Hobbiton New Zealand Review: Step into Middle Earth and the Movie Set of The Lord of the Rings

Hobbiton, the movie set of the Lord of the Rings in New Zealand has always been one of the movie-themed attractions that we’ve wanted to visit since its opening in 2012. Having watched both Trilogies of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit (and slept through some of it since each movie was 3 hours 😅), it was a wonderful experience to relive the sights, stories and famous quotes (“You shall not pass” – Gandalf) of one of the best trilogies ever created. Of course, our favourite trilogy has always been Back to the Future, Great Scott!

Thanks to Kate’s impeccable planning, we were finally able to visit the movie set of one of the most meticulously created fictional kingdom – The Middle Earth!

Klook.com

Getting to Hobbiton and Purchasing the Hobbiton Tickets

To get the tickets, simply head over to the website Hobbitontours to purchase either of the following options

Hobbiton Movie Set Tour – $89
Tour and Lunch Combo – $127
Evening Banquet Tour – $199

Originally, we had wanted to book the Tour and Lunch Combo. However, by the time we confirmed our dates for the visit, the session was no longer available. Hence, the advice is always to book the tour as early as possible as they’re really really popular.

To get to the start of the Hobbiton Movie Set Tour, follow the GPS directions to The Shire’s Rest at 501 Buckland Road, Hinuera, Matamata 3472, New Zealand. Note that you will not be able to “drive past” the movie set to sneak a peak because it is still a distance away from The Shire’s Rest – the gathering point where the tour bus will set out from. How do you know if you’re reaching the start of the Hobbiton tours? The famous “rolling hills”…

Driving towards Hobbiton Movie Set in New Zealand

First sighting of the "rolling hills" near to Hobbiton — First sighting of the “rolling hills” near to Hobbiton

You will know what the “rolling hills” are when you see them. They’re beautiful, green, gentle hills that are really quite distinct. Also, when you’re in the vicinity, you can only drive 60km/hr. 😅 We’ll talk a little more about them later. Upon reaching, we parked our car and took a short walk to collect our tickets at The Shire’s Rest…

Collecting our Hobbiton Tickets at The Shire's Rest — Collecting our Hobbiton Tickets at The Shire’s Rest

2bearbear at Hobbiton Movie Set Tour in New Zealand!

The Shire's Rest - a restaurant and souvenir shop at the start of the Hobbiton Movie Set Tour — The Shire’s Rest – a restaurant and souvenir shop at the start of the Hobbiton Movie Set Tour

After collecting our tickets and taking a mandatory photo with Gandalf at the entrance, we headed to the Shire’s Rest cafe to grab a flat white. There, we also enjoyed views towards the start of the Hobbit Village…

Having a Flat White from The Shire's Rest Cafe Hobbiton — Having a Flat White from The Shire’s Rest Cafe Hobbiton

Views of the beautiful rolling hills from The Shire's Rest at the Hobbiton — Views of the beautiful rolling hills from The Shire’s Rest at the Hobbiton

The tours leave approximately every 20 minutes. So while waiting for our bus tour, we opened the brochure and saw the map of the Shire (aka Hobbiton) as well as a write-up of Hobbiton…

“In September 1998, Sir Peter Jackson and New Line Cinema ‘discovered’ the Alexander farm during an aerial search for suitable film sites. Site construction started in March 1999. Initially this involved heavy earthmoving machinery provided by the New Zealand Army who built a 1.5km road into the site and undertook initial set development.

Thirty-nine Hobbit Holes were created with untreated timber, ply and polystyrene. The oak tree that overlooks Bag End was cut down and transported in from near Matamata. Artificial leaves were brought in from Taiwan and individually wired onto the tree. The Mill and double arch bridge were built out of scaffolding, ply and polystyrene. Thatch for the roofs of The Green Dragon Inn and the Mill were cut from rushes around the Alexander farm.

When they were rebuilt for The Hobbit Trilogy in 2009, these structures were built out of permanent materials including an artificial tree which was made out of steel and silicon. This entire reconstruction process took two years. Today the set is maintained to keep the magic of The Shire alive.

Filming for The Lord of the Rings Trilogy commenced in December 1999 and continued for three months. Filming for The Hobbit Trilogy began in October 2011 and took only 12 days. At its peak 400 people were on site, including at various times Sir Peter Jackson, Sir Ian Mckellen (Gandalf), Elijah Wood (Frodo), Sean Astin (Sam), Ian Holm (Bilbo Baggins) and Martin Freeman (young Bilbo Baggins).”

Map of the Shire from the Hobbiton Brochure

Brief description of the Hobbiton Movie Set in New Zealand

Soon, it was time for us to board our bus tour to enter Middle Earth. Our guide this morning was Keelan, a very humourous chap. And it was actually Marie, our driver’s birthday!

