Complete Hobbiton Movie Set Tour Experience - New Zealand
Creators: Couple travel vloggers (childhood Lord of the Rings fans)
Location: Hobbiton Movie Set, New Zealand
Tour Time: 4:00 PM (tours run every 10 minutes)
Booking Status: Completely sold out
Getting There & Arrival
Parking & Transportation:
- Park in designated parking lot
- Take bus from parking lot into Hobbiton
- Bus ride provides first views of the Shire
First Impressions: "As soon as we saw Hobbiton from the bus, our jaws were on the floor. It was so much bigger than we could have expected."
Check-In Process:
- Given cute booklet with map of entire Shire
- Board tour 5 minutes before departure
- Tours depart every 10 minutes
Tour Starting Point
Opening Location: Section where Gandalf enters Hobbiton in beginning of Fellowship of the Ring
Tour Guide Quality:
- Extensive knowledge of history
- Explain why specific locations were chosen
- Share filming stories and set details
- Walk through scenes and their importance
- Professional and engaging
The Hobbiton Houses
Scale & Details
Forced Perspective:
- Houses built in different scales
- Some houses much bigger, others super tiny
- Some doors so small "a person could not even fit"
- Built purely for background shots to add scale
- Scale and details visible everywhere
Construction Details:
- Most houses are fake inside (nothing behind the doors)
- If you opened most doors, there would be nothing inside
- Built primarily for exterior filming
- One house open for interior viewing (Samwise's house)
Vegetation & Maintenance
Landscaping:
- 98% of vegetation is real
- Full-time staff dedicated to upkeep
- Area covered in beautiful flowers
- Extremely well-maintained
- "Wild" level of care and detail
Details Throughout:
- Honey jars visible
- Bakeries with props
- Swings on properties
- Clothes hanging on drying lines
- "Every single direction you looked, there was a new detail"
- "The longer you looked, the more hidden gems you found"
History of the Set
Original Construction:
- Built for Lord of the Rings trilogy
- Set was destroyed after filming completed
Reconstruction:
- Rebuilt for The Hobbit trilogy
- Made permanent for tourism
- Continuously improved and updated
Fun Fact - The Tree:
- Tree above Bilbo's house is fake
- Every single leaf was hand-painted
- Reason: The Hobbit films (prequels) needed tree to look younger
- Had to make tree appear less mature than in original trilogy
Bilbo's House
Location: Iconic spot in Hobbiton
Features:
- Photo opportunity going inside Hobbit hole
- One of the most recognizable locations
- Hand-painted tree above
Newest Section
Timing:
- Literally finished the day before reviewers arrived
- Newest addition to the Shire
- Shows ongoing improvements to attraction
Inside Samwise's House ⭐ (Highlight)
What Makes It Special: "Probably the best interactive movie set house we'd ever seen or even been to."
Interior Details:
- Real fire burning inside
- Functional fireplace
- Little bedroom accessible
- Tiny beds sized for Hobbits
- "Attention to detail was unreal"
Experience:
- Giselle climbed into tiny beds
- Felt "so small" because built for Hobbit scale
- Fully interactive
- "If only it was an Airbnb, it would be so sweet"
- Could have stayed there all day
Rotation: Sounds like they switch up interior features every few months, so repeat visitors see new things.
The Green Dragon Inn
Location: Famous bridge and Green Dragon pub
Drinks Included:
- Four different types to choose from
- Stout available (compared to Guinness - "if you like Guinness, you will absolutely love")
- Included with tour
Food Available:
- Can order snacks
- Meat pie available (reviewers ordered - "delicious")
Special Events & Experiences
Private Events
Capacity: Up to 32 guests
Rental: Entire area can be rented
Uses: Weddings and private celebrations
Example: Reviewers saw Instagram post of wedding held at Hobbiton - "had to have been absolutely incredible"
Special Tours (Book in Advance)
Breakfast Tour:
- Must book in advance
- Booked up 6 months in advance
Dinner Tour:
- Must book in advance
- Booked up 6 months in advance
Reviewers' Plan: "Next time, we definitely want to come back and do the breakfast or dinner tour."
Tour Experience Summary
What Made It Magical:
- "Feels like you are in the Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit movies"
- Works even on rainy, cloudy days
- "Felt like a kid in a candy store"
- Wild to see how filming location became tourist attraction
Childhood Dream: "This has been on our bucket list for so many years. Literally, ever since we were kids we have dreamt about visiting the Shire someday."
Surreal Experience: "Some of our favorite childhood movies were the Lord of the Rings, so it was so surreal to finally visit."
Visitor Tips
Booking:
- Book well in advance (tours sell out)
- Special tours (breakfast/dinner) book 6 months ahead
- QR code available in video for booking
What to Expect:
- Tours last approximately 1-2 hours
- Depart every 10 minutes
- Includes drink at Green Dragon
- One house interior accessible
- Photo opportunities throughout
Return Visits:
- Worth coming back multiple times
- Interior features rotate every few months
- Continuously improving and adding new elements
- Special meal tours offer different experience
Weather: Even rainy, cloudy days are enjoyable - "so much fun to go and explore"
Best Parts According to Reviewers
Overall Favorite: "My favorite personal part was definitely going inside [Samwise's house]."
What Blew Them Away:
- Scale and size (bigger than expected)
- Attention to detail everywhere
- Real vegetation and maintenance
- Interactive house interior
- Professional tour guides
- Hidden gems discovered the longer you look
Who Should Visit
Perfect For:
- Lord of the Rings fans
- The Hobbit fans
- Book readers
- Movie set enthusiasts
- Photography lovers
- Families
- Couples
- Anyone who appreciates incredible attention to detail
Even If You Haven't Seen Films: The craftsmanship and beauty make it worthwhile, though fans will appreciate it most.
Previous Visits to New Zealand
Context:
- Reviewers had been to New Zealand multiple times before
- Never made it to Hobbiton on previous trips
- "On this trip, we finally were like, you know what, we need to go"
- "It blew me away"
- Worth the wait and hype
Final Verdict
Recommendation Level: Highest
Emotional Impact: "Magical," "surreal," childhood dream fulfilled
Repeat Visit: Absolutely - already planning to return for meal tour
Exceeded Expectations: Yes - "so much bigger than we could have expected"
Quick Reference
Tour Start: 4:00 PM (or every 10 minutes throughout day)
Arrive: 5 minutes before tour time
Duration: ~1-2 hours (estimated)
Includes: Tour, drink at Green Dragon
Available Add-Ons: Food at Green Dragon, special meal tours
Booking Window: 6 months in advance for special tours
Real Vegetation: 98%
Houses You Can Enter: 1 (Samwise's house)
Photo Opportunities: Throughout entire tour
Special Events: Available for groups up to 32 guests
Bottom Line: "This place is magical. If you've ever seen Lord of the Rings or if you've seen The Hobbit or read any of the books, I highly recommend coming and checking it out."