Small-Group Hobbiton and Waitomo Day Tour with Lunch from Auckland

We were picked up from Rotarua and dropped off at Auckland at the end of the day. We went to Hobbiton first and explored the movie set for both the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings. We are not huge Lord of the Rings fans but it didn’t matter it is still a magical place to walk around and explore. After we explored the movie set, we had a delicious lunch buffet. I am not a fan of buffets typically but this one was excellent. After that we headed to the Waitomo Caves. Our tour guide Damien was excellent and explained many things during the rides to and from our stops. The caves were absolutely beautiful. The only downside is you cannot take any pictures inside the caves, but the sights are unforgettable. Our Māori tour guide inside the caves was excellent and it was a very calming and relaxing experience. It’s unlike anything we’ve ever seen and we really enjoyed it. After the caves we had a stop off for incredibly creamy ice cream and then we were taken to Auckland for the night. Damien gave us a great mix of information but also gave us down time for naps in the van. I highly recommend this combo tour to avoid the airport and get from Rotarua to Auckland for the day!

We had a wonderful trip to Hobbiton and Waitomo Caves . Damian was an excellent guide. He took care of every detail . The timing was perfect. We learned about NewZealand along the way . We highly recommend this trip .

Wonderful tour. We took the tour of Hobbiton and the Waitomo glowworm caves during the off season. It was perfect because we felt like we had the places to ourselves. Hobbiton is bigger than I expected. We felt fully immersed in the village. The "Hobbit meal" afterwards was delicious. The Waitomo glowworm caves were also spectacular. It was a beautiful experience. We highly recommend this tour.

We went with Bush and Beach small group tour. Damien was our driver/guide. Amazing! Super friendly and knowledgeable. Would highly recommend this tour and especially our guide!

Kelly was our driver to hobbitton movie set . He was a gem , informative, caring and easy to talk too . Thankyou Kelly for making this a great experience. We were handed over to Damien who took us to the glow worm caves . The journey was amazing, it was on mother level. so privileged to have met these two gentlemen. Damien Thankyou for the chats the ice cream the passion you have for NZ . We can see why ! Love always Alex and Voula , Adelaide SA

Our tour guide Damian made our experience so unforgettable! 10/10 ⭐️He’s very knowledgeable and engaging with telling stories of Auckland’s history, tidbits about Hobbiton, and facts about how the Waitomo caves. We had a group of 6 and it was very intimate where he made sure we were timely, but never rushed us. The 12 hours flew by so quickly. Would definitely recommend Damian and Bush and Beach company for anyone going to New Zealand.

This tour gave us priority treatment at both Waitomo Cave and Hobbiton but especially Hobbiton. We entered one of the very first tours and were the first ones seated in the festival tent for lunch. The buffet was fabulous and well worth it. Hobbiton was a wonderful experience even for those in our party who had no exposure to the movie or the books. It is beautiful just as a fanciful garden and lovely sheep farm. Waitomo cave was one of our favorite nature experiences. It is developed but the guides keep the guests quiet so we could enjoy the awe we felt there. Our guide Wayne was a real raconteur who gave us running commentary. At each site he made sure we got priority treatment.

This tour combines the visit to the legendary Hobbiton movie set, and to the Waitomo glowworm caves. Both are key tourist attractions if you are in this part of the world, and combining them in this way makes a lot of sense (seems a much better idea than going to Waitomo from Rotorua, as there are other things to see over there). The Hobbiton movie set has been expanded over the years, and by now also includes Hobbit house interiors (the photo op-s…); also, the tour includes a lunch at the Green Dragon Inn, which is a lot of fun (notify the organiser about dietary requirements, it will not be a problem at all). The Waitomo caves include a boat trip inside a cave all lit by glowing worms, it’s quite surreal. Do note: Tickets to Hobbiton sell weeks in advance, and it is in a remote location - so, if you miss your tour time, it’s practically impossible to find another slot. This is why going on a organised tour has significant advantages - and this one is very well organised. With a small group, things go really smoothly. Highly recommended!

Excellent experience from start to finish. Kelly, our guide, was affable, knowledgeable, and had a prodigious continuous banter that helped while away the drive - teaching us about the history of New Zealand and what to expect at each stop. I would absolutely ask for him again!

Excellent engaging guide with a first class experience. Good buffet was pleasant way to end the tour