Your tour starts in New Zealand’s largest city. As we drive out of the city your guide will not only set the scene for your adventure today but also point out and guide you past some of the city’s top highlights.
Exiting Auckland we travel south through the stunning Waikato countryside, the most extensive farming area in the world, encountering beautiful scenery, mighty rivers, great photo opportunities, impressive mountains and a variety of farm animals along the way.
Arriving at the first feature attraction ‘Hobbiton’ you will board one of the big green Hobbiton buses and depart on a two & a half hour fully guided tour of this amazing 12 acre movie set, with a professional Hobbiton guide to ensure you get the most out of your visit. During your tour step into the lush pastures of the Shire, visit 44 hobbit holes, see amazing gardens, hear the secrets and stories about the making of the movies and enjoy a cold complimentary beverage at the famous Hobbiton pub ‘The Green Dragon Inn’.
Departing for Rotorua we pass through Tirau on our adventure. Dubbed the 'Corrugated Iron Capital of the World' because of the many unique corrugated iron sculptures and buildings, this town never fails to get a look and a laugh and our guides will point out all the main highlights on the way through.
Arriving at our second feature destination, Te Puia, you will receive a fully guided tour to best experience the geothermal and Maori cultural wonders including: Pōhutu Geyser, Māori Architecture, The National Māori Arts School, geothermal craters, geothermal events and even the chance to view a Kiwi bird in the Kiwi viewing house.
Nga Manu Ahurei is Te Puia’s native bird enclosure, where you can see New Zealand’s unique native birds up close, including the elusive kiwi. Learn about these precious species and the conservation work helping to protect New Zealand’s native wildlife.
Pohutu Geyser is New Zealand’s largest active geyser, erupting spectacularly several times a day and reaching heights of up to 30 metres. Located within Te Puia, it’s an impressive display of Rotorua’s geothermal power and one of the region’s most iconic natural attractions.
To finish off our Rotorua experience we do a guided driving tour seeing the most famous sites in Rotorua city including: Lake Rotorua, Rotorua Museum, Government Gardens, Whangapipiro (Rachel Spring) & the Blue Baths.
Sadly we must start to head north again but your day is not over with a fully guided return trip to Auckland including secret stops along the way.
Our experience was top notch from the moment we got into the van until we were dropped off, our driver Sam was so friendly and fun, He had great info to share about the area and personal experiences. Hobbiton and Te Puia were both amazing. I highly recommend this company
Amazing experience with the best guide. Very comfortable vehicle. Smooth trip. Highly recommended for both family and solo trips.
The van is very comfortable. It was fun to see the Hobbiton movie set. I chose to visit Te Puia to see the geothermal park and the Kiwi conservation area. I saw two live Kiwi birds which are difficult to see.
We visited Hobbiton and Rotorua and it was a wonderful experience. Hobbiton felt surreal. We had plenty of time to explore, and the tour exceeded our expectations. Our guide Ollie was very enthusiastic and engaging. We finished our tour at the Green Dragon pub. We then continued on to Rotorua to immerse ourselves in the Māori culture. We visited the woodworking school, mud pools, hot springs and Kiwi conservatory. Our guide was very knowledgeable and kind. Overall a great day!! Our Cheeky Kiwi guide and driver Simon was entertaining and allowed us time to enjoy some local fare and bathroom breaks along the way.
The tour guide was incredibly kind and friendly! He answered all of my questions patiently and explained everything clearly. I really appreciated how helpful and welcoming he was throughout the tour. I had a wonderful time and would definitely recommend this tour to anyone visiting New Zealand!
