Wellington's Original Lord of the Rings Full Day Experience [including Weta and lunch]

Enjoy a full day, all-inclusive adventure in Wellington, the home of middle-Earth. Visit some amazing locations from the Lord of the Rings movies, enjoy a delicious lunch and visit the famous Weta Workshop, where the films were created, with our experienced and highly knowledgeable guides with decades of experience between them.

After picking you up from the Cruise
Terminal or one of our several convenient Wellington City locations, you will
start your journey by seeing the Embassy Cinema and learning about the
extraordinary World Premieres of The Return of the King and An Unexpected
Journey. Then, ascend to the Mt Victoria lookout, where you will enjoy a
breathtaking view of the city and the harbour.

You will then descend into the forested slopes
of the nearby Outer Shire, where our expert guides will explain the wonders of
film making and entertain you with stories of how the Lord of the Rings movies
were brought to life. You will follow in the footsteps of Frodo and the Hobbits
as they began their quest to destroy the One Ring and see the places
where they encountered mushrooms and Black Riders before they "get off the
road" and flee to the Buckleberry Ferry. You will have the chance to
recreate some of the most famous scenes from The Fellowship of the Ring and
make your social media streams go crazy!

Next, you head to the Miramar Peninsula and the film-making Mecca of
Wellywood. This is the home of the famous Weta Workshop where you will enjoy a behind-the-scenes tour in a specially designed, top secret tour space. A Weta artist will share
the secrets behind movie-making and explain how the props, costumes,
weapons and creatures were brought to life. You
will have the chance to take photos with some of the iconic characters from the
middle-Earth movies and pick up a souvenir or two, if desired.

After lunch, you will drive to Kaitoke Regional Park, a stunning, thousand year old, temperate rain forest. This was used as the location for the beautiful Rivendell, the last homely house east of the sea. Here you will immerse yourself in the magical setting and learn how the area was transformed into Elrond's house, Frodo's bedroom and the bridge where Arwen and Aragorn share a kiss. You can release your inner Elf and snap a photo reenacting a famous Legolas image and then recreate the scene where Frodo leads the newly formed Fellowship towards Mordor by posing in front of the Rivendell gate tower which is the only Lord of the Rings replica structure in the whole of New Zealand outside of Hobbiton.

You will also see a scene from the Fords of Isen, where Eomund was found by Eomer at the start of The Two Towers, and have a chance to cross a swing bridge and visit a giant 800-year-old native Rimu tree and learn something of New Zealand's flora and fauna.

Finally, you will visit Harcourt Park, where you can explore the Gardens of Isengard. You will see where Gandalf rode to meet Saruman and ask for his advice after discovering Frodo was in possession of the One Ring and where the wizards walked through the beautiful gardens before they were destroyed. This is also the location where the Orcs began felling Fangorn Forest.

We now start the journey back to Wellington City, passing by Dry Creek Quarry, that was used for the settings of Helm's Deep and Minas Tirith, on the way. This is now a working quarry so we are not allowed access, but your guide will share stories and photos as you see it from the road. 

You will then be returned to your pick up location at the end of the day, full of information and stories that will make your friends and family jealous. This tour is a must-do for any fan of fantasy and adventure and those who may not be so familiar with the story, but just want to enjoy some of the most beautiful places in the Wellington region. Book your spot today and join us on this unforgettable journey!