Auckland to Rotorua via Hobbiton Small Group Tour (One Way)
Description
On this small group, fully guided One Way trip, visit the world-famous Lord of The Rings Hobbiton Movie Set and other stops and secret locations on the way from Auckland to Rotorua. Highlights: • Hobbiton & Alexander Family Sheep Farm • Green Dragon Inn • Rotorua • Waikato Farming Region • Surprise Stops Led by our famously passionate tour guides, notorious for bringing your journey to life by sharing their stories and rich background knowledge, and run in a modern, comfortable minibuses packed with extras ensuring your comfort and safety. While the destinations you will be visiting are truly spectacular, we at Cheeky Kiwi Travel believe it is our small groups, our guides, the journey and the little details that set our tours well apart. Secret stops, wildlife viewings, specially designed vehicles, complementary refreshments and many other pleasant surprises ensure our tours are an experience to remember.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Your tour starts in New Zealand’s largest city. As we drive out of the city your guide will not only set the scene for your adventure today but also point out and guide you past some of the city’s top highlights.
Exiting Auckland we travel south through the stunning Waikato countryside, the most extensive farming area in the world, encountering beautiful scenery, mighty rivers, great photo opportunities, impressive mountains and a variety of farm animals along the way.
– Arriving at the first feature attraction ‘Hobbiton’ you will board one of the big green Hobbiton buses and depart on a two & a half hour fully guided tour of this amazing 12 acre movie set, with a professional Hobbiton guide to ensure you get the most out of your visit. During your tour step into the lush pastures of the Shire, visit 44 hobbit holes, see amazing gardens, hear the secrets and stories about the making of the movies and enjoy a cold complimentary beverage at the famous Hobbiton pub ‘The Green Dragon Inn’.
Departing for Rotorua we pass through Tirau on our adventure. Dubbed the 'Corrugated Iron Capital of the World' because of the many unique corrugated iron sculptures and buildings, this town never fails to get a look and a laugh and our guides will point out all the main highlights on the way through.
Once in Rotorua your guide will drop you at your accommodation in Rotorua (central hotels only) or at a main Rotorua central location.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
*If no pickup is selected at time of booking, you will be allocated our default meeting point (SkyCity Hotel). You are welcome to update this at any time. If your location isn’t listed, please choose your nearest available option & meet us there. *Pick-ups can begin up to 20 minutes before the tour departure time, depending on location. To ensure a smooth start, please be ready and waiting outside 5 minutes prior to your specific pickup time. *Pick-up locations are carefully planned for each tour and may vary by day. If your pick-up location changes, kindly inform us in advance. *Our guides make multiple stops and may arrive within a 10-minute window. We are unable to wait for late guests.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- Due to uneven surfaces & a moderate amount of walking being involved, this tour is not recommended for travelers with severe mobility difficulties, or wheelchair users
- Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately.
- The legal drinking age is 18, and ID at Hobbiton may be required
Reviews(78)
Lovely tour. Very punctual and hospitable. Grant took care of me and others anwering any questions and prepping for all contingencies from traffic to your times while still allowing time for shopping and even a Hokey Pokey stop. He's kind, patient and extremely efficient and knowledgeable about the area and even have recommendations for other restaurants and experiences. Hobbiton to was well handled all around and a great experience especially for fans of the movies. Had a great day overall and thanks again to Grant for making it particularly special!
Thank you for this lovely review! Grant will be so pleased to hear your kind words. He takes great pride in making sure every guest has a smooth and enjoyable day from start to finish. We are glad the Hokey Pokey stop was a highlight! Thank you for booking your Hobbiton tour with Cheeky Kiwi Travel and we hope to see you back on another New Zealand adventure soon!
Amazing all around, thank you for all the help
Just an unbelievable adventure. Such a bucket list thing to do for any Lord of The Rings fan! This is some of the most spectacular views anyone will ever see on their lives. A must do!
We had a great experience with Cheeky Kiwi Travel. Geoff was our guide and he was engaged with the group the entire time and very organized. Prior to pickup, everyone was added on whatsapp and given time updates. He also talked a lot about local things on our ride to Hobbiton. We booked with another company for the return trip from Rotorura (due to availability) and the difference was definitely noticeable! Would definitely recommend Cheeky Kiwi and their attention to detail and clear communication.
Liam was wonderful as a tour guide and driver. He is very knowledgeable and courteous, well suited for the job.
