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Small-Group Tour: Hobbiton and Waitomo Day Exploration with Lunch from Auckland
5.0
192 Ratings
Auckland
Embark on a small-group tour from Auckland to explore two iconic North Island destinations: Hobbiton and Waitomo. Discover the enchanting Hobbiton Movie Set and the incredible Waitomo Glow Worm caves on this day exploration with lunch included.
Embark on a small-group tour from Auckland to explore two iconic North Island destinations: Hobbiton and Waitomo. Discover the enchanting Hobbiton Movie Set and the incredible Waitomo Glow Worm caves on this day exploration with lunch included.
Duration:
12 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Taupiri - Enjoy a quick stop on your journey to Hobbiton to grab a coffee and use the toilets if needed (cafe may differ depending on day)
-
Hobbiton Movie Set - Enjoy a group tour of Hobbiton Movie Set before a drink in the Green Dragon. You will then enjoy a delicious buffet lunch at the Party Marquee and time for shopping.
(Tour around the…
- Taupiri - Enjoy a quick stop on your journey to Hobbiton to grab a coffee and use the toilets if needed (cafe may differ depending on day)
- Hobbiton Movie Set - Enjoy a group tour of Hobbiton Movie Set before a drink in the Green Dragon. You will then enjoy a delicious buffet lunch at the Party Marquee and time for shopping.
(Tour around the set at Hobbiton is 2 hours before time in the Green Dragon & lunch).
-
The Green Dragon Inn - Enjoy a complementary cider, ale or ginger beer in the Green Dragon Inn, an iconic location on the Hobbiton Movie set!
Be sure to check out the guest book for some familiar names - Waitomo Glowworm Caves - Discover the Waitomo Glowworm Caves tour. Take the world-renowned boat ride through the glow worm grotto, marvel at thousands of magical glowworms and become part of over 130 years of cultural and natural history.
*please note - attraction does include some steps
What's Included
- Admission to Hobbiton Movie Set & tour
- Admission to Waitomo Glowworm Caves
- Buffet Lunch in Green Dragon Marquee
- Shopping voucher at Hobbiton Gift Shop
- In-vehicle air conditioning
- Goods and Services Tax (GST)
- Admission to Hobbiton Movie Set & tour
- Admission to Waitomo Glowworm Caves
- Buffet Lunch in Green Dragon Marquee
- Shopping voucher at Hobbiton Gift Shop
- In-vehicle air conditioning
- Goods and Services Tax (GST)
What's Not Included
- Gratuities
- Gratuities
Additional Information
Experience two North Island icons on a day tour from Auckland.
Travel south from Auckland to Hobbiton. On arrival at Shire’s Rest you embark on your Hobbiton Movie Set tour. You see 44 hobbit holes, the Mill and double arch bridge and the Party Tree. At this stunning location you can take a photo at the gate to Bilbo’s house, “Bag End”. Finish with a…
Experience two North Island icons on a day tour from Auckland.
Travel south from Auckland to Hobbiton. On arrival at Shire’s Rest you embark on your Hobbiton Movie Set tour. You see 44 hobbit holes, the Mill and double arch bridge and the Party Tree. At this stunning location you can take a photo at the gate to Bilbo’s house, “Bag End”. Finish with a visit to the Green Dragon Inn for a drink.
Following your drink, you will be treated to a sumptuous buffet lunch in the marquee & some time to shop before continuing on to Waitomo.
On arrival in Waitomo, join a 45 minute guided tour of the incredible Waitomo Glow Worm caves. Enjoy the delicate cave formations and be wowed in the Cathedral, before taking the iconic boat rode through the glow worm grotto (subject to water levels). Marvel in silence at thousands of magical glow worms.
Return to Auckland in the early evening.
