Visiting Hobbiton

If you have watched Lord of the rings or The Hobbit trilogies, then you would be well acquainted with the home of the Hobbit, The Shire. Found about an hour South of Hamilton, New Zealand, the movie set still remains standing on 12 acres of the Alexander farm, all in which can be visited and toured!

I’ll be first to admit, these movies aren’t exactly my cup of tea, however, my husband is a big Lord of the rings nerd and brought me along for the ride, and I’m glad he did. There is no denying the sheer beauty of not only the location itself, but the raw talent, efforts and intricacies of the set, making it one of the most picturesque places i’ve seen. From dramatic rolling hills to glorious gardens, here is what you can expect!

Tickets

Ensure that you purchase your tickets well in advance! Whilst most of the time, you can get away with booking a ticket one week in advance, there has been busy periods where tickets are sold out a whopping six months in advance. The tickets are $120 NZD per person and can be purchased here.

Ensure you arrive at least twenty minutes in ahead of your Hobbiton tour, as you will have to catch a bus from the parking space to the set itself. You will be given a time allotment when booking. The tour is two hours in total.

Tour the Shire

On your tour, you will have a tour guide showing your around The shire itself, giving information as to what scenes took place in certain locations and some information about the movie making process. There are a total of 44 hobbit holes around the grounds, all in which display props representing the hobbits own unique personality and charm. It is quiet amazing how much effort has been put into every one of these homes.

If you’re a keen gardening enthusiast, it’s also a great way to get some inspo. Veggie patches, flower gardens and lush vines that entwine the Shire can be admired throughout your journey. You also have the opportunity to get photographed in a Hobbit home by the tour guide, check out Bilbo’s home and play in the Garden where Bilbo’s eleventyth birthday took place.

Explore a hobbit hole

Exploring the interior of the hobbit holes are a BRAND new experience at Hobbiton! We were some of the first people to be let in and adventure this incredible oasis as the interiors have been under construction for the past decade.

A whole functioning house can be explored! Fitted out with bedrooms, bathrooms and a full functioning kitchen – all Hobbit style of course – this can be all explored and photographed. No element within has been untouched, with all items being embellished with charm and exquisite craftsmanship.

Finish at the Green Dragon

After exiting the hobbit hole, you will walk down a trail, over a stone bridge and passed the mill and to the iconic Green Dragon. These iconic places are just as beautiful as the film! If that’s not already an experience in itself, you will enter the Green Dragon and be given a free beverage of your liking. There are choices of home brewed mead. There is a selection of four drinks to choose from, in addition to a ginger beer as a non alcoholic option.

You can sit in the garden or within the Green Dragon itself to enjoy your drink before walking back to the bus and setting off to the movie set car park and shops.