Middle-earth Halfling Marathon™ Tour + Brunch

To ensure all our guests have the complete experience the only way to access the Hobbiton Movie Set is with a fully guided walking tour. The movie set is located on private farm land and is not publicly accessible outside of our guided tour experiences. 

We have some detailed information on what to expect from the walking tour and pathways on our Accessibility page here. 

Yes, we operate in all weather conditions. Umbrellas are provided in the event of rain and we highly recommend you dress appropriately for the weather, with enclosed footwear.

In the event of extreme weather conditions we reserve the right to make alternative tour arrangements for you.

Hobbiton Movie Set is an outdoor walking tour through meandering paths. For this reason, we recommend wearing comfortable walking shoes for our tour, and checking the weather forecast ahead of your visit. You can find 10 Day weather forecast information for the Matamata area on Metservice. 

In the Summer months, we recommend sunscreen and a hat as the sun can become quite hot, as well as making sure you are well hydrated. In Autumn, Winter and Spring, it's best to be prepared with a rainproof outer layer and enclosed shoes as the paths can become muddy. In the event of rain, we have wide umbrellas available that you can use for the duration of your tour. 

In order to be served alcohol, Hobbiton Movie Set require all customers to produce a form of valid ID. The following forms of ID are accepted; current passport, New Zealand Drivers License and Hospitality New Zealand 18+ Card.

We also recommend our guests bring a camera or a phone with camera capability as our Movie Set is the perfect place to get some great travel photos! Drones and tripods are not permitted.

Please be aware that anything you take with you on our bus must be carried by you for the duration of your tour experience. 

If you are going to be late for your tour, we recommend you call us as soon as you are able to so we can discuss options with you. If you are unable to call us and arrive late, we will do our best to put you on the next available tour departure. Please note that if we are extremely busy, the next available tour may be several hours later, a different tour experience than initially booked and in rare occurrences may not be on the same day.

The Shire's Rest™ is our headquarters and location where all of our tours depart from. It is located at 501 Buckland Road, Hinuera, Matamata - click here for directions. 

It is located approximately 15 minutes from Matamata town centre, and from here it is about a 10 minute bus ride to the Movie Set which is included in our tours.

You do not need to book a tour to visit The Shire's Rest. On site here at The Shire's Rest is our Ticketing Office, Retail Shop and Cafe. There is ample parking here on site, with plenty of space for large vehicles and camper vans too. 

Yes, we have ample free parking at The Shire’s Rest available for customers, including space for camper vans and large vehicles. Overnight parking is not permitted on site.

Please note we do not currently offer EV charging facilities.