Is the Hobbiton Movie Set tour in New Zealand worth the hype? 8 things to know before you go

Hobbiton in Matamata, New Zealand is pure Middle Earth magic! Whether you’re a Lord of the Rings fan or just love gorgeous scenery, this is one stop that makes any NZ trip unforgettable.

So, we’re finally back from our New Zealand trip and wow… it was epic! This holiday was basically a Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit pilgrimage. Hubs and I had introduced the movies to the our girls, and they’ve since become full-blown fans. They've re-watched the films, dove into the behind-the-scenes, and even read the books. So when deciding on our year-end school holiday vacation destination, there was only one place they most wanted to go: Middle Earth.

So we flew from Singapore to Auckland and then it was 10 days across both the North and South Islands, chasing filming locations and enjoying the beautiful landscapes of New Zealand. I’ll share a separate post on how we planned our fly-self-drive adventure, but for now, let’s talk about one of the highlights: Hobbiton. This was one of the places we had visited first and definitely one of the most memorable.

If you’ve watched LOTR or The Hobbit, you’ll know Hobbiton is the Shire’s heart, home to Bilbo and Frodo Baggins, and those iconic hobbit holes. The movies were filmed right here in Matamata, New Zealand, and the set has been preserved as a permanent attraction.

So here's what to expect at the Hobbiton Movie Set and 8 things to know if you're planning to visit.

1) What is at the Hobbiton Movie Set?

The Hobbiton Movie Set is located on a private farm at 501 Buckland Road, Matamata. When you arrive, you’ll find The Shire’s Rest café, a gift shop and the tour departure queue area—this is where you check in for your tour. There isn’t much else to do before the tour begins, but the real highlight is, of course, the movie set itself where the films were shot, and it's a 10-minute bus ride from here.

Here’s a recap of our day at Hobbiton so you know what to expect:

We drove from Auckland (about 2 hours) and got there at 11:30am way ahead of our 2:40 pm tour (it's recommended that you arrive 20 minutes before your tour timing). We could have planned some stops along the way but since it was our first time driving in New Zealand, we wanted to allow extra time for lunch and possibly getting lost. In the end, the drive turned out to be pretty smooth!

When you're near, you'll see those familiar rolling hills just like those you see in the movies!

And we're here at Hobbiton!

We had lunch at The Shire’s Rest which served a good variety of sandwiches, pies and a few main courses like fish and chips. I did kinda wish it was more Hobbit-themed, with special Hobbit-themed dishes, but it felt more like a regular cafe. That said, we still enjoyed our food. The pies were delicious, the service great and prices were normal café rates (not tourist-inflated).

You can also have your food and drinks to go, and enjoy the view from the tables outside the cafe.

After lunch, we still had lots of time to kill, so it was off to the gift shop which had some really nice LOTR and The hobbit memorabilia.

There are also some some nice spots for photos in the waiting area.

We also tried, albeit unsuccessfully, to join an earlier tour (more on that later)!

By mid-afternoon, the sky looked ominous and we got a bit nervous about it. While this was a rain or shine tour, it would really be no fun visiting Hobbiton in the rain.

And sadly, it started to pour at 2pm. When our bus picked us up at 2:40pm, it was still raining. After a ten-minute ride, we reached the movie set and umbrellas were distributed to everyone. Thankfully the rain had at least eased a bit. The sight that greeted us when we first arrived more than made up for the dreary weather.

It was amazing seeing a hobbit hole for the first time...

...and we couldn't stop taking photos!

I love all the tiny details that show these are homes of hobbits.

And beyond, you could see how beautiful the shire is.

The rain stopped soon, and we were so thankful! While it stayed cloudy and our photos would have turned out nicer if it was sunny, I'm just glad it was no longer raining. The cool weather actually made it great for the walk ahead.

Every tour has its own guide and I really love how enthusiastic and knowledgeable our guide is, providing lots of behind-the-scene tidbits of the movies' filming.

One tour can take up to a max of 40 people, so sometimes you might not hear the guide at all, especially if you're hanging back to take photos. So, if you really want to hear everything the guide has to say, keep up! 😄

That said, after a while, the hobbit holes do look a bit similar and we stopped taking photos of every hobbit hole. Still, walking in the movie set felt really surreal as this was THE place you saw in the iconic movies.

