Rotorua
Discover Rotorua Tour Including Hobbiton Movie Set and Te Puia

Rotoura Day tour including Hobbiton and Te Puia - lunch included at Hobbiton

Rotorua, New Zealand
  • 8 hours 30 minutes
  • Mobile ticket
  • Offered in: English

Overview

  • Discover Rotorua on this half-day morning city tour
  • Visit Te Puia and get an insight into Māori culture and traditions
  • Visit Whakarewarewa Thermal Valley and experience its extraordinary landscape of boiling mud and steam
  • Admission into Hobbiton Movie Set
Set off from Rotorua and travel north through lush farmland to the iconic Hobbiton Movie Set. Take a guided tour and discover how this working farm was transformed into a living, breathing piece of Middle-earth. Sit down to a tasty lunch at the Green Dragon Inn, then make your way back to Rotorua and visit TePuia, one of New Zealand’s top cultural venues. Receive a traditional welcome and discover TePuia's history and lineage with a personalized guided tour. Afterwards, explore Te Puia's geothermal valley, seeing bubbling mud and steaming geysers.

What's Included

  • Driver/guide
  • Live commentary on board
  • Air-conditioned vehicle
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off - please call to book
  • Lunch
  • Gratuities
  • Food and drinks, unless specified

Meeting And Pickup

Meeting point

  • 1167 Fenton Street, Rotorua 3010, New Zealand

    Tourism Rotorua, 1167 Fenton St

Start time

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

After a convenient hotel pickup in Rotorua, board your coach for the short drive to your first stop: Te Whakarewarewa Thermal Reserve. Here, follow your guide along the footpaths past bubbling mud pools and other geothermal wonders such as the mighty Pohutu Geyser, which erupts 100 feet (30 meters) into the air.

Next, you’re taken to the Maori Arts and Crafts Institute for insight into the traditional arts and customs of the Maori people. See wood carving and weaving demonstrations, and discover the cultural significance behind their sacred meeting houses.

Enjoy a stop for lunch (if option selected at booking). 

At the award-winning Agrodome Sheep Show, an interactive experience lets you take part in a live sheep auction and see sheep-herding dogs in action. Watch a carding and spinning demonstration, and step inside the century-old Woollen Mill.

Rainbow Springs is your final destination—a unique nature park that showcases New Zealand's flora and fauna. See a variety of birds and other wildlife on display, including New Zealand's national icon at Kiwi Encounter, before return transport to your hotel. 

Optional Upgrades:

Skyline Rotorua Gondola Ride: Combine your tour with a gentle and scenic Skyline Gondola ride. Each 8-seater cabin provides 180-degree panoramic views of Rotorua, from 1,600 feet (487 meters) above sea level. 

Hobbiton Movie Set: Tour the Hobbiton Movie Set—aka The Shire—built on a working New Zealand sheep farm. See some of the last remaining structures from 'The Hobbit' and 'The Lord of the Rings films,' including the hobbit hole of Bilbo Baggins, where the quest for the ring began. A must-do for LOTR fans.

Hobbiton Movie Set

2 hours Admission Ticket Included

Te Puia

2 hours Admission Ticket Included

Additional Info

  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
  • Not wheelchair accessible
  • Infants must sit on laps
  • Children must be accompanied by an adult
  • Please advise any specific dietary requirements at time of booking
  • Stroller accessible
  • Service animals allowed
  • Near public transportation
  • Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
  • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 40 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

