What To Expect

What‘s Included

Reviews

• Toxic atmosphere

  karma3725,,Jan 15, 2026

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  2.00

  Follow up from my previous review. Reluctantly adding more detail to my previous review as I think such toxic behaviour should be detailed and not just randomly thrown out there. We were encouraged to share details about ourselves and upon sharing one or two individuals choose to make sly personal comments. The tour guide was fully aware and chose not to advise for it to stop and what started as one ended being whole group. These comments included remarks about recently passed mother.

• Windy but fun!

  Amy F,,Jan 10, 2026

  - Review from Viator

  5.00

  The hike up Mt. Sunday isn’t super easy but two pudgy fifty-something’s like me and my husband managed it! It helped that Cheryl, our awesome guide, provided walking poles. My husband opted for a replica LOTR sword, though, which made for great pictures. Be warned, it can get very windy up there! If you have long hair, bring something to tie it back. Cheryl was knowledgeable, helpful, and kind. Definitely recommend her and the tour.

• Amazing tour. Fun, great tour guide, beautiful locations

  Pamela O,,Jan 6, 2026

  - Review from Viator

  5.00

  Peter was an amazing tour guide. We could not have asked for a better guide. We saw videos about where we were visiting and how it fit into the filming of LOTR. We also learned more about the history, culture, geography of where we were visiting. It was a COOL experience!! We had a great hike up Mount Edoras and had a delicious lunch. Our driver Natasha was also wonderful. I highly recommend this tour! Well planned and executed

• Great with a wrinkle

  bmartin94,,Jan 3, 2026

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  4.00

  We had great weather so it’s hard to have anything negative to say. Cheryl was an excellent guide and we also appreciated the family-run tea and lunch stops. My only complaint is that I booked this last July thinking it was a smaller bus or large van. Apparently they had one but it broke down so they were using a 50+ person coach (and sold all the seats accordingly). I feel they should have disclosed the change ahead of time as I prefer smaller tours.

  

• The realm of the Horse-lords of Rohan in all its glory

  Sharon B,,Jan 3, 2026

  - Review from Viator

  5.00

  Firstly, it’s awesome! Secondly, be prepared for some extensive uphill walking. Walking poles are available but if you’re not fit (&/or young!) be prepared to take your time - the guide (Cheryl) was super patient either me. Thirdly, it’s completely awesome!!

• Glad we finally did it

  johnbX7548BG,,Jan 2, 2026

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  What an amazing experience. We were blown away by the beauty of the scenery, not only at Edoras, but along the way as well. Well worth the time. The tour guide and driver were really nice and knowledgeable, which added to the enjoyment.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

• Worth it -- will do again!

  Jennifer C,,Jan 1, 2026

  - Review from Viator

  5.00

  Peter was our guide, and as a former history and geology teacher, he was fantastic. I've noticed that Kiwi guides take their responsibilities very seriously and try to offer interesting facts and context even if their audience is not so engaged. I know that driving over four hours and talking has got to be exhausting, but Peter kept his energy up for the entire trip. Luckily, he had a few behind-the-scenes movies he threw up on the display as well. Going to Edoras/Mt. Sunday with Hassle-Free tours means access to a parking area much closer to the foot of the formation by special permission. The climb to the top was definitely worth it, but it is moderately strenuous with tricky footing because of the fine, glacial dirt. Wear good shoes! You can pose for pictures with the provided props, but the panoramic views are stunning and are enough on their own. Weather can be a big issue and may curtail the climb, so be aware as your tour date approaches! The company seemed very conscientious about safety. I will definitely do this again as more of my family members come out to visit me! This was on my daughter's LOTR bucket list, and we thought it was definitely worth it. Not having to rent a car and drive back and forth to Christchurch was definitely a huge benefit for me.

• Excellent activity for everyone

  Samir D,,Dec 31, 2025

  - Review from Viator

  4.00

  This is an an excellent day trip for everyone, if you are comfortable enough hiking up a hill. The views are beautiful and the LOTR details are very interesting for fans. Big shoutout to our guide - Cheryl. She was a rockstar! Food was very average, and I am taking one star off for that. Otherwise, highly recommended tour.

• Okay for solo travelers, but overpriced

  571benedikts,,Dec 30, 2025

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  3.00

  The tour guide was friendly and knowledgeable, and the lunch package with sandwich and cake was tasty. Mt. Sunday itself is beautiful and worth seeing. However, the tour didn’t match the description. The website advertises 4WD vehicles and shows photos of rugged off-road adventures. Instead, we were 16 people in a regular minibus – no 4WD experience at all. Most of the tour was just long drives, with relatively little time at the actual location. As a solo traveler without a car, it’s acceptable if you don’t want to drive yourself. But for couples or groups, I’d recommend renting a car – the road is clearly manageable without 4WD, and you’d save a lot of money while having more flexibility. Tip: Check the weather forecast before booking! It rained during my tour and it’s very cold and windy on top of the mountain. Bring warm clothes and rain gear. Overpriced for what you get, and misleading advertising regarding the vehicle.

• The trip was advertised...

  Maxine M,,Dec 29, 2025

  - Review from Viator

  3.00

  The trip was advertised as 4WD only, in small groups, travelling in a specialised LOTR vehicle. Our group consisted of 38 and we were in a big coach. We therefore spent a lot of time picking up guests. As a result the trip was running late all date, with a supposed added morning tea at 11.00 (really because the driver had to have a compulsory 30 min break). Scenery was beautiful and the added extra of props made for good photos. Commentary was fairly average. Cost of the tour was pretty high and I thought that the extra money would go into the lunch. This consisted of a basic sandwich, lots of kids chocolate bars, trail mix and a sandwich. We did have sparkling wine which not many people seemed to want. A decent cup of barista coffee would have been much more welcome. Lunch was at 4pm due to the fact that the lunches failed to get packed into the bus. All in all a bit disappointing for the cost of the tour.

• Load more reviews