Full Day in Middle Earth - Lord of the Rings Tour
Description
Combine our Half Day in Middle Earth with a second Half Day Adventure into another part of Middle Earth with our partner company. We have a 1 hour lunch break back in Queenstown and change buses for the afternoon tour. Morning and Afternoon Tour itineraries are interchangeable and can be switched due to availability or weather conditions. You will be visiting the Skippers Canyon Lookout (weather permitting), Arrowtown, The Gibbston Valley, Glenorchy and Paradise. You will admire LOTR locations such as The Ford of Bruinen, The Gladden Fields, Pillars of the Kings, Ithilien, Isengard, Beorn's House, Lothlorien, Amon Hen and more!
Tour Options
Itinerary
We head to the Skippers Canyon Lookout to view New Zealand's "Most Dangerous Road". Not only a spectacular view but also a Lord of the Rings Filming location located further within the Canyon. We stop afterwards at the nearby Coronet Viewpoint to taking in the surrounding views of the Wakatipu Basin and navigate our journeys plan from a birds eye perspective. (These stops are weather permitting)
Awarded New Zealand's 'Most Beautiful Small Town' award in 2020 and 2023. We learn about the gold rush history of this rustic yet charming village the seems to appear right out of the 1800's. We explore 2 Lord of the Rings filming locations a short walk from town, followed by morning or afternoon tea in this quaint village.
Central Otago's Premier Wine Region. Here we visit an epic Lord of the Rings filming location learning stories of the production along with the winegrowing history. Here we also witness dare devils jumping from the world's first commercial bungee jump from the Historic Kawarau Bridge.
We head to this picturesque serene lake, with stunning views of the surrounding mountains right out of Middle Earth. We spend some time here soaking in the serenity and playing with our Authentic Replica Props. Dress up as you favourite LOTR characters and weild lifelike swords, daggers, axes and helmets from your favourite fantasy trilogy!
We head to the breathtaking Wakatipu Lookout where beneath the towering Remarkables Mountains we have one last look upon this spectacular landscape that inspired the filming of the epic Lord of the Rings trilogy. We point out several filming locations and take photo's from the locals best kept secret lookout, towering over the resort town of Queenstown.
Between our 2 tours we give our guests 1-1.5hrs break in the resort town of Queenstown. We will make fantastic lunch reccommendations (at guests own expense). The break time depends on which order the morning and afternoon tours are undertaken. If the Glenorchy tour is taken first then the break will likely be an 1hr with a shorter finish time at the end of the day, as this tour is slightly longer than the Arrowtown Tour.
We walk from the beautiful 12 Mile Delta along the Bob's Cove Track to a significant Lord of the Rings filming location set in beautiful native & non native scrub forest by an historical goldrush campsite.
We travel along what has been described as "One of the most beautiful scenic drives on earth!". Along the Glenorchy Road we stop at the breathtaking Bennetts Bluff Lookout. Spotting some distant Lord of the Rings filming locations, hidden in the mountains. We return on this same scenic drive which allows opportunity to view breathtaking vistas from multiple aspects along the road.
Stopping in the small quaint town of Glenorchy. Based at the head of Lake Wakatipu and the foothills of the Southern Alps, the town is known for its historic church, vibrant red boatshed and wharf, and one of the smallest libraries in New Zealand.
Within the stunning Paradise Valley we encounter 2 Lord of the Rings filming Locations and 1 from the Hobbit series. We gain exclusive access to a high country sheep station where multiple films have been shot, before entering ancient Southern Beech Forest. Either here or Glenorchy itself we will have our morning/afternoon Tea and snacks (please let us know if you have any dietary requirements).
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- Travel time between locations is included on the total tour duration.
- Children under 10 years not permitted. Please book a private tour for Families with Children under 10, or look at our Half Day Tour or Mavora Lakes Adventure Tour options.
- Not recommended for travelers who cannot walk more than 20mins on uneven ground. There is 1 walk where people unable to walk may have to wait for up to 20 mins.
Reviews(95)
We loved our adventure in Middle Earth! Departure was convenient central Queenstown CBD at 8:00 AM. Our guides, Eby in the morning and Amy in the afternoon, were fantastic - tons of positive energy, super interesting LOTR trivia, and behind-the-scenes insight into how the film was made. During the morning, we visited many interesting scenes, including the Anduin, the Fords of Bruinen, the Gladden Fields and more. During the afternoon, we switched to the Glenorchy area, seeing such sights as Isengard (our favorite), the pass of Caradhras, the woods of Lothlorien, Amon Hen, and more. Throughout, we got many views of the Remarkables - the mountain range used for Mordor, the Rohan Scenes, and many other scenes! Despite the poor weather, the day was very enjoyable and it went by in a flash (8 AM to 6 PM with a 1-hour lunch break), and I highly recommend this tour for any Lord of the Rings fans who travel to New Zealand looking for Middle Earth. You will find it in the Queenstown area!
