Visit two of the North Island’s most popular attractions in one day on this small-group tour from Auckland. First, hear behind-the-scenes stories from the making of "The Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit” films on a guided tour of the Hobbiton Movie Set. In the afternoon, continue to Rotorua to explore the city and visit the Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland where highlights include geysers, volcanic mud pools, and geothermal craters.

Guided Hobbiton tour including a drink at The Green Dragon Inn
Spectacular photo opportunities at Wai-O-Tapu Geothermal Wonderland
Hassle-free hotel pickup and round-trip transport from Auckland
Enjoy the perk of having snacks and bottled water included

What's Included

Small Group and Fully Guided Tour
Entry Tickets
Snacks
Bottled water

Gratuities
Souvenir photos (available to purchase)
Alcoholic drinks (available to purchase)
Lunch (opportunities to purchase at own expense)

Meeting and Pickup

You can head directly to the meeting point, or request pickup

Meeting point

SkyCity Hotel Auckland
72 Victoria Street West, Auckland CBD, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
Please pick this location if your hotel is not on our list. We do not pick up from your hotel if it is not listed

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Start time

06:00 AM

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Pickup details

Pickups are from the below hotels only. If your hotel is not listed, please select your closest alternative and meet us there. If you are not sure where your closest alternative is, please contact us in advance so that we can advise you. If you have not yet booked a hotel then please select Sky City hotel as your pickup location. You can update this once your hotel is booked by contacting us or amending your pickup directly through Viator. Park Hyatt 05:40 AM Sofitel Viaduct Harbour 05:40 AM Hilton Hotel 05:40 AM M Social 05:45 AM Movenpick Hotel 05: 45 AM Adina Apartment Hotel 05:45 AM Copthorne Auckland City 05:45 AM Nesuto Stadium Hotel and Apartments 05:45 AM Pullman Auckland 05:45 AM SO/Auckland 05:45 AM JW Marriott Auckland City 05:50 AM Heritage Auckland 05:50 AM Ibis Budget Auckland Central (Pick up also for CityLife, Barclay Suites, Holiday Inn Express) 05:50 AM Crowne Plaza 05:55 AM Rydges Hotel 05:55 AM The Grand By SkyCity 05:55 AM SkyCity Hotel 05:55 AM Four Points by Sheraton 05:55 AM Grand Millennium Auckland 06:00 AM Mercure Hotel 06:00 AM Kiwi International Hotel 06:00 AM VR Auckland City, 188 Hobson Street 06:00 AM Cordis Auckland 06:05 AM Sebnel Auckland Manukau 06:15 AM Passengers that miss their pick up will be required to meet the tour at the tour's first stop at their own expense to continue on the tour. No refunds will be given to late or no show passengers.

What To Expect

Auckland Central (Pass By)

Waikato Region (Pass By)

Hobbiton Movie Set

2 hours • Admission Ticket Included

Tirau

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland

2 hours • Admission Ticket Included

Rotorua (Pass By)

Auckland

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Minimum numbers apply. There is a possibility of cancellation after confirmation if there are not enough passengers to meet requirements. In the event of this occurring, you will be offered an alternative or full refund.
A moderate amount of walking is involved.
Stroller accessible
Due to uneven surfaces, this tour is not recommended for those with walking disabilities or using a wheelchair.
Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately.

Near public transportation
Children aged 7 years and below are required to travel in a child safety car seat. If you don't have a car seat one can be provided (with 24 hours’ notice).
Infant seats available
No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 16 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.

Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Reviews

5.0

185 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

We perform checks on reviews

Showing 1-10 of 185 reviews

Beautiful Tour

Catherine_S, Apr 2024

Better than expected. I thought we would be dropped off at the location and have X amount of time to walk it ourselves but a guide took us through the entire village and explained about how the location was discovered, how the land was changed and what filming was like. Beautiful gardens and lush landscapes, they put a lot of effort on making the place look like a real fairytale. The geothermal place was great because you can choose how much hiking you want to do and which trails to take.

Definite must - see

Cheryl_J, Apr 2024

Hobbiton set and the geothermal fields....good contract in things to see and both wonderous in their own way.

An amazing experience!

Diana_C, Apr 2024

What an amazing experience! The day started with a 2 hr drive to Hobbiton with Greg providing a great narrative of the history of the area. Our Hobbiton tour was well paced and our guide Hayden provided a great narrative of the movie set. Enjoyed a snack and drink at the Green Dragon. We then headed to Rotorua to see Wai-O-Tapu. What an amazing place! A very unique experience. We then did a driving tour of Rotorua. Although it was a long day, it was well paced and well worth it!

