Hobbiton & Rotorua including Waiotapu Day Tour from Auckland
Description
Want to see more of New Zealand than Auckland? This is the day for it. Start in the rolling countryside of the Waikato at Hobbiton Movie Set, then swap green hills for the bubbling mud, steaming craters, and surreal colours of Wai-O-Tapu. Two completely different landscapes, two very different sides of New Zealand, all in one day from Auckland—without hiring a car or figuring out the route yourself. While the destinations you will be visiting are 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. Led by our passionate tour guides, notorious for bringing your journey to life, sharing their stories and background knowledge, and run in modern minibuses packed with extras ensuring your comfort and safety.
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.
Be driven through the stunning Waikato countryside, the most extensive farming area in the world, on a fully guided journey to your next attraction. During the trip you will encounter stunning scenery, might rivers, great photo opportunities, beautiful mountains and see several different farm animals along the way.
Board one of the big green Hobbiton buses to 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 beverage at the famous Hobbiton pub The Green Dragon Inn.
Famously dubbed the 'Corrugated Capital of the World' because of the many unique Corrugated Iron sculptures and building this town never fails to get a look and a laugh. Our guides will point out all the main highlights on the way through.
Experience Wai-O-Tapu Geothermal Wonderland, considered one of the most surreal places on earth. Here you will see the famous Champagne Lake, Devil's bath, local mud-pools, geothermal craters and other geothermal wonders. The colours and activity will take your breath away.
To finish off our Rotorua experience we do a guided driving tour seeing the most famous sites in Rotorua city including: Lake Rotorua, Rotorua Museum, Government Gardens, Whangapipiro (Rachel Spring) & the Blue Baths. If there is time, we may even visit a special souvenir shop for some discounted shopping and to try Manuka Honey.
Sadly we must start to head north again but your day is not over with a fully guided return trip to Auckland including secret stops along the way.
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
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- Minimum numbers apply. There is a possibility of cancellation after confirmation if there are not enough passengers to meet requirements. In the event of this occurring, you will be offered an alternative or full refund.
- Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately.
- The legal drinking age is 18, and ID may be required
- 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
Reviews(510)
Absolutely amazing tour from start to finish! Hobbiton was magical, and the stunning geothermal scenery at Wai-O-Tapu was unforgettable. Everything was well organized, and our guide made the whole day fun and enjoyable. Highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting New Zealand!
The trip to Hobbiton is amazing. It really is like being transported to the Shire. Jeoff our guide was knowledgeable and friendly. The meat pie he suggested was better than the one in Australia just like he said. The day made want to do another Cheekt tour aoon
Jeoff was an amazing tour guide and really made the day special with a wealth of knowledge. Perfect amount of time at each location. Can definitely enjoy Hobbiton even if you havent seen the Lord of the Rings / Hobbit movies.
It was a great tour! Jeff was very friendly and informative
This was a great experience. Convenience: we were able to stay in the CBD (downtown) area of Auckland and still get out to see Hobbiton and Rotorua without having to rent a car and drive on an unfamiliar side of the road, or on the windy country roads. As long as you're okay getting up early for the pickup, it's super easy. Roads: if you get carsick, definitely consider a scopolamine patch and have dramamine on hand if needed. The roads get a little windy near Hobbiton and near Waiotapu. Sitting up front helped a lot (there's windows all around the sides of the van but being able to see the road better helped). Hobbiton: this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. This tour gets you there bright and early for the 9:10 tour group, so Hobbiton ends up feeling not too crowded and you get some lovely morning light for pictures. The approach to the farm is gorgeous, and they take you to a shop/cafe staging area where you board a bus operated by the Hobbiton site. The shop is small but has some good stuff, and the cafe food was tasty. Your Cheeky Kiwi tour guide gets you the Hobbiton tickets and then meets you after you get back from the Hobbiton tour. The Hobbiton tour itself is extremely well run. They give you a few minutes in each spot to take pictures, talk with the tour guide, etc. Because the path