Journeying across both the North and South Islands, this tour is perfect for the Lord of the Rings fan who wants to immerse themselves in the landscapes and scenic views that were a pivotal inspiration in the making of the films. In the North Island, pay a visit to Middle Earth at Hobbiton, as well as a Canopy Forest Tour and a Maori Cultural Experience in Rotorua. Then, fly south for more Lord of the Rings Tours across multiple locations, and experience the stunning natural beauty of such places as Aoraki Mt Cook, Queenstown, Milford Sound, the West Coast Glaciers, as well as the Southern Alps as you travel across them on the world famous TranzAlpine Scenic Train.
**Please Note: Some elements of this tour may only run on certain days of the week. Speak to one of our travel specialists today to find a departure date that works for you.
New Zealand Independent Tour
This suggested tour costs from NZD$7,235 per person (twin share, low season)
Starts in Auckland, finishes in Christchurch
13 days/12 nights
Hotel 3 star
Customisable? YES
Viewed 39 times in the last 7 days
You will be met at the Auckland airport by the driver and transferred to your Auckland accommodation.
Auckland, New Zealand's self-proclaimed "City of Sails" is the country's largest metro area. Resting between the Pacific Ocean and the Tasman Sea, this urban paradise has something for everyone. Surrounded by native bush, rainforests, and an abundance of beaches, Auckland is a playground for both the city savvy and those with an eye for adventure. Explore the central museums and galleries on foot, or get out onto the water to experience the best views of the city.
Explore worlds of horror, sci-fi and fantasy in the making. An exciting, realistic, and authentic experience, with three fully developed and original film concepts: A nail-biting horror Fauna, a fantasy epic Age of the Ever-Clan, and the mind-bending sci-fi Origins.
A 90-minute guided experience through fully themed environments, including immersive horror, fantasy, and sci-fi story worlds. Be immersed by a specially-created unique sweeping cinematic soundtrack, animatronic creatures, physical and digital interactives, hyper-realistic sculpted giants and characters, a horror house experience, and much more.
Your accommodation: Grand Millennium Auckland
Located in the heart of the city, a stay at Grand Millennium Auckland places you within walking distance of some of the city's finest dining, shopping and entertainment venues.Take a journey into the heart of the Central North Island, and visit famous Hobbiton Movie Set. Setting off from Auckland, travel through the lush farmland of the Waikato and King Country regions. Take a guided tour of the famous Hobbiton Movie Set, located inside a picturesque 1,250 acre sheep and beef farm near Matamata. Here, the village of Hobbiton was carefully created in amazing detail as a film location for the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit movie trilogies. During your guided tour of this amazing location you’ll see sights like Hobbit holes, the Mill and the Green Dragon Inn, and learn how farmland was transformed into a living, breathing piece of Middle-earth. After exploring Hobbiton, tuck into a delicious lunch in the Party Marquee and then travel to Rotorua.
Your accommodation: Millennium Hotel Rotorua
Millennium Hotel is Rotorua's largest 4-star deluxe hotel. Perfectly situated in the heart of the city overlooking Lake Rotorua. Five levels of accommodation offer guests a wide variety of scenic views.Embark on a three hour adventure through native New Zealand forest. Journey through the beautiful forest canopy via an incredible network of trails, tree platforms, Ziplines and swing bridges. See breathtaking views of the woodland valleys and hills as you fly through tight openings in the trees. In between the thrill of the ziplines and suspended tree bridges, your guides will share their passion and knowledge for the forest and the conservation challenges to preserve it.
It is important you read and understand the risks associated with this activity. For more information see here.
New Zealand’s Most Awarded Cultural Attraction, presenting Te Pā Tū. Feast on song, drama, tradition, and divine seasonal kai (cuisine) within the forest Pā (village) blanketed by towering Tawa trees, blazing bonfires, and a forest-formed amphitheatre. Te Pā Tū shares Māori history, traditions, and cultural aspirations across 4-hours of celebration and feasting. These events change with each season of the maramataka, the Māori lunar calendar.
Your accommodation: Millennium Hotel Rotorua
Millennium Hotel is Rotorua's largest 4-star deluxe hotel. Perfectly situated in the heart of the city overlooking Lake Rotorua. Five levels of accommodation offer guests a wide variety of scenic views.You will be collected from your accommodation and transferred to Rotorua Airport.
On arrival, you will be met by a private driver and transferred to your Christchurch accommodation.
Following the 2011 earthquake that razed its centre and much of the outlying suburbs, Christchurch is well into a billion-dollar makeover. In the middle of the Canterbury Plains, bordering the pacific ocean, New Zealand’s newest city is an ideal gateway to exploring the middle of the South.
