑earth™ fans and visitors to New Zealand.
Enjoy peering over a Hobbit’s front gate at Bag End, dancing under the party tree or sipping on a beer or sampling the banquet dinner at The Green Dragon Inn. Booking in advance for Hobbiton™ Movie Set is recommended. See out great Movie group tour from Auckland
South Island locations
Head to the beautiful South Island for more Tolkien adventures. We have many options to make sure you have a great tour experiemce!
Mt Sunday ( near Christchurch )
We take you to Edoras - The capital of Rohan and home to Meduseld, the hall of King Theoden, right on Mt Sunday. You will see how this beautiful and unspoilt mountain landscape was transformed into the capital city. Fall in love with this breathtaking scenery, with the glistening clear lakes, rivers, and that
crisp mountain air. You will see why the actors and the crew fell in love with this place. We can customise your private tour to this stunning Lord of the Rings location to your needs, do any length, and any group size. We will work with you to tailor a package to suit your requirements and give you a Lord of the Rings adventure to Edoras Tour
Twizel ( near Lake Tekapo )
Twizels alpine magic was captured on-film in both The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and The Lord of the Rings Trilogy. Part of the Wargs chase was filmed here and the largest battle scene ever - the Battle of the Pelennor Fields - was set in a remote Twizel field. Twizel is home to a charming mountain town, and a road trip around the local area going through Lake Tekapo will give you a feel for the spectacular scenes that were filmed here. We have many options for visiting this spectacular landscape, See more here
Lake Pukaki
Stunning Lake Pukaki was chosen as the location for Laketown in The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. Glacial lakes feed into Lake Pukaki giving the water its vibrant blue colour. The lake is also a favorite fishing, walking and cycling spot, while the snowcapped Mt Cook overlooking the lake is busy with skiers during the winter months. Braemar Station at Lake Pukaki was used in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey to portray epic scenic shots, the 'Warg Chase' and approach to Rivendell. The property was also used for the forest slopes of Misty Mountains.
This is also another great option in our Lake Tekapo tours.
Mt Cook
Aoraki / Mount Cook and it's surrounding alpine peaks are used in the backdrop of some of the most spectacular aerial filming in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.
Visit our tours: Aoraki Mount Cook tours for a range of options and scenic tours.
Queenstown
One of the most magical locations in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey; Queenstown . Earnslaw Burn is a glacier that has created a number of cascading waterfalls that tumble down a huge rock face. Here, Bilbo and The Company are filmed continuing on their quest after departing Rivendell. The Earnslaw Burn Track - beginning in Glenorchy - is a challenging 4-hour hike that rewards with spectacular views at the head of the valley over the glacier and beyond.
The world-class ski area of Treble Cone was another filming location famous for its off-piste terrain and unrivalled views across Wānaka and the Central Otago region. The ski field is a buzz during winter months and has the longest vertical run in New Zealand’s Southern Alps. Alpine Peaks in the Wanaka region was also described as 'Wild Country' for the first film and provided the backdrop for soaring eagles. Learn more here >
Fiordland National Park
Both The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings Trilogies used the majestic Fiordland National Park for epic scenic shots. The scene where The Company flees the mountains on the backs of eagles in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey was filmed here also. Experience giant fiords and spectacular waterfalls with a helicopter flight or boat cruise.
The grasslands of Te Anau Downs provided the backdrop for chase scenes, See our LOTR Te Anau Tour. while Mararoa Saddle doubled as the wildlands which Thorin leads the dwarves through.
See our Tour: Fiordland Ultimate Combo Experience from Queenstown
Plenty of other options with Cheeky Kea Tours for The Lord of the Rings scenery
Are you a true Lord of the Rings and Hobbit fan? Then, we can arrange a custom tour for all your needs, any length, and any sized group to the where the movies were filmed. What are you waiting for, Experience Lord of the Rings again with Cheeky Kea Tours today.
All information was true and correct at the time of publishing.
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The discussion of the Hobbiton filming location was the detail that caught my attention, particularly how the landscape around Matamata was transformed into such a recognisable part of Middle-earth and later developed into a permanent attraction. It is interesting to think about how a real location can become so strongly associated with a fictional world that visitors arrive already seeing it through the lens of the films, and I wonder whether the experience feels different for someone who visits without having seen the movies. The article also shows how much location scouting matters to a production, since the scenery is doing more than simply providing a background for the actors. In a completely unrelated context, even something like SPSS Statistics…
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