The Ultimate Lord of the Rings North Island Road Trip
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Have a 2-for-1 vacay and include Lord of the Rings movie and TV show filming locations on your epic New Zealand North Island road trip.
Whether you’ve watched the Lord of the Rings movies once or a trillion times, you’ll know it put New Zealand on the map for many travellers. People around the world thought surely, a landscape that stunning would have to be a CGI effect. And yet, they soon learnt that it (mostly) wasn’t. It was Aotearoa, New Zealand, a head-to-toe gorgeous land worthy of bringing J.R.R. Tolkien's classics to life.
If you follow this itinerary,you’ll see all the key filming locations from the original movies and some treats from the Rings of Power series, too. We’ve called it the ultimate guide to Lord of the Rings, but really, it’s the ultimate guide to how truly spectacular New Zealand is. Either way, you get an epic road trip across drop-dead-gorgeous landscapes and attractions!
“I will take the Ring, though I do not know the way.” - Frodo
You may not know the way, but we do! Consider us the hero hobbit of New Zealand road trips. While most Lord of the Rings itineraries will whisk you out of Auckland immediately, the Rings of Power series means die-hard LOTR fans will want to head to the West Coast to the gorgeous Piha Beach.
The volcanic-black sand, craggy cliffs, and famous Lion Rock here, was the perfect backdrop when Galadriel and Halbrand were stranded after the tumultuous seas from the Sundering.
The Tasman Sea here is rather choppy. In fact, it’s famous for it! If you’re a surfer, this is the perfect place to bring out the boards. For non-surfers, body surfing here is a blast (remember to swim between the flags, folks). We recommend ending the day with some fish and chips.
Check out nearby Anawhata Beach too. It also features in the TV series. From here, make your way to the Coromandel across the Hauraki Gulf.
Thanks to the Rings of Power series, LOTR fans can add the Coromandel to their road-tripping itinerary. The TV scouts loved the 400 kilometres of coastline and forest to represent Middle Earth’s beauty.
Thanks to the dramatic cliffs, windswept beaches, and craggy inlets, the Coromandel became the backdrop for several scenes. This includes (tight-lipped sources have confirmed) Galadriel riding across a Coromandel beach. Guess we'll need to all play ‘match the beach’ as we watch the Rings of Power, then. Bring it on!
While you’re here, you’ll want to check out Hot Water Beach, located near the stunning Cathedral Cove.
“None knows what the new day shall bring him.” - Aragorn
From the Coromandel, drive 3 hours to the Hobbiton Movie Set. Aim to arrive mid-afternoon for the last tour of the day. A must for LOTR fans, this is a magical experience around the lush farmland and the filming location of 44 Hobbit Holes. Squee!
Your 2-hour tour will also introduce you to Bilbo Baggins’ Bag End, Party Tree, and the Green Dragon Inn. There’s even an Evening Banquet Tour if you’d like to tuck into a Hobbit-themed feast!
“Courage is found in unlikely places.” - Gildor
Begin the day with a two-hour drive to the Denize Bluffs in the Mangaotaki Valley. In the Hobbit, these staggering rock formations were the setting for the Troll Forest and they’ve returned in The Rings of Power as part of Harfoot’s territory.
Under the knowledgeable guidance of Warrick and Suzie Denize, take their Hairy Feet Waitomo tour. Discover the secrets of having a movie and TV show on set on your land and learn about the local flora and fauna.
From there, drive two hours to reach Tongariro National Park and into the depths of Mordor! The 80,000-hectare Tongariro National Park is home to some of the North Island’s most impressive landscapes, with focus on its three volcanoes: Tongariro, Ruapehu, and Ngauruhoe. It is the latter that you’ll be most familiar with, as it was digitally enhanced to become iconic Mt Doom.
To feel like you’re walking in the footsteps of Frodo Baggins, take the Tama Lakes Walk (six hours) or the impressive 2-hour Taranaki Falls Walk: both give you fab views of Mt Doom. Of course, if you have an extra day to hike, the legendary Tongariro Crossing awaits. This New Zealand’s most famous one-day hike.
