Hobbiton was even more magical than we imagined – like stepping straight into Middle-earth! It was the main reason we finally made our long-awaited trip to New Zealand, and we planned the entire itinerary around the exclusive Evening Banquet Tour: a feast at The Green Dragon Inn followed by a lantern-lit stroll through the Shire. Thanks to a bit of luck (and backup planning), we ended up visiting three times in 24 hours – by day and by night, in rain and shine. Our timing couldn’t have been better, as just two weeks before we arrived, Hobbiton opened two fully furnished hobbit holes that we got to explore. Every detail felt alive, and after years of waiting, it was everything we hoped for and more.

📸 Summary

Here’s a video compilation of the highlights from our 3 visits.

Going on an Adventure

Our adventure started at Gandalf’s Cutting, which of course Scott reenacted the famous scene of Bilbo racing out of the Shire from the Hobbit. We also did a 360 video to mimic Gandalf’s entrance, which highlights the absolutely breathtaking view of Hobbiton.

@perfuzion

Our adventure in New Zealand started at Hobbiton! It was more magical than we even imagined! #lotr #lordoftherings #hobbiton #hobbitonmovieset #hobbitonnz #hobbitontours #hobbit #nztravel #newzealand

♬ Concerning Hobbits (From “The Lord of the Rings”) – The Danish National Symphony Orchestra

Bag End

The home of Bilbo and Frodo Baggins did not disappoint. It was absolutely stunning, poised at the pinnacle of Hobbiton. I loved how the door was slightly cracked so you could glimpse inside this magical hobbit hole. Bilbo’s pipe on the bench was a nice touch. The sun shining through the tree was absolutely stunning. The tree atop the hill is actually fake and all the leaves were all individually hand-painted and attached.

Samwise the Brave Hobbit Hole

Sam’s hobbit hole is along Bagshot Row, right next to the hobbit holes we got to enter. The yellow door and vegetation were gorgeous.

My Favorite Hobbit Holes

Here’s a compilation of my favorite hobbit holes. My favorite color is blue so I was very drawn to these. I especially loved the ones that had interactive props like the breadmaker, cheesemaker, and bee keeper.

Bagshot Row Hobbit Hole Interiors

Two weeks before we arrived, they opened their newest addition: two fully-furnished hobbit holes that you can enter. We got to go in both the Proudfoot and Twofoot hobbit holes between the 3 tours we went on. There were so many cute little details throughout, and the rounded hallways were stunning. We were allowed to interact with everything including climbing into the beds and bathtub. Of the two, we liked the Proudfoot (Proudfeet!) hole the most with details like a hobbit trying to cheat at Scrabble, 4 kegs in their pantry, a rolling pin for making pies, and stick horse toy.

Evening Banquet Feast and Green Dragon Inn

We were able to secure tickets to their evening banquet – a grand feast at The Green Dragon Inn followed by a nighttime stroll through lantern-lit Hobbiton. It was a very lively evening with loads of taters and meat (lamb and chicken). The view of Hobbiton at night was stunning!

Party Field

There was lots of goofing around in the Party Field including trying to light off fireworks in the tent, dancing by the Party Tree, and riding the seesaw!

Pickles, the Resident Cat

Of course the first cat we saw in New Zealand had to be at Hobbiton! We call all cats Preciouses after we started calling our dear cat Frodo, Precious 🙂 Pickles was a very Precious, disturber of the peace!