New Zealand

Suggested Itineraries

15 Days Lord of the Rings New Zealand tour - North and South Island

The following 4-6 day itinerary will take you through the most important filming areas in the North Island. From here you can move to the South Island Itinerary. For more details and maps we recommend you obtain a copy of 'The Lord of the Rings Location Guidebook' by Ian Brodie.

Auckland - Matamata - Rotorua - Tongariro - Wellington - Nelson - Abel Tasman and Kahurangi National Parks - Methven - Rangitata Valley - Wanaka - Queenstown - Glenorchy - Mavora Lakes - Te Anau / Fiordland

• 15 Days/14 Nights
• Small hotel, B&B or lodge style accommodation all including ensuites
• Rental car with Kiwi Cars, Subaru type 4WD wagon, 1.8-2.0 l, unlimited kms, tax, insurance
• Arrive Auckland/depart Christchurch (or reverse)
• Ferry Crossing Wellington - Picton
• Itinerary cost from NZ$2140.00 per person based on 2 people travelling together staying in one room
• Please note: this itinerary can be amended, dates changed and quoted to your personal requirements. Please email us with your travel plans and a consultant will advise back to you shortly.
  

Day 1. Auckland - Matamata - Rotorua

An easy drive south of Auckland into the verdant Waikato to Matamata, home to Hobbiton and The Shire. Join a 2 hour guided tour of the Movie Set which leaves Matamata 3 times a day. The set in on private land and you will need to join a tour to get access to it. The set has been returned to its natural state but some structures are still present and your guide will escort you through the 10 acre site, recounting details on how it was created. From Matamata, drive into Rotorua. Stay The Springs.

Day 2. Rotorua - Tongariro

From Rotorua, head south through Taupo to Turangi, a popular area for anglers. At 'The Grand Chateau' at the foot of Mt Ruapehu in the Tongoriro national park, the Lord of the Rings Cast and crew used the conference room as their headquarters and stayed here during filming in the area. From here it is a 15 minute drive to the heart of Mordor. The location for the filming of the battle marking the end of the second age of middle earth is easily accessible but stout walking shoes are recommended. Stay at The Chateau.

Day 3. Tongariro

To really experience the isolation and immerse yourself in Mordor, the Tongariro Crossing is a recommended 7-8 hour day walk. Alternatively, take a short drive to Ohakune to reach the general area of filming for the Ithilien Camp. The exact filming site is not publicly accessible but take a drive up the road to Mangawhero Falls to experience Mountain Beech Forest close to the filming area. One of the rivers used in the scenes for the River Anduin is the Rangitikei, a further hours drive to Taihape via Waiouru where you can take a gentle rafting trip with Rangitikei River Rafting and drift through the scenery. Their full day eco-tour entitled Grand canyons of the Rangitikei takes you past the exact sites. Suitable for all ages. Stay at The Chateau.

Day 4. Tongariro - Wellington

Wellington is an easy 3-4 hour drive from here and to any Rings enthusiast is production Central. Home to the cast and crew for over 3 years and the base for WETA Workshops and Peter Jackson, several areas within the region were used for filming. Mt Victoria was used as the outer reaches of the shire and where the Hobbits hid to escape the Nazgul. Other areas easily reached from Wellington are the hidden refuge of Rivendell and the encampment of Dunharrow.

From Wellington it is an easy drive over the hill to the Wairarapa where the eerie Putanguria Pinnacles were filmed. The vineyards in this area were also a favourite recreational haunt for the cast. If you wish to visit the beautiful gardens of Lothlorien, you need to book a 24 hour stay at Fernside, near Featherston, where the filming took place. Here you can dine riverside at Lothlorien. Stay Ruby House (you may wish to extend your Wellington stay to take in the many sites and areas around here used for filming).

Day 5. Wellington - Nelson

Nelson can be easily reached by air from Wellington or by taking the ferry across to Picton and then driving via Blenheim - allow 2 hours driving time. Nelson has a mild Mediterranean climate and is well known for its beaches, bush clad hills and artisans, with over 300 in the region. Harrington Brewers in Richmond brewed a special bear for Hobbiton and the scenes from The Prancing Pony. Over 20,000 litres of the brew were provided to the film crew and enthusiasts can purchase Harrington's Stout from the brewery in Richmond.
Jens Hansen Gold and Silversmith in central Nelson submitted designs for the One Ring and went on to produce the 40 rings required in production, one almost 16 cm in diameter. One of the rings is on display there and you can buy copies in both 9 and 18 ct gold. Stay Cambria House.

Day 6. Nelson to Abel Tasman - Kahurangi National Park

A two hour drive will take you to Takaha Hill, the area used as Chetwood Forest. Climbing to the 972 m summit of the Takaha Hill, a number of Rocky outcrops can be seen, the only place outside of Italy where such formations exist. Just past the signposted Ngarua Caves is Canaan Road, an unpaved road which will take you on an 11 km journey through ghostly trees to the general location of filming. For the energetic, there is a 2 hour return walk to Harwards Hole, a 176 m deep and 15 m wide sinkhole in the limestone rock.

After returning to the main road continue to the summit of Takaha Hill for great views of the Tasman and Golden Bays and continue onto Takaha, the starting point for the Abel Tasman - Kahurangi National Park. Two of the most spectacular landscapes in the Fellowship are situated here, Mt Olympus and Mt Owen. This is where the fellowship hide from Saruman's crebain who were searching for the Nine.The location is remote and spectacular and the best way to view it is with the help of Nelson Helicopters who provided logistical support and crew transport during the filming. They run a Lord of the Rings location tour from Nelson which flies over The Chetwood Forest, Mt Olympus and Mt Owen. Stay Abel Tasman Marahau Lodge.

