Itinerary

1. Day 1: Arrival in Auckland

   • Meet and greet your driver-guide at the airport. Transfer to your accommodation, check in and spend some free time.

   Accommodation Ramada Auckland or similar with Continental Breakfast included. Dinner is not included.

2. Day 2: Hobbiton - Ruapehu

   • After breakfast, your driver-guide will take you to Hobbiton in Matamata, where you will enjoy a 2-hour tour.
   • Experience the real Middle-earth at the Hobbiton movie set, where, in the heart of the Waikato region, you can enter the lush pastures of the Shire, as seen in the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies.
   • There is the Alexander family's sheep farm as you travel through the unmistakable beauty of the land, with the mighty Kaimai Ranges towering in the distance. Your guide will then accompany you to the set, showing you the intricate details, pointing out the most famous sights, and explaining how the magic of the film was made.
   • You will be fully guided on a walking (and minibus) tour around the 12-acre set, past Hobbit Holes, the Mill and the famous Green Dragon Inn, where you will be presented with a free and exclusive Hobbit Southfarthing drink to conclude your Middle-earth adventure.
   • Later, continue to Ruapehu and check into accommodation. The Park Tongariro with breakfast included. 

   Dinner is not included. It is advisable to make a reservation at the hotel.

3. Day 3: Tongariro National Park

   • After breakfast, we will leave for Mt Ngarahoe (Mt Doom). It is a journey of about 4-5 hours that takes you between different levels and layers of the extinct volcano -Mt Ngarahoe, where you can photograph the Emerald Lakes and climb the volcano if you are informed.

   Check-in at your accommodation. Bed and breakfast included. Dinner is not included, and reservation is recommended. 

   Extra activity: Fly over Tongariro and the National Park with Mountain Air Volcanic Flights (book in advance, approximately $ 400) to see the two volcanoes and the plains from above.

4. Day 4: Wellington via Taranaki Falls

   • Today, we will leave the park and head to Wellington, the capital of New Zealand and the second-most populous urban area. 
   • After breakfast, go for a walk to see Taranaki Falls.
     Arrive in Wellington with a small walking tour, if possible, around the main structures: Bee Hive, Parliament, Te Papa, built with technology developed in New Zealand for base insulation - which essentially consists of placing the entire building on lead supports, steel and rubber that slow down the effect of an earthquake.

   Extra activity: entrance to Te Papa or the Weta Workshop, where they created the creatures of LOTR. 

   Check-in at your accommodation. Bed and breakfast included. Dinner is not included. Hotel: Distinction (or similar)

5. Day 5: Wellington - Picton - Kaikoura

   • After breakfast, check out and depart to cross the Malborough Sounds with the Interislander Ferry to arrive in Picton (approximately 3 hours).
     Arrival in Picton and continuation to Kaikoura. Arrive and check-in at your accommodation with breakfast. Dinner is not included.

   Accommodation: B&B or similar 

   Extra activity: Whale Watch - small cruise to see whales: if the activity is cancelled due to no visibility or rough sea, the ticket will be partially refunded (reservations recommended) $190/person. Swim with the Dolphins (reservations recommended) for $220/person. (Both activities are in high demand).

6. Day 6: Kaikoura - Christchurch

   • After breakfast, we will leave for Christchurch or do an activity (cruise or dolphins). 
   • Pass through the Waipara Valley, where the Cantabrian wines are made; time to have a wine tasting - extra activity ($10 approx. per person).
   • Arrival and small excursion around the city. 
   • Check-in at your Ramada or similar accommodation with breakfast included. Dinner is not included.

7. Day 7: Edoras

   • Exciting off-road adventure through several small streams and directly on Edoras itself.
   • Take a short guided walk to the summit of Edoras and enjoy, as Eowyn did, the breathtaking 360º views.
   • Take behind the scenes photos of Edoras under construction - exclusively for you.
   • See the Misty Mountains and the area that served as the backdrop to Helms Deep.
   • Enjoy a delicious packed lunch.
   • Handle equipment/props of the films: Aragorn's sword, King Theoden's sword, Gimli's axe and Rohan's flag.
   • Selection of goods available for purchase.
   • Find out why the actors and crew fell in love with this beautiful location.

   Accommodation Ramada or similar with breakfast included. 

