The movie industry in New Zealand exploded because of the Lord of the Rings, elevating the local move industry to a global scale. Peter Jackson, the director of the movies, chose to use his home country of New Zealand as the setting for the movies for its other worldly landscapes and natural beauty. In addition, he used local artists and production studios, which brought international recognition and continues to bring numerous film and large-scale creative projects to New Zealand. Not only did this expand the movie industry in New Zealand, it helped expand tourism to this country beyond the outdoor adventurers. Today, there are numerous tours throughout the country that are focused on different Lord of the Rings filming locations. The following list highlights some of these sites, especially those that are easy to access as part of road trips throughout the two islands or are integrated into tourism activities that are popular independently from the Lord of the Rings.
Lord of the Rings Filming Locations on the South Island
Edoras | Mount Sunday
Edoras was the capital city of Rohan and an actual set was built on top of the real world location of Mount Sunday in the Southern Alps of New Zealand. This is one of the Lord of the Rings filming locations that is nice to visit even if you are not a fan of the movies as the views from the top of the hill are well worth the trip. Although you won’t find any remains of the movie set, you may encounter tour groups re-enacting scenes with prop weapons on top of the hill. The best way to reach this location is if you are driving between Christchurch and Lake Tekapo.
Pelennor Fields | The Peace Ring (Twizel)
Pelennor Fields is the site of the epic battle that the Return of the King movie centers around. The field is located on a farm outside of Twizel, and we were told that tours offer an opportunity to visit the field for battle re-enactments although it appeared to be discontinued during our visit (January 2025). While you cannot access the farm by yourself, a local man built a Peace Ring on his adjacent property that oversees the fields, which you can visit for a small fee. If you are driving from Lake Tekapo to Queenstown, it makes for a nice stop to visit this Lord of the Rings filming location.
Fangorn Forest | Te Anau
Fangorn Forest is home to the huge tree creatures called Ents that are part of the Two Towers movie. Many of the Lord of the Rings filming locations and scenes were shot with aerial cameras in the forests outside of Te Anau and while we did not go to the specific location on Google Maps, we did hike through many of the forests in the area which had us feeling like we were in Fangorn.
Ithelien Camp and Lookout | Queenstown
In the Two Towers, Frodo, Sam, and Gollum stop in Ithelien to make camp. An argument ensues about how to cook a rabbit and it is from here that they see the gigantic Oliphants making their way towards the war. Tours visit these Lord of the Rings filming locations from Queenstown and provide a booklet that shows exactly where the scenes were filmed. You can also reach the rocks where the campsite was filmed without a guide and for a nice photo. If you are driving to Glenorchy from Queenstown, it is a nice stop on the way.
Lothlorien | Paradise
Lothlorien is a realm of Elves that the fellowship pass after they escape the Mines of Moria on the start of their journey to destroy the ring in the Fellowship of the Ring. Since this location is not far from Ithelien Camp outside of Queenstown, it is usually part of the same tour and the guides normally have booklets showing the specific scenes shot there. The region of Paradise is aptly named as the beauty of this part of New Zealand is well worth it. Keep in mind the road is rougher if you are driving there yourself.
Isengard Lookout | Glenorchy
Isengard is the fortress of Saruman featured prominently in the Two Towers movie. While Isengard itself was made completely with CGI, the mountains that frame it exist outside the town of Glenorchy. This is the last of the primary stops on the Queenstown Lord of the Rings filming locations tour, but can easily be accessed from a small parking lot for those driving themselves. On the way to the Routeburn Track, this is an easy spot to stop for a few minutes.
Anduin River | Kawarau Gorge
Argonath are the enormous pillars of the Kingdom of Gondor that the fellowship pass through on the River Anduin in the Fellowship of the Ring. The scene was filmed at the Kawarau Gorge, but, similarly to Isengard, they were made with CGI. It is worth stopping at the Kawarau Gorge to admire the views and watch thrill seekers take the plunge at AJ Hacket. If you are driving to Chard Farm for a wine tasting, you will pass by the Google map location of the scene.
