The 2 most incredible things I did in New Zealand were unbelievable experiences. One was a visit to Milford Sound on the Sound Island, captured in a separate post about my experience. The other was a combination of 2 visits to Hobbiton, the movie set from Peter Jackson’s trilogy, The Lord of the Rings. This post will include a lot of photos so you can get a feel for the experience.
The wonder of Hobbiton during the day, but this picture was from the evening banquet tour. No other groups in sight!
My initial visit to Hobbiton was during the day on the normal Hobbiton tour. It was a fantastic tour and really cool, but you couldn’t escape the feeling that you were on a tourist experience, with tours every 5 to 10 minutes in front and behind you. The image above was from the evening banquet tour before sunset, but here’s the reality of the day tour (below):
However, the second visit was a return to Hobbiton with a good friend to enjoy the evening banquet, a special once-a-day tour that included dinner in the Green Dragon Inn and a private tour of the Shire with much time to linger and enjoy the moment. Surprisingly, it was just 20% more than the regular tour, but it felt immeasurably more special.
Gorgeous Hobbiton view at the end of the day. No other groups. You started to feel like you lived there.
For the evening tour, we arrived at Bilbo’s house at sunset. If you are a fan of the films, the bench you see in the iconic scene with Bilbo and Gandalf is here.
Walking down from that sunset into the interior of the Shire, I was amazed by the meticulous design and attention to detail. I found myself surrounded by die-hard Lord of the Rings fans who had read every single word Tolkien had ever written. Being able to be in the middle of the movie set, they were eating it up.
The recreation of a Hobbit hole had more attention to detail than anything I’ve ever seen.
They had a full living room with a fire going.
And a bedroom with a closet full of clothes.
As we walked further into the Shire and across the bridge overlooking the small pond, the magic really turned on. The sun was setting, and the dusky colors made the landscape of the entire Shire incredibly vibrant, reminiscent of a manicured golf course at dusk. The little lights of the hobbit hole doors started coming on as if people lived there.
Heading into the Green Dragon Inn, you first see the bar with ale, cider, and ginger beer brewed just for Hobbiton!
We enjoyed a complimentary adult beverage while waiting for our banquet to begin. Sitting at a picnic table overlooking the Shire, it felt like an extraordinary place on Earth to cherish and remember. My friend and I had a great conversation about how special this place was. We talked about our lives and goals for the future in the spirit of those good chats Bilbo and Frodo had with Gandalf.
With my friend Spencer, an American who married a Kiwi!
Then it was time to eat! The attendants opened the curtains and the table was already set for us to sit and eat.
The feast that followed was incredible and surpassed expectations of the grand meals in the movies. It was the first time in recent memory that I had trouble walking after eating so much! This was a once-in-a-lifetime dinner, and I would not pass on anything. Being in the middle of a movie set made the experience surreal, and it didn’t take much imagination to feel the joy and wonder of being an actual Hobbit in their little paradise.
Hobbiton desserts
One of the coolest parts of the banquet evening was meeting people from all over the world who had made this specific tour the highlight of their trip to New Zealand. They had bought tickets months in advance. (I, on the other hand, was lucky enough to score last-minute tickets due to a cancellation.) As a fan but far more of a novice to Lord of the Rings than them, I found it incredible to hear and experience the wonder of these die-hard fans. It reminded me how cool it is to be around people with that kind of wonder, awe, and gratitude.
After dinner, walking outside was my favorite moment. It had become darker, and the lights of the Hobbit houses were even more illuminated. You started to believe that you might live in the Shire! The lights reflected off the pond, creating a surreal landscape. My friend and I had more heartfelt conversations, talking about how lucky we felt to be there and how we would never forget this experience.
The photo does not do justice to the lights of the small Hobbit holes on the hillside.
Being one of just a handful of people there at the end, with the chance to feel like you’re actually in a movie, in an extraordinary place, in an unforgettable part of the world, really drove those feelings home. It’s got to be one of the most magical things I’ve done and have yet to do.
Part of what made the experience meaningful had nothing to do with Lord of the Rings or a movie set. It was a deeper dive into New Zealand and Kiwi culture. Learning about how the local community pitched in to help with the film, from the artisans and craftsmen who built the sets to the extras and actors who were chosen for their bubbly, joyous personalities, gave me a better understanding of the warmth, dedication, and pride of the New Zealand people. When you see the Shire and imagine the Hobbits and their lives and joy, you see the New Zealand people.
It dawned on me that I probably wouldn’t be here in New Zealand with my family for 6 months without the Lord of the Rings movies that put this beautiful country on the map. It was a full-circle moment, realizing that my journey began with the landscapes and beauty of those movies I first experienced in a suburban U.S. movie theater.
Visiting Hobbiton was much more than just a movie set experience. It was something that truly permeated my life story, and I couldn’t help but appreciate and linger in the joy of it all.