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Reviews

4.0
21 reviews
Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews
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Reviews by Viator travelers.
Showing 1-10 of 21 reviews
Interesting, but expensive
Claudia_G, Apr 2023
We had a good day with the guides. The buffet offered good food. The tour did not happen in total as described. Value for money (175€) is questionable;
Response from Host, Apr 2023
Hi Claudia! Thank you for the feedback regarding our service as it helps us to improve them to best meet our customer's expectations. We would like to understand what missed on your tour. We will appreciate If you could contact us with your booking details and a brief explanation of the issue. Freephone (within New Zealand): 0800 744 487 International Calls: +64 9 583 5790 Email: info@greatsights.co.nz
Very cool tour with awesome tour guide and good food
nNamae_S, Mar 2023
Never read the books nor watched the movies but this tour was absolutely awesome. Entering the set gave me a different vibe (making me want to read the books haha). It was sooooo cool and Hannah our tour guide from Great Sights was also funny and friendly. The tour also had an awesome buffet lunch which I did not expect. Highly commendable
Hobbiton & Te Puia Thermal Fields were AWESOME!
leonaholzman, Mar 2023
Seeing the Hobbiton set and learning about all the "back stories" about the filming of the movies. The lunch at the Green Dragon was good too! The Te Puia thermal fields were awesome as well!
Fantastic
Kylie_S, Feb 2023
Amazing loved every minute of it, our bus driver was amazing telling us about local culture and history, our guide at hobbiton also new his stuff
I enjoyed this tour but felt a bit...
Gennevene E, Jan 2017
I enjoyed this tour but felt a bit rushed at some points. I had little interest in the sheep show and would have liked to experience a bit more of the scenery instead.
This tour was missed because the ship...
Alexandra G, Jan 2017
This tour was missed because the ship arrival time changed
The geyser performed dramatically on...
RM_C, Jan 2017
The geyser performed dramatically on cue and the porridge pot was amazing. The Agredome must not be missed.
This was a great tour. The people...
Mark W, Feb 2016
This was a great tour. The people were knowledgable and very helpfull. As expected we saw a lot and were on and off the bus. the ability to return for a second look on the same pass was good. Definatly a great way to see everything.
Wonderful tour and guide went out of...
KathleenE_B, Dec 2015
Wonderful tour and guide went out of the way to accomodate us
Great tour, allowed us to see all the...
KatrinaAnn_R, Oct 2015
Great tour, allowed us to see all the highlights in half a day.
The actual tour was really good, as...
stephen w, Dec 2014
The actual tour was really good, as solid 4 star. The only problem was that the local tour operator had run out of spaces and had emailed Viator to inform me of this problem. Viator completely failed to inform me of this, so I spent a good hour sorting out the tour for the next morning. Not happy having to get up at 6 two days in a row. Otherwise, a great way to get a bearing of Rotorua. Definitely recommend before proceeding with activities in Rotorua - informs you of good or not so good activities to do while there.
The tour was very well organised...
Renus B, Oct 2014
The tour was very well organised. The bus driver who picked us up from the motel was punctual, very professional and entertaining. There were absolutely no problem with any of the places where we were taken including entry fees (which were included), tour guides who were very good and the actual places of interest. The gondola ride was really good but what was not mentioned in the description of the Morning City tour was the fabulous buffet lunch (with a huge selection of seafood/entrees and mains/delicious sweets etc) on top of the mountains after the gondola ride. The quality of the lunch was superb and of tremendous value (we were only expecting a sandwich and a drink but were pleasantly surprised at the restaurant, quality of food and ambience (great views!). Definitely worthwhile including the gondola ride and lunch with this morning city tour - a very pleasant end to the tour.
Our guide was excellent.... personal...
Darlene G K, Jan 2014
Our guide was excellent.... personal stories about her Maori family added to the experience.
On reconfirming this I was advised...
Laura G, Nov 2011
On reconfirming this I was advised the Full Day Tour was no longer available but we still had the morning tour instead. We turned out to be the only people on it so had our very own personal tour! Absolutely worth doing as so much is packed in that we would not have had time to do otherwise. Our driver/guide was lovely and extremely knowledgeable. A definitely must when in Rotorua.
Response from Host, Nov 2011
This review was based on a prior itinerary. The current itinerary offers the same great experience.
Even though we had a lot of rain on...
Catherine S, May 2011
Even though we had a lot of rain on that day, the bus driver /guide was terrific and we were impressed by his knowledge. I highly recommend the tour no matter what the weather is. Catherine from New York
Enjoyed the trip, meal up in the...
Lillian M, Oct 2007
Enjoyed the trip, meal up in the skyline tower fantastic. Sheep show was great, the commentator was a hoot, brilliant time.
A cool, sunny morning. The geysers were...
Michael E, May 2007
A cool, sunny morning. The geysers were not fully active, but the guides were excellent and the Agrodome sheep show was great.
The guide was informative and friendly...
Elizabeth E, Apr 2007
The guide was informative and friendly. The tour was excellent although by the end of the day we were exhausted.

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