Two World Hikers

“One does not simply walk into Mordor.” – Boromir, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

682 minutes (11 hours and 22 minutes) is the total amount of time it takes to watch The Lord of the Rings Extended Edition Trilogy. My hubby and I have watched the trilogy in one sitting twice in our lifetime thus far. We have watched each film separately countless times and have read all The Lord of the Rings novels. One could say we are avid fans of J.R.R. Tolkien and Peter Jackson’s creative masterpieces (okay, maybe one could say we are a couple of nerds!). The Lord of the Rings trilogy was filmed entirely in New Zealand (aka Aotearoa). Whenever we watched the movies, we dreamed of visiting the stunning landscapes of ‘Middle-earth’ someday. At last, we packed our suitcases and embarked upon the adventure of a lifetime to walk the same paths as Frodo Baggins and Samwise Gamgee! Whether you are an enthusiast for The Lord of the Rings or not, the stunning filming sites within the magical country of New Zealand are worth the visit!

Here are the top 10 Lord of the Rings filming locations:

1. Hobbiton Movie Set

“We’ve had one, yes. What about second breakfast?”– Pippin, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

Exploring the Hobbiton Movie Set

Filming Location: North Island of New Zealand; near the town of Matamata in the Waikato Region

Colorful hobbit-holes built into acres of rolling hills, lush farmland, gardeners tending to flower beds and pumpkin patches…the peaceful Waikato region of New Zealand truly brings The Shire alive! We were in awe with the attention to detail! Everything from unique mailboxes matching each hobbit-holes’ theme…to the carefully painted silk leaves that were attached one-by-one to the branches of the fiberglass oak tree overlooking Bag End.

Don’t forget to stop by Samwise Gamgee’s house, the home of Bilbo and Frodo Baggins, and try an ale at the Green Dragon Inn!

Samwise Gamgee’s house and Bag End

View from the Green Dragon Inn

Details: guided tours are required with a booking in advance. You can find tickets and information via hobbitontours.com. While parking is provided at the venue, we opted to take the half-day tour with included bus transportation from and to Rotorua.

Butterfly resting near Bag End. Captures the vibe of Hobbiton!

2. Mordor, Mount Doom

“One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in darkness bind them” – J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

Tongariro Alpine Crossing trail

Filming Location: North Island of New Zealand; Tongariro National Park

Scenes of Mordor, the realm ruled by the dark lord Sauron, were filmed in the volcanic terrain of Tongariro National Park. Hiking the world-renown Tongariro Alpine Crossing trail is one of the best ways to explore Mordor and come near Mount Doom (known as Mount Ngauruhoe in real life). Although Mt. Ngauruhoe and the surroundings look somewhat different in real life compared to the movies, it is easy to imagine yourself walking along the desolate lands of Mordor getting ready to toss The Ring into the fires of Mount Doom!

Top: Mount Doom captured in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.

Bottom: Mt. Ngauruhoe along the Tongariro Alpine Crossing.

Details: It’s easiest to book transportation to drop you off at the start of the Tongariro Alpine Crossing trail and a ride to pick you up at the end point of the trail. We reserved a shuttle through a package deal with our accommodation, The Park Hotel Ruapehu. A blog post is coming soon with more details about the Tongariro Alpine Crossing trail!

Mount Ngauruhoe

3. The Misty Mountains

“Far over the misty mountains cold To dungeons deep and caverns old We must away ere break of day To seek the pale enchanted gold.” -J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit

Top of Queenstown Hill Walkway

Filming Location: South Island of New Zealand; Southern Alps, The Remarkables (mountain range towering Queenstown)

Filming of the intense ‘Misty Mountains’ was mostly done via aerial shots. We embraced the gorgeous mountain views as much as possible from our Queenstown hotel room’s balcony and throughout the day hikes in Queenstown and Glenorchy. The Misty Mountains truly are the backdrop of Queenstown, it’s incredible!

View from our room at the Rees Hotel, and view from the plane as we approached Queenstown

4. Edoras, Capital of Rohan

“Now is the hour! Riders of Rohan!” – Éomer, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

Summit of Mt. Sunday

Top: Edoras capture from The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. Bottom: Mt. Sunday in real life.

Filming Location: South Island of New Zealand; Mount Sunday

Top: Éowyn standing in Edoras, the capital of Rohan, in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. Bottom: Summit of Mt. Sunday.

Edoras, the capital of Rohan, was filmed atop picturesque Mt. Sunday. After a 3-hour detour driving from Lake Tekapo to Christchurch, we reached the parking lot to the 1.5km Mt. Sunday Track. This scenic area is well worth the extra driving time and bumpy roads! Bordered by the Southern Alps and towering over the Rangitata River of the Canterbury Plains, Mt. Sunday is a site you don’t want to miss! The physically built structures such as Edoras’ Golden Hall were dismantled after filming, and the houses along the slope of the hill were CGI. Yet, as you climb the steep trail to the summit of Mt. Sunday, it isn’t hard to imagine Rohan’s flag blowing fearlessly in the wind. The views are magnificent and worth the ascent!

Selfie atop of Mt. Sunday

5. River Anduin, The Pillars of Kings (Argonath)

“Frodo, the Argonath! Long have I desired to look upon the kings of old…my kin.” – Aragorn, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

Top: Argonath as it appears in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.

Bottom: Rafting the Kawarua River.

