Half-Day Lord of the Rings 4WD Tour from Queenstown

Badge of ExcellenceQueenstown, New Zealand

Wakatipu Basin Tour Safari of the Scenes

From $170.35

Select Date and Travelers

up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)

4 hours (approx.)
Pickup offered
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

Enjoy an off-road adventure in the wild of New Zealand on this half-day Wakatipu Basin 4-wheel drive tour from Queenstown. Cruise along off-road routes toward the Remarkables mountain range — widely used in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Admire panoramic views over Deer Park Heights and the Kawarau Gorge, and then head onward to the historic gold-mining settlement of Arrowtown. Traverse bumpy river crossings along the Arrow River, and pan for gold on the riverbank. Then gaze over the Wakatipu Basin from Coronet Peak en route back to Queenstown.

Lord of the Rings and Wakatipu Basin 4WD tour
Visit prime filming locations from the Lord of The Rings
See the the Remarkables mountain range, Deer Park Heights, and Kawarau Gorge
Drive through the Arrow River, and mine for gold
Stop for a rest break over a cup of tea
Choose between a morning or afternoon departure time
Hotel pickup and drop-off are included

What's Included

Transport by 4WD vehicle with your driver/guide
Gold panning
Selected Queenstown Hotel pickup and drop-off

Lunch

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.

What To Expect

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
Not wheelchair accessible
min 2 per tour for confirmed departure, min 4 on NZ public holidays

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.

Traveler Photos

Featured review

Nalin_A

We had a fantastic day visiting several filming locations. Ruth, our tour guide, is very knowledgeable and gave us a lot of information about the places and many things related to the film. She had pictures on a binder and used them to show the sites in the movie. Ruth was very helpful and took many photos that captured the breathtaking views and a memorable day. Thank you very much, Ruth The 4WD drive through the river was exciting, and gold panning was fun. We would highly recommend the tour.

Reviews

4.5

180 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 180 reviews

Great morning. Awesome guide

Sven_H, Apr 2024

Did the half day Lord of the Rings your from Queenstown. Interesting talking point from the guide and the four wheel driving was fun. Plenty of opportunities for scenic photos and family happy snaps.

Our favorite experience!

Jiten_M, Apr 2024

We’ve never been off-roading before and it was so fun!!! We loved our tour guide Adrian so much! He was funny, entertaining and very knowledgeable. We felt very safe with him driving us through all the different terrains. The views were stunning and the best way to explore the queenstown area! 10/10 recommend

Amazing!

Kayla_B, Feb 2024

Had a great time! Our tour guy Michael was cool as 😎 would def recommend just wish it was longer and more 4x4 riding

Response from Host, Mar 2024

We're thrilled to hear that you had a great time on the tour with Michael! Thank you for choosing us, and we hope to welcome you back for another adventure soon!

A must do tour

Elizabeth_S, Jan 2024

Our tour guide Erin was really great. She made the scenes come more alive with her lively story telling. She also got along really well with my kids which made the whole experience really fun. The sights were all incredible. The intimate tour of just having my family was also a big bonus. Great experience overall

Response from Host, Jan 2024

Thrilled to hear you had a great experience with Erin! Her lively storytelling and rapport with your kids added to the fun. Incredible sights and an intimate family tour – sounds like a winning combination. Thanks for sharing!

Awesome experience

Srivathsan_V, Jan 2024

Fantastic off roading and some picturesque locations . Coffee /Hot Chocolate on top of the cliff . Th guide Jason was amazing

Response from Host, Jan 2024

Thank you! We're thrilled you had a great experience with our guides and enjoyed the spectacular views. Highly appreciated

Awesome adventure

Lisa_K, Dec 2023

The guides were awesome. Very knowledgeable, helpful, and accommodating! Danny and Joe were awesome. Scenery was spectacular!

Response from Host, Jan 2024

Glad to hear you had an awesome experience with our guides Danny and Joe! Their knowledge and helpfulness made the tour enjoyable. Spectacular scenery is always a bonus. Thanks for sharing!

