The Hobbit Trilogy was filmed entirely in Aotearoa New Zealand, using more than 150 locations across the North and South Islands. Handpicked for their resemblance to J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle‑earth™, these stunning sites are among cinema's most iconic backdrops.
This scene and all of the others that were filmed in the Shire took place in Matamata, Waikato in New Zealand. The Hobbit film set was first built for the Lord of the Rings trilogy but was taken down after the shooting was complete. However, for The Hobbit films, they made the set permanent.
Matamata. Enter the magical world of The Shire and Hobbiton, set in the lush, rolling hills of a 1250-acre sheep farm around the Waikato town of Matamata, near Rotorua. The Hobbiton Movie Set was created for The Lord of the Rings trilogy and rebuilt for The Hobbit trilogy.
The lush dairy farming landscape around the Waikato town of Matamata was used to portray the peaceful Shire region of Middle‑earth™. The village of Hobbiton was created here with brilliant attention to detail. It was later rebuilt for the filming of The Hobbit Trilogy and is now a permanent attraction.
A Tour of Hobbiton Movie Set | Nerd in New Zealand
Can I stay in a hobbit hole in New Zealand?
Stay in a Hobbit Hole New Zealand
There are two properties in New Zealand that offer this experience, Underhill offer hobbit-style accommodation hand crafted with rustic native timbers and ironwork and caters for couples. Huge timber doors open wide to overlook a picturesque pond and farmland beyond.
Can we go into Bag End? Access to Bag End is not permitted on tour. Bagshot Row is home to the only Hobbit Holes on the Movie Set with fully themed interiors. The other Hobbit Holes you pass around the Movie Set remain external facades.
Can you visit The Lord of the Rings set in New Zealand?
Bagshot Row, Hobbiton™ Movie Set Tours, Waikato
See the filming location for The Shire at Hobbiton™ Movie Set Tours(opens in new window). The former film set comprises forty-four hobbit holes, a millhouse, and a Green Dragon Inn.
Erebor stands hundreds of miles from the nearest mountain range. Tolkien's rendering of Thrór's map in The Hobbit shows it with six ridges stretching out from a central peak that was snowcapped well into spring. The whole mountain is some ten miles in diameter; it contains an immense wealth of gold and jewels.
The Land of Mordor (where the shadows lie) was filmed primarily in Tongariro National Park. With black rocks, towering peaks and desolate plains, it made the perfect place for Sauron to call home. Mount Ngauruhoe was used as the non-CGI Mount Doom.
' The Hobbit Trilogy was filmed entirely in Aotearoa New Zealand, using more than 150 locations across the North and South Islands. Handpicked for their resemblance to J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle‑earth™, these stunning sites are among cinema's most iconic backdrops.
It is situated on a family-run farm about 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) west of Hinuera and 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) southwest of Matamata, in Waikato, New Zealand, and is now a Tolkien tourism destination, offering a guided tour of the set.
Most snow in New Zealand falls in the mountain areas. Snow rarely falls in the coastal areas of the North Island and west of the South Island, although the east and south of the South Island may experience some snow in winter.
The Necromancer mentioned in "The Hobbit" is spoken of as a dark sorcerer who took up residence at Dol Guldur. His evil powers corrupted the Greenwood, turning it into the Mirkwood and drawing Gandalf away from the Dwarves' expedition. At the end of the novel, the Necromancer is revealed to be the sorcerer, Sauron.
Who is Legolas? Legolas is a Sindarin Elf from the Woodland Realm of Northern Mirkwood. His father, Thranduil, is the King of the Silvan Elves living in that realm, making Legolas the Prince of Mirkwood.
Gandalf 'felt' that he was bolder than the other hobbits and he decided to have Bilbo join Thorin and his company. Gandalf (and many others) regarded Bilbo and Frodo as the best hobbits in whole Middle-earth.
If you have come to New Zealand to see Middle-earth in real life, prepare to be wowed. And to make your Lord of the Rings experience even more special, you can stay in a hobbit hole. You can stay in a hobbit hole in two places not far from the Hobbiton Movie Set: Woodlyn Park Hotel.
The best time to travel to New Zealand is during the warm summer months from late January to early March. During this time, summer holidays are over and the crowds are gone, but the weather is still warm and dry. Summer days are long and bright, making it the best time to visit beaches and go hiking.
Bag End is the underground dwelling of the Hobbits Bilbo and Frodo Baggins in J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy novels The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. From there, both Bilbo and Frodo set out on their adventures, and both return there, for a while.
Join us and experience the real Middle-earth™ at the Hobbiton Movie Set, where, in the heart of the Waikato region, you can step into the lush pastures of the Shire™, as seen in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit film trilogies.
Frodo tells Sam that he (Frodo) and Bilbo will leave Middle-earth, along with Gandalf and most of the remaining High Elves, for the Undying Lands. Frodo gives Sam the estate of Bag End, and the Red Book of Westmarch for Sam to continue, hinting that Sam may also be allowed to travel into the West eventually.
Tongariro National Park – The land of Mordor. If you were only able to visit one real life Lord of the Rings location in New Zealand, then the Tongariro National Park has to be it. This was the main setting for the land of Mordor, and is home to phenomenal scenery.
