As soon as you leave any city in New Zealand and see the scenery, you will definitely start to get some Middle Earth vibes going on! Rolling green hills remind you of The Shire and places like Fiordland evoke the Lord of the Rings soundtrack in your mind.
The trilogy was, in fact, entirely filmed in the country so you can really experience all the Lord of the Rings locations in New Zealand! Many of these are reachable with Kiwi Experience so it's the perfect way to see the film locations on your trip.
Lord of the Rings Locations in New Zealand: North Island
Mt Ngauruhoe, Tongariro
Better known as 'Mount Doom', Mt Ngauruhoe is located in Tongariro National Park, near Taupo. Get closer to the fiery mountain in Mordor by doing the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, a 19.4-km hike from Mangatepopo to Ketetahi Hot Springs.
Hobbiton, Matamata
Yep - Hobbiton is a real place! Located in Matamata near Rotorua, Kiwi Experience offers a tour to see the incredible film set. It was originally built to only be temporary and was deconstructed but, for The Hobbit trilogy, it was built as a permanent set so people for years to come can visit it and see The Shire for themselves!
Putangirua Pinnacles
Appearing in Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, the Putangirua Pinnacles are the eroded pillars that are part of Dimholt Road, which Legolas, Aragorn and Gimli took when they first encountered the Army of the Dead.
Mount Victoria, Wellington
"Get off the road!" The walking track to Mount Victoria in Wellington featured in The Fellowship of the Ring where the hobbits hid from the Ringwraiths. You can even go on a guided tour of the LOTR locations in Wellington! Find out about free activities to do in Wellington!
Hutt River
The Hutt River, in the Wellington region, was used to show parts of River Anduin. The Fellowship travelled in boats on River Anduin after leaving Lothlorien, part of the Elven realm. The other location for the River Anduin is in Queenstown on the South Island.
Harcourt Park
Also in The Fellowship of the Ring, Gandalf goes to visit Saruman in Isengard to share his suspicions about the One Ring and they go for a stroll in the gardens of Isengard. This scene in the gardens of Isengard was filmed in Harcourt Park.
Kaitoke Regional Park
Kaitoke Regional Park represented Rivendell in the movies - a fairly recent installation is the large elven arch, which wasn't actually used on set but definitely adds to the Rivendell vibes! There are lots of information boards to help you find the filming locations yourself.
Queen Elizabeth Park
Queen Elizabeth Park on the Kapiti Coast was used to depict part of the Pelennor Fields in The Return of the King, where the final battle scene occurred in the fields surrounding Minas Tirith. The other location for the Pelennor Fields is Twizel, on the South Island.
Whakapapa Ski Field
This ski field on Mt Ruapehu is the location of some scenes set in Mordor, including the opening scene of The Fellowship of the Ring where Isildur cut the One Ring off Sauron's finger. It was also used as the location where Frodo and Sam catch Gollum and where Gollum leads the Hobbits to Emyn Muil.
Mangawhero River
Also located in Ruapehu, Mangawhero River just before the amazing Mangawhero Falls is where Gollum catches a fish in the first movie.
Turoa Ski Field
While not a Lord of the Rings location, Turoa Ski Field on Mt Ruapehu was used as a location in The Hobbit as the entrance to The Lonely Mountain.
Tawhai Falls
Better known as 'Gollums Pool', Tawhai Falls was partly used to film Gollum catching fish while Faramir and his rangers aim arrows at him. This is sometimes a stop on the Kiwi Experience bus from Taupo to River Valley.
Weta Cave & Workshop
While obviously not an actual 'location' for filming, Weta Studios Workshop is a must visit for any Lord of the Rings fan! Get a behind the scenes look at how the artists created props, costumes and more for Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit and many other films. While the tour of the workshop is paid for, you can visit the shop and see an exclusive documentary for free, as well as get a photo with some of the sculptures.
Lord of the Rings Locations in New Zealand: South Island
If you thought there were a lot of locations on North Island, there are even more on South Island! Journeys such as the route to Milford Sound will make you feel like you're in the movie itself, especially if your driver (shoutout to James) plays the soundtrack on the bus while you're driving.
Kawarau Gorge
The other location of the Anduin River! Kawarau Gorge is near Queenstown and where the famous 'K Bridge' is, or the Kawarau Bridge Bungy with AJ Hackett. Your bus will stop here on the way to Queenstown so you can watch people bungy jump, as well as see the location where the Fellowship paddled down the river. The two giant statues that greet them on either side of the river were, however, added in post-production. Even so, the gorge is pretty impressive!
Skippers Canyon
"Waters of the Misty Mountains, listen to the great word - flow waters of Loudwater against the Ringwraiths!" Skippers Canyon is where Arwen calls the flood to wash away the Riverwraiths (Nazgûl) pursuing her and Frodo. If you want to visit Skippers Canyon, go on the Skipper Canyon Jet! It's not quite a flood to wash away the Nazgûl but it's definitely an exhilarating experience and a great way to see the canyon.
Deer Park Heights
Deer Park Heights in Queenstown was used as the location for scenes shot in the Kingdom of Rohan. Scenes include the journey from the capital, Edoras, to Helm's Deep where you can see The Remarkables mountain range in the background. Unfortunately, the park has been closed since 2009 but you can still walk up to it and see the location.