Go punting on the Avon River, take a historic tram ride, catch the gondola to the rim of an extinct volcano or do all three! See the world's only Cardboard Cathedral and for nature enthusiasts - wander the renowned Christchurch Botanic Gardens, or head to Oxford Terrace in the city to find a great spot to eat or drink.
Drive an hour in any direction to ski, mountain bike, wine taste, whale-watch, bungy jump or play golf. Take the winding Port Hills road to the French settlement of Akaroa and tour the vines in Waipara for an authentic New Zealand wine-tasting experience.
Your accommodation: Scenic Hotel Cotswold
The Scenic Hotel Cotswold is just a few minutes walk to boutique shopping at Merivale and Hagley Park. The distinctive architecture of the Scenic Hotel Cotswold reflects Christchurch's image as the most English of cities outside of England.Journey to the remote and beautiful Mt Potts high country station, home of Mt Sunday. See how this spectacular mountain was transformed into Edoras, the capital city of the Rohan people from the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Marvel at its rugged unspoiled beauty and breathe in the clear mountain air, while you indulge in a gourmet sparkling wine picnic.
Your accommodation: Scenic Hotel Cotswold
The Scenic Hotel Cotswold is just a few minutes walk to boutique shopping at Merivale and Hagley Park. The distinctive architecture of the Scenic Hotel Cotswold reflects Christchurch's image as the most English of cities outside of England.Depart Christchurch in the morning and travel through the lush farmland of the Canterbury Plains to Lake Tekapo, where you can see the iconic Church of the Good Shepherd as it stands in solitude next to the vibrant blue waters. Leaving Tekapo, continue into the Southern Alps towards Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park, home to New Zealand's tallest mountain. Compelling commentary from the driver on the region's culture and history will keep you entertained. Arrive at Mount Cook and feel free to explore the village and its surroundings at your own leisure.
Enjoy a glacier experience that is unique in New Zealand and one of only three in the world. Get up and close and personal with icebergs, on a glacial terminal lake.
It is extremely rare for a glacier to terminate into a lake and rarer still to find one that is accessible to visitors. Join your group on our boat for an intimate encounter with a glacier -- see massive icebergs and soaring ice cliffs. You'll experience seldom seen and inaccessible parts of New Zealand's largest glacier in a safe way aboard your boat. Few people can say they have seen, touched and tasted 500 year old ice. Now you will be one of them!
Tours depart from Mount Cook Village outside The Hermitage Hotel, where you'll board a small bus for an enjoyable trip to the Tasman Valley. This is followed by a relaxing 30 minute stroll through the National Park to your waiting MAC boat. Now it’s time to witness the changing ice face of the Tasman Glacier and the icebergs it spawns on the Tasman Glacier Lake. Throughout your 2.5 hour trip (45 min to 1 hour on the lake) your experienced guide offers an informative and entertaining commentary that ensures you don't miss a thing.
Your accommodation: Hermitage Hotel Room Mount Cook View
The Hermitage Hotel ringed by magnificent snow-capped peaks of the Southern Alps, is a world-renowned tourist destination and has been an icon of superior accommodation and dining since 1884.Leaving Mt Cook, you will head south through the tawny tussock of the Mackenzie Country. You will stop for an afternoon tea break in Omarama (at your own expense) before crossing Lindis Pass. You will head towards Cromwell region, which is famous for its fruit orchards. You will continue through the Kawarau Gorge and its famous goldmines and arrive in Queenstown in the evening.
Your accommodation: Ramada Hotel & Suites Queenstown Central
Ramada Hotel & Suites offers well-appointed apartment-style rooms located in the heart of Queenstown. Experience tranquillity all year round, overlooking the shores of Lake Wakatipu and within walking distance of Queenstown’s central shopping and entertainment area.With such an abundance of activities on offer, one day in Queenstown is never enough! Today, you’ll have some spare time for those things you didn’t get to do yesterday. For more thrills, you can choose from jet boating, luging, bungy jumping, or a canyon swing. If golf is your game, the exceptional Millbrook Golf Course is the place for you. If you prefer wine, head down the Gibbston wine trail to sample some of the region’s best Pinot, or explore a little further afield - the nearby historic gold mining township of Arrowtown is a popular destination and features many original buildings and features. At the head of Lake Wakatipu sits Glenorchy. The scenic drive here is worth the trip alone; however, upon arriving in this peaceful township, you could easily rest the day away. Nearby is the start of the Routeburn Track, one of New Zealand’s Great walks. You can enjoy a section of this track as a day walk. Alternatively, head over the Crown Range to the beautiful lake town of Wanaka, famous for its iconic tree in the lake. To appreciate the natural beauty that surrounds this area, a scenic flight or skydive will take your breath away.
