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Experience of the Week: Hobbiton Movie Set Evening Dinner Tour


What is the experience?

The Hobbiton Movie Set has a unique ambience at dusk. Departing The Shires Rest at 4pm, this evening tour begins with a guided wander through the twelve acre Hobbiton Village. The guides share the fascinating details of how the village was created for The Lord of The Rings and Hobbit movies.

Concluding the tour at The Green Dragon Inn, there is plenty of time for a relaxing drink from the exclusive Hobbit Southfarthing range, in front of the cosy open fire. Choose a Girdley Fine Grain, a Oatbarton Brew, a Sackville Cider or a Frogmorton Ginger Beer.

Next you move through to the Green Dragon dining room for a banquet feast fit for a Hobbit. It’s a true traditional Hobbit affair, with the dining tables full of hearty hobbit foods including the famous beef and ale pie. Following the tradition in the Shire, second helpings are encouraged.

To walk off your full belly, take another walk through the wandering paths of the Shire with an authentic handheld lantern to light the way. Under the moonlight the Hobbiton village looks somewhat different to when you first arrived. Peak through windows of the living village as chimney smoke and light give the illusion of Hobbits tucked up inside.

Where is it located?

The Hobbiton Movie Set is located two and a half hours drive south of Auckland in the Waikato region. The closest town is Matamata - 20 minutes drive away.

Who would enjoy this?

If you would like a truly magical and unique experience into Middle-earth New Zealand, then this tour will tick all those boxes. With delicious hearty food and locally brewed craft beer you will not leave hungry. If you have seen The Lord of the Rings or Hobbit trilogies, this tour will bring the movies into reality, as you explore the set just how it appeared in the films.

Interesting fact?

The beer behind the bar at the Green Dragon Inn is brewed by Good George Brewing, a Hamilton based craft brewery. Like everything else on the set, great care has been taken to ensure that the visitor’s experience is as close to the book as possible. Great detail has been paid to the creation of the beer and cider for the Green Dragon Inn. For example, the Oak Barton Brew is served at a temperature between 8 and 10 degrees, and has a lower level of carbonation. This is what you’d truly expect to be served over the bar in Hobbit times.