A land of hobbit houses, brightly painted doors, whimsical times, and underground landscapes is no longer a myth. The created world of Middle Earth exists on the North Island of New Zealand. Hobbiton is the place where fairytales of lords, rings, hobbits, green dragons, and delicious ale are not only real; they are a legend.
The first stop on the tour and most photographed hobbit house in all of Hobbiton.
Look for Pickles, the luckiest cat of all of Middle Earth, who lives at Hobbiton.
It’s all in the details. During your visit be sure to look for the clues which give away which hobbit lives where.
Most of the houses are off limits to entry. Don’t be discouraged because remember this is the outdoor set, not the indoor one.
One house is available for entry. I will say the interior isn’t what you expect, but the house does make for some cute photos. (Matt’s parents)
The chess masters playground. Remember it’s all in the details.
The yellow door house seems to get the most press, but the house everyone wants to see is Bilbo Baggins’ home. The green door and fake tree are dead giveaways.
If your group isn’t large, there are a few props and locations to play up your own Hobbiton character.
The landscaping for each house is unique to each hobbit. The flowers, trees, bushes were all brought in for the movie and are now maintained on a daily basis.
Hobbits need clean clothes, too. Do you recognize those trousers?
The lay of the land. The Green Dragon is located on the opposite side of the water.
A better view of Bilbo Baggins’ green door.
Take a turn at a Maypole dance in the festival area.
The mailboxes in Hobbiton are as cute as the houses.
The flowers around Hobbiton are beautiful.
Right or left? Tough decision.
1 of 2 notice boards for anyone looking for a job or needing to buy anything.
Try your hand at driving the wagon with imaginary horse or cattle (of course).
The legendary Green Dragon Inn.
Fancy a warm up in front of the roaring fire in the Green Dragon Inn?
Don’t forget to look up when in the Green Dragon Inn.
The best reason to visit the Green Dragon Inn is the ALE. We tried the Oatbarton (dark), Girdley (light) and Frogmorton Ginger (non-alcoholic). All were quite good, but the Oatbarton was our favorite.
The locals like to stay awhile and make an evening of it.
For an extra fee, you can try the beef and ale pie or various menu items at the Green Dragon Inn. Definitely worth it!
Need a job or supplies? Check out the notice boards by the boat house or in the Green Dragon Inn for latest opportunities.
Claire was our private tour guide for the morning. She was absolutely awesome! She was fun, knowledgeable and her enthusiasm for her job was contagious.
View of the lake with the Green Dragon Inn to the left.
Lakeshore hobbit hole properties. Now those are some prime real estate locations.
Fishermen’s catch of the day can be viewed on the side of the lake. Maybe one of Hobbiton’s more lucrative jobs.
Tips for a Better Visit
If you have time before your visit, brush up on your Lord of the Rings knowledge. It’s fun to visualize the little tidbits from the movie your guide will give you throughout your tour.
Splurge and book the first private tour of the day. You get the whole property to yourself for a good 10 minutes or longer, and it’s glorious!
If you can’t afford or don’t have an interest in the private tour, book yourself for the first public tour of the day. Thousands of people visit Hobbiton a day. Booking early decreases the chance of numerous people in your photos.
When to Go: Tours times vary depending on depart location and type of tour. Check Hobbiton’s website for details.
Prices: $89 NZD and up/Adults 16+; $44 NZD and up/Child 9-16; FREE Child 0-8. Prices vary depending on tour departure, type of tour, and public/private options.
Restaurant and Museum: Food is available at the Green Dragon Inn and The Shire’s Rest Cafe. If you are on tour, your time at the Green Dragon Inn is usually limited; check with your tour guide. The Shire’s Rest Cafe is open seven days a week, from 8.30 am to 4.30 pm (extended hours in summer).
Travelationship Rating
5 out of 5 Travelationship High Fives. For the Traveler Who Likes – Adventure, Movie Locations, Mythical, Bucket Lister
I would absolutely love this place! The surroundings are beautiful, too. Maybe some day I’ll make it to New Zealand and have the opportunity to visit. Thanks for highlighting it.
What a cool place to go and visit! When we visit NZ, there is no doubt that we will come here and see the whole LOTR set. We better get reading some of those book so we know what to look for!
It is such a blast walking around the grounds, and the setting is hard to beat Lord, New Zealand should be at the top of everyone’s list. Hope you make it there soon.