On this Lord of the Rings Glacier Explorers flight you'll fly through the land where many parts of the Lord of the Rings trilogy were filmed along with the chance to fly with our most experienced pilot, Alfie Speight, who was the principle filming pilot for the series.
Fly along the Shotover River to the scene where Arwen turns to face the Nazgul at the Ford of Bruinen. Fly over the mountain range from the opening scene of The Two Towers on the way to landing on a glacier alongside the Misty Mountains and get a sense of what it might be like to cross The Redhorn Pass. Head across to Glenorchy via the Dart Valley and Mount Earnslaw to see the natural features you may better recognise as Isengard, Amon Hen and Lothlorien. Experience a second landing amongst one of these scenes to truly feel immersed in Middle-earth.
Duration: 1 hour and 10 minutes
Your accommodation: Ramada Hotel & Suites Queenstown Central
Ramada Hotel & Suites offers well-appointed apartment-style rooms located in the heart of Queenstown. Experience tranquillity all year round, overlooking the shores of Lake Wakatipu and within walking distance of Queenstown’s central shopping and entertainment area.Return luxury coach transport from Queenstown to Milford Sound, with a 1 hour 40 minute Cruise along the full length of the fiord. On boarding a Real Journeys luxury glass-roofed coach in Queenstown or Te Anau, you will enjoy a relaxing trip along the shores of Lake Wakatipu and through the rolling countryside to Te Anau. The coach driver provides an informative commentary. After a morning tea break in Te Anau, where you have the option of purchasing refreshments, the coach continues along the spectacular Milford Road. There is time for photo stops and short walks along the way. On reaching Milford Sound, you board the modern, spacious vessel for a leisurely cruise in the fiord. The cruise provides excellent viewing opportunities and plenty of time is available to enjoy waterfalls, rainforest, mountains and the wildlife. During the cruise your friendly crew provide commentaries in several languages and point out the sights such as Mitre Peak and the Pembroke Glacier.
Your accommodation: Ramada Hotel & Suites Queenstown Central
Ramada Hotel & Suites offers well-appointed apartment-style rooms located in the heart of Queenstown. Experience tranquillity all year round, overlooking the shores of Lake Wakatipu and within walking distance of Queenstown’s central shopping and entertainment area.For those keen on Lord Of The Rings this is the tour for you. Go on a scenic adventure through some of the iconic locations used in the filming. Although none of the sets are left behind, the landscapes will be instantly recognisable. Follow the shores of Lake Wakatipu to the small town of Glenorchy and enjoy the spectacular views of the Remarkables Range as you drive. From Glenorchy you'll head into the beech forests of Paradise, located on the outskirts of Mount Aspiring National Park - before heading up the dart valley and back. Film locations you'll see include Isengard, Lothlorien, Ithilien Camp and the Seat of Seeing.
Well-known as New Zealand's ‘adventure capital’, Queenstown is home to a range of adventures, from the world's first and most famous bungy jumps to jet boat thrills, white-water rafting, and skydiving. However, Queenstown offers far more than a fast-paced, action-packed holiday. Settled on the shores of beautiful Lake Wakatipu beneath a soaring panorama of the Remarkables Mountain Range, this alpine town is surrounded by many historic, gastronomic, and scenic wonders. Take a stroll through the beautiful lakefront parks and gardens, browse through market stalls on weekends, dine in wonderful al-fresco restaurants, or ride on the 100-year-old historic Steamship - TSS Earnslaw to Walter Peak Station. Take the Queenstown Gondola up to Bob's Peak and soak up the panoramic views of the magnificent lake and mountain ranges. And after all of that, if you do want the adrenaline rush, Queenstown is known for taking your pick from the Shotover Jet, Canyon Swing, Zipline, Luge, or Heli-hike.
Your accommodation: Ramada Hotel & Suites Queenstown Central
Ramada Hotel & Suites offers well-appointed apartment-style rooms located in the heart of Queenstown. Experience tranquillity all year round, overlooking the shores of Lake Wakatipu and within walking distance of Queenstown’s central shopping and entertainment area.See the majestic Southern Alps, picturesque lakes and rivers and the wild beauty of the West Coast on this journey from Queenstown to Fox Glacier. Along the way your driver guide will provide commentary on this unique region. Pass man-made Lake Dunstan outside Cromwell, beautiful Lake Wanaka and its neighbouring Lake Hawea. Entering Mount Aspiring National Park, follow the historic route used by Māori as they travelled across the Southern Alps in search of pounamu (greenstone). Journey through the Haast Pass, the southernmost pass between the South Island's two coasts, enjoying views of native beech forest, waterfalls and glacier-fed rivers. Arriving on the West Coast, you enter an awe-inspiring landscape of vast rainforests, crystal clear waterfalls and rugged mountain tops. Here you will discover an isolated and tranquil part of New Zealand. Your journey concludes as you reach the small village of Fox Glacier.
