In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort.
Comfort. Good food. A laid-back lifestyle. The option to not wear footwear (ever). Who wouldn't want to be a hobbit?
Ever since I became a Tolkien fan more than a decade ago, I found myself identifying with the “little folk” the most. The ones with chubby cheeks and broad smiles who would rather tell jokes and smoke pipe weed than worry about world politics or corporate jobs.
I could totally picture myself living happily ever after in a place like Hobbiton. IF a place like Hobbiton could ever exist.
Well guess what? It DOES exist — at least, the movie set does in New Zealand.
The Story of Hobbiton
In the tiny farming community of Matamata, a booming tourism business has sprung up around what was (and still is) a large sheep farm stretching across rolling green hills in New Zealand's Waikato district.
Years ago, a “Lord of the Rings” location scout flew over the Alexander family farm in search of a large tree beside a lake. What he found was the ideal location for filming the whole of the Shire.
The story goes that the scout landed his helicopter and went up to the farm house in order to inquire about possibly using the land in a movie. Mr. Alexander informed the scout that the rugby was on, and asked him to come back later.
Luckily, he did.
When the set was built for the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy, it was mostly made of polystyrene and other non-permanent materials — meaning, once filming was done, the set was (for the most part) completely torn down.
But the tourists still trickled in, eager to set eyes upon Hobbiton even if there was nothing left.
So, when Peter Jackson decided to use the Alexander farm again for the “Hobbit” trilogy, the family agreed on one condition — that they build the set out of permanent materials this time so that the tourists could REALLY come to visit Hobbiton after filming was over.
Long story short: everyone agreed that it would be an awesome idea. Which is why today you can really visit Hobbiton.
The site has become a must-do for many travelers to New Zealand, so here are a few tips for your visit to Hobbiton.
Tips for visiting Hobbiton
1. Prepare for any kind of weather
The Alexander farm almost has its own micro-climate. Weather can blow in and out faster than you ever thought possible — what looks like a calm, sunny day at first can quickly turn into a gale with sideways rain.
When I arrived at Hobbiton this time around, the sun was shining. As soon as we got onto the set, however, it started pouring. But by the time we made it up to Bag End, the sun was out and the sky was blue again.
My tip? Wear layers, and grab an umbrella at the start of the tour if there's ANY chance of rain at all!
2. Expect it to be crowded
Hobbiton is the only full movie set left in-tact in New Zealand, and it draws all sorts of people — even people who aren't fans of the films. You cannot roam around Hobbiton on your own; you have to book a tour and follow a Hobbiton guide through the set.
During high season, it CAN get crowded, so don't automatically assume that it will be easy to snap photos without any people in them!
They do limit how many people can go on each tour (so it IS important to book ahead!), but they can accommodate a lot of people in each tour group.
But being in Hobbiton was so magical that I was able to overlook all the other tourists!
3. Keep an eye out for all the little details
Even though the hobbit holes here are just facades (the interior sets were all shot on a sound stage in Wellington), the details here are INCREDIBLE. Laundry lines with washing hung out to dry. A picnic set up on the dock. Moss and lichen growing on the fences. Brooms and gardening tools near hobbit doors.
Even the mailboxes are hand-painted (and reflect the occupation of the hobbit who calls that hole home!).
Spend some time looking and you'll catch lots of adorable details. If you go in the spring/summer, the gardens crew has the place looking beautiful, with all sorts of colorful plants and flowers growing.
My favorite, though? All the signs on notice boards and inside the Green Dragon!
4. Have a pint at the Green Dragon
Speaking of the Green Dragon, you can actually go inside and have a pint at the hobbits' favorite pub at the end of your tour. There are specially-brewed beers here (and a non-alcoholic ginger beer) — and yes, it comes in pints!
5. Have a full camera battery
If you're even a little bit like me and have ever envisioned yourself as a hobbit in Middle Earth, then a visit to Hobbiton is a MUST. Just be sure to fully charge your camera battery — I've heard of people taking hundreds of photos here in one day! (My count, in case you were curious, was close to 200…)
BONUS: Book the Evening Banquet Tour
If you want to take your Hobbiton experience up a notch, consider booking yourself on an Evening Banquet Tour. These tours take place only a couple times per week, and include not only an evening/sunset tour of the Hobbiton set, but also a multi-course hobbit-inspired feast inside the Green Dragon.
This is the ultimate experience for any wannabe hobbit!
IF YOU GO TO HOBBITON…
If you have a car and can get to Matamata yourself, you can book a tour directly with the farm, Hobbiton Movie Set Tours, which leave frequently from the farm's office/gift shop, the Shire's Rest.
