Waitomo and Hobbiton Experience (Auckland to Rotorua)

from Auckland

Book online or call: 0800 744 487 or +64 9 583 5790

10 hours 15 minutes
Hotel pickup/drop-off offered
Offered in: English and 1 more

Overview

Take a journey through the heart of the Central North Island, taking in the Waitomo Caves and Hobbiton Movie Set on a full-day sightseeing tour. Setting off from Auckland, travel through the lush farmland of the Waikato and King Country regions, enjoying your driver guide’s entertaining and informative commentary.

At the world famous Waitomo Glowworm Caves, take a 45-minute guided tour through impressive underground caverns and learn how stalactites, stalagmites and other limestone structures were formed over millions of years. Your tour includes a boat ride through the Glowworm Grotto – glide silently along an underground river as you gaze at the twinkling glowworms overhead. After exploring Waitomo, tuck into a delicious picnic lunch en-route to Middle Earth!

Next, take a guided tour of the famous Hobbiton Movie Set, located inside a picturesque 1,250 acre sheep and beef farm near Matamata. Here, the village of Hobbiton was carefully created in amazing detail as a film location for the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit movie trilogies.

During your guided tour of this amazing location you’ll see sights like Hobbit holes, the Mill and the Green Dragon Inn, and learn how farmland was transformed into a living, breathing piece of Middle-earth.

Please note: A development project is underway at Hobbiton Movie Set until December 2023. Please visit the official Hobbiton website for detailed information on how this construction could impact your experience.

After visiting Waitomo and Hobbiton, continue to Rotorua, arriving in the evening.

What's Included

Operates daily
Guided tour of Waitomo Caves
Boat ride through the Glowworm Grotto
Delicious Picnic lunch
Guided tour of Hobbiton Movie Set
Free Wi Fi on board coaches
Complimentary hotel pick up/drop off available

Itinerary

7:30 am
Hotel pickups commence
7:45 am
Arrive at Sky City Coach Terminal, check in and board
8:00 am
Coach departs Auckland
11:00 am
Arrive at Waitomo Caves for guided tour
12:30 pm
Depart Waitomo Caves
2:00 pm
Arrive at Hobbiton Movie Set for guided tour
5:00 pm
Depart Hobbiton Movie Set
6:15 pm
Arrive at Rotorua
6:25 pm
Hotel drop offs commence

Hotel Pickup/Drop-off

Complimentary Hotel pick-up / drop-off available from selected inner-city hotels.

Additional Info

We recommend wearing comfortable walking shoes for this tour.
If the Waitomo Caves tour cannot operate, a free upgrade to the Ruakuri Cave will be provided subject to availability. If the Ruakuri upgrade is provided, the Waitomo Caves portion is non refundable.
Construction on the Hobbiton Movie Set: A major and very exciting development project is underway at Hobbiton Movie Set and will impact tours between April-December 2023. Tours throughout this period will follow an alternate route around the construction zone and will not be able to see Bagshot Row, including Samwise Gamgee’s home. There will also be some construction noise and machinery on Set as work is underway transforming the hillside. You can read more about the Bagshot Row Project here.