Good experience! Staff is good! Beautiful view but sadly the weather is not good.
very good, on time, safety and everything all
Had such a great day with Cheeky Kiwi visiting Hobbiton and Te Puia! Both places were amazing and definitely worth visiting. I had heard really good things about their tours in the South Island, so I was excited to experience one of their North Island tours myself today and they definitely lived up to the good reviews! Everything was well organised, the day went smoothly, and the team was friendly and helpful throughout. 🇳🇿✨
Excellent small group tour in a comfortable Mercedes van with friendly local guide Dave who kept us on track but not feeling rushed. He was welcoming, shared several insider tips once getting to Hobbiton as well a many helpful tips throughout. Both Hobbiton and Te Puia have their own guides that are well informed and charming. Both sites are awe worthy (stunning movie set in gorgeous bucolic working farm, seeing the elusive kiwi bird at Te Puia, and learning about Māori culture). Spring is perfect time to go; low crowds, mild weather, lambing season (adorable hoppy and hoppy lambs). Highly recommend Cheeky Kiwi for this combo excursion.
Our trip to Hobbiton and Rotorua was fantastic! Pickup was right on time, and even though it was a long drive, the journey was smooth and enjoyable. We learned so much from our driver, who shared interesting information and stories along the way. And the great playlist was an added bonus! A big thank you to Vicki, our wonderful driver, for making the trip such a great experience. She was friendly, knowledgeable, and made the long drive feel effortless. Highly recommend!
Excellebt experience. Vicky my tour guide was amazing .. very knowledgeable and easy to talk to. She feels like family. The experience overall is long but doesnt feel as such.
Matt our guide was excellent. He made our journey enjoyable and easy. He assisted us very well with patience and kindness😊 He is the best!
Michael was patient, knowledgeable, friendly and personable. It was our first family trip and he made it easier and less stressful even though twice we had left our bag and camera at the tour stops. Cheeky Kiwi and Michael went above and beyond to get our bag and camera back. It was a full day and was made easier with the charging ports (USB A and USB C) and Michael's commentary.
Jeoff was fantastic! He gave us such a great tour, and whenever he could tell we were getting tired, he put on his playlist (which, I have to say, was excellent!) and let us catch up on some rest. Hobbiton and Rotorua are absolute must-sees! There’s so much to learn and experience, and the whole day was both fun and fascinating. We came away with so much insight and plenty of great memories! Overall, it was an amazing day - I’d highly recommend it! 🧝♂️🪵
Very good Tour with excellent Guide Grant. Hobbiton: Bit steep, but very good tour and premises Te Puia: Good insight into Maori, geyser was too shy but still impressive
Grant was amazing and I would highly recommend
We loved this tour. It's a long day but so worth it. Both Hobbiton and Te Puia were very special places to visit. The tour at Hobbiton was exceptionally run and beyond amazing!!! Rotorua has to be visited, it's geothermal properties are incredible. The Maori art and education centre along with its geothermal Park are well run, informative and mind blowing. And we saw kiwi birds! Hanoz was a brilliant guide. He is professional, friendly and made our day special. He even took a detour so we could see the Blue Water Springs. He made us laugh, and was very informative, providing great insight. A trip to Lake Rotorua was a nice addition, and the ice cream stop at the end. Thanks Hanoz!
Hobbiton is magical and we enjoyed the geothermal features in Te Puia. Jimmy is fun and a great driver. It was such a fun day for us.
Yesterday was a check off the bucket list for me! I had an exceptional time at Hobbiton and Te Puia. I could not stop taking pictures and videos because I wanted to have every moment commited to memory. The trip on the bus was long but our driver John went above and beyond to ensure our small group was entertained, informed, and well-provided for. He was a critical part in making our journey memorable and engaging as it was! Next time I’m come back to NZ I will absolutely be booking with Cheeky Kiwi again 💜
Our driver for the day, Simon, was fantastic. Incredibly personable and made the day a delight. Visiting Hobbiton and Rotorua for the first time was brilliant - I’m so glad I was a part of it all!