they take you on winds through the set a bit, it doesn't feel crowded, especially when you're there first thing in the morning. Seeing the level of detail and how they play with scale is really interesting. While the set itself was only ever built for exterior shots (you can't go in Bag End or the majority of the hobbit holes), they built a pair of hobbit holes you can wander around in. In a given tour, you only get to see one of them, but you don't miss too much by just doing one (we ended up doing the tour twice and checking out the one we hadn't seen the day before). They're very similar, like neighbor's houses with a mirrored floor plan. The knickknacks and furniture were different, but were both fantastic for photo ops. Be sure to check out the eels in the pond by the Green Dragon Inn! At the end of the tour of Hobbiton they give you a drink (they had a cider, a stout, and a lager, plus a non-alcoholic ginger beer) plus a food counter. Waiotapu: Waiotapu was a neat self-guided tour around the geothermal vents. The tour guide drops you off at the gift shop/cafe and gets you the tickets, then you get to wander the vents yourself. If you're reasonably mobile/fit, you should be able to see the entire path. The first two sections are very accessible, while the third section involves the most elevation changes and stairs. If you're running low on time and want to see the best part of the green (third) section, veer left to get to a beautiful turquoise lake at the end. The sulfur smell can be a bit strong at first, but it's an otherworldly experience to see the vents. There's also the Waiotapu Mud Pool very close to the visitor center that was really cool. This section of the tour is go at your own pace, and it's worth noting that this is the last place to get a meal other than a quick ice cream stand where they stop for restrooms on the way back to Auckland. It's also worth saying the driving around Rotorua is incredible. As a Southern Californian, it was a bit nerve-wracking to see white "smoke" coming up out of the vegetation because the first thought is "wildfire" but it's just the volcanic vents. Food: the one thing I think we wish we'd understood more clearly during this tour is when to grab food. Some of the other tours include a specific packed lunch or meal stop, while this one was more "grab something when you can." I'd plan on having your own snacks (the guide provided some but if you have a big appetite it helps to have more) and grabbing a meal both at the Hobbiton cafe and at the Waiotapu cafe.
We really enjoyed the tour, Matt is an excellent tour operator, he gave us all the advice and answered all our questions. Communication with staff was very efficient. We absolutely recommend it!
had a fantastic experience with Cheeky Kiwi Travel on the Hobbiton & Wai-O-Tapu day tour. The day started with an early morning pickup that was right on time, and everything was well organized from start to finish. Our tour guide was incredibly friendly, knowledgeable, and always happy to answer questions or offer helpful tips throughout the day. They made sure everyone was comfortable and kept the schedule running smoothly while still allowing plenty of time to enjoy each stop. Both Hobbiton and Wai-O-Tapu were absolutely worth visiting, and having all the transportation and logistics taken care of made for a relaxing, stress-free day. I would definitely recommend Cheeky Kiwi Travel to anyone looking for a well-run day trip from Auckland!
We had an incredible Rotorua and Hobbiton tour with Timmy! From the moment we set off, Timmy made the entire experience enjoyable, informative, and memorable. He is not only an excellent tour guide with a wealth of knowledge about the area, but also a genuinely kind and caring person who goes above and beyond to make everyone feel welcome. His enthusiasm, sense of humor, and passion for New Zealand really brought the tour to life. Everything was well organized, and we never felt rushed, giving us plenty of time to enjoy both Rotorua and the magical Hobbiton experience. If you're thinking about booking this tour, I can't recommend Timmy highly enough. He made an already amazing trip truly unforgettable. Thank you, Timmy, for such a fantastic day!
Great experience in Hobbiton and Waiotapu. Guide Trent very kind with us and provided valuable information during the tour. The tour exceeded our expectations which were high since the beginning.
The Hobbiton & Rotoura tour with Cheecky Kiwi Travel was excellent. The tour and driver John were fabulous for a multi-generational family, captivating each family member’s attention and enthusiasm. We strongly recommend this tour for anyone traveling through the North Isle of New Zealand.
Thanks so much for the feedback. John is an awesome guide and totally passionate about what he does. At Cheeky Kiwi we're proud to have the best tour guides in the industry. We're stoked you loved you Hobbiton & Rotorua Tour and we hope to see you back again :)
