Things to do in Waikato

My family and I love the tour in overall. our tour guide, she was so professional and friendly (8:10 am 7/12). we are blessed with the good nice weather. i recommend to go in the morning, as it’s not that hot during summer.

Truly magical - one of the best experiences in New Zealand. The surroundings are surreal; it feels like another world. The tour includes behind-the-scenes insights and stories that will make your journey even more amazing.

I highly recommend this tour! It was incredibly comfortable, perfectly organized, and our guide, Anthony, was absolutely fantastic! Friendly, knowledgeable, and engaging. The entire experience was educational, enjoyable, and truly satisfying from start to finish.

This small group tour was great with two very friendly and interesting guides to drive us through the amazing region of Auckland, Cambridge, Hamilton and Waitomo. The journey to the first stop in the Alexander Farm in Watamata to get to the movie set Hobbiton was extraordinary accross the countryside, with our two guides full of anecdotes about the history of the land. The visit of the movie set itself, with a great guide, was incredible, with a story to every Hobbit hole of the set and many fun stories of the behind the scenes of the movie shooting. The visit ends with the exploration of two remodeled Hobbit holes in which it is so fun to take photos among the furnitures. The Hobbiton tour is followed with a drink at the tavern the Green Dragon. After the movie set, it was fine having a well deserved lunch at a local authentic restaurant, and to the next step: the exploration of the mysterious Waitomo Glowworm Caves, a wonder of NZ, with a passionate local guide. Thanks Cheeky Kiwi!

Highly recommend experiencing this small group tour of 5 to a maximum of 8 people! Our guide was Ash, an experienced guide who was very friendly, humorous, and helpful. He led us through the caves, explaining the cave structure, observing the creatures in the stream, crouching through crevices, and even tasting spring water along the way. Most importantly, we were able to take pictures of the area and even the glowworms (without flash, of course). The glowworm "starry sky" was also impressive because once our eyes adjusted to the darkness, the glowworms looked like thousands of stars on the cave ceiling, making us feel like we were on a wonderful cave adventure.

Thank you so much, Raymond, for driving us and making our tour so enjoyable. You shared so many fascinating insights about Hobbiton and Rotorua, which we truly appreciated. As The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings fans, we absolutely loved the Hobbiton experience. Don’t forget to try their danish! Their pastries were really good. Our visit to Rotorua was also unforgettable, we learned so much about Kiwi birds and the geysers. This tour is definitely worth every penny. If you’re looking for a well-organized, informative, and memorable experience, this is it! Thank you again, Raymond, for your kindness and for making this fun-filled day extra special. We had a wonderful time and truly appreciate your assistance. We’ll be sure to visit again soon!

Absolutely loved the Hobbiton Movie Set Tour—it truly felt like stepping into Middle-earth! The scenery was breathtaking, the guides were knowledgeable and entertaining, and every little detail of the set was beautifully preserved. The stories behind the filming locations made it even more special. The bus ride from The Shire’s Rest was smooth and well-organized, and the complimentary drink at The Green Dragon Inn was such a perfect ending to the tour. Highly recommended for both fans of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, or anyone who enjoys nature and storytelling. Definitely worth it—a must-do in New Zealand! 💚

was glad to finally book and experience this tour for the first time many thanks to Kingston our tour guide making us solo travellers special with some pictures with gandalfs staff was very memorable and the shop even sold the replica of the ring that I bought right away, going inside Bilbo house was pretty cool with some live stoves they recently added made for a special interaction