Embark on a magical journey as you discover how to visit the enchanting Hobbiton New Zealand: How To Visit The Shire Movie Set, immersing yourself in the whimsical world of ‘The Lord of the Rings’ and ‘The Hobbit’ trilogies.
Hobbiton New Zealand: How To Visit The Shire Movie Set
Hobbiton, the iconic “Lord of the Rings” movie site, is one of the most gorgeous locations in New Zealand!
Filmed on lush farmlands in New Zealand’s North Island, Hobbiton town excites fans with the news that the entire Shire movie set has been preserved and is open for public tours.
My spouse was enamored with this location. Don’t miss it if you enjoy fantasy films in general or the Lord of the Rings series in particular, or even if you’re just a casual photographer! One of the best parts of our trip to New Zealand was the shire!
This travel guide will tell you all you need to know before you go, including how to get there!
What Is Hobbiton?
If you haven’t been living under a rock (pun intended), you’ve undoubtedly heard that New Zealand was the acclaimed filming location for the “Lord of the Rings” and “Hobbit” trilogies.
The Shire is the serene, verdant land where the main hobbits reside in the novels and films. Hobbiton, a hamlet utopia synonymous with tranquility and calm, with dozens of tiny, turf-covered homes that resemble something out of medieval England (but with a magical twist).
With assistance from the New Zealand Army for road construction, filmmakers initially constructed the Hobbiton movie set for the 1999 film adaptation of The Lord of the Rings. It was extensively reconstructed and enlarged for the 2010 film adaptation of The Hobbit.
The present Shire movie set, which spans 5 hectares (12 acres), features 44 hobbit homes, farms, and gardens!
Where Is The Shire / Hobbiton?
The Hobbiton movie set is located just outside of Matamata, a tiny town on the North Island of New Zealand.
From the city of Auckland, it’s a 2 hour drive through small towns and mostly rural roads.
How To Get To Hobbiton New Zealand
Hobbiton is reachable by car (less expensive and highly recommended), or by bus, with trips departing from Auckland that take care of all the driving.
In any case, if you want to see the movie set, you’ll need to take a walking tour. If you’re interested in a specific time slot, it’s advisable to purchase your tickets online at least a few days in advance.
For $47 USD, Klook offers self-drive meet-up tours of Hobbiton, New Zealand. Alternatively, they offer more expensive private day trips departing from Auckland, which include hotel pickups and all other necessary services.
Hobbiton New Zealand: What To Expect
Walking tours are essential for exploring the Hobbiton New Zealand movie set, available daily from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. There are numerous time windows available. This also means you will be on a shared tour with other LOTR enthusiasts eager to relive their favorite movie experiences, unless you’ve booked a private tour (quite expensive!). With perhaps twenty-five people in our group and the other groups visiting the set at the same time,
I have to say that it felt a little crowded on the little walkways that meandered through the hamlet. Our tour guide allowed us plenty of time to take our own photos and managed to get pictures of all of us beside the hobbit holes despite the crowds. And we did take pictures! I believe I took about 200 photos here.
There are so many unique small touches in each area of the village, and this movie set is really cool. We were wishing we could settle here in the Shire at the end. The amount of effort and attention to detail that has gone into this movie set is just astounding!
This collection includes 44 hobbit houses in all, as well as a few other series structures like a mill and the Green Dragon Inn, where guests receive free drinks at the conclusion of the tour.
The entire trip lasted roughly two hours, including a quick bus ride of ten to fifteen minutes from our meeting location to the actual movie site and return.
Though not quite what you would call ardent, we are LOTR aficionados. We had a great time here!
Best Time To Visit Hobbiton New Zealand
To be honest, I don’t think there is a “best” time to visit Hobbiton. The movie set’s grass and plants receive regular watering to maintain their fresh
and green appearance, especially during dry summer months. The North Island of New Zealand enjoys a mild to temperate climate all year round.
Any time of day is a good opportunity to take pictures at the Hobbiton movie set. The lighting at the Shire is not a concern for photographers either. I was concerned that our early afternoon tour might be too late in the day,
but everything turned out to be beautiful. evenings and mornings must be lovely as well.
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