Hobbiton & Waitomo Caves Guided Day Trip from Auckland incl lunch
Overview
Available languages
11 hours
Mobile ticket
Join this tour to visit two of New Zealand’s most famous attractions, Hobbiton Movie Set and Waitomo Caves, in one easy day trip from Auckland. Our tour from 1 December 2023 will be the extended Hobbiton Experience (now 2.5 hours) where you can venture beyond the door to a fully themed Hobbit Hole interior. Immerse yourself in the interior with entry hall, bedrooms, bathroom, kitchen, dining area, equipped bathroom, parlour and crackling fireplace. Be fascinated as the magical world of Hobbiton comes to life and take photos in front of your favourite places like the Hobbit Holes, the Shire and the Green Dragon Inn. Then journey to the World Famous Waitomo Glowworm Caves and be captivated by the thousands of magical glowworms twinkling in the Grottos, the stalactites and stalagmites as you glide silently through the cave by boat. Marvel at the stunning scenery en route as we journey off the motorways into the real hinterland of New Zealand. All admission fees and cafe lunch included.
Additional Info
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Public transportation options are available nearby
Specialized infant seats are available
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Children must be accompanied by an adult
A maximum of 14 people per booking (We can provide this tour to groups larger than 14 by discussions with Viator and ourselves)
Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
Not Wheel-Suitable Friendly as these are walking tours
We can provide NZ Safety Approved Child Car Seats and Booster Seats. We do not provide strollers or infant back packs
We do not pick up from the suburbs of Auckland; only the Downtown CBD and 1 location in South Auckland for those staying near the airport-The Sebel Manukau Hotel, 16 Lakewood Court, Manukau
There is no photography allowed in the area of the Caves where the glowworms are as the glowworms react negatively to flashlight and will turn their lights off and they then take 2 hours to return to their full luminescence.
Tour leaves Auckland at 6:30am with everyone on board-the pickups occur across the CBD in the 25 minutes prior to that
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What‘s Included
Small-group tour (11-16)
Light Kiwi café-style lunch
Local taxes
Admission ticket: Hobbiton and Waitomo Glowworm Caves
Hotel pickup and drop-off from downtown Auckland City
Local driver/guide
Food and drinks, unless specified
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
What To Expect
Auckland Central
After leaving Auckland you will travel south over the Bombay Hills as you get elevated panoramic views of the Waikato Region and travel across the scenic Hauraki Plains to Matamata, the home of Hobbiton Movie Set.
Hobbiton Movie Set
Begin with a tour through the picturesque 1,250 acre sheep farm with spectacular views across the Kaimai Ranges. Your guide will escort you through the 10 acre site recounting fascinating details of how the Hobbiton Movie Set was created. Hobbit Holes, The Green Dragon Inn, The Mill and other structures can be viewed and you will see how this beautiful piece of Waikato farmland was transformed into the Shire from Middle-earth. Complimentary specially brewed beverages are available at the Green Dragon Inn as you complete your tour Afterwards, enjoy a very “Kiwi” style lunch at the "Homestead" and get to share stories from Hobbiton and interact with your fellow travellers.
Options
Hobbiton New Experience
Venture Beyond the Hobbit Door: Experience a fully themed Hobbit Hole Interior
Duration: 2 hours 30 minutes: Enjoy an extended Hobbiton Movie Set experience with our increased tour length time to a 2.5 hour tour.
Complimentary Drink: Included in our tour will be a complimentary ale, stout, apple cider or non-alcoholic ginger beer.
Start Time: The start time of the tour with everyone picked up across the CBD is at 6:30am. The pickups occur in the preceding 25 minutes
Pickup included
Hobbiton Movie Set and Waitomo Glowworm Caves Day Trip from Auckland
Pickup included
Reviews
2,562 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
see above
Z826NWelisabeths,
Dec 5, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00A very well-organized and informative tour; it saves a lot of time, which you don't have when you're spending 5 weeks in New Zealand.
Great experience. Loved...
Mark R,
Dec 4, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Great experience. Loved Hobbiton and the Glow worms were amazing. Mike our your guide was great. Great commentary on the trip. Definitely worth the time and money to do this tour.
