Glenorchy & Paradise Scenic Tour: A Half-Day Journey to Middle Earth's Magical Sites
4.9
312 Ratings
Queenstown

Join this half-day tour to explore the picturesque village of Glenorchy and the famous Paradise Valley. Discover the magical sites that inspired Middle Earth and enjoy local stories and film history.

Duration: 5 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Glenorchy-Queenstown Road - Begin your day meeting your friendly guide in the Queenstown Town Centre. Starting with a spectacular scenic drive from Queenstown to Glenorchy along the lake edge, with scenic photo spots and entertaining stories from your local guide about Lake Whakatipu and its legends.
What's Included
  • Costumes onboard for a unique photo opportunity
  • On-board WiFi
  • Morning/Afternoon Tea
  • Professional guide & live commentary onboard
  • Maori storytelling and history
  • On board Kiwi music (download our Spotify playlist!)
  • Famous movie locations
  • Complimentary central Queenstown transfers
What's Not Included
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off
Additional Information

Sitting on the northern shores of Lake Whakatipu is the small picturesque village of Glenorchy, the famous Paradise Valley, and world-famous Middle Earth magic.
Join this sightseeing tour for a magical half-day journey to Glenorchy and Paradise. This small settlement is full of character and charm and is home to some of the most famous and scenic sights…

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Location
Marmolada Cafe
Camp Street
The pick up will be from the bus stop by the bench seats outside Marmolada Cafe on Camp Street.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.9
(312 Ratings)
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Glendat211
Dec 10, 2024
Fantastic half day tour - What a great tour, our guide Shawn was amazing, very friendly, funny and very knowledgeable. The scenery was breathtaking and had plenty of time at all designated stops, never felt rushed. Stopped for a delicious morning tea with scrumptious cheese toasties and beautiful ginger slice, Shawn also pointed out many places where filming for The Lord of the Rings trilogy took place, again very beautiful places. We were also able to dress up in costumes from the movies. Would highly recommend this tour, so do yourself a favour and book it when next in fabulous Queenstown, New Zealand
Review provided by Tripadvisor
B3591earafa_c
Nov 19, 2024
Whakatipu and beyond - Whakatipu lake and Paradise are stunning beautiful even on a cloudy and in part rainy day. We had a wonderful experience of a half-day trip with a multinational team of tourists, guided by Jono. We had a picnic in a wood that had witnessed the death of Boromir and we saw a lot of locations where famous scenes were shot, not only of the Lord of the Rings. Jono was very resourceful and provided us with lots of interesting information and anegdotes connected with the area, with nature and people of New Zealand. Definitely a great trip!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lauren_h
Nov 18, 2024
Really enjoyable day - We loved this tour! Beth was our favourite tour guide we had in New Zealand. She was great fun, told us lots of interesting information about the area and New Zealand and looked after us all really well. The locations we visited were beautiful and there were lots of great Lord of the Rings connections.
Review provided by Viator
Peppermintqueen24
Nov 14, 2024
A nice chill morning! - Views were amazing. This was a really nice scenic tour to get to know the area -- and a good chill activity before doing any hardcore hiking.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Angela_y
Nov 6, 2024
Literally feel like being in paradise - Stunning scenery and our tour guide Jono is so knowledgeable (with a great sense of humour!). Though we are not great fans of Lord of Rings, we still enjoy the whole trip so much!
Review provided by Viator
1970jesstan
Nov 5, 2024
Glenorchy and Paradise Day trip - We went on this 1/2 day trip on 6/11. The weather was good and there are many scenic spots to take photos! Our guide, Joni was so friendly, knowledgeable and fun to be with.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Eloisa_c
Nov 2, 2024
Awesome Alama - Alana was our awesome tour guide and she not only showed us much of Queenstown’s natural beauty with its spectacular landscapes but she also regaled us with mythical stories and fun facts through out the drive.
Review provided by Viator
Ckloh
Dec 13, 2024
Great tour guide. Missed a great photo op. - Our tour guide, Shanay, was excellent. Informative and upbeat. My only issue is that we did not stop at Bennetts Bluff as listed in the itinerary. It was a little cloudy on the way to Glenorchy but beautiful on the way back on the scenery was amazing but it was behind us and impossible to get a photo from the van. Would have preferred cutting the snack time a bit and stopping for photos instead. There also wasn't much in Glenorchy. Didn't need as much time to take photos of the river and the shed.
Review provided by Viator
Ericlv715my
Dec 8, 2024
Good way to see end of Lake Wakitupo - Great guide. Make sure to bring layers in case of rain. Stunning Mountain views. Lord of the Rings locations a plus. !!!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jansool
Dec 1, 2024
Glenorchy tour - Very beautiful tour. Ash the tour guide was entertaining and made the experience really nice and he was driving very safely.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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