An amazing ride

Lydia_W, Dec 2023

Faye and Ella were excellent hosts and storytellers and shared many interesting ancedotes. We also enjoyed the amazing views from the spots that they brought us, and grateful for their masterful navigation of the 4WD as we journeyed across mountains and streams. Thank you for a day of fun! P/s we hope we got your names right.

Response from Host, Jan 2024

Thank you for the kind words! Faye and Ella are thrilled to hear you enjoyed their storytelling and anecdotes. Delighted you appreciated the amazing views and masterful 4WD navigation. Your day of fun is our pleasure!

Beautiful views

David_F, Oct 2023

Very good guide, was only 50% LOTR theme though. Can recommend to do it, they show you really nice scenery.

Gorgeous views from off road

Susan_P, Oct 2023

Liked the 4 wheeling. Wish there were a few more filming sites, but understand the time limitations.

Guide very knowledgeable

Leanne_G, Aug 2023

Trip was fantastic our guide knew all of the best spots and was very informative.. Highly recommend.

Fantastic and fun tour!

Courtney_F, May 2023

Loved every minute of it!! Fiona, our guide was fantastic! Super informative, very engaging, great sense of humour and energy. With the enthusiasm she brought I’m definitely re watching the movies to pick all the sites and fun facts that she told us. Thank you for such a great tour!

Awesome experience

Nalin_A, May 2023

4WD but not LOTR, no gold panning.

Michael_M, Apr 2023

4WD tour without anything LOTR related. Drove to Coronet Peak without stopping at the lookout spot (were told we would stop on the way back from Skippers, but did not). The trip to skippers was fun and the scenery was amazing, and we stopped somewhere to park for a short break. We then went to Arrowtown and drove over the arrow river. No Gold panning activity happened here. We also did not stop here to take photos of the Bruinen river (LOTR related). Then lastly went up to Tobins Track, which wasnt a bad view but it could easily be accessed without a 4x4. For others considering this tour, here are the things from the tour description that was missed. - Visit prime filming locations from the Lord of The Rings - See the the Remarkables mountain range, Deer Park Heights, and Kawarau Gorge - Mine for gold (Gold Panning) Overall honest review, the 4x4 trip was fine but disappointed that its not really LOTR. I suggest going directly to Deer Park Heights, its cheaper and has more LOTR spots than this tour.

Response from Host, Apr 2023

thanks for the review, whilst disappointing to hear your comments, we do take feedback seriously as it allows us to improve and to investigate further. Are you able to email us with the booking reference or date of travel so we can identify which driver it was and can come back to you with a more detailed reply. res@nomadsafaris.co.nz

Great experience

Steven_H, Apr 2023

Great trip and experience. Easy to set up and they pick you up at hotel. Busted some iconic movie scenes.

Taylor and Laurel were...

Jay_A, Apr 2023

Taylor and Laurel were amazing and made sure we had a really good time. Thoroughly enjoyed the experience

A mountain trackway into the Wild Country. Magic !

Sherryl_W, Mar 2023

The experience of the journey along a road (Skippers )used by prospectors, film crews and station owners. A road way preserved for it’s history and cared for and maintained so well. We loved the trip and our guide Pina was excellent.

Great trip

Sulwen_T, Feb 2023

Great afternoons drive to see a lot of surrounding countryside. Great guides, lots of interesting local information.

Good start!

Kadek_D, Dec 2022

We are really glad that we started the trip by doing 4WD tour. We had plenty of time to explore and experience Queenstown’s amazing spots as well as collecting beautiful pictures.

Great adventure for LOTR fans!

Kristina_L, Dec 2022

Had a great experience on this tour! Our guide Justin was a legit LOTR fan and very interactive with us. Our whole group bonded over our common love of LOTR! The sights were beautiful and we saw places that would be difficult to navigate on my own. Especially off roading in the river to see Arwens island and the winding road of skippers Canyon!

Stress reliever!

Ebony_P, Oct 2022

I was having a hard time switching off from work and this tour definitely was what I needed! The guide was knowledgeable, accomodating (taking lots of photos for me) and I had such a fun experience. Definitely recommend. Very convenient picking and dropping me off to my accomodation as well.