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Rotorua Theme & amusement parks

Our most recommended Rotorua Theme & amusement parks

From Auckland: Hobbiton, Rotorua & Waitomo Caves Day Trip

1. From Auckland: Hobbiton, Rotorua & Waitomo Caves Day Trip

Visit the Hobbiton Movie Set, Rotorua, and Waitomo Caves in one day on a guided tour from Auckland. See three of North Island’s iconic sites in one attraction-filled day. After hotel pickup, travel from Auckland to Hobbiton through Waikato. On arrival, you’ll be guided through the picturesque twelve-acre site and given fascinating details of how the movie set was created. The official tour concludes with a complimentary drink at the Green Dragon Inn. Climb back into the vehicle for the approximately 55-minute drive to Rotorua where you will spend around 1.5 hours. On arrival, visit key attractions, such as the lakefront, government gardens, and Rachel Springs. After sightseeing, have lunch at Pataka Kai, a restaurant next to the Te Puia thermal reserve. Enjoy views and take photos of Te Puia's Pohutu Geyser and thermal valley from the restaurant (entry not included). After Rotorua, drive to the world-renowned Waitomo Caves where you’ll enter the caves on foot and ride out in a small boat. Above your head will be thousands of tiny glowworms radiating their unmistakable luminescent light as an expert guide provides informative commentary. 

Auckland: Hobbiton, Rotorua and Wai-O-Tapu Day Tour

2. Auckland: Hobbiton, Rotorua and Wai-O-Tapu Day Tour

The tour starts with pickup from Auckland city, where the adventure begins as you drive through the stunning Waikato countryside, the most extensive farming area in the world, on a fully guided journey to Hobbiton.  Along the way, don’t forget to take advantage of the photo opportunities as you admire the stunning natural landscapes of beautiful mountains and farmlands. After the drive, arrive at Alexander Family Sheep Farm and Shire's Rest, the entrance to Hobbiton, and marvel at the thousands of sheep that live here. While you’re here, grab a bite to eat, a coffee, or enjoy an ice cream to cool off while your guide collects your tickets to the movie set. Next, hop on board one of the big green Hobbiton buses to depart on your 2-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 trip into the lush pastures of the Shire, visit 44 hobbit holes, see amazing gardens, hear secrets and stories about the making of the movies and finish your LOTR experience with a cold beverage at the famous Hobbiton pub, The Green Dragon Inn. After your LOTR experience, it’s time to continue southwards towards the active geothermal area of Rotorua. During the drive, pass through the unique town of Tirau, the corrugated iron sculpture capital of the world, and the stunning Fitzgerald Glade. Upon arrival in Rotorua, enjoy a guided tour of the city’s most famous and historical sites including Lake Rotorua, The Government Gardens, the Blue Baths, Thermal Springs, and Polynesian Spa. Take some time to rest for lunch and then head to Wai-O-Tapu Geothermal Wonderland considered one of the most surreal places on earth.  Here, admire Champagne Lake, Devil’s Bath, local mud pools, geothermal craters, and other geothermal wonders before a fully guided trip back to Auckland and the end of your tour.

From Auckland: Two-Day Rotorua, Hobbiton, Waitomo Caves Tour

3. From Auckland: Two-Day Rotorua, Hobbiton, Waitomo Caves Tour

Join this overnight all-inclusive tour from Auckland and experience the Central North Island's most iconic attractions at a leisurely pace.  Take guided tours of Hobbiton and Waitomo Caves. Discover the Waiotapu Thermal Wonderland and the thermal areas and geysers of Te Puia. Experience a Maori cultural evening with a meal and concert.  At the end of the two days, you will return to your hotel in Auckland or a different location in the central area, if specified. Most of the transport is supplied in Mercedes minibuses with luxury seating. Your driver guide will take the time to make sure you enjoy your time on the tour. The largest vehicle seats 15 passengers, but on most occasions your group will be 12 people or less.

