Private Lord of the Rings Full Day 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 1-1.5 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.
- Maximum 9 people on Tour
- Children 6 years and under require a child seat by NZ law. Please let us know if you have your own or would like to rent one from us (fees apply).
- 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(5)
Francesco was an amazing tour guide and driver, super considerate, kind and knowledgeable. The best tours are always those run by subject matter nerds, we learned so much! He was super easy to book and picked us up right from our accommodation. Will definitely be booking again next time we’re in the area!
Thanks so much for the kind words. Francesco will love this, he genuinely enjoys sharing the stories behind these places. Glad booking was easy and we could pick you up from your accommodation. Hope to see you again for another adventure, there is always more of Middle Earth to explore.
Fantastic full day tour with the family . We loved the props and the dress up part at the end using the Authentic Lord of the Rings swords and out fits . Our guide Shane was very knowledgeable and the scenery was stunning . Highly recommended.
Thanks so much for the kind words, I am glad the family had such a great day and embraced the props and dress ups, those swords always bring out a bit of Middle earth magic, the scenery does the rest, hope to see you again for another adventure, maybe second another breakfast next time
Edgy and Tristan were very knowledgable on Lord of The Ring film and about the director. They both were very passionate and made the trip fun by having a quiz. Both were friendly and interested about knowing about us.
Thanks for the lovely review. Eby and Tristan enjoy sharing the stories behind the films and a bit of Middle earth lore. Glad the quiz and good chats along the way made the trip fun.
Great tour. Benji was gregarious and a great host. Very knowledgeable on LOTR. He tailored the tour to also include the general Queenstown history and surrounds. Got to see all the postcard locations and had a great time.
Shane was very patient and knowledgeable, and told us a lot of behind-the-scenes stories about the movie! We visited many filming locations, and Shane took out the corresponding stills to explain and take photos at each location! At the end, there were even replicas of the original props that you could cosplay and take photos with! You can even see the original script and filming schedule! The experience was very good! In addition, if you are not a fan of the Lord of the Rings, you can still enjoy a lot of scenery, and Shane will also recommend delicious restaurants in Queenstown. All in all, if your English is good, you can go for this tour
I'm absolutely thrilled to hear that you had such an amazing time on the tour! It was my pleasure to share all those behind-the-scenes stories and guide you through the stunning filming locations. I'm glad you enjoyed the stills and replicas – it's always fun to bring a bit of Middle Earth to life! And Queenstown has so much to offer, doesn't it? I'm glad I could help enhance your experience with restaurant recommendations. Thank you so much for your kind words and for choosing the tour. It means a lot to me. I hope to see you again soon for another adventure!
