Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Pass By: Auckland Central, Auckland Central, North Island
Your tour starts in New Zealand’s largest city. As we drive out of the city your guide will not only set the scene for your adventure today but also point out and guide you past some of the city’s top highlights.
Pass By: Waikato Region, Waikato Region, North Island
Exiting Auckland we travel south through the stunning Waikato countryside, the most extensive farming area in the world, encountering beautiful scenery, mighty rivers, great photo opportunities, impressive mountains and a variety of farm animals along the way.
Stop At: Hobbiton Movie Set, 501 Buckland Road Matamata, Hinuera 3472 New Zealand
Arriving at the first feature attraction ‘Hobbiton’ you will board one of the big green Hobbiton buses and depart on a two & a half hour fully guided tour of this amazing 12 acre movie set, with a professional Hobbiton guide to ensure you get the most out of your visit. During your tour step into the lush pastures of the Shire, visit 44 hobbit holes, see amazing gardens, hear the secrets and stories about the making of the movies and enjoy a cold complimentary beverage at the famous Hobbiton pub ‘The Green Dragon Inn’.
Duration: 2 hours
Pass By: Tirau, Tirau, Waikato Region, North Island
Departing for Rotorua we pass through Tirau on our adventure. Dubbed the 'Corrugated Iron Capital of the World' because of the many unique corrugated iron sculptures and buildings, this town never fails to get a look and a laugh and our guides will point out all the main highlights on the way through.
Stop At: Te Puia - Rotorua, NZ, 20 Hemo Road, Whakarewarewa, Rotorua 3010, New Zealand
Arriving at our second feature destination, Te Puia, you will receive a fully guided tour to best experience the geothermal and Maori cultural wonders including: Pōhutu Geyser, Māori Architecture, The National Māori Arts School, geothermal craters, geothermal events and even the chance to view a Kiwi bird in the Kiwi viewing house.
Duration: 1 hour
Pass By: Rotorua, Rotorua, Rotorua District, Bay of Plenty Region, North Island
To finish off our Rotorua experience we do a guided driving tour seeing the most famous sites in Rotorua city including: Lake Rotorua, Rotorua Museum, Government Gardens, Whangapipiro (Rachel Spring) & the Blue Baths. If there is time, we may even visit a special souvenir shop for some discounted shopping and to try Manuka Honey.
Stop At: Auckland, Auckland, North Island
Sadly we must start to head north again but your day is not over with a fully guided return trip to Auckland including secret stops along the way.
Duration: 5 minutes
See Availability.
SkyCity Hotel Auckland, 72 Victoria Street West, Auckland CBD, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
Traveler pickup is offered
Pickups are from the below hotels only. If your hotel is not listed, please select your closest alternative and meet us there. If you are not sure where your closest alternative is, please contact us in advance so that we can advise you.
If you have not yet booked a hotel then please select Sky City hotel as your pickup location. You can update this once your hotel is booked by contacting us or amending your pickup directly through Viator.
Park Hyatt 05:40 AM
Sofitel Viaduct Harbour 05:40 AM
Hilton Hotel 05:40 AM
M Social 05:45 AM
Movenpick Hotel 05: 45 AM
Adina Apartment Hotel 05:45 AM
Copthorne Auckland City 05:45 AM
Nesuto Stadium Hotel and Apartments 05:45 AM
Pullman Auckland 05:45 AM
SO/Auckland 05:45 AM
JW Marriott Auckland City 05:50 AM
Heritage Auckland 05:50 AM
Ibis Budget Auckland Central (Pick up also for CityLife, Barclay Suites, Holiday Inn Express) 05:50 AM
Crowne Plaza 05:55 AM
Rydges Hotel 05:55 AM
The Grand By SkyCity 05:55 AM
SkyCity Hotel 05:55 AM
Four Points by Sheraton 05:55 AM
Grand Millennium Auckland 06:00 AM
Mercure Hotel 06:00 AM
Kiwi International Hotel 06:00 AM
VR Auckland City, 188 Hobson Street 06:00 AM
Cordis Auckland 06:05 AM
Sebel Auckland Manukau 06:15 AM
Passengers that miss their pick up will be required to meet the tour at the tour's first stop at their own expense to continue on the tour. No refunds will be given to late or no show passengers.
06:00 AM
13 hours(approx.)
Returns to original departure point
Not wheelchair accessible
Minimum numbers apply. There is a possibility of cancellation after confirmation if there are not enough passengers to meet requirements. In the event of this occurring, you will be offered an alternative or full refund.
A moderate amount of walking is involved.
Stroller accessible
Due to uneven surfaces, this tour is not recommended for those with walking disabilities or using a wheelchair.
Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately.
Near public transportation
Children aged 7 years and below are required to travel in a child safety car seat. If you don't have a car seat one can be provided (with at least 24hrs notice).
Infant seats available
No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 16 travelers
Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Posted By : William M
I did the tour starting from Auckland and including the hobbiton movie set and the te puia tour. The guide (Greg) did a great job and was a big factor in this tour being an awesome experience. He made everyone welcome and took the time to discuss with everyone. He also told us some of his best stories about rotorua, the hobbiton movie set as well as New Zealand more generally. He also taught us some words in Māori which I thought was great.
Even as a solo traveller it was great to take the tour as the guide took the time to have a chat.
The bus was overall comfortable and far from overbooked with plenty of space for everyone.