Your accommodation: Heartland Hotel Fox Glacier
The Heartland Hotel Fox Glacier is nestled at the base of the majestic Southern Alps, in the Westland World Heritage Park. Originally built in 1928 it has been refurbished to retain its charming atmosphere.This morning travel north through the small townships of Whataroa and Harihari. Pass through the township of Ross, which in the late 1800s was the centre of one of New Zealand's richest alluvial goldfields. In 1903 the largest gold nugget ever found in New Zealand was discovered at Jones Creek, not far from the town centre. It weighed 2807 grams. The New Zealand Government later purchased the nugget and presented it as a coronation gift to King George V. On arrival into Hokitika there is a short break in your journey. This allows time to purchase lunch, explore the town centre and relax. Hokitika is the administrative and commercial centre for this part of Westland. The major primary industry is timber milling. Dairy and sheep farming, commercial fishing, white baiting and eel processing being the other major industries. Your coach concludes at the Greymouth Train Station.
Your transport from Greymouth to Christchurch, the Tranz Alpine scenic train, offers a chance to take in one of the world's great train journeys. The train -- with carriages specially designed to allow you to take in all the amazing views on offer -- will carry you from the Tasman Sea up into the Southern Alps and through Arthur's Pass National Park to the Pacific Ocean.
The train offers a comfortable and relaxing way to cross Arthurs Pass from the South Island's wild West Coast to the more tamed east coast and its biggest city. Leaving Greymouth Station, you will travel through lush West Coast rain forest before climbing into to the spectacular mountains of the Southern Alps. And, after a stop in Arthur's Pass for a breath of mountain air, you'll travel dramatic gorges and the beautiful Waimakariri river valley to emerge on the farmland of the Canterbury Plains. From here the train crosses the plains for an early evening arrival in Christchurch city.
On arrival at the Christchurch railway station, you will be met by a driver and transferred to your Christchurch accommodation.
Your accommodation: Scenic Hotel Cotswold
The Scenic Hotel Cotswold is just a few minutes walk to boutique shopping at Merivale and Hagley Park. The distinctive architecture of the Scenic Hotel Cotswold reflects Christchurch's image as the most English of cities outside of England.A private transfer will collect you from your accommodation and transfer you to Christchurch Airport in time for your departing flight.
Starts | Status | Double (2 people sharing) | Single occupancy | You save | ||
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Nov 15, 2024
(Friday) |
Enquire Book | NZD$7,235 | NZD$10,134 | |||
Nov 16, 2024
(Saturday) |
Enquire Book | NZD$7,235 | NZD$10,134 | |||
Nov 17, 2024
(Sunday) |
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Nov 18, 2024
(Monday) |
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Nov 19, 2024
(Tuesday) |
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Nov 20, 2024
(Wednesday) |
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Nov 21, 2024
(Thursday) |
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Nov 22, 2024
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Nov 23, 2024
(Saturday) |
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Nov 24, 2024
(Sunday) |
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Nov 25, 2024
(Monday) |
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Nov 26, 2024
(Tuesday) |
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Nov 27, 2024
(Wednesday) |
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Nov 28, 2024
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Nov 29, 2024
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Nov 30, 2024
(Saturday) |
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Dec 1, 2024
(Sunday) |
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Dec 2, 2024
(Monday) |
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Dec 3, 2024
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Dec 4, 2024
(Wednesday) |
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Dec 5, 2024
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Dec 6, 2024
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Dec 7, 2024
(Saturday) |
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Dec 8, 2024
(Sunday) |
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Dec 9, 2024
(Monday) |
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Dec 10, 2024
(Tuesday) |
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Dec 11, 2024
(Wednesday) |
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Dec 12, 2024
(Thursday) |
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Dec 13, 2024
(Friday) |
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Dec 14, 2024
(Saturday) |
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Dec 15, 2024
(Sunday) |
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At NZ Coach Tours we choose only the best coach tours out there. We have up to date knowledge and experience, so we can give you the best advice on which tour is right for you. We can combine tours, maybe one tour that offers the best in the North Island and one that offers something different for the South Island. Our range of independent tours depart daily and can be custom designed to suit you perfectly. We have loads of accommodation options, activity ideas, and sell a beautiful destination that is guaranteed to blow you away!
Put simply - we have something for everyone and we are confident you will not be left disappointed.
In summary