Wellington's Original LOTR Experience - includes Weta and Lunch Discount Tickets

4.8
★★★★★ ★★★★★
Based on 596 reviews |
location pin icon Lookout Road, Hataitai, Wellington, Wellington, 6021, New Zealand
location pin icon Wellington
4.8 /5
596 reviews
View all Wellington's Original LOTR Experience - includes Weta and Lunch photos
View all Wellington's Original LOTR Experience - includes Weta and Lunch photos

Get your discount tickets for the Wellington's Original LOTR Experience - includes Weta and Lunch, save up to 9% !

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9% OFF Refundable
Wellington's Original LOTR FD
FROM

$81.67

REG. $89.63

Offer details

Pickup included
9% OFF Refundable
LOTR FD for CRUISE PAX ONLY
FROM

$81.67

REG. $89.63

Offer details

Pickup included

Overview

Enjoy a full day, all-inclusive adventure in Wellington, the home of middle-Earth. Visit some amazing locations from the Lord of the Rings movies, enjoy a delicious lunch and visit the famous Weta Workshop, where the films were created. We are Wellington's original Lord of the Rings tour and have been operating since 2002. Formerly Rover Rings Tours [before Covid], Welly Rings Tours is proud to show you Wellington as Middle-earth. Our fans-turned-guides will share with you fascinating stories of the making of these movies that you likely won't hear anywhere else - mainly because some of our guides were actually there!

Pickup Information

Be aware that pick up may be arranged up to 15mins before or after the scheduled departure time. This will be communicated to you 24-48 hours before your tour. For anyone arriving by cruise ship, we can pick-up and drop-off directly from the port. Please select Cruise Ship Port when booking and advise your ship name. Please be ready at the main entrance of your hotel unless otherwise informed - some hotel pick ups will involve meeting a few meters away so we can stop safely. Please note that we can't pick up from every hotel or AirBnBs around the suburbs. If your hotel is not listed, enter your own pick up location and we will contact you to advise the best place to meet. If you are staying outside Wellington City and plan to drive into town, we recommend parking on Barnett Street next to Te Papa Museum.

Language Offered

English-GUIDE

Itinerary

1. Weta Workshop Experiences
Delve into the heart of Wellywood and visit the Weta Workshop, a physical effects workshop who created all the props, armour, weapons, costumes, miniatures and prosthetics for the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit movies. Learn the secrets of movie magic on a behind-the-scenes tour by a Weta employee, who will explain the creative process behind bringing these films to life. You'll also have chance to take photos with various characters and weapons, as well as treating yourself to a souvenir or two, if desired.
Duration: 90 mins
2. Mount Victoria Lookout
Enjoy a stunning panoramic view of the harbour and city from the Mt Victoria lookout. Your guide will talk about the landmarks you can see from the top and help you take photos. Mt Victoria is always on the list of things to do in Wellington, so we thought we'd save you the trouble of walking up the hill to get there!
Duration: 15 mins
3. Embassy Theatre
Drive past the Embassy Theatre that was used to host two world premieres of the Middle-earth movies - The Return of the King and An Unexpected Journey. Your guide will share stories and pictures of how Wellington was transformed literally into the middle of Middle-earth.
4. Mount Victoria
Descend into the forested slopes of the nearby Outer Shire, where our expert guides will explain the process of film making and entertain you with stories of how the Lord of the Rings movies were brought to life. You will follow in the footsteps of Frodo and the Hobbits as they began their quest to destroy the One Ring. You will see the "shortcut to mushrooms", "get off the road" and hide from the Black Riders before fleeing to the Buckleberry Ferry. You will have the chance to recreate some of the most famous scenes from The Fellowship of the Ring and make your social media streams go crazy!
Duration: 60 mins
5. Aston Norwood Gardens
Enjoy a feast fit for a Hobbit to recharge your batteries for more film locations in the afternoon
Duration: 60 mins
6. Poet's Park
See a section of the Great River Anduin as the Fellowship make their way to Parth Galen
Duration: 15 mins
7. Harcourt Park Disc Golf Course
Harcourt Park aka The Gardens of Isengard. Here you will see how this normal, everyday park was transformed into the scenes where Gandalf rode to Saruman seeking council and the wizards walked through the gardens discussing their situation. This is also where the orcs began felling the trees once it was revealed Saruman had turned to the dark side...
Duration: 30 mins
8. Kaitoke Regional Park
Kaitoke Regional Park, a stunning, thousand year old, temperate rain forest. This was used as the location for the beautiful Rivendell, the last homely house east of the sea. Here you will immerse yourself in the magical setting and learn how the area was transformed into Elrond's house, Frodo's bedroom and the bridge where Arwen and Aragorn share a kiss. You can release your inner Elf and snap a photo reenacting a famous Legolas image and then recreate the scene where Frodo leads the newly formed Fellowship towards Mordor by posing in front of the Rivendell gate tower which is the only Lord of the Rings replica structure in the whole of New Zealand outside of Hobbiton. You will also see a scene from the Fords of Isen, where Eomund was found by Eomer at the start of The Two Towers, and have a chance to cross a swing bridge and visit a giant 800-year-old native Rimu tree and learn something of New Zealand's flora and fauna.
Duration: 60 mins

Inclusion

Weta Workshop tour and a lunch feast fit for a Hobbit included in tour price

Visit the best LOTR filming locations - Please note that no sets remain from the filming

Pick up and drop off available direct from cruise ships - we've never missed a drop off

Owned and operated by genuine fans, several of whom worked on the films

Expert guides with film industry experience

Guaranteed drop off back to Cruise Ship on time. We haven't missed a drop off in 15 years

Bonus native forest walk in a 1000-year-old temperate rainforest

Central Wellington pick up

Exclusion

Gratuities

Cancellation Policy

Check mark icon Refundable tickets

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

  • 100% refund if cancelled 1+ days before the start date
  • 0% refund if cancelled less than 1 day(s) before the start date

Additional Info

Public transportation options are available nearby

Specialized infant seats are available

Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness

Not recommended for participants with walkers or limited mobility

Please advise any specific dietary requirements at time of booking

Supplied by Wellington Rings Tours

Reviews

4.8

★★★★★ ★★★★★
Based on 596 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

5 stars
521
4 stars
63
3 stars
9
2 stars
2
1 stars
1

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