Hobbiton is definitely out of the world. You have brought alive the place in your pictures. What a surreal feeling you must have experienced when you were there. Reading through you post and looking at the pictures, I felt like the Lord of the Rings! 🙂
It is such a fun and magical place, Kimberly. We had the best time there and heading into The Green Dragon for a pint and some grub, really rounded out the experience. I think you will love it.
The maypole dance looks like so much fun. I did not even know about it. The lake side looks so gorgeous. I can pretend to read a book here. Pretend because at places like these, I am often distracted by the beauty of nature.
The dance was too fun! The setting is so picturesque, and one’s eye can not seem to stop and rest as you are constantly searching for new treasures. Sadly they don’t let you linger too long, so you might have to save the book for later, but it would be a grand place for it.
Going on the LOTR trip when in NZ had always been in my mind. Thank you for attaching the practical information and prices. All the pictures are lovely!!
It is a great place, Doreen! I don’t think it is mandatory to be a big Lord of the Rings fan to enjoy the set. Your imagination can fill in all kinds of things on your tour.
Hobbiton is so charming. And the surrounding countryside, wow, it’s even more amazing. We’d love to visit this place when we make it to New Zealand. thanks for spotlighting it.
Thank you. Hobbiton and its surroundings are charming in Spades! It is just crazy how comfortable and unique the area is. Can’t recommend a trip to Hobbiton or New Zealand enough.
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I would absolutely love this place! The surroundings are beautiful, too. Maybe some day I’ll make it to New Zealand and have the opportunity to visit. Thanks for highlighting it.
What a cool place to go and visit! When we visit NZ, there is no doubt that we will come here and see the whole LOTR set. We better get reading some of those book so we know what to look for!
I know you will love it. The books are good too, but the guides have loads of stories and hidden details to point out.
I watched this movie, and really would love to visit the set. I’m dying to go to NZ! 🙂
It is such a blast walking around the grounds, and the setting is hard to beat Lord, New Zealand should be at the top of everyone’s list. Hope you make it there soon.
I’m such a LOTR junky! I would totally love to visit here!
I think anybody would have a good time Kevin, it is such a fun place. Being an LOTR fan only makes it that much more fun.
Hobbiton is definitely out of the world. You have brought alive the place in your pictures. What a surreal feeling you must have experienced when you were there. Reading through you post and looking at the pictures, I felt like the Lord of the Rings! 🙂
Thank you so much, Sandy. We just took pictures though, the grounds crew there do an immaculate job. It is too cool to visit.
This is on my bucket list, Id LOVE to go one day, I dream of hobbit life. Its so perfect and unique
It is such a fun and magical place, Kimberly. We had the best time there and heading into The Green Dragon for a pint and some grub, really rounded out the experience. I think you will love it.
The maypole dance looks like so much fun. I did not even know about it. The lake side looks so gorgeous. I can pretend to read a book here. Pretend because at places like these, I am often distracted by the beauty of nature.
The dance was too fun! The setting is so picturesque, and one’s eye can not seem to stop and rest as you are constantly searching for new treasures. Sadly they don’t let you linger too long, so you might have to save the book for later, but it would be a grand place for it.
How fun! Did you role play Lord of the Rings while your were there? These photos are incredible, looks so beautiful there.
It was so fun! We did not make it to role playing, not too much time to dilly-dallying. Thanks, the grounds were perfect.
Going on the LOTR trip when in NZ had always been in my mind. Thank you for attaching the practical information and prices. All the pictures are lovely!!
We only got to see a couple places from the LOTR, and it only made me want to see more. Thanks, hope this will help you when you take your trip.
This would definitely help me a lot!
Hobbit on looks like an amazing place! I admit to not being a huge Lord of the Rings fan, but am sure I would still enjoy a visit.
It is a great place, Doreen! I don’t think it is mandatory to be a big Lord of the Rings fan to enjoy the set. Your imagination can fill in all kinds of things on your tour.
Hobbiton is so charming. And the surrounding countryside, wow, it’s even more amazing. We’d love to visit this place when we make it to New Zealand. thanks for spotlighting it.
Thank you. Hobbiton and its surroundings are charming in Spades! It is just crazy how comfortable and unique the area is. Can’t recommend a trip to Hobbiton or New Zealand enough.