Visit ‘The Lord of the Rings’ filming locations in Glenorchy, traveling by 4WD with an informative guide. Departing Queenstown for Middle-earth in the morning or afternoon, this half-day tour includes stunning countryside landscapes chosen by director Peter Jackson. See where famous scenes were filmed, such as the Fortress of Isengard, Lothlorien, Ithilien Camp and Forest of Amon Hen. Enjoy light refreshments and personalized attention on this small-group tour, limited to six passengers per vehicle.

The Lord of the Rings filming locations tour of Glenorchy from Queenstown
See film sites like Ithilien Camp, Isengard, Forest of Amon Hen and Lothlorien and more
Bring the films to life with our authentic replica props, dress up and take photos, or simply soak up the scenery
Admire breathtaking views along Lake Wakatipu and enjoy amazing photo opportunities
See additional sites where scenes from X-Men Origins: Wolverine and The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian were filmed
Listen to interesting facts about New Zealand's history, flora and fauna from your knowledgeable guide
Small-group tour with a maximum of 6 people per vehicle ensures a more personalized experience

What's Included

Transport by 4WD vehicle
Driver/guide
Light refreshments (including tea, coffee, hot chocolate, cake and cookies)
Selected Queenstown Hotel pickup and drop-off

Gratuities

Meeting and Pickup

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

Meeting point

37 Shotover Street, Queenstown 9300, New Zealand

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Pickup details

Pickup from town centre or Queenstown accommodations.

What To Expect

Meet your driver-guide upon hotel pickup in Queenstown and hop into a six-passenger 4WD for the picturesque drive to Glenorchy. You’ll see several South Island filming locations selected by director Peter Jackson and showcased in The Lord of the Rings movie trilogy.

Hear fascinating commentary from your in-the-know guide, and stop for photo ops at landscapes you’ll instantly recognize, such as the Fortress of Isengard and Forest of Amon Hen. Approximately 12 miles (20 km) northwest of Glenorchy lies the countryside locale of Paradise, site of the Forest of Lothlorien. Your guide takes you to a charming village near the vivid waters of Lake Wakatipu, considered the ‘Gateway to Paradise.’

Make another stop at 12 Mile Delta to discover the no-man’s-land between Gondor and Mordor, known to JRR Tolkien fans as Ithilien Camp. On the return to Queenstown, enjoy hot beverages with fruit cake and cookies, and get a glimpse of additional movie locations from other films like X-Men Origins: Wolverine and The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. Your half-day tour ends with drop-off at your hotel.

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
Pickup from all central Queenstown accommodations. Hilton pickup on request
Not wheelchair accessible
Minimum numbers apply (min 2 per tour for confirmed departure, min 4 on NZ public holidays). 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

Please Note: Pickup from central Queenstown accommodations is included. Surround suburbs (Kelvin Heights, Frankton, Arthur's Point, Fernhill and others) by arrangement. Please contact to reconfirm pick up arrangement and time.
Near public transportation
No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
Most travelers can participate
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 6 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.

Traveler Photos

Reviews

4.5

185 reviews

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

Reviews by Viator travelers.

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Showing 1-10 of 185 reviews

Great LOTR Tour

Jeanine_W, Mar 2024

Great mixture of stops to experience where scenes were shot from Ithilien at 12 mile delta, to Lothlorien at Paradise/ Glenorchy. Both guides were very informative and enthusiastic. A great tour for any LOTR fan.

Response from Host, Mar 2024

Thank you for your feedback! We're delighted to hear that you enjoyed the mixture of stops and found our guides informative and enthusiastic. It's wonderful to know that the tour was a great experience for any LOTR fan. We appreciate your recommendation and hope to see you again soon!

Remarkable

Richard_C, Mar 2024

Peter, the guide was informative, engaging and very knowledgeable. Made the four plus hours just fly by. Highly recommend this trip

Response from Host, Mar 2024

Thank you for your feedback! We're delighted to hear that Peter provided an informative and engaging experience, making the time fly by. Your recommendation means a lot to us, and we hope to welcome you back for another enjoyable trip in the future!

You don't need to be a superfan to enjoy this LOTR tour

Melinda_L, Mar 2024

Four of us joined an American couple on our 4WD LOTR tour exploring the stunning landscapes (and film locations) between Queenstown, Glenorchy, Paradise and beyond. Thankfully the American couple knew their stuff and could provide the color we could not as we we only novice fans of the Peter Jackson films. They helped us "see" the films come alive through the landscapes. Our driver Cam was wonderful - an adept 4WD driver, as knowledgeable of the films as our American tutors, and had a lovely wit and manner. We thoroughly enjoyed the tour.

Response from Host, Mar 2024

We're thrilled to hear that you thoroughly enjoyed the tour and had such a memorable time. Thank you for sharing your experience with us, and we hope to have the pleasure of welcoming you back for more adventures in the future!

My Middle Earth Vacation

Sheree_C, Jan 2024

Kyle was so knowledgeable and made the day a lot of fun. It blew by! Wasn't ready for it to end. Went to several great locations and loved having the book with movie scenes to be able to picture it and reference it! The highlight for us (on the afternoon tour) was bringing out the weapons and cloaks and playing around in the area that was similar to in the movie where Merry and Pippin were captured in the first movie.