Filming Location: South Island of New Zealand; Kawarua River

The Pillars of the Kings, also known as Argonath, were significant monuments of Gondor. While the statues themselves were CGI in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, we wanted to get as close as possible to the exact filming location of the Fellowship paddling through the pillars. We booked an epic combination jet boat ride (a must-do in New Zealand!) and rafting tour with Realnz.com. We wanted to experience the sparkling blue waters of the Kawarua River up close and personal! We couldn’t think of a better and more thrilling way to pass through the “Gates of Argonath” ourselves!

6. Isengard Lookout (Orthanc)

“My business is with Isengard tonight. With a rock and stone!” – Treebeard, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

Top: Isengard Lookout as it appears in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.

Bottom: Dart River, filming location of Isengard Lookout.

Filming Location: South Island of New Zealand; Dart Valley

Snow-capped mountains in the distance, a crystal-clear river branching in various directions, the sun peering through the clouds…this doesn’t sound like the evil bleak home of Saruman and his Uruk-hai army! The backdrop for the Isengard Lookout was captured in the spectacular Dart Valley region just 15 minutes north of Glenorchy. If you visit Queenstown, I highly recommend taking a day trip to the charming village of Glenorchy!

We pulled off onto the gravel parking area with river access directly before continuing north over the Glenorchy-Routeburn bridge. There is a better view of this impressive backdrop if you hop along the river rocks a few feet under and around the bridge. Dart Valley is simply stunning!

The beautiful Dart Valley

7. Sighting of the Oliphaunts, Ithilien Camp

“Look, Mr. Frodo, it’s an Oliphaunt! No one at home will believe this.” -Samwise Gamgee, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

Top: A capture of Frodo and Sam watching the Oliphaunts in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. Bottom: Bob’s Cove Track filming location of the Oliphaunt sighting.

Filming Location: South Island of New Zealand; Twelve Mile Delta to Bob’s Cove Track

The lovely Twelve Mile Delta Recreation Reserve is a few kilometers from Queenstown at the southern end of beautiful Lake Wakatipu. Walk a few minutes along the river towards the lake on Bob’s Cove Track. The bank on the right is where Frodo, Sam, and Gollum were crouched down viewing the battle between the Rangers of Gondor and the Haradrim riding gigantic Oliphaunts. After checking out this filming site, we continued down this easy walking trail delighting in the native shrubbery, beech forest, and stunning views of the lake!

Bob’s Cove Track in Twelve Mile Delta Recreation Reserve

8. Where Sam and Sméagol discuss potatoes, Ithilien Camp

“Po-ta-toes! Boil them, mash them, stick them in a stew. Lovely big golden chips with a nice piece of fried fish.”  – Samwise Gamgee, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

Top: Capture of Frodo, Sam, and Sméagol at Ithilien Camp in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. Bottom: Twelve Mile Delta to Bob’s Cove Track.

Filming location: South Island of New Zealand; Twelve Mile Delta to Bob’s Cove Track

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers’ scene where Frodo, Sam, and Sméagol are traveling through Ithilien and stop to make camp was filmed along Bob’s Cove Track near the same footage as their sighting of the Oliphaunts. This is the scene where Sméagol captures two rabbits and as Sam is preparing them in a pot engages in the famously quoted discussion about the best way to cook “taters.” Although we couldn’t pinpoint the exact location of this scene, fellow Lord of the Rings fans staged a fire pit a few steps from the bank where Frodo, Sam, and Sméagol observe the battle involving the Oliphaunts.

9. Lothlórien in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

“There lie the woods of Lothlórien!” – Legolas, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

Top: Aragorn entering the realm of Lothlórien in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.

Bottom: Exploring the hiking trails around Lake Wakatipu.

Filming Location: South Island of New Zealand; Lake Wakatipu

Scenes of Lothlórien, the realm of wood-elves ruled by Galadriel, in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring were filmed in the vicinity of Lake Wakatipu. According to Southern Discoveries, Lake Wakatipu is New Zealand’s longest lake and third largest lake with the deepest point at approximately 1,246 feet. This glacial lake’s shores sparkle around Queenstown with networks of wooded trails spanning from all directions. It is no wonder the majestic ancient forests of Lothlórien were filmed in this region!

10. Battle of the Pelennor Fields

“I am no man!” – Éowyn, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

Top: The Battle of the Pelennor Fields in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.

Bottom: Fields on the outskirts of Twizel, filming region of the Battle of the Pelennor Fields.

Filming Location: South Island of New Zealand; outskirts of Twizel

The great Battle of the Pelennor Fields in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King was filmed in the fields near the small town of Twizel. There were up to 1,700 people on set and about 200 horses. We were unable to explore the exact location of the battle since filming took place on private property. However, while driving along Glen Lyon Road among vast grasslands, it wasn’t hard to imagine Éowyn and Merry slaying the Witch-king of Angmar! Gorgeous views of Mount Cook and the Southern Alps linger in the distance. I recommend taking this short detour to Twizel when driving from Lake Wanaka to Lake Tekapo.

Final Thoughts:

We have vacationed in New Zealand twice including spending over a month the second visit. Even so, it doesn’t feel like we’ve spent enough time in this stunning country! I do not believe there would ever be enough time in my lifetime to explore the diverse and breathtaking geography of New Zealand! The locals are exceptionally friendly, the untamed beauty is incomparable, and the wines are fantastic! New Zealand is truly heaven on earth!

Visiting these filming locations left us with a deeper appreciation for how much attention-to-detail and perseverance went into the production of The Lord of the Rings movies! We are ready for another extended edition trilogy marathon!

I did not realize how much CGI was meticulously used throughout the films! It looks so realistic!

This detailed map helped us navigate to some of the various filming sites.

During the planning process we referenced Wayfairer’s super informative blog Top 40 Lord of the Rings Filming Locations in New Zealand.

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