While you're here
Lord of the Rings and Hobbit filming locations you can actually visit
Hobbiton is the only built set left standing — here is what everything else looks like now, and how to get to it.
7 min read · updated 2026-09
The Lord of the Rings and Hobbit films were shot across more than a hundred locations in New Zealand. Almost every set was removed afterwards under the conditions of filming on conservation land, which means most locations are simply the landscape — very recognisable, entirely unmarked. One major exception exists.
Hobbiton, Waikato
The Shire set near Matamata was rebuilt permanently for The Hobbit and remains standing on a working sheep farm. It is the only complete set left, and you can only enter on a guided tour. Allow about two hours on site, plus travel — roughly two hours from Auckland, one hour from Rotorua, 45 minutes from Hamilton and about two hours from Tauranga. It is very commonly paired with Waitomo or Rotorua in a single day.
North Island landscapes
- Mount Ngāuruhoe, Tongariro National Park — the mountain that stood in for Mount Doom. Visible from the Desert Road and up close on the Tongariro Alpine Crossing. Out of respect to Ngāti Tūwharetoa, the summit is not climbed.
- The Whakapapa area and Tukino — Mordor's slopes and the Emyn Muil.
- Wellington — Mount Victoria's town belt was the 'get off the road' shortcut, Kaitoke Regional Park north of the city was Rivendell, and the Putangirua Pinnacles in the Wairarapa were the Paths of the Dead.
- Wellington also holds the workshop and studio complex behind the effects, with public tours and an exhibition.
South Island landscapes
- Glenorchy and the Dart Valley, near Queenstown — Isengard, Lothlórien and Amon Hen. A 45-minute drive from Queenstown along one of the best lakeside roads in the country.
- Twelve Mile Delta, Queenstown — the Ithilien camp where the oliphaunts appear.
- The Remarkables and Deer Park Heights — Rohan country and the warg attack.
- Mavora Lakes, Southland — Nen Hithoel and the Fangorn edge. Gravel access road.
- Poolburn, Central Otago — the Rohan village scenes on an exposed high plateau.
- Mount Sunday, Canterbury — Edoras. The set is gone, but the hill in the middle of the Rangitata Valley is unmistakable and reachable on a long day from Christchurch.
- Fiordland and the Eglinton Valley — beech forest and river flats used throughout.
Several locations are on private farmland or at the end of unsealed roads that rental agreements exclude. Check access before setting out, and never cross a fence without permission.
How to plan it
A film-location trip works best as three clusters: Waikato for Hobbiton, Wellington for the studio and Rivendell, and Queenstown–Glenorchy for the big southern landscapes. Canterbury's Mount Sunday is a separate full day from Christchurch.
Common questions
- Is Hobbiton the only set left?
- Yes, essentially. Everything else was dismantled after filming, so the other locations are the natural landscape.
- Can I visit Hobbiton without a tour?
- No. Access is by guided tour only, and it books out in peak season.
- What is the best base for the southern locations?
- Queenstown. Glenorchy, the Dart Valley, Twelve Mile Delta and the Remarkables are all within an easy day, and we run that route as a private tour.
Let someone else do the driving
Private day tours with a local driver-guide. You pick the stops, we handle the route, the timing and the roads — and you can change your mind on the day as long as the finish time still works.
Browse private day tours