Thanks so much for such a thoughtful review. We’re so pleased you enjoyed exploring Middle Earth with Eby and Amy, even with the weather doing its best to keep things interesting. It sounds like you covered plenty of iconic locations, and we’re glad Isengard claimed the top spot. We really appreciate the recommendation, and hope your next journey through Middle Earth is just as memorable, with a little more sunshine next time!
Loved it, eby was great and recommended to anyone a fan of lotr or staning in queenstown
Thank you for taking the time to write us a review, Eby will be stoked! Hope to see you back someday on another Adventure!
Eby was an amazing guide, had a great time! Dan was also great! We had an amazing time!
Thanks for joining us! Eby and Dan will appreciate this. Glad you had such a great day in Middle Earth.
Oh wow I wish I could fully describe how awesome this was. Firstly Eby, Beau and Daniel were great tour guides and photographers. The second half of the day was split. You go to sites you only can go with this tour company they have special accommodations. The dress up was the best part and I didn’t think I’d like it as much as I did. The remarkable were exactly that.
Thank you for the fantastic review! We’re so pleased you enjoyed the day with Eby, Beau and Daniel. The dress up certainly has a way of winning people over. We’re glad the exclusive locations and the Remarkables lived up to their name. Safe travels, and may your next adventure be just as memorable.
It was a very informative and engaging trip. The Tour Guide Ebey was so humorous and cool
Thanks for joining us. Eby will love this, he always keeps the journey lively and entertaining.
We had such a great time! Ben and latterly Dan had the best knowledge of the films and books I particularly enjoyed the quiz questions. The locations as you would imagine were phenomenal, but the added highlight was the cosplay. Definitely book the full day!!
Thanks so much for joining us on the adventure! Benji and Dan will love this. Glad you enjoyed the quiz questions, cosplay, and those epic Middle Earth locations. Sounds like you handled the full day journey like true members of the Fellowship!
What an amazing day! Our guides Eby (morning) and Dan (afternoon) felt more like friends than guides. They knew everything about LOTR and took us to so many beautiful film locations where we re-enacted scenes and put on costumes. He had all the scripts to read and photos taken. We felt very welcome and I would recommend this tour to everyone.
Thanks so much for the kind words. Eby and Dan will love this. We’re glad the day felt more like an adventure with friends than a tour, and that you enjoyed the film locations, costumes and scripts. Sounds like you were ready to join the Fellowship by the end!
On May 4th I took a day trip with my lover and the overall experience was far greater than expected! Guide Eby is funny, full of gold throughout the journey and knows the Rings series so well that he can trust it with both the fun behind the film's shooting and the book's cold details. Along the way, with classic scenes from Middle-earth unfolding slowly, and with his vivid explanations, it's as if he really walked into a movie. The itinerary is also reasonably paced and doesn't feel rushed, with plenty of time for each attraction to feel and take photos. The vehicle is comfortable. Eby is not only professional, but also takes great care of every group member and makes the atmosphere relaxing and enjoyable. It's an evocative journey and highly recommended to all Ring fans and friends who love the deep cultural experience!
Thank you so much for the lovely review. Eby will really appreciate this. We are glad you both enjoyed the mix of scenery, stories, film locations and relaxed pacing throughout the day. Sharing Middle earth with fellow fans always feels a little special, and we are happy the journey felt immersive from start to finish. Hope to see you back in Queenstown for another adventure someday.
Tour extremely informative and interesting. Guides were very friendly and knowledgable. The two half days sewn together worked really well
This was truly an amazing experience. My husband and I are huge Lord of the Rings fans and we were blown away by the beautiful areas we were taken to. It was our first time to New Zealand so we loved seeing so much of the country with the added bonus of relating it all to the Lord of the Rings. Guides were great too. Highly recommend and in fact we plan to return in a couple years with our family.
Thanks so much for sharing this, it means a lot. We love showing fellow fans these incredible locations, especially on a first trip to New Zealand. Glad you enjoyed the guides too. We will be ready for your return, there and back again with the whole family.