Our bus tour at 940am at Hobbiton this morning

Hobbiton Tour Bus bring us to the entrance of The Shire

Once onboard, Keelan started with a joke – probably an old one, where we’d have to decide between the Long Tour to the right (which is the actual tour) or the Short Tour to the left (which takes us around the carpark again). Of course everyone chose the Long Tour. 😄 We moved past the gate, entering into the start of the rolling hills of the Alexander farm where the sheeps roam. Before long, we arrived at the gate to enter into the Shire…

Entering into the rolling hills of the Alexander Farm at Hobbiton

Reaching the entrance to the Shire at Hobbiton

First glance of the Shire of the Hobbiton Movie Set

From the introduction by Keelan, we knew that Peter Jackson was doing an aerial surveillance of the area before finding the beautiful rolling hills of the Alexander Farm. There, the farm was set up for the first trilogy – The Lord of the Rings. However, the entire set was torn down after filming completed. It was when the second trilogy – The Hobbit took place that the Alexander Farm saw the opportunity to make the set a permanent one. A joint venture was then set up. Today, it is one of the most visited attractions in New Zealand.

Klook.com

Hobbiton Movie Set Review: Inside The Shire

One of the first thing to know about the set is that they’re set up to be at 60% and 90% scale. Hence, some hobbit holes are bigger while others are smaller. The smaller ones would be used to make normal humans like Gandalf look bigger while the bigger ones would be used such that they seem just nice for the hobbits.

Hobbit Hole at Hobbiton where cut wood is outside - looks like it is still habited — Hobbit Hole at Hobbiton where cut wood is outside – looks like it is still habited

Props at the entrance of a Hobbit Hole at the Shire of Hobbiton

There are several behind-the-scenes information that Keelan shared with us. Firstly, according to the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, Plum Trees were supposed to line the shire. However, the problem was that plum trees grew too tall. Hence, apple and pear trees were used instead. If you remember the running scene where Bilbo ran past the plum trees, the leaves were actually removed from the apple and pear trees and re-wired individually with plum leaves for the scene in the background! 😮

For the running scene where Bilbo ran back to the shire after his adventure in the Hobbit, the scene where his items were being sold off as he was away for a long time, the Shire was actually expanded in the Hobbit such that it looked bigger than when it was first shown in the Lord of the Rings. From these 2 snippets of information, you could see how much planning was placed into the filming of the trilogies.

2bearbear at a Yellow Hobbit Hole in the Shire at Hobbiton Movie Set

Hobbit clothes are still hanging on the Hobbiton Movie Set in the Shire

The Lake in the middle of the Alexander Farm that provided a great background scene to the set

An iconic tree in the Shire of Hobbiton Movie Set in New Zealand

Mandatory photo with a Hobbit Hole before reaching Bilbo Baggin's Hobbit Hole in the Shire, Hobbiton — Mandatory photo with a Hobbit Hole before reaching Bilbo Baggin’s Hobbit Hole in the Shire, Hobbiton

The tour starts by a walk at the foot of the hill before finally reaching the top where Bilbo Baggins’ hole is located. We love it that there are so many details placed into the recreation of the entire set. For instance, you’ll see Hobbit clothes still hanging along the route within the Shire. Hobbit Holes still have smoke coming out of the chimneys – an action that staff takes each day to ensure the authenticity for visitors. You’ll also be able to take an iconic shot in front of a Hobbit Hole (see photo on top) before finally arriving at Bilbo Baggins’ Hobbit Hole…

Home of Bilbo Baggins at the Shire of Hobbiton in New Zealand - No Admittance except on party business — Home of Bilbo Baggins at the Shire of Hobbiton in New Zealand – No Admittance except on party business

When we reached Bilbo Baggins’ Hobbit Hole, Keelan related to us a story of the Oak Tree on top of Bilbo Baggins’ Hobbit Hole. In reality, the Oak Tree was not mentioned in the original book but Peter Jackson was presented with an artistic concept which he loved so much that the Oak Tree was added to the set. For the first trilogy, it was brought over from a nearby farm. However, when it was rebuilt for the second trilogy, it was painstakingly built with 25000 silk leaves brought in from Thailand and sown on leaf by leaf. The colour also had to be painted just right over 4 days. Today, if you take a look at it, it really does look like a real oak tree. Except that when the wind blows, it hardly moves.

Also, remember the last scene where Bilbo and Gandalf stares into the sunset? It’s actually a sunrise played in reverse. This scene actually caused alot of people to break into the Alexander Farm to catch the view.

There were also a couple of scenes that showed the professionalism of the actors. Remember the scene where Gandalf hits his head on the beam when entering into a hobbit hole? It was actually not part of the script. However, Ian Mckellen still stayed in character and the scene was kept in the film. Similarly, during the 3 days of party for the eleventy first birthday, there was actually a real burning cake as it was made out of styrofoam. However, despite the fire, Ian Holm continued to remain in character to finish his speech before the fire team came out to extinguish the fire. These are interesting snippets of stories from behind-the-scenes which you’ll only know about if you join the tour.

Klook.com

Hobbiton Movie Set Review: Inside The Green Dragon Inn

Green Dragon Inn at the Shire inside Hobbiton New Zealand

Our wonderful guide Keelan serving our beers at the Green Dragon Inn Hobbiton

Towards the end of the tour, we were brought to the Green Dragon Inn for complimentary drinks. As Stout was out, we chose the Amber Ale which was really quite good. Remember to try out the Beef and Ale Pie ($6), highly recommended by Keelan as well. One which we totally enjoyed.