Our guides were very...
shashi k,
Dec 4, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Our guides were very knowledgeable and helpful. We had a great experience! Highly recommend Viator for tours.
Magical & Unforgettable
B7732WLnorad,
Dec 4, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We had an absolutely amazing time on our Hobbiton and Waitomo Caves tour, and a huge part of that was thanks to our guide, Liam. He was genuinely kind, funny, and incredibly informative throughout the whole day. From the smooth pick-up to the easy drop-off, everything felt well-organised and relaxed. He was also a very safe and skilled driver, which made the journey between locations comfortable and enjoyable. The Hobbiton tour itself was fantastic. Our guide Rob there was also wonderful—engaging, knowledgeable, and full of fun facts that brought the movie set to life. Wandering through the Shire was magical, and ending the tour with a drink at the Green Dragon Inn made it even more special. The day showed heavy rain and windy which I was concerned about but ended up to be a beautiful day! The Waitomo Caves were equally impressive and a really cool experience, we got dripped on which they said was lucky! We had lunch (included with the tour) at Waitomo Homestead which was a perfect light lunch to keep us going & we tried the steak meat pies which were yummy. We also got to stop at The Hive & get a little education on honey on the way home which had the best prices we’ve seen for Manuka honey while we’ve been here so of course we had to get some! The price of the tickets was worth every penny and a great value for the unforgettable experience. There are so many options and tours to choose from that it felt overwhelming but extremely glad we went with this one! Overall, it was an unforgettable day that exceeded our expectations. We would highly recommend this tour—especially with Liam as your guide!
A must-do day tour in Auckland. Highly recommended!
Christine S,
Dec 4, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Liam was a fantastic tour bus guide with many interesting backstory and info for us. He stopped us for breakfast break and a honey tasting shop later on too. The Hobbiton tour was very well organised and the guide Rob was very funny and insightful too. The set was just amazing and the scenery was breathtaking. Really enjoyed the cider at the Green Dragon Inn as well. Waitomo Caves was really magical on the boat ride but you can’t take pictures inside. I got a CG one on the way out. Highly recommended tour especially if it’s a nice day out.
Fun & Facts
Geraint M,
Dec 3, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00A great day out Danny our driver was fun and gave us plenty of interesting facts about our trip and the local area. We started very early and enjoyed a coffee stop on the way to Hobbiton and lite lunch before the Waitomo caves and a nice ice cream on the way back arriving around 6:30pm so a full day on a comfortable mini bus with a good driver
Great Trip
Michelle R,
Dec 3, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00This was a great tour! It was very thorough and we learned so much. Our driver Amethyst was the best!! She was so knowledgeable and a very safe driver. She answered every question we had and gave us a lot of New Zealand history and geographical information.
Thank you Brenda our Guide
ArmandoB1296,
Dec 2, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We had a Medical emergency and our Tour Guide Brenda was so lovely and caring and helpful for me and my Wife. Thank you Brenda, Armando & Cynthia.
Fantastic
normal882,
Dec 2, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Our friends are big Lord of the Rings fans, so my husband and I went along on this tour to be accommodating. We never saw the movies or read the books. We all loved the tour. The scenery is absolutely amazing and we were very entertained by the beautiful Hobbit Holes. We especially liked the large, well decorated one that they allow tourists to explore inside. It was so nice to be able to touch anything we wanted to inside that Hobbit Hole. You can sit on the small furniture, climb into the small bathtub, etc. for fun pictures. We loved our Auckland Scenic Tours bus driver and tour guide, Mike, who took us to Hobbiton and Waitomo Caves. He was interesting and fun to be with on the long drive. Our tour guide at Hobbiton was Hanna. She was great. She led a large group, but we could all hear what she said and she was great about taking pictures of us.
Great Experience
Michael M,
Dec 2, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Shelley our tour guide was amazing, awesome knowledge & passionate about her country. Both experiences were excellent, would recommend this tour.
Related Experiences
Operated by Auckland Scenic Tours