Peak behind the scenes of 'The Hobbit' with these iconic film tours.
J. R. R. Tolkien fans are often so devoted they look for traces of Middle‑earth™ in real life. If you fall into this camp, here’s some ‘The Hobbit’ film tours that will help bring Middle‑earth™ to life.
Visit Hobbiton™ Movie Set(opens in new window) for a guided tour of The Shire. The former film set comprises a millhouse, a Green Dragon Inn, and 44 hobbit holes. At the time of filming, those little round doors, so quaint and inviting, opened to nothing but empty space and film-set detritus. Since filming wrapped, the owners of Hobbiton™ Movie Set have renovated the interiors of the Green Dragon Inn and two hobbit holes on Bagshot Row, with the help of designers and illustrators who worked on the films. You can now stop in at the Green Dragon Inn for a Hobbit™ Southfarthing™ beverage and explore inside a hobbit hole to find hidden Easter eggs. You must imagine the rest: there are no people dressed as Hobbits, waving and smiling Disney-style, here (unless you count the occasional visitor).
Take a guided tour at Wētā Workshop(opens in new window) (Wellington) for a close-up look at select props and costumes – many of which were crafted by hand. For instance, it took two people months to assemble the 250 million plastic rings to create the chain mail for the 'Lord of the Rings' films. A lot of work for what would have been a few seconds of screen time.
A highlight of the Wētā Workshop Experience tour is watching Wētā's artists at work. Their incredible skill and creativity will amaze you, but then so will some of the materials they use. Those Elvin statues: they’re not made of what you think they’re made of. (Spoiler: it’s tinfoil.)
At Wētā Workshop Unleashed(opens in new window) (Auckland) visit the Wētā Cave to see giant trolls and a full-size sleeping dragon. Stop off at the store on your way out for cool mementos from ‘The Lord of the Rings’ and ‘The Hobbit’ movies.
See the filming location for Trollshaws Forest with a Hairy Feet Waitomo(opens in new window) tour. Here, you’ll see a part of Aotearoa New Zealand that isn’t normally open to the public.