Excellent tour... the admin team responded quickly to my questions since there were limited spots. I read the reviews, and it totally made sense to book directly with you. We had a beautiful day. The weather was perfect. Ben gave us time to rest but also educated us. The music was awesome. It followed the flow of the tour. Hobbiton is a must, even if you're not a big fan. You probably need to be ready by 5:40 am, but in the end, it’s worth it because after we finished our tour, there were so many people for the 11-plus tour. It was a long drive, but Ben was always very attentive and ready to check on all of us. It was also nice to have a small group. And no part of the tour gets 5 stars quite like the Kiwi music we listened to throughout the entire trip. It was just what we needed.
Went with cheeky kiwi tours! Pearl was our guide and could not rate her high enough! She was absolutely fantastic, very informative, great sense of humour, and very helpful.
Had a wonderful day even in the pouring rain. Vicki was a great guide and was so informative. Would definitely recommend Cheeky Kiwi!
It was awesome the Hobbiton and Te Pua was beautiful. Our Driver Arie(apologies if spelled wrong), she was awesome. She explained everything and gave us the history of New Zealand.
Scenery was stunning, guide was lovely. Even mum who has never seen the movies thoroughly enjoyed this experience
Absolutely fantastic day, my friends and I had a fab day even though they had not seen the films or read the books. We also enjoyed learning about the Mouri culture.
Ari was a phenomenal tour guide, providing a ton of interesting information along the way, including a lot about Māori history and culture. The trip from Auckland was nice and relaxing, and Hobbiton and Rotorua didn't disappoint. The highlight of our Auckland trip.
Really enjoyed our visit and was very impressed with the entire experience
Everything was perfect. I had a great day in the company of the whole group and our guide, Alessandro, who was very patient and very kind. He also knows a lot about the island and shared many very interesting facts with us. I would definitely book another tour with you again. 😊
Just be aware it is a very long day but we thought it was worth it. Enjoyed the opportunity to see more of the North Island by visiting the Hobbiton movie set and Te Puia. Simon took us on a country road that other tours may not take which was beautiful. Simon was very attentive, informative and cheerful throughout the day.
Thanks a lot to Vicky. Her tour guide is really nice.
My tour was just awesome and magical. I honestly can't believe how much we got to see and do all in one day. Our guide Simon was witty, friendly, positive, shared tons of good info and local tips, explained the plan clearly each step of the way, and even took great pictures for us. We were well fed and comfortable. I am sure it's a massive undertaking for the team to coordinate but they made sure everything was running like clockwork! Only thing is I could easily have spent a few extra hours at Te Puia, but then we would never have made it back haha.... it was perfect for the time I had, but if I had another day I'd maybe do Hobbiton and Waitomo together and then do the full day tour to Rotorua and experience more Maori culture and food. Next time! Also, I have to say that if you look closely at everything you get in a tour, I think it's a great value for money. Especially great for solo travelers, folks who aren't renting a car, and anyone who would be grateful to have the unfun, complicated, logistical part of sightseeing taken out of the picture so you can just enjoy the adventure!
Great tour and we had a wonderful driver/guide, Simon. There were definitely sufficient breaks to ensure you could grab food or go to the loo. Hobbiton was fantastic. The walking tour was great and loads of good photo opportunities. Te Puia for the Māori and geothermal experience was also great. Long road trip back and very tiring overall but definitely worth it.
This was a long day (12 hours), but it was such a fun and well-organized tour that it honestly flew by. Our tour guide and driver, Grant, was absolutely amazing. He explained so much along the road, was very clear about what we could expect throughout the day, always on time, and genuinely took the best care of us he possibly could. He was also flexible with drop-off arrangements, which was very much appreciated. You can really feel how proud he is of what he does, and his experience truly shows. The tour at Hobbiton was fantastic. Visiting Hobbiton was a highlight, and we had a dedicated Hobbiton guide as well who was clearly passionate, knowledgeable, and very funny. The overall atmosphere was good, being with strangers can sometimes feel a bit awkward, but Grant did his best to engage everyone and make the group feel comfortable. All in all, it was a very successful and memorable day. Highly recommended!