tours at both Hobbiton and Waitomo join larger groups
- Please wear comfortable walking shoes and suitable outdoor clothing
- Pick up and drop off from inner city Auckland accommodation included
- Please reconfirm your pick up time 24 hours before the tours departure
- Please note the tours at Hobbiton and Waitomo are walks - including stairs
- Tour available for ages 5+ - not suitable for infants
- Not recommended for travellers with walking difficulties
Location
SkyCity Auckland
Federal Street
If you have not confirmed an inner city hotel pick up time with us then our central meeting point is SkyCity Hotel entrance. Pick up from here is at 6.40am - If you are meeting here this will need to be confirmed with us. Please call to confirm the night prior - 0800 423 224
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
5.0
(192 Ratings)
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Mcoe056
Mar 12, 2025
Really wonderful day seeing Hobbiton and the Glow Worm Caves. - We had a wonderful day. Wayne, our driver, was excellent and entertained us the entire day. Our was comfort stops in both directions, kept to the time schedule since our tours were scheduled and we even had an extra bonus of feeding an ostrich when we had a little extra time. The van was very comfortable with seats that were designed so everyone could see out the front window even if you were sitting in the back. I highly recommend this company as well as Wayne.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
13marlonj29
Mar 10, 2025
Traveling Solo, But Felt Like Family - My trip with Bush and Beach felt like a family trip. Damian, our tour guide was outstanding. He picked me up right on time (6:45a), which impressed me. He made me feel like family by telling me all about what I was going to expect. He did a great job of introducing me to my fellow tour mates from Canada. Damian went above and beyond to share with us all things New Zealand: history, restaurants, geography, agriculture, and me; his stories alone were worth the price of admission. Although I went by myself, I never felt alone. Thank you Damian, you are a rockstar.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Global33903658245
Mar 9, 2025
Fantastic Hobbiton day trip - The trip was great from start to finish, everything was prompt and on time leaving from Auckland and getting back exactly on time. Damien was our driver and was a pleasure to have. He gave great insight and details about Hobbiton and New Zealand that really added to the whole trip. Definitely would come back and do it again. 10/10
Review provided by Tripadvisor
G360slryant
Mar 9, 2025
Magical tour! - Such a great experience! It's hard to put into words how magical the Hobbiton movie set is, and our fabulous tour guide Damien was so full of anecdotes and interesting history about New Zealand that the approximately 2 hour drive was a breeze. The glow worm cave is also absolutely worth seeing, it is almost certainly unlike anything you have ever seen before! Overall I would absolutely recommend this tour, especially if you get Damien as your guide!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Faraway823855
Mar 9, 2025
Great Outing! - This was an excellent tour, highlighted by Damien, a terrific guide, and an expert on all things New Zealand. I saw the first LOTR fan and liked it but admit I'm not the devotee others are. Still, Hobbiton was sprctacular, one of the best parts of the whole NZ trip. The glow worm caves were interesting, worth going to as an add in to Hobbiton, but probably not a destination unto itself.
Be advised this is a long day, you go from 7am to 7pm, but it is well designed with stops for coffee in the morning and ice cream in the afternoon.The buffet lunch and the beer at the Green Dragon wre a great touch. Damien told us from the outset that we were in for a fantastic day and he was absolutely right. He also was spot on about Whittacker's chocolate, and I'm glad I took his advice and came home with a couple of bars. It is a frequent reminder of such a nice trip, and an exceptionally nice day.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Elizabeth
Mar 3, 2025
Far beyond my expectations! - Far exceeded our expectation. Value for money and more. Damien our guide fulfilled his promise that we would remember this experience forever. He was right. Nothing in our travels ever equalled this. A drink at the Green Dragon followed by an amazing buffet lunch. Never a boring moment in the entire day. Hobbiton a dream fulfilled and the caves unbelievable.
I would definitely do this again.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lisa_m
Feb 27, 2025
Must see experiences with awesome guide - Absolutely best guide (Wayne) and experience. First the guide, Wayne was jovial and knowledgeable. Give a running commentary both on the 90 minute ride to be from hobbit on and the glow worm caves Jokes, interesting tidbits, and details about the countryside. He also made an unscheduled stop so we could feed NF take pictures couple of ostriches. He is a wonderful ambassador for Bush and Beach and New Zealand as a whole
Hobbiton was a wonderful experience if you are a Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit films. The shire is there in all of its glory. The experienced guides make the tour interesting The lunch is also amazing after your free drink at the
Green Dragon inn
The glow worm caves are surreal we had visited other caves in Tasmania but those don’t compare to this one Absolutely stunning. The guide from the local Māori tribe that operates the cave was great with lots on info and stories.
I guess I should also mention that the vehicle in which you are travelling is pristine clean and very comfortable. Our driver ensured we had rest stops both ways
Review provided by Viator
Buffyjunkie
Feb 26, 2025
Charming Carefree Day - Honestly this tour should be called the Hobbiton, Waitomo, and Wayne tour. Wayne was out very skilled bus driver and his character gave us a lot to laugh at, learn, and think about later.
The Hobbiton part was an afterthought but I'm so glad we did it. The amount of detail and work that went into creating this movie magic was fascinating. We also ate lunch here and the expansive buffet far excelled the traditional crappy sandwich and chips usually offered. I was grateful for so many GF and healthy options as well.
Plenty of well timed rest stops.
Waitomo was a short tour as all Waitomo boat tours are but we'll with it. Our group was respectfully quiet and the dark passage was magical.
Kudos.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Daydream68305896946
Feb 25, 2025
Put it on your must do list - Had a great day travelling down to the Hobbiton Movie set with our guide Wayne. Was interesting as he pointed out many things to see on the way down. The movie set tour was fun and lunch delicious. Enjoyed the Waitomo Cave experience with great knowledge from our guide. Would highly recommend this tour and professional company
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Wander23648567347
Feb 21, 2025
Not as intimate as you’d think. - The Hobbit tour was nice but if you pay for the small tour be advised that it is only small in the sense of the travel bus that picks you up once you get to Hobbington you will be placed with other people from another group so it is not intimate and it does take awhile. It took longer to get to the caves but the cave experience itself was only about 10 minutes which did not really seem worth it, although it is cool to look at.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
