Hobbiton & Waitomo Caves Exclusive Luxury Day Tour From Auckland

Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product

Stop At: Kaihere Lookout, State Hwy, Kaihere 3597, New Zealand

Departing Auckland at 7am you will take a pleasant drive south over the Bombay Hills into the rich dairy farmland of the Waikato, then turning East. A short stop at an elevated view over the Hauraki plains, with the Kaimai Coromandel range in the distance, makes for a great group photo.

Duration: 10 minutes

Stop At: Matamata i-SITE Visitor Information Centre, 45 Broadway, Matamata 3400, New Zealand

It’s all plain flat driving across the plains through farmland to a disused dairy factory for a coffee/tea break. Just a few minutes down the road is the information centre at Matamata, which resembles a hobbit house. Here you can strike a pose with the statue of Gollum.

Duration: 10 minutes

Stop At: Hobbiton™ Movie Set Tours, 501 Buckland Rd, Matamata 3472, New Zealand

Not far now to Hobbiton, where your local guide will escort you around the movie set, containing 44 hobbit holes, Bilbo’s house – Bag End , the Mill and double arch bridge and party tree. Concluding at the Green Dragon, enjoy a complimentary beer, cider or non alcoholic ginger beer, while soaking in the atmosphere. A buffet lunch follows in the Party Marquee, next to the Green Dragon.

Duration: 3 hours 30 minutes

Stop At: Mighty River Domain, Lake Karapiro, 601 Maungatautari Rd, Karapiro 3494, New Zealand

Departing Hobbiton, our next destination is Lake Karapiro and the Hydro-electric power station on the Waikato river for a photo stop, before crossing the dam. The majestic 797m Mt Maungatautari (Sanctuary Mountain) looms in the background.

Duration: 10 minutes

Stop At: Waitomo Glowworm Caves, 39 Waitomo Village Road, Waitomo Caves 3943 New Zealand

More rolling farmland as you travel through rural small town New Zealand and into the ‘King Country”, named after the Kīngitanga (Maori King Movement) and it’s followers during the New Zealand Wars of the 1860’s. At Waitomo during your guided 45 minute tour through the cave, you’ll witness the constellations of tiny shining glow worms, it’s magnificent cathedral and intriguing stalagmites & Stalactites, before emerging from this limestone grotto by boat.

Duration: 1 hour