Private Tour: Hobbiton & Waitomo Glowworm Cave Experience
Description
Embark on a full-day adventure tour on our private luxury vehicle from Auckland to see New Zealand's two most famous attractions in one day. Grab a great value Hobbiton Movie Set tour, the award-winning attraction made famous by the popular Lord of the Rings and Hobbit movies where you'll see the intricately created 'Hobbit and float down a boat cruise on an underground river lit by twinkling glowworms including a sumptuous BBQ buffet lunch.
Tour Options
Itinerary
We pickup travellers from most locations in the Auckland CBD location. If your pickup location is not available on the list, please do not hesitate to contact us and we will do our very best to accommodate your request.
The Bombay Hills are a range of hills to the south of Auckland, New Zealand. Though only a small and seemingly insignificant range of hills, they lie at the southern boundary of the Auckland region, and serve as a divide between Auckland and the Waikato region. directly named after the ship Bombay, The ship itself was named after the Indian city of Bombay (now Mumbai). Bombay Means: a breed of black short-haired medium-sized cat.
We stop to get some great coffee at your own expense and a comfort break before we continue our journey into the Waikato region.
Te Awamutu calls itself the ‘Rose Capital of New Zealand’. During the blooming season, November to April, the garden next to the visitor centre is a technicolour dream as 2000 rose bushes turn on the charm.
We then depart to stop for a BBQ style buffet lunch before we uncover the magical beauty of Waitomo Caves. Be amazed by thousands of magical glowworms above as you glide silently on a boat in the world-famous Waitomo Glowworm Caves. The enchanting Waitomo Caves have been attracting visitors for more than 120 years, thanks to their incredible limestone formations and luminescent glowworms. Ride a boat beneath thousands of tiny glow-worms which inhabit the caves and put on a mesmerising light display, likened to the twinkling night sky. After re-joining the luxury coach, we will be back to Auckland at the end of the day.
Walk into the real-world landscape of Middle Earth on a walking tour of the Hobbiton™ Movie Set, where you get a behind-the-scenes look at ‘The Lord of the Rings’ and ‘The Hobbit.’ Pause at the Green Dragon™ Inn to for a draft of Hobbit™ Southfarthing™, see the remarkable detailing that brought Hobbiton™ to life on screen, and visit the places where key scenes were created. Look at Bag End, where Frodo and Bilbo’s adventures began. Get lost among the hobbit holes and visit the Green Dragon Inn, the mill and the Party Tree. Listen to spell-binding tales of how Hobbiton came to be. Your guide will escort you around the set, showing the intricate detailing, pointing out the most famous locations and explaining how the movie magic was made.
After an exhilarating fun-filled adventure experience at Waitomo & Hobbiton, it is now time to head back to Auckland to conclude your evening and drop-off at your hotel in Auckland.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Please wear comfortable clothing suitable for the conditions, Sun protection, jacket/warm layer, & any essential personal items.
- Easy and good fitness level required.
- This is a guided walking tour and sensible walking footwear is recommended.
- Bring a camera or a phone with camera capability as Hobbiton is the perfect place to get some great travel photos.
- You must be at least 18 years of age and present a valid photo ID in order to consume alcohol.
- No photography is permitted inside the Waitomo caves, and cameras and Go Pros cannot be taken on the tour.
- Tours are suitable for people of all ages and average fitness. Our scenic walks are short and optional. Please let our guide know at check in if you have any fitness concerns.
- Tours operate in all weather conditions; umbrellas are provided in the event of rain.
- We can accommodate a stroller or a pram, provided it is fully collapsible and can fit in the luggage compartment of our buses.
- The caves are accessible to those with reasonable mobility, as there are good handrails and paths. There is no wheelchair access.
- We stay dry – the tour does not involve using a wet suit or abseiling or river rapids, it’s very easy.
- The tour takes place in the outdoors and cave temperatures are cool even in summer (10°C/50°F) so we do recommend bringing a jacket and comfortable walking shoes.
- You must be able to climb and descend stairs and walk on unpaved or uneven terrain.
Reviews(16)
Mary our guide toured us from Auckland up and back very safely and swiftly. Aside from that we learned so much about the local culture, about the history and about the country. At the end Mary helped to reserve a dinner table at a local dish restaurant where we finished a lovely first day in New Zealand. Mary made this day remarkable and we won’t forget this experience. Thank you !
Kia Ora Andie, Thank you so much for your wonderful 5-star review! We’re absolutely delighted to hear that your first day in New Zealand was so memorable. Starting your journey with a smooth, safe, and informative experience truly sets the tone, and we’re so pleased Mary could make that happen for you. It’s fantastic to know you enjoyed learning about our culture, history, and the country along the way, those personal insights are what make each journey special. We’re also glad Mary could assist with your dinner plans to round off a beautiful day. Your kind words mean a lot, and we’re so happy Mary made your experience one to remember. We hope to welcome you back for more incredible journeys across Aotearoa! Ngā mihi nui, The ExperienceKart Team
Karthik was a great tour guide. He was a wealth of knowledge and information. Highly recommend.
Kia Ora Angela, Thank you so much for your wonderful 5-star review! We’re delighted to hear that Karthik’s knowledge and insights made such a strong impression. He truly loves sharing the stories and history of Aotearoa, and he’ll be thrilled to know you appreciated it. Your recommendation means a lot to us, and we’d love to welcome you back for more unforgettable adventures across New Zealand! Ngā mihi nui, The ExperienceKart Team
Alan was professional, knowledgeable, informative, thoughtful and friendly. However one of the staff members (Winter) at the Glow Worm Cave was rude and unprofessional.