Lake Alta
Located in The Remarkables, Lake Alta can be reached in the summer with a short but challenging hike. Used as the location of Dimrill Dale or 'Azanulbizar', it's where the fight scene between Gandalf and the Balrog takes place (The Fellowship of the Ring). You also see the landscape in the ensuing scenes when Aragorn leads the Fellowship away from the Mines of Moria.
Twelve Mile Delta
Twelve Mile Delta is the location where Sam and Gollum talk about potatoes in The Two Towers, as well as where Frodo, Sam and Gollum watch the fight between Faramir’s rangers and the giant Oliphaunts. Take the short walk on the Bob’s Cove Track from the Twelve Mile Delta campsite (on the Queenstown-Glenorchy Road) or alternatively go on a Glenorchy Movie Locations tour.!
Paradise
Yes, in New Zealand you can actually travel to Paradise. Located just past Glenorchy, Paradise is surrounded by imposing mountains and is beautiful in its own right but was also used as a location for the Lord of the Rings trilogy as the location of Isengard and Saruman’s tower. Some of the filming locations are on private land so you can't visit them, although some of them are included on the Glenorchy LOTR tour mentioned above.
Earnslaw Burn
A location in The Hobbit rather than in Lord of the Rings, and also an impressive hike! This is where Bilbo and The Company in An Unexpected Journey leave Rivendell, walking along the base of this glacier melting to create a series of waterfalls. It can be accessed on the Earnslaw Burn track (8-12 hour hike return) or by a helicopter tour.
The Remarkables
The Passburn Track on the Mavora Walkway (a section of the national walkway Te Araroa) was used to show The Company walking towards the Misty Mountains and The Remarkables mountain range was used to depict the Misty Mountains.
Twizel
The other location used to represent the Pelennor Fields! You can do a tour here to Ben Ohau Station from Twizel with One Ring Tours to see where the Battle of the Pelennor Fields took place in The Return of the King.
Mt Sunday
We mentioned earlier that Deer Park Heights in Queenstown was on the route from Edoras to Helm's Deep - Mt Sunday in Canterbury is used as the location for Edoras, capital of the Kingdom of Rohan. You can take a full-day Lord of the Rings tour to Edoras from Christchurch. None of the set remains, but the location is still rather epic!
Kepler Mire, Te Anau
Kepler Mire near Te Anau is the location for the Dead Marshes that Gollum leads Frodo and Sam through. Frodo falls into one of the marshes and ghostly figures surround him until Gollum pulls him out. "There are dead faces in the water!"
Waiau River, Te Anau
Another location that shows the Anduin River! This location on the Waiau River was used in the opening aerial shots in The Fellowship of the Ring.
Mavora Lakes, Te Anau
Mavora Lakes Park is where Merry and Pippin’s trail is, where they escaped from the orcs on the edge of Fangorn Forest. In the Mavora Lakes area, the Mararoa River was used in the scene where The Fellowship leaves Lothlorien. The filming location is at the swing bridge at the southern end of South Mavora Lake. The last location in the Mavora Lakes Park includes two filming locations on the shores of North Mavora Lake. The shore is where with The Fellowship end their Anduin River journey. The forest is also the area where Merry and Pippin hide from the Uruk-hai, these are the specific GPS coordinates for that forest location: 45° 16.024’S 168° 10.500’E.
Snowdon Forest, Fiordland
Snowdon Forest in Fiordland National Park is the location of Fangorn Forest. It is where Merry and Pippin met Treebeard and is the home of the Ents. It's also where Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli enter the forest and encounter the White Rider, whom they believed to be Saruman, but was, in fact, Gandalf returned from his battle at Khazad-dum.
Mt Gunn, Franz Josef
Mt Gunn is an incredible location in Franz Josef and where the beacons were lit between Gondor and Rohan. You can either get a view from Mt Gunn by hiking or taking a scenic flight.
Mt Cardrona
From the Cardrona Valley, you can drive to the summit of Mount Cardona (1,119m) for a panoramic view of Middle‑earth. To the left are the River Anduin and the Pillars of the Argonath. In the hills straight ahead is the Dimrill Dale and in the distance is Amon Hen on the shore of Nen Hithoel.
Strath Taieri, Dunedin
Strath Taieri is a large glacial valley and plateau and was chosen for its rocky outcrops to film the chase between the orcs and The Company in The Hobbit.
Nelson
Want to get your own One Ring? Head to Nelson, where you can get your own from Jens Hansen, who designed more than 40 One Rings for The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. Gold-plated rings start at US$99, silver rings at US$159 and 10K gold rings at US$1,250. You can also head to Takaka Hill, the filming site for Chetwood Forest. This is where the Ranger 'Strider' led the hobbits in an attempt to escape the Black Riders. Both the Lord of the Rings as well as The Hobbit films were entirely filmed in New Zealand so if you're a fan, New Zealand is an amazing place to travel to see where it was filmed! I hope this guide to Lord of the Rings locations in New Zealand helps you find all the incredible filming locations you could ever want to see!