I recommend this tour as the visit of hobbiton and te puia were great too (different companies of course but worth the visit, I’ll make sure to leave a comment to them too)
Perhaps next time I’ll come back for the gloworm cave tour !
This tour was really worth the money!
Rating :
Posted On : 2024-05-16
Posted By : maichollg
The tour is responsible for the time, has good treatment with passengers and has extensive knowledge of the country's history, which is mentioned during the trip. The destination, Hobbiton, is incredible for those who are followers of the works, and those unfamiliar will have an excellent impression. It's a little weaker about Rotorua, but it is integral to the history, and the Kiwis are beautiful. The geyser is fine.
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Posted On : 2024-05-02
Posted By : 736mayz
We had a fantastic day. Cameron picked us up from our hotel along with the other guests and we drove to Hobitton. It was a nice drive with lots of things to see. The view is spectacular, all the green valley, lovely house you will see along the way. Cameron is kind enough to tell us lots of stories of different iconic places.
Hop into the green bus to Hobitton movie set and transform into the life of Hobbits. The view is amazing, every corner is photo worthy for your next Instagram post. Then, get into the Hobbit-hole, look at all the details they put in it. Touch them, sit on them, the photos and videos! You are a child again! Or at least, I am. Dion, our tour guide in Hobbiton is lovely and patient and happy to answer all your questions and take your photos too. Then we get to the Dragon inn on our last stop to enjoy a drink on the house! Yay!
Back to the main bus, we travelled to Rotorua where we learned and appreciate the Maori culture, Our tour guide taught us to say our Welcome in Maori, but if course it's so long I only remembered Kia Ora! I forgot his name because it's long, sorry, but he is lovely and funny and answered all the questions. Then we went to the Kiwi conservation and I saw a fat male Kiwi for the first time in my life! His name is Kete, if u remembered it right. Then we walked near the mud section and I learned the many healthy and beauty benefits of the natural NZ mud. Then went to Te Whakarewarewa Geothermal Valley, and Maori Arts and Crafts Institute. It's great to learn about Maori culture and it's good that the youth of Rotorua are so engaged in enriching their culture and kind enough to share it with us. Thank you.
Back on the bus to drive home and I just fall asleep because it was such a long day 😉.
Rating :
Posted On : 2024-04-24
Posted By : Boon Hong T
I believe it's Asnoz that made the entire trip pleasant and enjoyable. He made sure that we're all well hydrated with snacks along the journey. Along the way, recommendations to attractions and foods were made. When we tried, they were very good and reasonably priced.
Rating :
Posted On : 2024-04-21
Posted By : Jason_S
Fantastic day out visiting Hobbiton and Te Puia Maori Center and hot springs in Rotorua. John the driver is knowledgeable, fun and has a great sense of humor! After a really early start (5:40am early…) we got to Hobbiton in time for the 9:00am group tour, which lasts around 2 1/2 hours, including a drink at the Green Dragon pub. Then on to Rotorua for the 1:00pm guided tour of Te Puia which lasts till 3:00pm. Following that John took us in a brief tour of central Rotorua and the lake before heading back to Auckland, dropping us off around 7:00pm. We were lucky to have only 8 on the bus so we could stretch out (it holds up to 16). Highly recommended!
Rating :
Posted On : 2024-04-09
Posted By : BayAreaCouple2
First we have to say a big thank you to Grant who did an awesome job picking up everyone on a very tight schedule!!! He had amazing energy and always was clear on the instructions on when and where to meet. He repeated the instructions more than once which was great. We enjoyed his narration on the history and culture of NZ during the drive. It was a very expensive tour but we didn’t want to drive so that made it worth it. Hobbiton was wonderful and loved how they recently opened the replica, where you could go inside one of the 2 homes and see the living room, den, bedroom, kitchen, etc.
At the cultural center, we were happy to see the Kiwi in the special enclosure and the geysers were really gushing which I guess is not a guarantee. Also we saw the Maori men learning to carve to carry out their tradition.
Rating :
Posted On : 2024-04-03
Posted By : 933markh
The tour guides were amazing! They were all very knowledgeable about the movies and able to share information that I would never have known. It was a well ran tour!
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Posted On : 2024-03-24
Posted By : Manish_C
We had a great day at hobbiton and Te Puia. The tour was exactly as described and fully met our expectations. Thanks for a memorable experience.
Rating :
Posted On : 2024-03-17
Posted By : SteveOz1967
Greg was a great driver, host, and guide for our round trip to Hobbiton and Te Puia. He lightly ribbed the Aussies and others on the trip, gave details as we traveled between destinations, and provided snacks and drinks along the way. At both Hobbiton and Te Puia we were handed off to guides on site and then met up with the bus after the respective tours were done. His love of country, the region, and the laughter of his passengers was self-evident. Overall, the tour was great value and an excellent day trip outside Auckland.
Rating :
Posted On : 2024-03-12
Posted By : X3487GCshaner
John was a fantastic guide and host, he kept us all entertained on the long road trips and helped the group connect with each other through fun facts and friendly banter.
Time spent at the Hobbit village was absolutely amazing and we could have just wandered around for hours.
Our schedule never felt rushed and we always had plenty of time at the activities.
Learning about the traditions of carving and weaving at the school was very educational and informative.
A very pleasant day out with lots of fantastic memories to cherish.
Thanks to John and Cheeky Kiwi tours.
Very delighted
Shane and Jodie
Rating :
Posted On : 2024-03-09
