6hr Hobbiton Movie Set Tour - Departs Tauranga

NB: THIS TOUR NO LONGER OPERATES IN CONJUNCTION WITH CRUISE SHIPS DOCKING AT THE PORT OF TAURANGA. ALL OTHER DAYS WILL OPERATE AS NORMAL.

This tour starts with a scenic drive along the Mount Maunganui beach before heading over the Tauranga Harbour bridge, past the city center and inland over the Kaimai ranges. We climb to around 1800 feet providing spectacular panoramic views across the rich fertile farmland of the Waikato province. From there we make our way towards Hobbiton passing typical New Zealand farms.

On arrival at the Shires Rest Cafe you are collected in the Hobbiton bus and taken to Middle Earth via the 1250-acre sheep farm. Your expert guide will take you on a 2 and a half hour journey through "The Shire". You will be told the story of how the remote set was discovered and how Hobbiton is a living film set maintained by a team of gardeners and maintenance staff. It is the only purpose-built film set in the world where the public can go and experience it as it is in the movie.

And as an added bonus you can now walk through two fully redeveloped Hobbit holes transformed into a series of themed rooms, cosy enough for a family of Hobbits. Each interior features an entry hall, two bedrooms, a bathroom, a kitchen and dining area, an equipped pantry and a parlour complete with crackling fireplace to provide you with a fully immersive experience.

After a break for lunch (time permitting) and shopping at the Shires Rest Cafe, we head back over the Kaimai range stopping at the lookout for a photo opportunity looking across the beautiful Waikato farmland and then on to our final stop at McLaren Falls. McLaren Falls is a 190 hectare park of pastoral and horticultural land set alongside Lake McLaren with a ten minute walk through native New Zealand bush-land to view a picturesque waterfall. Finally we return to the city cross the harbour bridge and return you to the beginning of the tour.