From Auckland:Hobbiton Movie Set & Waitomo Caves Small Group Tour

Start in Auckland, then travel south through the Waikato region, where rolling hills and mountain views set the scene for the day. Your first major stop is the Waitomo Glow Worm Caves, where a guided tour leads you underground through limestone chambers filled with stalactites, stalagmites, and lime columns. The experience ends in the Glowworm Grotto, where you board a boat and drift quietly beneath thousands of glowworms lighting the cave ceiling.

Before continuing, there is a lunch stop at the Waitomo homestead, with around 45 minutes to pause before the drive to Hobbiton.

From there, head to the Alexander Family Sheep Farm and Shire's Rest, the entry point to the Hobbiton Movie Set. After boarding one of the green Hobbiton buses, you join a 2.5-hour guided tour across the 12-acre set. Visit 44 hobbit holes, walk through the gardens, and hear stories about the making of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit films. The visit finishes with a drink at the Green Dragon Inn.

On the return to Auckland, the route includes views of New Zealand's longest river, the Huntly power station, and the Maori Queen's burial site, rounding off a day that moves from underground formations to one of the country's best-known film locations.