The world-famous movies “The Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit” were shot in New Zealand. The main characters of both movies are from Hobbiton, which also appears in the movies. The Hobbiton, the filming location, is still there today and can be visited. Here, we will tell you about what it was like to actually take a small group tour to Hobbiton.
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What are “The Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit”?
First, let me introduce “The Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit”. These are films based on the novel “The Lord of the Rings” written by J. R. R. Tolkien. Both “The Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit” are trilogies with a total of six films.
The first “Lord of the Rings” film was released in 2001, and the first part of “The Hobbit” was released in 2012. “The Lord of the Rings” is the story of Frodo, a young hobbit who throws the magic ring he inherited from his grandfather Bilbo into the magma of a volcano to destroy it so that it will not be given to the Lord of the Underworld, and “The Hobbit” depicts the adventures of Bilbo when he obtains the magic ring. It is an adventure film that includes fantasy elements such as elves and dwarves in addition to the hobbits, and was nominated in 30 categories at the Academy Awards, winning 17 categories.
What is Hobbiton?
Hobbiton is the village where the Hobbits live, and is the birthplace of Frodo, the main character in “The Lord of the Rings,” and Bilbo, the main character in “The Hobbit.” It is the beginning and end of the journey in each movie, and is an idyllic village in contrast to the harsh stories.
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How to get to Hobbiton
Hobbiton is located in a town called Matamata, about 2.5 hours south of Auckland by car. However, it is quite far from the town and there is no public transportation, so it is quite difficult to get there on your own. Therefore, you will need to rent a car or arrange for a shuttle service.
Transportation to Hobbiton
It is reliable and easy to go to Hobbiton by joining a tour that includes transportation. The orthodox way is to join a tour organized by the long-distance bus company Inter City. This includes not only transportation but also the entrance fee to Hobbiton.
I took a small group tour
I will introduce the tour I actually took. First, I applied to a local tour company and participated. I did not apply to Inter City because the date I wanted was sold out. The tour content was the simplest one, with only hotel pick-up in Auckland and Hobbiton, and the total cost for the pick-up and Hobbiton entrance fee was about 210 NZD.
Departure
When I made the reservation online, the hotel pickup time was 6h30 am, but the day after I booked, I received an email saying that they would pick me up at the hotel at 7h20 am.
I received the same email again on the day of departure as a reminder. On the morning of the day, the pickup car arrived a few minutes before the meeting time. After that, it went around other hotels and picked up the other participants. In the end, there were eight participants, including me. They were of various nationalities, as follows:
Japan: 1 person
Korea: 2 people (couple)
Taiwan: 1 person
USA: 3 people (family)
England: 1 person
Everyone was wonderfully divided. I thought I was the only person participating alone, but there were actually quite a few.
On the move
Once everyone is aboard, we depart. From here, the 2.5 hour drive begins. The driver guide puts on a microphone and starts speaking. Since there were only eight of us, the car was about the size of a van, but we could hear better through the microphone. There was an introduction to Auckland and New Zealand, the guide, and Hobbiton, but we also asked each person questions. Where are you from? When will you arrive in Auckland and when will you leave? Where have you been and where do you want to go next? Have you seen the movies “Lord of the Rings” or “The Hobbit”? Of course, all the conversation is in English, so if you don’t speak English, it may be a difficult drive.
About halfway through the trip, we stopped for a 10-minute break at a place with a nice view. There were no restrooms, but we could see the vast nature of New Zealand. We saw sheep and horses frequently along the way, and by this time there were almost no houses and only endless nature.
Arrival
After the drive, we arrived at the reception desk of Hobbiton. Actually, Hobbiton and reception are in separate places. From reception, we boarded a special tour to go to Hobbiton.
There is also a cafe and souvenir shop at the reception.
It’s a must-see for fans, with lots of “Lord of the Rings” and “Hobbit” merchandise.
Looking around, I saw nothing but nature apart from the reception desk, and realized how difficult it would be to get here on my own.
To Hobbiton
While we were in the souvenir shop, our guide brought us our tickets and a pamphlet. The pamphlet was full of behind-the-scenes stories, and on the back was the map of Hobbiton, as shown in the photo. Hobbiton is a tour, and a special bus departs every 30 minutes, so this is where we said goodbye to our guide.
Once all the participants for the same time had boarded the bus, we departed for Hobbiton. From here, another guide would guide us. It was about a 10 minute from reception to Hobbiton, and on the way there an original video message from the directors was shown on the bus.
Hobbiton tour begins
When we arrived at Hobbiton, the tour started. The tour lasted about an hour and a half. We walked around the village with the guide. They gave us plenty of time to take photos. The scenery from the movie was just as it was, and I was impressed to know that this was the location of that scene.
The thing about Hobbiton is that things are small.
Because Hobbits are smaller than other races, everything about them is made smaller: the doors and windows in their houses, their clothes, and their chairs are all child-sized.
A distinctive feature of the houses is that they are built by digging holes.
Therefore, the house can be seen peeking into the terraced slope. Another distinctive feature is that the door is circular.
This is the main characters’ house.
It is located at the top of the hill with the best view. There are also the chair and pipe that Bilbo used.
After touring the cute houses in Hobbiton, we arrived at the party venue.
This is the place where Bilbo’s 111th birthday party was held at the beginning of the first Lord of the Rings movie. The big tree is the main attraction, but it is said that it was one of the reasons director Peter Jackson decided to build Hobbiton here. When the director was looking for the perfect location for Hobbiton, he found this ranch by helicopter. Since he was looking from the air, there is no doubt that this tree caught his eye.
Afterwards we walk around the pond and go to a bar called the Green Dragon where we have some free time.
Here you can get one free drink per person.
The drinks are as follows:
【Alcohol】
・Amber Ale, alcohol 3.7％
・Apple Cider, alcohol 4.5％
・Traditional English Ale, alcohol 5％
【Non-alcoholic】
・Ginger Beer
At first glance, it may seem like apple cider is non-alcoholic and ginger beer is alcoholic, but it’s the other way around. You can also get light snacks like baked goods at Green Dragon.
To my surprise, the guide from the tour company I had booked with was waiting for me here. The guide arranged for us to stand at the counter of the Green Dragon shop and take a special photo. This felt like a privilege that I could only have had by joining a small group tour.
When our free time was over and we gathered again, we were given a Green Dragon cup as a final souvenir of the tour. Another wonderful souvenir to add to our collection.
Special journey home
This was the end of the tour, and normally we would all get on the same bus back to the reception, but my tour guide took us to a different exit. This was a valuable experience, as this is a road that normal tours don’t take. Up ahead was the tour company’s shuttle bus, and we set off straight away. We didn’t stop at any souvenir shops on the way back, which can be a problem for people who forgot to buy something, but it was nice because we could get home smoothly.
Everyone was excited in the car, sharing their thoughts about the tour. Although it was past noon, we decided to head back to Auckland since the plan did not include lunch. However, our guide suggested we continue on for lunch. We didn’t need lunch since we all had the famous meat pie at the cafe at reception.
Then our guide suggested we go for ice cream since the weather was nice, and we unanimously decided to go. We got off the highway and were taken to a recommended local ice cream shop. We ordered the original New Zealand hokey pokey, vanilla ice cream with small caramel pieces.
It was an experience that could only be had on a small group tour.
Tour End
On the way back, everyone ended up getting tired and sleeping towards the end. We returned to Auckland and dropped everyone off at their respective locations. I was dropped off at the hotel just before 3 pm. The tour was scheduled for 8 hours, so that was about right.
Take a small group tour
I’m glad I took part in this small group tour. I was very satisfied with the tour of Hobbiton itself, but I also felt the benefits of a small group tour. I was able to make friends with the other participants, and there were many things I didn’t know about the guide’s stories.
Taking photos at the Green Dragon cash register is something I would never have thought of if I had participated normally, and eating ice cream on the way home is also a fond memory. There’s no doubt that it was an experience I could only have had on this once-in-a-lifetime encounter. If you’re going to Hobbiton, I recommend considering this small group tour.
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