Amber Ale at The Green Dragon Inn Hobbiton, The Shire

Beef and Ale Pie ($6) + Amber Ale at The Green Dragon Inn Hobbiton, The Shire

We really enjoyed visiting the Green Dragon Inn because of the authentic decorations within. We loved the fire place, the wooden chairs and tables as well as the awesome food and drinks.

Authentic decorations inside the Green Dragon Inn at the Shire of Hobbiton in New Zealand

Ales available at the Green Dragon Inn Hobbiton

Fireplace inside The Green Dragon Inn that we love hanging out at

Seating areas inside the Green Dragon Inn Hobbiton

Food menu of the Green Dragon Inn Hobbiton The Shire

Window seats inside the Green Dragon Inn Hobbiton New Zealand Review

Even the toilets are well-appointed inside Hobbiton

After the short break at the Green Dragon Inn, we took a short walk back to the carpark where the bus took us back to the Shire’s Rest…

Facade of the Green Dragon Inn at Hobbiton The Shire

Event area for the lunch of Hobbiton which we missed out narrowly on

Iconic Stone Bridge next to the river near the Green Dragon Inn at Hobbiton The Shire

2bearbear by the lake inside Hobbiton at The Shire

Taking a short walk back along this beautiful path to the carpark inside Hobbiton

Last look at The Shire inside Hobbiton Movie Set before we left

Klook.com

Hobbiton New Zealand Review: The Shire’s Rest Food and Souvenir

After alighting at The Shire’s Rest, we headed to the souvenir shop as we wanted to purchase a pair of rings. Eventually, we found the Ring but since it had black speech inscripted on it. We gave it a miss. Still, the souvenir shop is a great place to hang out and see what are some of the LOTR, Hobbit merchandise available…

Inside souvenir shop of the Shire's Rest at Hobbiton — Inside souvenir shop of the Shire’s Rest at Hobbiton

Lord of the Rings, Ring at The Shire’s Rest Hobbiton

Before we left, we had some snacks at the Shire’s Cafe. This time, we had a Cronut ($6), Custard Donut ($6) and a long black coffee at $4. The donut was not that good but the Cronut was worth it.

Donut and Cronut ($6 each) with Long Black Coffee ($4) from The Shire's Rest Cafe Hobbiton New Zealand — Donut and Cronut ($6 each) with Long Black Coffee ($4) from The Shire’s Rest Cafe Hobbiton New Zealand

Ordering at The Shire's Cafe Hobbiton — Ordering at The Shire’s Cafe Hobbiton

Inside the Shire's Cafe Hobbiton — Inside the Shire’s Cafe Hobbiton

Pies available at The Shire's Cafe Hobbiton New Zealand Review — Pies available at The Shire’s Cafe Hobbiton New Zealand Review

Cakes and Sandwiches available at The Shire's Cafe Hobbiton New Zealand Review — Cakes and Sandwiches available at The Shire’s Cafe Hobbiton New Zealand Review

If you enjoyed our content, “Like” us on Facebook Today!

The tour started at about 940 and ended at 1130. About 2 hours in all. The Movie Set Tour at Hobbiton is a very well-organised tour and we loved all the behind-the-scenes spills that Keelan shared with us on the set. Story telling by Keelan from the scenes were very vivid. We actually felt as though we had been transported into the movie scene. Totally worth the $89 in all! If you are in the north island while visiting New Zealand, remember to drop by Hobbiton for a visit, you won’t regret it!

Klook.com

Related Posts

New Zealand North Island Travel Itinerary

New Zealand Travel Itinerary Day 1: Flying SQ Business Class and Visiting the New SilverKris Lounge!

New Zealand Travel Itinerary Day 2: Arriving in Auckland and Hanging out in Hamilton

New Zealand Travel Itinerary Day 3: Visiting Hobbiton, Lake Rotorua and Eat Streat in Rotorua

New Zealand Travel Itinerary Day 4: Mud Spa at Hell’s Gate Rotorua, Huka Falls, Dixie Browns and Millenium Manuel Hotel Taupo

New Zealand Travel Itinerary Day 5: Mini Golf, Lake Taupo Maori Cave Carving Cruise, Cornerstone Taphouse and Steaks at Edgewater Restaurant Taupo!

New Zealand Travel Itinerary Day 6: Mission Estate Winery, Te Awanga Estate, Remutaka Crossing and Hey Day Beer Co Wellington

New Zealand Travel Itinerary Day 7: Breakfast at Wellington Sea Market, Fork and Brewer Craft Beer, Wellington Museum, Rogue and Vagabond, Shelly Bay Wellywood Sign

New Zealand Travel Itinerary Day 8: Mount Victoria and driving back north to Bulls and Skotel Alpine Resort, Tongariro National Park

New Zealand Travel Itinerary Day 9: From Skotel Alpine Resort to Tama Lake, Mount Ngauruhoe with views of Mount Ruapehu