The scenery from New Zealand looks like it should come straight out of a movie - and it does!
That’s right - the entire Lord of the Rings trilogywas shot right here in New Zealand itself!
Unfortunately, if you’re looking for one single shooting location that you can visit, you won’t find it. The entirety of the movie was shot in over 150 different locations in both the North and South Islands. So while we won’t be able to cover all shooting locations in this article, we can tell you where to find some of the most popular ones!
1) Hobbiton
One of the most magical and well known scenes in the Lord of the Rings series is Hobbiton. Located in the middle of nowhere in the heart of Waikato region, the town of Matamata is home to the Hobbiton Movie set.
For any Lord of the Rings fan who only has time to visit one filming location - this is it. Hobbiton is one of the only places in New Zealand where the original filming set of Lord of the Rings is still set up and intact.
Unfortunately, you won’t be able to tour this filming location without a guide, so be sure to book early so you don’t miss your spot! The Hobbiton Movie set tour will take you on a complete walk around of the filming location, explaining how the movie magic came to life each step of the way.
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2) Mount Doom
Anyone who’s seen Lord of the Rings knows that Mount Doom is where one ring was formed and destroyed by the Hobbits! In real life, Mount Doom goes by the name “Mount Ngauruhoe” and can be found in Tongariro National Park.
Made almost completely of soft ash, you can actually climb this mountain - if you want to make the 6 hour round trip trek from your vehicle. Of course, if you do make it to the top, you can tell all your friends you climbed Mount Doom - and the view isn’t so bad either!
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3) The Paths of the Dead
The place where Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas enter the Paths of the Dead is, in real life, known as the Putangirua Pinnacles. Located on the South Coast of North Island, this real life Lord of the Ring location offers stunning views and photo opportunities. If you want to trek the Pinnacles, you can follow the two hour loop that first takes you to an outlook overlooking them, and then down to walk in between them. If you look closely enough, you may even be able to spot the exact location, a crack in the rocks, where the entrance to the Path of the Dead was shot.
4) Twizel
Perhaps one of the most epic battles in the Lord of the Rings trilogy is the Battle of Pelennor Fields. To film the battle, over 1700 people were on set for over 32 days! You can visit the real life filming location of this battle in the small town of Twizel.
Again, you can’t tour this filming location without a guide because it’s on private land. There are, however, several companies that offer tours of this location. Just be sure to book early, because tours fill up fast!
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5) Weta Workshop
Okay, so it’s not actually a filming location, but the Weta Workshop in Wellington is where many of the props and costumes for Lord of the Rings were made. Upon visiting the small museum, you can see memorabilia from the film and even have the opportunity to watch props being made for upcoming films.
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