New Zealand is incredible in terms of camp site options, there are so many to choose from. What’s even better is that so many of them are FREE!
If you are planning to travel New Zealand in a campervan, the first thing you should do is download the Rankers Camping NZ App. It's an absolute lifesaver and pinpoints campsites, visitor centres, dump stations, hiking trails, supermarkets, petrol stations, and more!
You can even search for campsites using filters such as free campsites, self-contained campsites, non-self-contained campsites, and holiday parks. For each campsite you can then get information and read reviews. Download the maps for offline use, so if you do get stuck without WiFi, you can still search for your next campsite.
For budget travellers, you could easily get by without spending a dollar on campsites in New Zealand. In fact, on our 14-day road trip around New Zealand, we didn’t spend any money on campsites.
We did stop in at a hostels and Airbnbs occasionally for a shower and do washing.If you plan to do the same, expect to pay between $70 - $150 NZD for a night in a budget Airbnb.
Top tips for saving on campsites
- Always plan ahead to find free campsites.
- Use Ranker's Camping NZ App to find campsites.
- Get a self-contained van so you have more campsite options.
"It is no bad thing to celebrate a simple life." - Bilbo Baggins
Start the day on a high, rafting the rapids past the spectacular Rangitikei River (used for the River Anduin film location in the first movie).
From here, drive two hours to Kaitoke Regional Park where the ethereal elven town of Rivendell, the Fords of Isen, and The Gardens of Isengard was filmed. As you can imagine from that list, this is the kind of destination to take your breath away! Be sure to snap a selfie at the replica Elven archway in the park.
The entire route to Wellington is chock-full of movie moments. Drive an hour to Waitārere Forest (Osgiliath Wood) where Frodo, Sam, and Gollum traipsed after leaving Faramir. From here, visit Queen Elizabeth Park, used to film the Battle of the Pelennor Fields. On to Harcourt Park, close to Wellington, visit Moonshine Bridge and Poet’s Park for
Continue to Wellington and walk Mt Victoria. Not only for epic city views and easy walkability from the city centre but because it was once Hobbiton Woods where the hobbits hid from the black riders!
Wellington is awash with LOTR opportunities, and you’ve got two exploring options. The easiest is to jump on a Lord of the Rings tour, where you’ll be taking in all the movie’s hot spots around the capital (though there’ll be some double up from the places you travelled yesterday). Alternatively, if you’d prefer to do it your way, navigate your way to the Dry Creek Quarry. While once home to the Battle of Helms Deep, the Fortress of Gondor, and Minas Tirith, it’s now a simple quarry until your imagination kicks in.
For a true understanding of how much legit magic goes into making a LOTR movie, a book behind-the-scenes Wēta Caves tour at Wēta Workshop. Here you’ll have a selfie with Gollum, try on the costumes, and get a few LOTR gift shop trinkets and more.
“The way is shut. It was made by those who are dead, and the dead keep it until the time comes.”
Today head to Dimholt Road, AKA the Pūtangirua Pinnacles, which is a 2-hour journey out of Wellington. If you rent a campervan, or pack a tent in your JUCY car you can most definitely stay overnight at the Pūtangirua Pinnacles Campground as a night under the stars feels like a movie moment in itself.
The outlandish scenery of the Pūtangirua Pinnacles transformed into Dimholt Road (The Paths to the Dead) in Return of the King. It’s the type of scenery you imagine is most definitely a CGI effect, but it’s actually real! Experience the epic stone pinnacles up close on the Pinnacles Track, and image Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli walking alongside you.
From the Pūtangirua Pinnacles, you can either start your journey back to Auckland.
To reduce that cost even more, remember that you can fit four people into the JUCY Condo. That means you can split the cost of car hire and petrol into four instead of two.
"You shall not pass!" - Gandalf
Well, actually, Gandalf, anyone with a JUCY vehicle can pass, qt every single movie location listed, if they choose! Everyone’s welcome in Aotearoa, New Zealand!
If you’re ready to get your Lord of the Rings-inspired road trip on the road, BOOK NOW
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