Kia Ora Patty, Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We’re very pleased to hear that Alan delivered the professional, thoughtful, and informative experience we strive for, he will truly appreciate your kind words. We’re sorry to hear about your interaction with a staff member at the Glowworm Cave. While the cave experience is operated by the attraction provider, that certainly isn’t the standard of hospitality we hope our guests receive. We’ll pass this feedback on to the cave management team so they’re aware. We truly appreciate you travelling with us and are grateful for your honest comments. Ngā mihi nui, The ExperienceKart Team
Alan was our tour guy . He was very professional . He was on time this morning . On the way he explained everything to us every step away. He talked about New Zealand about certain areas answered to our questions . The weather was nice I recommend Alan to anyone who wants to hire private duty tour driver. He even had small snack for us even though we stopped twice for coffee and toilet breaks .
Kia Ora Rose, Thank you so much for your wonderful 5-star review! We’re delighted to hear that Alan made such a strong impression with his professionalism, punctuality, and detailed explanations throughout the journey. It’s great to know he kept you informed about New Zealand and the areas you passed through while thoughtfully answering all your questions. We’re also glad you appreciated the comfort stops and the small snacks along the way, those little touches are part of making the day smooth and enjoyable. Your recommendation truly means a lot to us, and we’d love to welcome you back for more unforgettable private experiences across Aotearoa! Ngā mihi nui, The ExperienceKart Team
Great tour with everything well planned and timed out with an excellent guide. Marty went the extra mile to get us into tours early, when possible. A great day trip!
Kia Ora Michael, Thank you so much for your fantastic 5-star review! We’re thrilled to hear you enjoyed such a well-planned and smoothly timed tour. Marty will be delighted to know his efforts to go the extra mile—getting you into tours early where possible, made your day even better. We’re so glad it was a great day trip and would love to welcome you back for more unforgettable experiences across Aotearoa! Ngā mihi nui, The ExperienceKart Team
We embarked on an exhilarating fun adventure with an exceptional tour guide. The caves were fascinating, and the Hobbiton experience was truly remarkable, just as depicted in the movie. We couldn’t have asked for a better experience.
Kia Ora Mike, Thank you so much for your wonderful 5-star review! We’re thrilled to hear you had such an exhilarating and memorable adventure. From the fascinating caves to the magical Hobbiton experience that truly brings the movies to life, it’s fantastic to know the day exceeded your expectations. We’re so glad your guide helped make it all come together for an unforgettable journey! Ngā mihi nui, The ExperienceKart Team
Great tour! Mike S. Was our driver and commentary to both sites. He was great with commentary about the local area to and from both Hobbiton and Waitomo. He was detailed with information on what was to occur and our timeframe at each place.The ride was filled with good laughs and good company. Hobbiton was magical. The caves fascinating. New Zealand is a beautiful country and the ride to the area was well worth it. It would’ve been fun to stop and take photos of sheep and or cows. l highly recommend this tour! I
Tena Koe Myrna, Thank you so much for your fantastic and detailed 5-star review! We’re thrilled to hear you had such a memorable day exploring Hobbiton and the Waitomo Caves with Mike. His commentary, humour, and thoughtful guidance truly bring each journey to life, and it’s wonderful to know he made your ride both informative and filled with good laughs. We’re delighted that Hobbiton’s magic and the caves’ natural wonder left such an impression, it’s a special combination we love sharing with our guests. Your high recommendation means the world to us, and we’d be honoured to welcome you back for more unforgettable adventures in Aotearoa! Ngā mihi nui, The ExperienceKart Team
I enjoyed it but i thought so expensive and shoud have more option to have lunch but the guide was very good
Kia Ora Eduardo, Thank you for choosing to book with ExperienceKart, it was an absolute pleasure to host you! We are thrilled to hear that you enjoyed your tour to Hobbiton & Waitomo and we look forward to hosting you again! As you have booked one of our premium tours (offered as a fully guided private tour), the pricing reflects the quality of our offering and the lunch included in your tour was a kiwi cafe style lunch, however we did honour your request to dine in at a different restaurant and we understand your lunch was excellent! Once again, we thank you sincerely for being our guest and we sincerely thank you for choosing ExperienceKart for New Zealand Tours.
Marty our tour guide was awesome. He would take different routes to showcase beauty of north island, enhancing our experience. He's knowledgable and would be happy to share experience on dairy industry in NZ.
Kia Ora Ponti, Thank you so much for choosing ExperienceKart for your New Zealand adventure and we are super stoked to hear that you had a terrific day visiting Hobbiton & Waitomo and Marty was awesome, he would be very delighted to hear your comments and we will be sure to pass on your feedback. We look forward to hosting you on another epic adventure soon in the near future!
Me and my family love to hear the driver’s detailed explanation about several events and tourist destinations along the journey
Kia Ora Dea, Thank you sincerely for choosing to book with ExperienceKart on your epic private tour from Auckland to visit Waitomo Caves & Hobbiton Movie Set! It was our pleasure and greatest privilege to host you & your family and we are stoked to hear that you had a wonderful travel experience and a fantastic day here in NZ! We wish you all the very best and look forward to hosing you sometime in the future!