If you don't have a car, you can also book a Hobbiton day tour from Auckland.
And if you're staying in Rotorua, you can book the Evening Banquet Tour with transport here.
READ NEXT: 5 Middle Earth Locations You Can Visit in Real Life
Who's ready to go to Hobbiton now??
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Amanda Williams is the award-winning blogger behind A Dangerous Business Travel Blog. She has traveled to more than 60 countries on 6 continents from her home base in Ohio, specializing in experiential and thoughtful travel through the US, Europe, and rest of the world. Amanda only shares tips based on her personal experiences and places she's actually traveled!
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This was one place I never visited when in NZ… I just didn’t figure myself a big enough fan. But the photos are really adorable. I might have to go next time in am in NZ
I think it would be fun even if you’re not much of a fan. The hobbit holes are so cute, and the attention to detail really is impressive. And having a drink at the Green Dragon definitely doesn’t require fan-dom! 😉
Very neat tour! They made a beautiful and green area, and you can’t even tell it’s crowded! Thanks for sharing!
The gardening crew here is magic!
Yay for Hobbiton!! I’m just asking myself HOW I didn’t know about this? Thanks for informing me so wonderfully. Love love love your blog.
Haha, you are most welcome!! And, don’t worry – it’s rather new; it didn’t exist like this until they re-built the set for the “Hobbit” movies a few years ago!
This is so incredible. New Zealand, and Hobbition in particular, are high on my travel list. I’m hoping to make it before the end of 2015, but we’ll see! I’m so happy you got to go, and it’s obvious you enjoyed yourself!
Yes, LOVED it! New Zealand is just all-around amazing. Stay tuned, because there’s plenty more NZ content to come!
Looking forward to reading it! Adding your blog to my feedly.
Yup, this totally just went on my Keg List (bucket list). I’ve heard of Hobbiton before, but didn’t realize it was so adorably detailed! The clothes on the line! SQUEE! (PS Love the new banner.)
It’s sooooo adorable and detailed! I was really tempted to hide out in one of the hobbit holes and never leave!
Ugh, I would LOVE to visit Hobbiton. I’m insanely jealous. I love how they managed to keep all the details.
The details are INSANE. There’s so much hidden in little corners – like a picnic laid out on a dock, a few empty bottles set on a little table in a field, and all the lines of laundry. I LOVED it – would definitely go again!
If I get the opportunity to go to NZ one day, definitely will come to Hobbiton. Did you manage to catch a glimpse of Frodo or Bilbo from the Shire ? hehehe
I did keep an eye out for Frodo, but no luck! 😉
Definitely a must-visit in New Zealand!
Seriously beautiful photos! It’s been 5 years since I was in NZ and I’d love to go back – especially after seeing your posts and photos!
New Zealand for me is like Africa for you – no matter how many times I’ve been, I always want to go back! I literally just got back to the US today, and I already miss it. Going to the re-built Hobbiton this time around was definitely a highlight!
This is amazing. These pics really made me crazy and i love to visit this place.
It was so fun!
You can be sure I’m adding this to my places I *have* to visit! This is every Tolkien-fan’s dream. Actually, scratch that. The ultimate dream would be to live in Hobbiton, but I guess we can settle for such a gorgeous set.
Haha, yes, I guess we’ll have to settle for just visiting! I’m with you, though – if I could live there, I totally would want to!
that’s all so cute. I would probably try to move in there and never leave!
Haha, I definitely considered it!
I am nerding out right now. Hobbiton looks INCREDIBLE. All those details. Didya spot any hobbits? ;).
It was already on my must see list but now I think it just got pushed up. SO COOL. I remember after LOTR was done filming how sad I was to find out all the sets had been torn down (with understandable reasoning of course) but I thought to myself that some of them would bring in a lot of tourist business. So I am glad that this one is there 🙂
Yes, I’m really glad that they worked it out to be permanent this time. It really is amazing, and such a unique place to be able to visit! Definitely a must-do in New Zealand!
Looks sooo awesome! I’m not even a die hard Hobbit fan but i would love to go. Were you able to get a peak inside the homes at all?
It’s a fun place, even if you’re not really a fan! There’s not much inside the houses (they’re just fronts, really), but sometimes they’ll open up a door so you can stand inside it and pretend you live there! Haha.
I loved Hobbiton! I wasn’t sure how I would find it as I knew there would be a lot of people there but it was simply one of the most magical places I have ever been. I wish there were real villages that looked like this
I felt the exact same way! The amount of people didn’t really bother me at all because it was such an amazing place and a really unique experience! I had visited previously, before it was rebuilt – it’s so much more incredible now!