From Auckland: Hobbiton & Rotorua Tour with Lunch at Te Puia

4. From Auckland: Hobbiton & Rotorua Tour with Lunch at Te Puia

Enjoy the magic of Middle Earth at the Hobbiton Movie Set and delight in Maori culture at Te Puia Maori Village in Rotorua on a day tour from Auckland. Travel in comfort with a small group and an experienced local guide in a late-model Mercedes or a similarly configured the vehicle to provide extra leg room and space for your comfort.  After the pick-up from your hotel, journey through gorgeous Waikato scenery to Hobbiton. On arrival, set off on an official 2-hour guided tour through the picturesque twelve-acre site. Learn fascinating details of how a beautiful piece of Waikato farmland was transformed into The Shire from Middle-Earth. At the end of your tour, savor a complimentary drink at the Green Dragon Inn.  Climb back into the vehicle for the 55-minute drive to Rotorua. Arrive at Te Puia Maori Village where you will have a freshly prepared hangi lunch featuring traditional Maori food. With plenty of time to explore, discover the Pohutu geyser, mud pools, hot springs, silica formations, and the iconic Kiwi bird. Visit the national schools of wood carving, weaving, stone and bone carving. Then explore Rotorua, visiting the lakefront and the government gardens, before the return journey to Auckland. You can opt for drop off in Rotorua, just select this option when booking. 

Auckland: Hobbiton and Rotorua with Te Puia Tour

5. Auckland: Hobbiton and Rotorua with Te Puia Tour

Your tour begins as you are collected from your hotel in a comfortable modern mini-bus. From there, travel through the beautiful Waikato countryside - New Zealand's most extensively farmed area, on a fully guided tour to Hobbiton. During the trip south, encounter stunning scenery, great photo opportunities, and beautiful mountains, as well as several different farm animals along the way. Following your drive, arrive to the Alexander Family Sheep Farm and Shire's Rest, the entrance to Hobbiton. There you can see thousands of sheep, grab something to eat, get a coffee fix, or enjoy an ice cream as your guides arrange your tickets to the movie set. Next, board one of the green Hobbiton buses to depart on a fully guided 2-hour tour of this amazing 12-acre movie set with an expert Hobbiton Movie set guide who ensures you get the most out of your visit. During your tour, step into the lush pastures of the Shire, visit 44 different hobbit holes, see amazing gardens, hear the charming secrets and stories about the making of the movies, and finish your Lord of the Rings experience with a cold beverage at the famous Hobbiton Pub, the Green Dragon Inn. After your Lord of the rings experience, travel back through the Alexander Family Sheep Farm before heading south to the active geothermal area of Rotorua. Throughout your trip, pass through the unique town of Tirau - the corrugated iron sculpture capital of the world, and the stunning Fitzgerald Glade, seeing many more stunning landscapes as you head over the Kaimai ranges. Once in Rotorua, travel with your guides as they show you around the historical sites including Lake Rotorua, the Government Gardens, the Blue Baths, the Thermal Springs, and the Polynesian Spa. From there, head to one of the most famous attractions in New Zealand, the Te Puia Geothermal Park. Once inside the park, stop for lunch, where your guides highly recommend the traditional Maori Hangi buffet meal. Following lunch, set off for a fully guided tour around the surreal park to see it's geothermal and cultural wonders. Observe the Pōhutu Geyser (the biggest geyser in the southern hemisphere), Māori Architecture, the National Māori Arts School, geothermal craters, and geothermal events. There's even the chance to view a kiwi bird in the kiwi viewing house, before you travel back to Auckland with your guide.

