Full Day Lord of the Rings Tour

This full day tour follows a wide range of The Lord of the Rings filming locations around Wellington, paired with a visit to Weta Workshop. It begins at Dry Creek Quarry, used for Helm’s Deep and Minas Tirith, then continues to the River Anduin filming area, where the Fellowship travelled to Amon Hen, and to the Gardens of Isengard, where Gandalf met Saruman and Saruman’s Orcs destroyed the gardens.

At Rivendell, the home of the Elves, there is time to explore, and those wanting a little more adventure may cross the swing bridge. A lunch stop is included during the day, although timings can vary and lunch is not included in the tour price.

The Weta Workshop visit adds another side to the experience, with a look at how props and weaponry are made, the chance to see artists at work, and sets from Thunderbirds. You will also see Gollum, Lurtz the Uruk-hai, and Bilbo’s Trolls.

Later, the tour heads to Hobbiton Woods, where the trilogy began. Stops here include the Mushrooms scene, Sam and Frodo’s Second Breakfast, the spot where the Hobbits hid from the Black Rider, the race to the Buckleberry Ferry, and King Théoden’s Dunharrow Encampment. The day finishes at Mount Victoria Lookout and then Courtenay Place, including the Embassy Picture Theatre, where The Return of the King and An Unexpected Journey premiered.