20 travel destinations inspired by Lord of the Rings

Pelorus River – Malborough, New Zealand

While most of the destinations on this list were featured in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, it’s likely that Tolkien fans would want to visit film locations from The Hobbit movies as well. The Pelorus River is an example of this, as it’s the filming location for one of the most memorable—and comical—scenes in The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.

The Pelorus River is the river that the dwarves and Bilbo travel down after being captured by and escaping the elves. They sneak out of their elvish prison using barrels, which they hide inside of before releasing the barrels down the river. It’s one of the more playful scenes during the movie, but it also results in a pretty action-packed fight scene between the elves, the orcs, and the hobbits. And any scene where Legolas displays his archery skills is a good one.

Fans looking to visit the Pelorus River probably shouldn’t attempt riding down it in barrels (as fun as it may look). A similar adventure is actually offered to visitors though, just swapping out the barrels for kayaks instead. A guided tour, this kayaking journey will take fans to the filming location, as well as to other gorgeous waterfalls and stream areas.

For fans who are wary of traveling down the river, even with a kayak, there’s also a bridge halfway between Blenheim and Nelson that crosses the Pelorus River, leading to a reserve that serves as a good starting spot for walking through the surrounding forest. For more experienced hikers, there are more arduous trails also lead to waterfalls and rock pools.