Jens Hansen the Ring Maker | Nelson
If you ever wondered who made the One Ring, it is Jens Hansen and his son Thorkild. In total they made over 40 variations for the film, and today there is a storefront of the jeweler located in the town of Nelson. While we did not buy our own replica of The One Ring, it was fun to stop by the jeweler while we were in Nelson on our way to Abel Tasman National Park.
The best way to get around New Zealand to explore these Lord of the Rings filming locations is by renting a car.
Lord of the Rings Filming Locations on the North Island
Weta Workshop & Cave | Wellington
Weta Workshop is a creative company that specializes in design, props, collectibles, and more. It gained world fame for its work with Peter Jackson on the Lord of the Rings movies, winning Oscars for Best Costume, Best Makeup (2x), and Best Visual Effects.. Today the Workshop continues to work with numerous creative projects, and even went on to win another Oscar in Visual Effects for work on King Kong. They offer a can’t-miss tour in Wellington for any movie fans, and the gift shop is a fun experience for photos or picking up souvenirs.
Hobbits Hideway, Frodo’s Reading Tree, The Way of the Nazgul | Mount Victoria, Wellington
In the Fellowship of the Ring, the hobbits get off the road to allow for the Nazguls to pass by above. This scene is shot in two parts within Mount Victoria in Wellington that are only a short distance away from each other. The Hobbits Hideaway is where you can spot the position where the hobbits hid under the road, and the Way of the Nazgul is where the shot was taken of the Nazguls heading down the road. Nearby there is a bench with a quote from the movie as well as Frodo’s Reading Tree where he stops to read a book after departing the Shire. If hiking up to the top of Mount Victoria from the Oriental Bay Beach, all of these Lord of the Rings filming locations are a nice detour on the way back down.
Paths of the Dead | Pinnacles Track Loop
The fellowship passes through the Paths of the Dead in the Return of the King. It is here that Aragon commands them to uphold their oaths of the past, which they eventually do coming to his aid in the battle ahead. During our visit, the Pinnacles Track Loop outside of Wellington was closed due to landslides so we could not visit this Lord of the Rings filming location by doing the approximately 3 mile (4.8 km) loop hike.
Mount Doom / Mordor or Mount Ngauruhoe in Tongariro National Park
The mountain of Mount Doom is one of the most recognizable landmarks in all of the Lord of the Rings movies, where the Eye of Sauron presides over its dark realm of Mordor and (spoiler alert ahead for those that haven’t seen the movie or the read the books) where Frodo ends up destroying the Ring. Mount Ngauruhoe located in the Tongariro National Park, near Taupo, was the real life stand-in for Mount Doom. While it is asked not to climb it due to its sacred significance, you will still get phenomenal views of it on a nice day during the 12.3 mile (19.8 km) Tongariro Alpine Crossing.
The Blueprint Travelers Hiking Staples
Rivendell | Kaitoke Regional Park
Rivendell is the elven settlement where the fellowship arrive to escape the Nazguls and allow for Frodo to be healed from the Morgul blade. Kaitoke Regional Park outside of Wellington has a few signs explaining the scenes that were shot there of Rivendell as well as a fun character height comparison sign. While the archway there is not from the movie, it is a replica that makes for a nice photo opportunity to pretend you are also leaving the elven kingdom behind.
The Shire | Hobbiton Movie Set Tours (Matamata)
The Shire is the home to Frodo, Bilbo, and all hobbits in the Lord of the Rings. A farm in Matamata between Rotorua and Auckland was used as one of the main Lord of the Rings filming locations for the exteriors of the hobbit houses. After the completion of the Hobbit prequel movies, the owner of the farms started a joint venture to keep the sets for tourism purposes. Today, they have even re-created the interiors of two houses to resemble the interiors that were initially filmed at movie studios. It is one of the most popular places to visit in New Zealand through a guided tour, and a wonderful way to conclude your adventure visiting the Lord of the Rings filming locations in New Zealand.
