One of the most photogenic places in New Zealand is actually a Hobbiton movie set from the popular Lord of the Rings series!
Hobbiton Village was filmed on green farmland on the North Island of New Zealand, and Fans will be delighted to know that they have kept the entire film set of the Shire intact so that people can go on tour.
My wife was in love with this place. If you are a Fan of the LOTR series or fantasy films in general (or even if you are Just an amateur photographer), don’t miss it! The shire was one of the highlights of our trip to New Zealand!
This guide will tell you how to get there and everything you need to know before you go!
What is Hobbiton?
If you haven’t lived underground (no pun intended), you’ve probably heard that the award-winning “The Lord of the Rings” and “Hobbit” trilogies were filmed in New Zealand.
In the books (and movies), The shire is the peaceful green landscape where the Hobbit protagonists live. Synonymous with peace and tranquility, Hobbiton is a village paradise with dozens of small lawn-covered houses that look like something from medieval England (with a fantastic twist).
The Hobbiton film set was first created in 1999 for “The Lord of the Rings” with the road construction assistance of the New Zealand Army, then the set was completely rebuilt and expanded in 2010 for the “Hobbit” films.
The current Shire film set you are watching today includes 44 Hobbith houses, farms and gardens and spans 5 acres (12 acres)!
Where is the Shire/ Hobbiton?
The Hobbiton film set is located just outside Matamata, a small town on the North Island of New Zealand.
From the city of Auckland it is a 2-hour drive through small towns and mainly rural roads
How to get to Hobbiton New Zealand
You can drive to Hobbiton yourself (affordable and recommended), or there are bus tours from Auckland that will do the whole journey for you.
In any matter, a walking tour is necessary to visit the film set and you must make an online reservation at least a few days in advance, as tickets are sold out, especially if you want a specific time slot.
Klook has Meeting (self-drive) Hobbiton New Zealand tours for USD or they also have more expensive one-day private tours departing from Auckland that include hotel pick-ups and anything else you might need.
Hobbiton New Zealand: what to expect
Visiting the Hobbiton film set requires a walking tour that takes place daily with dozens of time slots between 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM.
Unless you have booked a private tour (very expensive!), it also means that you are on a joint tour with other LOTR Fans who want to relive their favorite movie memories.
Our group had about 25 visitors and with the other groups who visited the plateau at the same time, I must admit that there were quite a few people on the narrow paths that meandered through the village.
Despite the crowds, our guide was able to take photos of each of us at the Hobbit Holes and also gave us enough time to do some ourselves. And take pictures that we took! I think I took more than 200 photos here.
This film set is incredibly cool and there are so many special little details in every corner of the village. At the end of the day, we wish we could live here in the Shire.
