Hobbiton & Rotorua Māori Village with Lunch from Auckland
Description
Start your tour with a scenic drive from Auckland to Rotorua, arriving at the enchanting Whakarewarewa Village. This living Māori village welcomes you with warm hospitality and the rich aroma of geothermal steam. Guided by locals, explore Māori traditions, customs, and lifestyle. Marvel at bubbling mud pools, spouting geysers, and steaming vents, each with its own story. Enjoy a delicious geothermal hangi pie meal, a unique culinary experience cooked using natural geothermal heat. (Choice of chicken, beef or vegetarian available - please specify your preference at the time of booking) Next, journey to the iconic Hobbiton Movie Set. Stroll through the lush hills of The Shire, discovering hobbit holes, the Green Dragon Inn, and famous film locations from The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. The charm of this magical world will leave you enchanted. Conclude your day with a drive back to Auckland, reflecting on the cultural richness and cinematic magic you’ve experienced.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Embark on your expedition from the largest city in New Zealand. As we set out, your guide will kick off the day's adventures, laying the groundwork for an enthralling exploration. Travel journey time from Auckland to Rotorua Maori Village approximately- 3.5 hours
As you arrive in Rotorua, start off with a scenic drive around the city visiting Lake Rotorua, taking in the beautiful views & the historic Government Gardens before making your way to the Whakarewarewa Village.
Arrive at Whakarewarewa Village, an authentic Māori village set amidst Rotorua's geothermal wonders. Be warmly welcomed by the local community and the rich aroma of geothermal steam as you explore this living village. Your guided tour reveals powerful geysers, bubbling mud pools, and hot springs while sharing the traditions and stories of Māori culture. Relish a delicious geothermal Hāngi Pie Meal before continuing to your next destination.
After your enriching experience at Whakarewarewa Village, journey to the enchanting Hobbiton Movie Set. Immerse yourself in the lush, rolling landscapes of The Shire as you explore the iconic hobbit holes, the Green Dragon Inn, and other famous locations from *The Lord of the Rings* and *The Hobbit* films. Let the magic of this whimsical world captivate you and bring Middle-earth to life in a truly unforgettable way.
With hearts full of unforgettable experiences, you'll return to Auckland, cherishing the magical blend of Māori culture and cinematic wonder.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(12)
The tours in Rotorua, Whakarewarewa and Hobbiton were amazing! Despite the race between one walk and another, in the end it all worked out. Guide David gave us a lot of interesting information about New Zealand and the places we passed. He was very friendly. It's worth it!
Thank you so much for your lovely review! We're delighted to hear you enjoyed Rotorua, Whakarewarewa, and Hobbiton. It's great to know everything came together smoothly despite the busy schedule. David will be so pleased to hear you appreciated his knowledge and friendly company throughout the day. Thank you for choosing to travel with us—we hope to welcome you back to New Zealand again someday.
This was a perfect day. Although a long day starting and ending from Auckland, Aaron kept us entertained with a lot of information about New Zealand. The time in the Māori village was amazing. The local guide was very informative and helped us learn a lot from the culture. The views of the place were incredible and we had the Haka dance presentation that was amazing and our kids and us enjoyed a lot. We wereThe hangi meal was very savory and nice. The Hobbiton was also quite an experience. It was 2:30 hrs of a nice walk between paths. I even had a hip surgery three months ago and were able to manage it very smooth. The local guide was very informative and knowledgeable. Place is very beautiful and peaceful. It does even include a complimentary drink. Please note that if you want the complimentary beer, local laws require that, if you look under 25 years old and you are a foreigner, you must bring the physical passport to be given the beer. This is the only document allowed (other documents allowed are NZ driving license but it does not apply to foreigners). They won't even accept a copy of the passport. Going back to Auckland, it was also a smooth drive. Again, we are very grateful for Aaron as he managed to make this tour very interesting and fun. I fully recommend this one!
Thank you so much for taking the time to share such a wonderful review. Reading about your experience really put a smile on our faces. A day like this is a long one from Auckland, so we're especially pleased to hear that Aaron helped make the journey enjoyable with his stories, local knowledge, and insights about New Zealand. He has a real passion for what he does, and we're sure he'll be delighted to hear how much you appreciated his company throughout the day. It's lovely to hear how much you and your family enjoyed the Māori cultural experience. The opportunity to learn directly from local guides, experience the haka, and enjoy a traditional hāngī-style meal creates lasting memories, and we're delighted these were such special highlights for you. Hearing that your children enjoyed the experience as much as the adults makes it even more rewarding. We're also thrilled that Hobbiton lived up to expectations. The peaceful setting, beautiful scenery, and fascinating stories behind the movie set make it a truly unique place to visit. It's particularly encouraging to hear that, despite having hip surgery only three months ago, you were still able to comfortably enjoy the walk and get the most out of the experience. Thank you as well for sharing the helpful advice about the identification requirements for the complimentary drink—future travellers will certainly find that useful. Most of all, thank you for your kind words and recommendation. It means a great deal to our team to know that you and your family had such a memorable day, and we hope to welcome you back to New Zealand again someday.
Excellent tour! As it takes 2 hours to get to Hobbit Movie set, having a safe driver who was a wealth of information really helped in this small van. Wayne was patient and knowledgeable & so accommodating. I glad we too this tour to The Hobbit Movies set with this company: then the Movie Set took over the excellent walking tour. Prices were reasonable when I compared to other tours. Note - get the tickets way before or in a tour. People have rocked up and had to wait till a space became free.
