Peak behind the scenes of 'The Hobbit' with these iconic film tours.
If you’ve ever wondered what Middle‑earth™ would be like if it were real, this is as close as you’ll get to finding out. With these 'The Hobbit' trilogy film tours, you’ll stroll down Bagshot Row; see the artistry and craftsmanship behind the sets, costumes, and special effects; and take in the stunning landscapes that inspired the films.
Visit Hobbiton™ Movie Set(opens in new window) for a guided tour of The Shire. The former film set, which comprises 44 hobbit holes, a millhouse, and a Green Dragon Inn, was originally used for external shots. But since filming wrapped, the attraction’s owners have renovated the interiors of the Green Dragon Inn and two hobbit holes on Bagshot Row, with the help of designers and illustrators who worked on the films. You can now stop in at the Green Dragon Inn for a Hobbit™ Southfarthing™ beverage and even explore inside a hobbit hole to find hidden Easter eggs. It's up to you to imagine the rest: there are no people dressed as hobbits, waving and smiling Disney-style, here (unless you count the occasional visitor).
The opportunity to venture inside the hobbit holes is the latest addition to the movie set, where previously you could only have photos taken outside the iconic round front door. Now you can put yourself right in the movie set with the copper bath, dining room and fireside settings straight out of The Shire.
Head to the Wētā Workshop(opens in new window) (Wellington) or Wētā Unleashed(opens in new window) (Auckland) for a look at how the films were made. For attractions that began out of necessity (fans would arrive uninvited to the Wētā Workshop special effects studio and ask to see props and costumes), these tours have grown quickly to become a global phenomenon, ranked alongside Warner Bros tours. With a Wētā Workshop tour you'll catch a glimpse inside the studio to see props being made for upcoming films. For Wētā Unleashed, expect some light humour – mostly from ‘Jeff’, an orc-like animatronic that took 60 people almost a year to build but, going by appearances, a lot less time to script for jokes.
See the filming location for Trollshaws Forest with a Hairy Feet Waitomo(opens in new window) tour. Here, you’ll see a part of Aotearoa New Zealand that isn’t normally open to the public.