But there was one most famous hobbit hole we must photograph - Bag End, which is where Bilbo and Frodo Baggins live. You might remember scenes where Frodo was hanging up the sign at the gate and him leaving to meet Gandalf in LOTR, and also Bilbo meeting Gandalf in The Hobbit - they were all filmed right here!

You’ll also get to step inside a hobbit home. There are two with interiors open to visitors, but you’ll only see one because your group would be split in half as 40 people in a single hobbit hole would be way too cramped!

It is so pretty inside and I don't think my photos did justice to it!

You'll get to spend some time here exploring and taking photos.

I felt the time spent here was a bit short. I would have loved to have more time to really appreciate the details but we had to make way for the next tour group.

After the tour of the hobbit homes, we headed off to The Green Dragon! You can see it there in the distance!

The Green Dragon is famous because it is a well-known inn in the Shire, where the hobbits gather for some merry making! The view on the way to the inn is beautiful.

And we're there.

I really love how cosy the inn is, and that their snacks like sandwiches and muffins were tasty and reasonably priced.

Oh and you get a free pint which is included in your tour! Hubs and I had the apple cider which was so good, while the girls had ginger ale.

The scenery near the inn is really gorgeous.

I wish we had more time to chill here and have another pint but this is actually the last stop in our tour, and it was time to go back to our bus and return to The Shire's Rest.

The entire tour itself takes about 2.5 hours, but you might like to budget a bit more time to browse at the gift shop or have a coffee at The Shire's Rest.

And to answer the question in my headline...yes, the Hobbiton Movie Set is totally worth the hype!

2) Do you have to go on a tour?

Yes. You can’t just wander Hobbiton on your own. Tickets are required to see the hobbit holes and the Shire. Without a ticket, you’ll only have access to The Shire’s Rest café and gift shop.

3) How soon do you have to book?

Tours are very popular, especially in peak season December till February. At the time of writing, tours are often fully booked a month in advance. Outside peak season, you might get tickets a few weeks ahead, but if your travel dates are already fixed, I would suggest booking at least a month early.

Do note that bookings are required, so don’t bother trying to get tickets at the door. Since we arrived early, we asked if we could join an earlier tour and were told that if there were any no-shows, we might be able to. The process was simple: wait in the tour departure area and listen for the guides to call out vacancies. We tried our luck, but none of the tours had no-shows. So I’d say no-shows aren’t very common at all.

4) Where do you book tickets?

The official Hobbiton Tour website is the main option. Third-party agencies like Klook also sell tickets and sometimes have slots even when the official site is sold out. I did a quick check at Klook's website and tours for two days later are still available though there are limited timings and they include transfers.

5) How much does it cost?

At the time of writing, tickets from the Hobbiton Tour website shows tickets at: NZ$120 for adults and NZ$60 for youths 11-17 years. It's free for children ten years and below, but they must book a ticket as well. They also have a family ticket at NZ$306 which is for 2 adults and 2 youths.

Just for comparison sake, over at Klook at the time of writing, tickets cost NZ$319 for adults, NZ$220 for children 4-14 years old, and NZ$150 for children 3 years and younger. But these include transfers from Auckland.

6) Would non-LOTR or Hobbit fan enjoy this?

I believe so. Fans will love the behind-the-scenes stories and have a deeper appreciation of the set, but even if you’ve never seen the movies, Hobbiton is a beautiful, whimsical place to explore. My daughter’s friend visited without knowing the films and still thought it was magical.

7) How do you get there?

It’s about a 2-hour drive from Auckland, with free parking available. If you don’t drive, look for tours that include transfers.

8) What to wear?

Comfortable walking shoes are a must as the tour is about 2.5 hours on foot. If rain is a concern, bring a poncho, though umbrellas are provided if needed.

Ok and that's all for Hobbiton! I'll be sharing more places that we visited in NZ, not all, though, as quite a few we visited are LOTR and Hobbit filming location tours and there are already lots of info on these online. I'll just share those that I feel would be more value added as a blog post and I'll post the rest on my social media.

My NZ IG highlights are still up at my IG page vivianteowriter, so you might wanna have a look too if you want to see more pics and vids!

Disclaimer: This is a non-sponsored trip, and all opinions are our own.

©Vivian Teo. All content and photos are copyrighted to Vivian Teo unless otherwise specified.