Lord of the Rings Tours in New Zealand

Red Carpet Tours

• Red Carpet's tour is 12 days, with no experience spared. It covers every site, from Hobbiton just south of Auckland, to Mt. Doom in the center of the North Island, on to Helms' Deep near Wellington, to Edoras in Canterbury in the South Island and many locations in the Southern Lakes and Fiordland. Throw in side-visits, such as Jackson's film studios (Weta) and rafting on rivers where Orc abounded, and you have a complete LOTR experience. Splitting the tour (i.e. just one island) will halve the cost, which for 12 days is USD$3,200 (as of 2010) twin/share.Tours leave Auckland once a month.

  Red Carpet Tours
  PO Box 100-680, North Shore Mail Centre
  Auckland, New Zealand
  +64-9-410-6561
  redcarpet-tours.com

Southern Lakes Sightseeing

• Christchurch-based Southern Lakes runs a three-day tour (USD$700 in 2010), a one-day tour including helicopter flight and glacier landing ($1,100), a land-based one-day tour ($200) and a half-day tour ($110) from Queenstown. Also there's a 1.5-hour visit to Gondor ($50) and a day-tour to Edoras ($150) from Christchurch. The small family-owned company has brought the sites to life since 2001.

  Southern Lakes Sightseeing
  43 Kaiwara St
  Hoon Hay, New Zealand
  +64-3-338-0982
  lordoftherings.co.nz

Glenorchy Air and Trilogy Trail

• Glenorchy Air runs a series of air-based tours from Queenstown and Glenorchy (the site of Lothlorein).The three-ring trilogy tour (USD$600 as of 2010) includes 2.5 hours flight time, and three landings at remote sites.The two-ring trilogy tour lands at Glenorchy and flies over a large number of sites, for $200. The 3.5-hour land-based trail still fits in a wealth of LOTR sites for $110.

  Glenorchy Air and Trilogy Trail
  91 McBride St,
  Queenstown, New Zealand.
  +64-3-442-2207
  trilogytrail.com

Rings Scenic Tours Ltd.

• Matamata, a small town two hours south of Auckland, now has an alternative name, Hobbiton. Here Jackson filmed the opening shire scenes. The holes in the hillsides remain, creating a mecca for LOTR enthusiasts. The basic visit (USD $45 in 2010) can include lunch at The Shires Rest café and a sheep-shearing demonstration.

  Rings Scenic Tours Ltd.
  95 Arawa Street
  PO Box 366
  Matamata 3400
  New Zealand
  +64-7-888-9913
  hobbitontours.com

Hiking New Zealand

• Hiking New Zealand runs a 4WD day-tour (USD$150 as of 2010) from Christchurch to the stately Southern Alps for a trek to Mt. Sunday (Edoras). The tour includes a champagne picnic lunch.

  Hiking New Zealand
  PO Box 93
  Lyttelton 8841, New Zealand.
  + 64-3-384-3706
  hikingnewzealand.com