Day 7. Drive Nelson to Methven

This is a drive of around 450 km and you should allow a full day with stops. This drive will take you along the spectacular Buller River and on through the Lewis Pass, past Hanmer Springs, over the Canterbury Plains and inland towards Mt Hutt. Stay Beluga Bed and Breakfast.

Day 8. Rangitata Valley - Edoras

Methven is the closest town to Erewhon the landscape that became Edoras, the capital of Rohan for eleven months. Situated in a large mountain valley 85 km from Methven, the treeless golden tussockland with its shingle sloped alpine peaks providing a jagged backdrop, is a lonely prospect. From Methven, travel South to Mt Somers and then up the unpaved Ashburton Gorge past Lakes Camp and Clearwater. Descending into the Rangitata Valley Mt Sunday can be seen straight ahead.This was used to create Edoras and Meduseld, King Theoden's hall in the realm of Rohan. There is no access to the mountain itself and the best views are obtained from the road at the entrance to Mt Potts Station. Accommodation is available here in an alpine lodge or cottages or return to your Methven accommodation.

Day 9. Methven to Wanaka

Around 400 km, allow 5 hours driving with stops at Lakes Tekapo and Pukaki to view Aoraki - Mt Cook. Looking towards the Alps from the town of Wanaka, at the end of the lake you can see the backdrop used when Gandalf flew to Rohan with Gwaihir after his rescue from the Orthanc. The town is beautiful and well worth a overnight stay. Take a drive past Glendhu Bay, Treble Cone Ski Field towards the head of the Matukituki Valley. Stay Te Wanaka Lodge.

Day 10, 11 and 12. Wanaka to Queenstown and Glenorchy

Only around 120 km but lots of stops and very scenic driving. Allow all day. Take State Highway 89 to Queenstown through the Cardrona Valley and stop off at the Cardrona Hotel, one of New Zealand's oldest. When you enter the bar, the Prancing Pony at Bree comes to mind. Following the Cardrona River the road climbs to the summit where the view is expansive. To the left below is the River Anduin and the Pillars of the Aronath and high in the hills straight ahead is the Dimrill Dale. At the bottom of the hill, turn right and follow the signs to Arrowtown and the Ford of Bruinen. The Ford is only minutes from the centre of the village on the Arrow River, about 200m upstream.

Drive on via the Coronet Peak Road to Queenstown. A trip up the Skippers Canyon Road, where the magical flood of Arwen occurred is spectacular but it is recommended that you use a local 4WD drive operator as the road is closed to rental cars and it is steep and difficult in places. The scenic drive to Glenorchy follows the shores of Lake Wakatipu for 45 km. Closeburn is 8 km from Queenstown and while the actual location of Amon Hen is not accessible, a stop on the lake shore is suggested here.

The area for filming was set amongst the pine trees on the peninsula to the left of here. Filming for the dramatic finale of 'The Fellowship of the Ring' was undertaken at Closeburn, Paradise and Mavora Lakes. In summer Closeburn is reminiscent of the scented forests of Ithlien and nearby Twelve Mile Delta , 4 km on down the road was used to portray the Ithlien Camp. There are a number of walks and mountain bike tracks here will take you into Ithlien Camp. Carry on to the village of Glenorchy at the Northern end of lake Wakatipu where the jagged peaks of the snow capped misty mountains act as a spectacular back drop. A couple of days can easily be spent in the area, walking, jet boating and horse trekking to Isengard, Amon hen and Lothlorien. Highly recommended is a Dart River Jet Boat Safari (extra charge) and Dart Stables Horse Trek (extra charge). Stay 3 nights at Arrowtown Lodge and explore the area from here.

Take a 45 minute Middle Earth Helicopter Explorer Tour with Heliworks. Leaving the airport, you'll climb the steep slopes of the MistyMountains to The Dimrill Dale and the gates of Khazad-dum. The source of the River Silverlode lies below and there are opportunities to stop for photographs before continuing westward to Fangorn Forest and a landing on top of Dol Baran. Fly over the outskirts of Lothlorien and Fangorn returning towards Queenstown via the Great River. A longer Heliworks Tour can also take you into the Fiordland National Park to include the Kepler Mountains and Norwest lakes and this is a good option for those without extra days to travel to Te Anau. From the airport, drive on to Deer Park Heights where a short climb uphill will give you grand views of several locations.

Day 13. Queenstown to Te Anau via Mavora Lakes

Around 240 km, allow 4 hours driving. Travel around the Devils Staircase to the Southern end of Lake Wakatipu and onto Mossburn. Just past this town is a sign posted road to Mavora Lakes and from here it is a scenic 45 minute drive on an unpaved road to Fangorn Forest and Nen Hithhoel. North Mavora became the Nen Hithoel foreshore which marked the end of the fellowships journey down the River Anduin. Several scenes were filmed around the North and South Mavora Lakes. Travel onto Te Anau, gateway to Fiordland National Park. Stay The Croft Bed and Breakfast.

Day 14 and 15. Te Anau - Fiordland

If time allows, allocate at least 3 days here to fully experience Fiordland including Milford Sound, Doubtful Sound and Lake Manapouri. Flowing from Lake Te Anau to Lake Manapouri, the Waiau River was used to portray parts of the River Anduin. The high mountain tops above Lake Manapouri by Freeman Burn are the Norwest lakes, accessible only by Helicopter and are the locations for the Fellowship heading south from Rivendell.

Return from Te Anau to Queenstown and depart by air to any main centre.

For more details or to book this itinerary please contact us.

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