20 travel destinations inspired by Lord of the Rings

Hobbiton movie set – Matamata, New Zealand

Anyone looking to embark on aThe Lord of the Rings themed vacation should definitely consider a trip to New Zealand, as this is where the iconic films were shot in their entirety. There are plenty of locations that appeared in the films scattered throughout New Zealand, many of them accessible to anyone looking to stop by and explore.

One place fans will not want to miss out on during a trip to New Zealand is the Hobbiton movie set in Matamata. It appears almost exactly as it does during the films, so a visit to the set will genuinely feel like a trip to the Shire. Visitors can even stop by Bilbo’s hobbit-hole and take pictures of the outside—that circular door will be instantly recognizable to anyone who has seen the movies.

Visitors can book guided tours of the 12-acre Hobbiton set through a number of companies, during which they’ll hear stories of what went into the set-building and filming processes of The Lord of the Rings. These tours need to be booked in advance, and most of them include a festive, buffet-style lunch worthy of a party thrown by Bilbo Baggins himself.

During their visit, fans can also stop at the Green Dragon Inn for a drink—though, sadly, dancing on the tables like Merry and Pippin might be frowned upon. And of course, there’s a gift shop. The Shire Store allows fans to bring a little bit of the magic of Hobbiton home with them in the form of merchandise. Basically, fans should bring their wallets.