8. Day 8: Christchurch - Queenstown Via Tekapo and Pukaki

   • After breakfast, we will depart for Queenstown with photo stops (Aoraki / Mt Cook, Twizel, Tekapo, Pukaki). 
   • Arrive in Queenstown and take a short drive to find your way around, then check in at your accommodation. Bed and breakfast included. 

   Hotel: Ramada Queenstown 

9. Day 9: Queenstown

   • Starting at 8:00 am, the tour first travels west to Glenorchy and Paradise before returning to Queenstown for lunch, followed by Arrowtown and Gibbston before finishing in Skippers Canyon. Refreshments of tea, coffee, and hot chocolate accompanied by cookies and cakes are served both in the morning and in the afternoon, and a light lunch is provided at one of Queenstown's cafes. 
   • The morning tour travels along the edge of Lake Wakatipu to the small hamlet of Glenorchy. This part is scenic with many photos stops along the way, and in the heavenly region of Mount Aspiring National Park, short flat forest trail walks are easy, and the road is a mixture of seal and gravel. 
   • The afternoon section is more rugged, with short periods of rough terrain and river crossings. 
   • The tour visits Gibbston and Arrowtown, and Skippers Canyon Road, which is high and windy. The short walks are on well-managed surfaces, and the opportunity to seek elf gold is beside the river on uneven ground. Tour content includes locations for Bruinen's Ford, Gladden Fields, Pillars of the Kings, Exodus from Edoras, Warg Battle, Misty Mountains, Ithilien Camp, Oliphants, Caradhras, Lothlorien, Fangorn, Gap of Rohan, Isengard, Dunharrow and many scene backgrounds.

   Accommodation with breakfast included 

10. Day 10: Queenstown - Te Anau - Milford Sounds - Te Anau

    • Today, we will leave early. After breakfast, your guide will take you to Milford Sounds ( 2 hours to reach Te Anau with a coffee stop, then an approximately 2 hours drive through the national park with photo stops to arrive at the terminal) for a fjord cruise. This cruise lasts approximately 2 hours on a boat carrying around 80-100 people and crew. It is the best way to visit the world's eighth wonder (R. Kipling). 
    • The cruise lasts 2 hours and is one of the most intimate and engaging ways to explore Milford Sound. The boats have been designed for better manoeuvrability to bring you closer to your incredible surroundings. The cruise has no more than 55 or 75 seats available, so you have enough space to appreciate its size.
    • Sit back and relax as your cruise makes its way into Milford Sound beyond the iconic Miter Peak. You will cruise the 16km fjord length past St Annes Point lighthouse with informative commentary from your skipper highlighting points of interest along the way, including towering Lady Bowen Falls, Lion Mountain, Copper Point, and Seal Rock and Stirling Falls. You will see towering peaks, sheer cliffs, waterfalls and lush rainforest. Feel the splashes of Fairy Falls and hear the sound of nature thriving in its habitat.
    • They will also take you to the Tasman Sea so that you can enjoy the unique opportunity to get close to the fjord, just like the first seal hunters did in the 18th century. Be sure to keep an eye out for seals basking in the sun, pods of dolphins, or the rare Fiordland crested penguins that can be found seasonally.
    • Free tea and coffee in the lounge and admire the landscape through the large windows. Or venture onto the large outdoor observation decks to breathe the pristine alpine air. Either way, you will be inspired by the majesty of the region.
    • Depart after the cruise to return to Te Anu overnight. Bed and breakfast included. Hotel: Distinction (or similar). Dinner is not included.

    Accommodation with breakfast included.

11. Day 11: Te Anau

    • Today, explore the highlights of Te Anau with a Lord of the Rings experience and the chance to add some of the area's fantastic activities, making this the best way to experience beautiful Te Anau. Led by their famous passionate tour guides, famous for bringing your trip to life by sharing their stories and rich background knowledge, and ride in modern and comfortable minibuses filled with extras that ensure comfort and safety.
    • Visit Lakes of Mavora, Lord of the Rings sites include Dead Marshes, Fangorn Forest, The River Anduin, and Te Anau Bird Sanctuary.
    • Then, go to Fiordland National Park, Rainbow Reach, Kepler Track and Waiau River.

    Accommodation with breakfast included.

12. Day 12: Te Anau - Queenstown International Airport

    • Have your breakfast, checkout from your accommodation and transfer to Queenstown International Airport with guide assistance.

    Tour ends.