Hobbiton Movie Set & Rotorua Premium Day Tour from Auckland

6. Hobbiton Movie Set & Rotorua Premium Day Tour from Auckland

This full-day excursion begins with a pick-up at your preferred location in Auckland, and a scenic 2-hour drive into Waikato with the possibility of stops for photos en route to the Hobbiton Movie Set. On arrival, you’ll spend 30-45 minutes at the official Hobbiton Gift Shop and have a chance to grab a drink or a bite to eat at the famous Shire's Rest Café. Next you’ll embark on a 2-hour guided tour of the 1,250-acre sheep farm with amazing views of the Kaimai Ranges. Your guide will then lead the way through the 12-acre site that’s home to Hobbit Holes, the Old Mill and the Double-Arched Bridge. Stop for a complimentary drink at The Green Dragon Inn. Your tour then continues to Rotorua, where you'll visit Te Puia and explore Te Whakarewarewa, a 60-hectare geothermal valley. You’ll also have an opportunity to see the kiwi bird house and viewing enclosure, watch traditional Maori carving and weaving, learn about Maori art and history and take a walk around a model pre-European Maori village and sacred marae. If you like, you can enjoy a meal prepared using ancient geothermal cooking techniques, watch a Maori haka performance and learn about Maori culture inside the sacred marae. At the end of the program it will be time to sit back and relax on the scenic drive back to Auckland.

From Auckland: One-Way Transfer to Rotorua w/ Hobbiton Tour

7. From Auckland: One-Way Transfer to Rotorua w/ Hobbiton Tour

Travel in comfort from Auckland to Rotorua on this one day tour and experience the world-famous Lord of The Rings Hobbiton movie set in the heart of Middle Earth, as well as the highlights of Rotorua City. Your tour starts with a pick up from your hotel in our comfortable minibus and drive through the stunning Waikato countryside, the most extensive farming area in the world, on a fully guided journey to Hobbiton. During the trip south you will encounter stunning scenery, great photo opportunities, beautiful mountains and several different farm animals along the way. After our drive, we will arrive at the Alexander family sheep farm and Shire's Rest, which is the entrance to Hobbiton. Here you can see thousands of sheep, grab a bite to eat, get your coffee fix or enjoy an ice cream while we collect your tickets to the Hobbiton movie set. Next you will board one of the big green Hobbiton buses to depart on your 2 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 you will 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 ending with a cold beverage at the famous Hobbiton pub The Green Dragon Inn. After your Lord of the rings experience you will be guided back through the Alexander Family Sheep Farm before continuing south to the active geothermal area of Rotorua. During the trip we will pass through the unique town of Tirau (the corrugated iron sculpture capital of the world), the stunning Fitzgerald Glade, plus many more attractions to see along the way. In Rotorua we will guide you past many of the city's famous and historical sites including Lake Rotorua, The Government Gardens, Blues Bath, Thermal Springs and the Polynesian Spa. At the end of the tour we will drop you at your accommodation in Rotorua (central hotels only) or at a main Rotorua central Location. The ultimate, comprehensive Auckland to Rotorua small group tour!

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What people are saying about Rotorua

Overall rating

4.8 / 5

based on 5 reviews

The tour is good value. I had a great experience. It was about 13 hours long, but it worths it. Hobbiton is bigger than expected, but we managed to go across it. We did not spend a lot of time in Rotorua (which was fine by me, as I had been at Rotorua before), and the lunch at the Te Puia complex was excellent. A nice variety of dishes in the buffet. The Waitomo caves were awesome as well. Overall, a highly recommended tour.

Sconsigliato in agosto. 3 ore di coda e reggia troppo affollata.

Our experience was wonderful! Michelle, our driver and guide, was exceptional! All three sites were well organized and exciting! Hobbiton was an amazing experience and our tour provided plenty of time for enjoyment! The geyser was impressive even though we only saw it from our tasty buffet luncheon and the glow worm caves were magical! Thank you all, and especially Michelle, for a fantastic day in New Zealand!

Imperdível! Os Jardins são maravilhosos também!

Our bus driver from Rotorua was wonderfully informative about all sorts of things and made the 1 hour drive seem much shorter. The set is much bigger than I had thought. Our guide was full of bits of movie trivia and made sure everyone had plenty of time for pictures without dragging it out.

El palacio no Vale la pena

Well run, plenty of time to take pictures, knowledgeable guide, easy to understand English, great flow and updates on what to expect. Able to get a last minute spot when the Hobbiton web site was sold out thru GetYourGuide and it included transportation!

You should plan a full day for a visit to the palace and gardens, as the gardens are very spacious and there is a lot to see.