Rotorua to Auckland via Hobbiton Movie Set One-Way Private Tour

The bespoke 8-day New Zealand Luxury Photography Tour has been created with your absolute comfort in mind. Indulge your senses on this exciting adventure, the pinnacle of small-group photography travel currently available in New Zealand. In the style of a custom experience we have tailor-made this exclusive photography workshop for discerning travellers who seek the ultimate combination of breath-taking photography locations, world-class private lodge accommodation, and exquisite fine-dining cuisine.

Explore the forest together and identify plants and trees used in traditional Māori healing and wellbeing, learning about the properties of local plants. They will introduce you to the tikanga associated with harvesting, preparing and using plants for rongoā from their own experiences. These tours are generally with small groups and offer the opportunity to ask questions.

Combine a luxury transfer from Rotorua to Auckland with a visit to 2 world-famous attractions. After pick-up in Rotorua, we drive across the Mamaku Plateau to the Hobbiton Movie Set, made world-famous as the original setting of Sir Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies. On the 2.5 hour Group tour of the Hobbiton Movie Set, get astonishing insights into how these movies were made and which parts of the movies were filmed here. We then continue on to Waitomo Caves, in the Waikato region, taking in the special region as we drive through the beautiful countryside of New Zealand’s North Island. At Waitomo, experience the underground wonderland that is Waitomo Glowworm Caves on a Group tour.

Experience riding on a velodrama with our Have A Go sessions. An accredited coach will fit you with a bike and helmet and will expertly guide you through your session on the track. The session is one hour in duration and no matter what skill or fitness level you are, our coaches are experienced in tailoring your experience that’s safe but challenging enough just for you. Bike, helmet and coach provided.

Step through the pest-proof gate into another world, where an ancient forest tower majestically above well-maintained walking tracks and the air is filled with birdsong. Explore the Sanctuary at your own pace or with an experienced guide who will help you spot the wildlife, including kākā, takahē, tuatara, kiwi, tīeke and more. Relax in the clearing or take an optional walk up the 16-metre observation tower, offering a unique perspective from within the forest canopy. Sanctuary Mountain is located in the heart of the Waikato, and as a not-for-profit, every visit helps make our conservation efforts possible. So come and share the mauri and mana of Maungatautari. You will come away enriched and enlightened by this spectacular environment.

Make the first footsteps in the morning dew on the Movie Set as part of our first tour of the day. Your tour guide will escort you through the 12 acre movie set, recounting fascinating details from filming the trilogies and pointing out the most iconic sites and scenes. After a visit to The Green Dragon™ Inn where you will be offered a complimentary beverage from our exclusive Hobbit™ Southfarthing™ range, follow your guide back over the double arch stone bridge to The Millhouse, just across the water from The Green Dragon Inn, where you will be treated to a breakfast spread fit for a Hobbit. After you've had your fill, it's time to make your way back to The Shire's Rest, after all, this is only the second of a Hobbit's seven daily meals.