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Hobbiton & Waitomo Caves Small Group Tour from Auckland
4.9
698 Ratings
Auckland
Explore Hobbiton and Waitomo Caves in one day. Enjoy secret stops, wildlife viewings, and expert guides on this unforgettable small group tour from Auckland.
Duration:
13 hours
Cancellation:
1 day
learn more
Highlights
- Auckland Central - Your tour begins in New Zealand’s largest city. As we leave the city, your guide will not only set the stage for your adventure but also highlight some of the city’s top attractions.
- Waikato Region - Heading south from Auckland, we travel through the breathtaking Waikato countryside, the world’s largest farming area, featuring stunning landscapes, powerful rivers, excellent photo opportunities, impressive mountains, and various farm animals along the way.
- Hobbiton Movie Set - Upon arriving at the first main attraction, ‘Hobbiton,’ you will board one of the large green Hobbiton buses for a two and a half hour fully guided tour of this incredible 12-acre movie set. A professional Hobbiton guide will ensure you make the most of your visit. During the tour, you will step into the lush pastures of the Shire, visit 44 hobbit holes, explore beautiful gardens, learn the secrets and stories behind the movies, and enjoy a complimentary cold beverage at the famous Hobbiton pub, ‘The Green Dragon Inn.’
- Karapiro - This beautiful lake is home to one of New Zealand’s first hydro dams and is the origin of some of the country’s great rowers. With viewpoints offering stunning views across the lake and countryside, it’s an ideal spot for a quick break and some photos.
- Otorohanga - Leaving Hobbiton and heading towards Waitomo, we will pass more scenic wonders, including racehorse breeding areas, rivers, and lakes, before entering Otorohanga, known as “The Kiwiana capital of New Zealand.” Experience all things Kiwi as you pass through this unique and charming town.
- Waitomo Big Bird & Miniature Animal Petting Farm - Nearing our second main destination, we stop outside the Big Bird & Miniature Animal Petting Farm to meet some local animals. Although we don’t have time to enter the park, the friendly animals often come to the fences for a photo or two, delighting guests.
- Waitomo Glowworm Caves - At our second main attraction, you will be guided through the ancient and stunning caves, observing various formations such as Stalactites, Stalagmites, and Lime Columns. You will then descend further underground for your Glowworm experience. Board a glowworm boat for a cruise on the grotto river, with thousands of Glowworms sparkling above you. Unique to New Zealand for over 120 years, the Waitomo Glowworm Caves are a must-see for any traveler.
- Auckland - Unfortunately, after Waitomo, we must head north again, but your day isn’t over yet. Enjoy a fully guided return trip to Auckland, including some secret stops along the way.
What's Included
- Small Group and Fully Guided Tour
- Bottled water
- Snacks
- Entry Tickets
What's Not Included
- Gratuities
- Souvenir photos (available to purchase)
- Lunch - opportunities to purchase along the way.
Additional Information
Experience the world-famous Lord of The Rings Hobbiton Movie Set plus the Waitomo Glowworm Caves all in one day. This unforgettable combo tour takes you to the top tourist attractions in the North Island.
Highlights:
• Hobbiton & Alexander Family Sheep Farm
• Waitomo Glowworm Caves
• Secret Animal Viewing Stops
• Waikato Farming Region
While the destinations you will be visiting are truly spectacular, Cheeky Kiwi Travel believe it is our small groups, our guides, the journey and the little details that set our tours well apart. Secret stops, wildlife viewings, specially designed vehicles and many other pleasant surprises ensure our tours are an experience to remember.
This tour is less rushed than others, making it the ultimate Auckland day tour, and is led by our passionate tour guides, notorious for bringing your journey to life by sharing their stories and rich background knowledge, and run in modern, comfortable minibuses packed with extras ensuring your comfort and safety.
- Children must be accompanied by an adult.
- Minimum drinking age is 18 years.
- Minimum numbers apply. There is a possibility of cancellation after confirmation if there are not enough passengers to meet requirements. In the event of this occurring, you will be offered an alternative or full refund.
- A moderate amount of walking is involved.
- Due to uneven surfaces, this tour is not recommended for those with walking disabilities or using a wheelchair.
- Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately.
- Children 7 years old and under are required to travel in a child safety car seat. If you don’t have a car seat one can be provided, please contact us at least 24 hours in advance to arrange this.
Location
SkyCity Hotel Auckland
Victoria Street West
Please pick this location if your hotel is not on our list. We do not pick up from your hotel if it is not listed
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.9
(698 Ratings)
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Danny2143
May 24, 2024
Amazing tour - My girlfriend and I had so much fun. John our tour guide was amazing told us stories about NZ and the culture he gave us advice where to do sightseeing and which amazing restaurants to go to. He made everyone in the bus laugh so much great tour guide John you’re a legend 5 stars highly recommended
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Quest21360999803
May 21, 2024
Nice trip with John - I'm glad to join the group to visit the place, its very beautiful, and our guide John is very kind and funny.
Highly recommend to follow this guide to visit the city again.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Onair715572
May 13, 2024
Habbiton Waitomo - In addition to Hobbiton and Waitomo (which were beautiful other-worldly experiences), the tour guide was excellent. He was engaging and really cared about giving us a worthwhile experience. I recommend this tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Bernard_d
May 11, 2024
Incredible experience! - This was an incredible experience. Hobbiton was great and the glow worm caves were stunning. John was an amazing guide. He was very knowledgeable and had a great sense of humor. He made sure everyone had a great experience!
Review provided by Viator
Colinw1431
May 9, 2024
Should consider it. - Had a really good experience on this tour. Hobbiton was awesome, Caves were just okay (I had been there before - 50 years ago, and seemed to remember them as more impressive). Thought that maybe we would think the reverse but not so. long day so be prepared for some seat time. Got to see a lot of pretty country.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Yowij
May 5, 2024
Unforgettable Trip to Hobbiton! - Overall all is good. The pickup time was supposed to be 6am, but they gave 2x notifications few days before and a day prior that it’s moved to 5.40am. We went to Hobbiton and Waitomo Glow worm cave.
Had some snacks along the way and was provided with a bottle of water. On our way back, we managed to stopped for a while to check out a couple of Ostriches! Thanks Josh.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Robert_l
May 5, 2024
Great Tours - The Hobbiton tour was amazing, our guide, Brad, was very informative and knowledgeable about the movie, props, location - pretty much everything there is to know about the movies. The location has so much detail that you have to be careful not to miss anything. The glow warms tour in the Waitomo caves was stunning and mesmerising. It was almost surreal. The guide, Laney, was very informative and knowledgeable about the caves, the age of the formations and the glow warms themselves. It was an amazing tour.
Review provided by Viator
Andrew
May 3, 2024
Cool experiences to get out of the city and see the countryside - It was a great experience and the company was prompt and professional. Brendan was a great tour guide and very knowledgeable being a local!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lightcarls
Apr 27, 2024
A great highlight - Ann was our tour guide and she was amazing. She has lots of stories to share with the group.
Ann ensured that we were properly looked after throughout the day trip. Would highly recommend. Tēnā koe, Ann !!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Johnd_p
May 18, 2024
Just do Hobbiton; Skip the Sparsely Glowing Worm Cave - Hobbiton was GREAT. The tour is pretty much time bound but not too rushed. Very well presented. It was so good that it lifted to tour to 4 stars despite some disappointment at the worm caves -
The glow worm caves were disappointingly MUCH LESS LIT UP than the images advertising that show. Someone on the tour who had visited two other caves found the glowing in this cave underwhelming. It does have some historical significance though.
Review provided by Viator
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