Good experience in reasonable weather only

LouAnn_F, Apr 2024

Tour was great and the experience entertaining and on time. An improvement would be telling people when and where they can grab and purchase lunch. I had to figure that out on my own and that is unnecessary since you know when and where those options are.

Hobbits and volcanos

john_s, Apr 2024

It was an awesome trip and Greg the tour guild was great! He was very helpful, informative and made the trip extra fun. I wish he was our guild for all our trips.

Great tour

Benjamin_G, Mar 2024

Our guide was great. He was prompt, professional, full of tips, knowledge, and made the experience very entertaining

Nice Place to visit

RAJESH_D, Mar 2024

Tour was nice. Driver cum Guide was nice person and human being at heart and behavior. Wai O Tapu should be given little more time for aged person like me. However bus was too crowded and one of the seat was broken.

A good day for an outing

Sonja_C, Mar 2024

The Cheeky Kiwi Tour was a lot of fun. Our tour guide was entertaining, shared fun factoids about New Zealand and other countries, and managed the difficult task of getting a bunch of strangers to become friends by the end of the day. Really enjoyed the Hobbiton experience, Wai-o-Tapu at a brisk pace, and getting a glimpse of Rotorua. Cheeky Kiwi has a diverse tour offerings for all ages and interests. Highly recommend to other visitors.

Amazing

carolyn_c, Mar 2024

Hobbiton was amazing, especially with the new addition of going inside a fully furnished house!!! Tour was run on time driver was very friendly and very knowledgeable. A must do!!!

a knowledgeable guide enhanced the experience

Daniel_B, Feb 2024

The whole day was exceptional. Our guide, Grant, gave us alot of information, but didn't just talk non-stop. The visit to Hobbiton was definitely the highlight, but the whole day was well-planned. Grant was also able to tell us what brewery the beer and cider at The Green Dragon Inn at the end of the tour came from (it's Good George if you want to know) - so the following day we found a location in Auckland for dinner. It was a long day (6 am - 7 pm), but absolutely worth it.

Worth ever dollar!

Romana_W, Feb 2024

Amazing experience! Worth every dollar. The guide was lovely. We got water and snacks. He even stopped and few stops that were not in plan just to show us. Highly recommend!

What a magical day! Worth the drive from downtown Auckland

bkritzstein, Feb 2024

Loved this visit to charming Hobbiton - now will watch the series after our trip! Wai O Tapu was a fascinating walk with amazing views of the caves and colorful waters, the aftermath of volcanic activity. Our driver Grant was extremely knowledgable and funny! A great day!

Amazing tour and guide!...

Daniel_G, Feb 2024

Amazing tour and guide! Hanoz was fun and friendly and informative while also keeping a busy day on schedule. The hotel pickup is very convenient with the early start time.

Amazing!

Samantha_H, Feb 2024

Allesandro was amazing! He was so helpful, funny and made the entire trip just a blast! Can’t recommend enough.

Worth taking the day to see

Jan, Feb 2024

Matt our driver and guide was upbeat, informative and positive. When we could not get into the geothermal park because of a fire, he was able to pinch hit and get us into see the geothermal and geyser at Te Puia. He truly saved the second half of our day.

So worth it

Sibylle_B, Jan 2024

Alessandro our driver/ guide was fantastic. He made the long drive to HOBBITON quite interesting and the „time fly.“

Not to miss

Luis_C, Jan 2024

Hobbiton is a beautiful place despite the fact we have not watch the movies or read the book. Rotorua is unique, the hot mud popping everywhere but you must be aware of the smell of sulfur.

Interesting and fun tour!

Janet_M, Jan 2024

An early start, but well worth it! Mac was a great guide. Very fun and informative, and offered lots of good tips about the Auckland area to enjoy on our own. Thank you for a great tour!

A must do!

Douglas_G, Nov 2023

We covered a lot of ground in a short period kf time while learning about new zealand. Grant was an amazing tour guide. Highly recommended.

We enjoyed the tour and a...

Carmen_C, Nov 2023

We enjoyed the tour and a must-see nature trip. .our tour guide is accommodating. Good thing we had a good weather in the morning and enjoyed the Hobbiton walk.