Everything went well. The tour guide Cam was exactly on time & we enjoyed our trip with Cam explaining all sorts of topics which made the long drive extremely pleasant & short
Grant was such a friendly tour guide and driver. He arrived promptly at our hotel pick up and provided water and snacks along the way. He made us feel welcome and open to questions. He is a safe driver and I felt at ease to take a nap after a full day of activities. We loved the Hobbiton and Te Puia because it provided something for both my husband and my interests. Thank you Grant. We will definitely book with Cheeky Kiwi and recommend it to others.
This was a very nice tour and Alfredo the driver/tour guide was great! He gave us a lot of information about the locations we were visiting. As well as tips on how to get around the city.
We had an amazing time with Alessandro as our guide! Hobbiton is worth the visit - a beautiful set and well-done guided tour. Mackenzie at Hobbiton kept us interested and kept the tour light hearted and interactive. We had terrible weather and her attitude never reflected it which helped our group. Pairing with a Cheeky Kiwi guide and trip is well worth the investment! The small group helps everyone enjoy the time without being overwhelmed. We especially liked our time at Te Puia with Rebecca as our guide. Being able to learn more about Māori culture and see how New Zealand continues to respect and incorporate it into daily life is incredible. The kiwi birds on site were luckily visible, which is a really cool experience since they're nocturnal.
The tour was extremely well organized and well lead by Liam who was good natured, informative and helpful without fail! We were unfailingly on time, and we had a number extra stops that only enhanced the journey.
Matt was a great guide - he told us lots of stories related to the history and scenery of New Zealand during the trip. The ride was super comfortable.
Great trip. Simon did a great job as a tour guide, showing us Auckland and taking us to our points of destination. Much appreciated, Simon!
Hobbiton Tour Such a magical experience! Hobbiton is absolutely beautiful and feels just like stepping into the movie. Te Puia An amazing cultural and geothermal experience. The geysers and Māori culture were fascinating and well presented. Thanks again to Jeoffey for the smooth drive and great guidance throughout the day. A truly memorable visit!
You don’t have to be a Lord of the Rings nor Hobbit fan to love this tour. The Hobbiton Movie Set is spectacular! The care with which it was built and maintained is unbelievable. Whether you’ve seen none of the movies, one movie or all of them, it is such a fun place to spend a day, have a beer and enjoy the incredible landscape. The second half of our tour to Rotorua was equally as incredible. I could speak endlessly about how beautiful the area is with stunning geysers, flora, and fauna. But the opportunity to meet and chat with our Maori tour guides as we toured the Maori Arts & Crats Institute, helped to bring to life their history and culture. The region is worth an overnight stay if you're considering.
Easy journey to make and the agent runs it very smoothly. Hobitton is a must do, and then you can choose another activity (I went for the geiser). If you have a spare day and don't want to stay in Auckland, go book it!
We had an excellent experience on the Hobbiton and Rotorua group tour. The schedule was well planned, transportation was comfortable, and the tour guide was knowledgeable and friendly. Hobbiton was a dream come true, and Rotorua offered incredible scenery and culture. Definitely worth it.
Was great experience in the tour and with our guide! Interesting places to visit Length of visit was as expected and not too long
Our tour guide Ale was wonderful and made sure everyone had a good time. The van was comfortable for the journey. We started at hobbiton which is where the hobbit and lord of the rings was filmed. The hobbit holes were great fun to see and we got to go into one of them and see it. The local guide Rob was very informative pointing out various areas where parts of the movie took place. I would watch the movie before visiting. After hobbiton we went to see the geothermal pools and the cultural center where you see talented carvers working on making wooden statues. The surrounding area we toured which is lovely. I would recommend.
The tour guide Simon was great! Even though it was a full day tour, it just showed how much is still left to explore. I would be using Cheeky Kiwi when I come back.
Had a great tour. Our tour coordinator/ guide Hanoz was very polite, punctual and knowledgeable. He took good care of everyone on the tour.
Excellent guide and driver. Tour to Hobbiton and Rotorua was worthy. The van was very comfortable. I highly recommend this tour and company.
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