Thanks so much for your lovely review! We’re really glad you enjoyed the day and felt comfortable on the journey out—having a great guide like Wayne certainly makes all the difference. He’ll be pleased to hear your kind words about his patience and knowledge. It’s great you found the experience seamless between us and the Hobbiton team, and that you felt it was good value compared to other options. And thanks as well for the helpful tip about booking ahead—so true, especially during busy periods! We really appreciate you choosing to travel with us and hope to see you again on another adventure soon
We were conveniently picked up, on time, from our hotel in the city by our friendly driver Doug. It was a drive through the North Island in a small group so we got to know our driver and other travelers for the day. Fun and laughter as we learned about New Zealand. The Māori experience was very memorable. It was an opportunity to learn about a Māori tribe living on the hot springs. Very informative and our local guide in the village Tao was wonderful. A restful lunch then onto Hobbiton. Hobbiton was busier but we had the rest of the afternoon being led by a guide Peter. What an experience!!! Beautiful farmland that has created the set. We learned so much more about the films. I chose this trip as I had teenagers and it would show them some of the North Island out of Auckland. Inform them of the Māori culture, then let them explore a film set. Money well spent! Everyone was happy and learned something. It is a long day in the bus but Doug entertained us, informed us and let us sleep! Thank you so much for a great day out!
Thank you so much for sharing such a thoughtful review. We’re really glad the day flowed well from the very start and that Doug helped set the tone — those small-group journeys often turn into the best days, with plenty of stories, laughs, and learning along the way. It’s wonderful to hear how meaningful the Māori experience was for you, and that Tao made it both informative and memorable. Hobbiton can certainly be busy, but we’re happy you still had a special afternoon with Peter guiding you through the set and bringing the films to life. Choosing a tour that kept your teenagers engaged while showing them different sides of the North Island is exactly what we aim for, so it’s great to hear everyone enjoyed and learned something. Thank you for trusting us with your day — we’re so glad it was time and money well spent.
The scenery was absolutely beautiful, and the tour guide also shared interesting information about the local culture, history, and current events in New Zealand along the way. They were very friendly, and I highly recommend joining this activity!
Thank you so much for taking the time to share this! I’m really glad to hear you enjoyed the beautiful scenery — it truly is one of those places that leaves a lasting impression. It’s also wonderful to know that your guide made the experience even richer with stories about local culture, history, and what life in New Zealand is like today. They’ll be so happy to hear their friendliness and insights meant something to you. We really appreciate your recommendation, and we’d love to have you join us again whenever you’re back in New Zealand!
Hi Huzefa, it was amazing. David was great, full of knowledge, kindness, entertaining and organised. We had a great day with an American family with us. Great group to spend the day in this adventure. Dreams come true. Thanks for providing this opportunity. Edgee, Fabiana and Liam - Sydney-Australia.
Hi Edgee, Fabiana, and Liam, I’m so happy to hear you had such an amazing time! David will be thrilled to know you enjoyed the day — he really does have a special way of making every trip memorable. Sounds like you had a wonderful group too, which always makes the experience even better. Thanks so much for sharing your lovely feedback — it truly means a lot!
It was an amazing experience. Our guide Jamie was great, really kind. We learned some interesting things with him about Auckland and Rotorua. Really great. We were tired at the end of the day but we really enjoyed the tour. Hobbiton and Whakarewa are an unforgettable experience, a must-do. I strongly recommend.
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We’re so happy to hear you had such an amazing day exploring Hobbiton and Whakarewarewa — they truly are unforgettable places. It’s great to know Jaime made the journey enjoyable and shared interesting insights along the way. We completely understand the day can be long, but we’re glad it was worth it in the end! Your kind words and recommendation mean a lot — we’d love to have you join us again on another adventure someday.
This tour was amazing, the sites was great. The van was comfortable and our tour guide Dean was the most top notch bloke in NZ. If you book this tour make sure to specifically ask for Dean because he’s the absolute best! My family and I had a blast. Love from Melbourne.
Thank you so much for such a heartfelt review! We’re thrilled to hear that you and your family had such a fantastic experience. It means a lot to know you enjoyed the sites, felt comfortable in the van, and most importantly had Dean looking after you — he really is one of a kind and will be over the moon to hear your praise. We’ll be sure to pass on your message to him. Love and best wishes back to Melbourne — we’d be delighted to welcome you on another adventure whenever you’re back in New Zealand.
We were a group of 5 and had an amazing time! Brendon picked us up from our hotel on time and got us to all our activities on time as well. He was a great driver and was very knowledgeable and friendly. He anticipated our needs and often suggested things before we could ask. The activities were very informative and fun. They were well worth the time and price!
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We're thrilled to hear you and your group had an amazing time with us. Brendon will be so pleased to know his friendly service and local knowledge made your day extra special — we’re lucky to have him on our team! We truly appreciate you choosing to travel with us and hope to welcome you all back again for more adventures in the future.
We had a fabulous time at Hobbiton and Rotarura. Our guide Alessandro, was on time, friendly, funny, and knowledgeable. Would highly recommend this tour.
Thank you for your wonderful feedback! We’re so glad to hear you had a fabulous time at Hobbiton and Rotorua. Alessandro will be thrilled to know you enjoyed his friendly, humorous, and knowledgeable guiding. We truly appreciate your recommendation, and we hope to welcome you back on another tour soon!
