Explore the magical side of New Zealand and understand why this beautiful country was chosen to portray Middle-earth. The Queenstown area was featured prominently in the filming of the incredibly popular Lord of the Rings and Hobbit movies.
We have been running our original tours for more than 20 years and have shown thousands of fans the real Middle-earth, brought to life by our passionate team in our trusty fleet of LandRover Defender & Toyota LandCruiser 4WD vehicles.
Nomad Safaris operate three different Lord of the Rings tours with the option to combine our Queenstown & Glenorchy tours for a Full Day Lord of the Rings/Hobbit experience.
Queenstown was featured prominently in the three Lord of the Rings movies. The Remarkables Mountains were used for shots of The Misty Mountains. Nearby Deer Park Heights was a key location in the second movie, used for the refugees of Rohan and the battle of the Warg Riders.
We then travel to the scenic Kawarau Gorge which were used for the Pillars of the Kings, Argonauth scene.
From here Arrowtown provides several scenes, including the loss of The One Ring at Gladden Fields and the iconic Ford of Bruinen scene where the Black Riders are washed away. To view this location includes several thrilling crossings of the Arrow River in our LandRover Defenders.
With Nomad Safaris you can also stop here to try your hand at some gold panning in the river (there is still gold to be found) and enjoy morning or afternoon tea.
This is a fantastic half day option which leaves you with lasting memories of location scenes and the stunning views and heritage gold mining history of Queenstown.
Our Glenorchy 4WD Safari of the Scenes is a thrilling half-day adventure packed with iconic filming locations and spectacular alpine scenery. Travel along one of New Zealand’s most scenic drives, with stunning lake views and panoramic vistas of the Southern Alps.
We follow the route from Glenorchy along the Dart River to the dramatic location of Isengard, with breathtaking views of Mt Earnslaw. From here, we head into Paradise, the filming site for the Forest of Lothlórien, and continue to 12 Mile Delta, where scenes from Ithilien Camp were filmed.
Along the way, you’ll also see locations used for the Battle of Amon Hen, Fangorn Forest, and more. This tour includes several exciting off-road sections in our LandRover Defenders, adding to the adventure.
With Nomad Safaris, you can bring the films to life by dressing up in replica costumes and props for a fantastic photo opportunity. This tour also features filming locations from The Hobbit, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian.
This is a fantastic half-day option including morning or afternoon tea that leaves you with lasting memories of cinematic landscapes and the stunning natural beauty of Glenorchy.
