Hobbiton's 44 Hobbit Holes and Te Puia: a 12-Acre Film Set and a Geyser in One Day

The Hobbiton set is 12 acres of working farmland with 44 hobbit holes built into it, and this day gives you two and a half hours inside it. You board one of the green Hobbiton buses at the gate and go round with a Hobbiton guide, through the pastures of the Shire, past the gardens, and into the stories about how the films were made on this hillside. A cold drink at the Green Dragon Inn comes with the ticket. Then the road to Rotorua, through Tirau, which calls itself the corrugated iron capital of the world on the strength of its sculptures and buildings, and Te Puia at the other end: Pōhutu Geyser, Māori architecture, the National Māori Arts School, geothermal craters, and the kiwi viewing house. Cheeky Kiwi Travel runs the day in small groups and modern minibuses, and puts as much weight on the guide and the drive as on the two attractions. Rotorua finishes with a guided drive past the lake, the museum, the Government Gardens, Whangapipiro (Rachel Spring) and the Blue Baths, plus a souvenir stop with Manuka honey if the day runs to time. Cancel at least 24 hours before departure for a full refund.