Kia ora! Great to hear you enjoyed the journey down to Rotorua via Hobbiton. Liam’s knowledge and friendly approach really help bring the day together, so it’s lovely to hear that stood out during your trip. We’d love to welcome you back for more adventures in the future. Until then, safe travels and thanks again for choosing Cheeky Kiwi! Ngā mihi, Cheeky Kiwi Travel 🚌🥝
We used this tour to see Hobbiton and reposition from Auckland to our next Airbnb in Rotorua. Our guide Geoff made the drive go by fast by telling us lots of information about the sights we passed and the country in general. Hobbiton is not to be missed, especially if you’re a fan of Lord of the Rings - but really interesting for almost anyone. This was our 2nd experience with the Cheeky team - you can’t go wrong with these guys!
Kia ora Thanks for your review, and great to hear how well this tour worked for you as a way to get from Auckland to Rotorua while still ticking off Hobbiton. Jeoff has a knack for making the drive feel short with plenty of stories and context about what you’re seeing out the window, so it’s nice to hear that stood out. You’re spot on about Hobbiton too. It’s a must for Lord of the Rings fans, but it tends to win over just about everyone once they’re there. And coming back for a second Cheeky Kiwi experience means a lot to us. We’d love to welcome you back again if you find yourselves travelling our way in the future. Ngā mihi, Cheeky Kiwi Travel 🚌🥝
I had a wonderful experience exploring Hobbiton and made some friends along the way. Our tour guide was also personable and very informative. Highly recommend!
Kia ora Nina, So glad to hear you had so much fun at Hobbiton and made some new friends along the way! It’s great your guide made the day informative and enjoyable too. Thanks for travelling with Cheeky Kiwi, and we’d love to welcome you back for another adventure! Ngā mihi, Cheeky Kiwi Travel 🚌🥝
I highly recommend this full day trip starting w a visit to the hobbiton movie set. We were so lucky it didn't rain until the very end of the day. No need to bring your breakfast or lunch as you can get it at the shires rest cafe, a huge range of food available and not expensive. Our driver, Matt, was super knowledgeable, helpful, professional and efficient. He even showed us things to do and places to visit when we arrived at Rotorua and pointed out where i needed to catch the intercity bus. Our next stop was wai-o-tapu the thermal wonderland. You have plenty of time to do the full walk around the geothermal park and take heaps of pictures, no need to rush. The track is clearly marked but there are a lot of stairs up and down if you do tracks 2 and 3. Theres a cafe and giftshop. A great day highly recommended, in fact i recommend any cheeky kiwi tour i have done quite a few and they're all friendly and professional.
Kia ora Tracey, What a thorough review - thank you! It’s fantastic to hear the day flowed so smoothly and that Matt helped make everything easy, from Hobbiton to Wai-O-Tapu and onward to Rotorua. Sounds like you managed to enjoy all the highlights without feeling rushed, which is exactly what we aim for. We really appreciate your recommendation and your continued support of Cheeky Kiwi. We’d love to welcome you back for more adventures anytime! Ngā mihi, Cheeky Kiwi Travel 🚌🥝
Had a great experience with a prompt pickup. Micheal was kind enough to pull over when I had to pee more than ever I have in my life. We really enjoyed the Hobbiton tour
Kia ora! That sounds like a very real travel moment 😂 we’re glad the pickup was smooth and that Michael could help save the day when it really mattered. Great to hear you enjoyed the Hobbiton experience too. It’s always a special stop, whether it’s your first time or not. Thanks for travelling with us and for sharing the laugh. We’d love to have you back on another adventure. Ngā mihi, Cheeky Kiwi Travel 🚌🥝
Amazing experience with Dave as our guide! We had so much fun at Hobbiton - Dave’s commentary and positive energy made the trip so enjoyable. We highly recommend this trip and even doing an add on like we did and going to Te Puia!
Kia ora! Sounds like a brilliant day out, and we’re so glad you enjoyed the journey as much as the destinations. Hobbiton really does hit differently when the energy in the group is right, and it’s great to hear Dave helped set the tone with his commentary and positivity. Awesome call adding on Te Puia too. It’s a fantastic way to round out the day and see a different side of the region. We’d love to welcome you back for another adventure next time you’re in Aotearoa. Until then, safe travels and thanks again for choosing Cheeky Kiwi! Ngā mihi, Cheeky Kiwi Travel 🚌🥝
