Half Day Wellington LOTR Tour
4-hour Guided Tour
This guided minibus tour will take you around the famous Lord of the Rings sights in Wellington city. While visiting both famous and secret filming locations, your guide regales tales and insider knowledge about the sets and sites you visit.
Your tours starts with a tour around the city, passing the famous old Embassy Theater that Peter Jackson renovated to host the world premieres of Return of the King and and An Unexpected Journey.
Ascending Mount Victoria, you will stop and admire the panoramic views of Wellington before descending into Hobbiton Woods. As you wander through the mystic woodland, you'll discover the locations for several LOTR scenes, including: the Shortcut to Mushroom scene; Sam & Frodo's Second Breakfast; the hiding place of the Hobbits from the Black Rider; the Race to the Buckleberry Ferry scene; and King Theoden's Dunharrow Encampment.
Weta Workshop
From Hobbiton Woods, your guide will drive you the Miramar Peninsula and Wellington's famous home of film effects; Weta Workshop.
In an incredible and exclusive behind-the-scenes guided tour, you will be shown the inner-workings of this movie-making heaven and it's mesmerising labarynth of workshops and buildings. You be treated to inside stories of how the LOTR movies were made, and the challenges the Weta team had to overcome. You'll see and touch original props from the films. You'll watch technicians, artists, and curious machines as they work on their latest creations.
Your tour will also include an insightful visit to the set of Thunderbirds Are Go - the brainchild of Weta owner Richard Taylor.
Round the bays and home
To cap off a thrilling afternoon, the tour bus will take you the long way back to the city centre, driving around the scenic bays of southern Wellington.
En-route you'll get a real flavour for Wellington's uniquely quiant size and beautiful setting. On a clear day, you'll see the Kaikoura mountains rising from the South Island above Blenheim and Marlborough.
The tour bus will then drop you back at your hotel for a welcome rest!
How to get there:
The Lord of the Rings half day tour is available with the following trains, tours and packages: