Where in the world is Hobbiton?

The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings trilogy, which were written by J. R. R. Tolkien, are set in the fictional land of Middle Earth. In the author’s mind, this was envisaged as a northern continent during an imaginery period of earth’s history.

If you’ve watched the movies, you might be thinking the landscapes of Middle Earth look a lot like how you would imagine old England to look like, or maybe you thought it looked like somewhere in Europe.

You’d be somewhat correct, as that’s roughly where Tolkien had in mind when writing the famous books.

Although the fictional land of Middle Earth is supposed to be in the Northern Hemisphere, would you be surprised to find out that the Hobbiton Movie Set is actually located in the opposite hemishere?

That’s right, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings movies were filmed in the southern hemisphere, not the northern which is where Tolkien envisaged the mythical land to exist.

Yes, that’s right, when you go on a guided tour of the fictional village of Hobbiton and the rest of the Movie Set, you’ll discover it is hidden on lush private farmland.

On the tour, you’ll learn how this farmland was transformed into Middle Earth and as you explore the Hobbiton Movie Set, you’ll see familiar sights such as the Hobbit holes, the Mill and the Green Dragon Inn. During the tour, you’ll enjoy a delicious lunch at the Green Dragon or the Shire’s Rest Cafe.

You might even get to eat some kiwi fruit.

If you haven’t already figured it out…

You’ll find the Hobbiton Movie Set in the heart of Central North Island, New Zealand. The private farm on which it is located is near the town of Matamata, 176km south of Auckland.

The Hobbiton Movie Set can be toured as part of a guided self-drive tour of New Zealand or as a standalone full-day excursion by bus from Auckland.

PS: If you need help planning your trip, I’d be glad to help! Start planning here.