Response from Host, Jan 2024

Sounds like a fantastic day with Kyle! Delighted to hear he made it both knowledgeable and fun. The interactive element with weapons and cloaks sounds like a highlight indeed. Thanks for sharing your experience!

Highlight of my time in New Zealand!

Janet_N, Dec 2023

I enjoyed the combination of the Lord of the Rings site and the local history. I was also able to go places on this tour (like cross country and 4x4) that I would NEVER have gone on my own. Our tour guide/drive was also FABULOUS!!!

Response from Host, Jan 2024

Glad you enjoyed the combo of Lord of the Rings sites and local history! Exploring off the beaten path with the 4x4 added to the adventure. Fabulous tour guide made it even better! Thanks for sharing your positive experience!

Best ever

SanDion, Apr 2023

Best experience , and wonderful view , its a must tour if you are a fan of middle earth, very spectacular view,

Lord of the rings tour Glenorchy from Queenstown NZ

James_N, Mar 2023

This was a great Lord of the Rings tour to Glenorchy out of Queenstown NZ . They took us to different shooting locations from the movies. They showed us the real pictures from the movies and explained the different scenes at each location. I only gave it 3 stars because our driver was doing the tour for his first time so we followed another van and guide to each site. We then got out and listened to her explain the sight. I felt sorry for him to have him pushed into his own van without any training or even not knowing the movies. The other van had full explanation of the movies and locations while driving to the next sight , we did not get that. I believe they should have put him in the van with the experienced tour guide until he got the job on his own, they pushed him into the van so they could have another tour operating at the same time to keep the clients $$$. It was supposed to be a small group tour but turned out to be a 12 person tour in two vans. I was not impressed!

Lord or Bored? Either way you’ll love it.

Steven_D, Feb 2023

Very knowledgeable and engaging guide. Spectacular scenery. My wife is the LOTR fan unlike me! She loved the details from the filming I just loved the locations and scenery. You do not have to be a Tolkien fan to enjoy this trip.

Just like Being in the Hobbit - The Unexpected Journey

Vincent_V, Feb 2023

Being in Hobbiton with all the hobbit houses and props felt like being in the movie! Topping it off with a drink of ale at the Green Dragon was the icing on the cake!

Guide earned this tour an extra star

Susan R, Dec 2019

Our guide, Graeme, was fully engaged with those in our tour group, answering our questions fully and being knowledgeable about the locations we were taken to. He also shared interesting information about the area, its history, pertinent events. Our group totalled 4 in number, which was a nice size. The weather wasn't great due to intermittent rain, but that didn't dampen our spirits. Well worth the price of admission! Thanks, Nomad Safaris and Graeme!

Glenorchy

Mirciulina_a, Dec 2019

Great team work.It was a very enjoyable experience.The weather was also fantastic.I am happy to recommend this activity

Fulfilled my LOTR dream

alanlochuang, Aug 2019

Our tour guide Kevin is so knowledgeable and hospitable - thank you thank you thank you! We enjoyed listening to the highlights along our drive to Glenorchy and were super excited to see the set locations in real life. The views were breathtaking and there were many moments during our drive that made my heart sigh with joy. And the highlight of the trip was us posing in costumes and props and taking our LOTR shot.

Amazing 👍😄

Karen_D, Aug 2019

This tour was fantastic - I’m a big LOTR fan & the experience was just amazing. Our guide was very informative 😀

Fantastic Tour

philippe_A, Jan 2019

We are fan of LOTR and NZ.This tour was perfect for us => fantastic views + memories of LOTR !!!Our guild Justine was amazing.Thanks a lotCheers!

Not to be missed

Darren_B, Nov 2018

Our guide was fantastic, the scenery was just amazing. We had not seen Lord of the Rings but we want to now. Highly recommend

My husband and I are huge LOTR fans...

Brian_B, Mar 2018

My husband and I are huge LOTR fans our dog is even named after one of the characters, so we did quite a few LOTR tours while in New Zealand. We were extremely happy with this tour. The scenery was gorgeous. Yes, you could probably drive to these places yourself, but would most likely get lost. It helped having a tour guide know where we were going. Our favorite spot was playing with the swords in the forest. We had an epic battle scene that made the tour.

I was hesitant about taking this...

Gregory_H, Feb 2018

I was hesitant about taking this tour as I figured it would be hokey Lord of the Rings stuff. I am NOT a LOTR buff, but wanted to see the scenery. I am so glad I went! Our tour guide was an old hippie who knew his stuff, told fascinating stories and was great with the small group. I can't even begin to describe the scenery. Highly recommend!

Probably one of the best day-trips I...

Roy H, Feb 2018

Probably one of the best day-trips I had in the 2 weeks while in New Zealand. Guide was big into the movie and detailed out every single stop. I would consider a must-do if in Christchurch.

Our driver/guide, Renato was...

Bernadette L, Jan 2018

Our driver/guide, Renato was friendly and cheerful. He knew what he was talking about and nothing was too much trouble. Thank-you!

Santiago, our tour guide, was just...

Bernane S, Jan 2018

Santiago, our tour guide, was just the best! We can tell how passionate he is with the movies that were filmed in these sites, especially The Lord of the Rings. He was not only a good storyteller, he was very helpful and very friendly. Thanks!

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