Hobbiton, Rotorua And Waiotapu Small Group Tour From Auckland

Great time! A very long day but worth it, and we didn’t have to do the driving. Hobbiton was the highlight for us. So cool

Trent is a nice tour guide. I enjoying the trip with buying this package.

Great tour for Lord of the Rings fans! Hobbiton was amazing as was Wai-O-Tapu. It made for a long day out of Aukland but definitely worth it. Our driver Trent was fantastic and threw in an ice cream stop. So good.

Great experience, Trent our guide was very helpful and accomodating. Great value for money

Simon was terrific! Hobbiton is truly a must-see magical experience and we had a great time. The van was comfortable and Simon as interesting. Wish we had a bit more time to enjoy lunch but we covered a lot of ground. Highly recommend Kiwi Travel.

Interesting experience with a friendly and expeienced tour guide. Hobbiton and Waitapo are worth visiting, but the other parts of the trip is mostly on the road. Rotuoria would have been nice if you could stay longer and could have been as a separate trip by its own.

Hobbiton was nothing short of magical, and Cheeky Kiwi was just the group to get us there! Simon made sure we had good food and rest stops as well as filling us in with great info along the way. It is a long drive (and maybe bring some motion sickness meds like Bonine if you're prone to motion sickness for the winding roads), but Simon made sure to acomodate for that too, letting our teen ride in the front seat when car sickness was trying to take hold. Also, if traveling with kids, be prepared for just how sulphuric (and therefore stinky) the geothermal pools are. The colors and educational aspect were interesting, but Hobbiton was by far the shining star on this trip! Shoutout to our specific guide, Ollie, who commended all nerds for what we're capable of when we go outside! lol Highly recommend. Especially with a travel group like Cheeky Kiwi who is so willing to go above and beyond for their customers! Thank y'all so much.

Took us to the sites, Trent was very friendly, helpful and answered all our questions

Great experience in general. The value was good I comparison with the topics included, even the access to the Hobbiton that was included in the price of the tour. Is a long trip nevertheless worth it for the movie set and the complementary places. In October was great because was not so crowded and the group was not so big so was really enjoyed. Trent our driver and tour guide was excellent, friendly with accurate communication and all the time looking forward to assisting us and ensuring we have a good experience.

We really enjoyed the tour overall, and our guide was very friendly. Thank you for a lovely experience!

We had a wonderful experience with Cheeky Kiwi Travel, and I especially want to say a huge thank you to our guide, Matt! What impressed me most was not just the tour itself, but how genuinely caring and helpful Matt was even after the tour had ended. I accidentally left my right AirPod on the tour bus and only realised it later that evening. I was really worried because we had an early flight to Queenstown at 6:40 the next morning, and I thought there was little chance of getting it back. Thankfully, Matt was incredibly kind and helpful. Even though he had already finished work for the day, he still took the time to help me. Thanks to his kindness and efforts, I managed to get my AirPod back that evening. I honestly can’t describe how relieved and grateful I felt! It’s easy to find a tour guide who does a good job during a tour, but finding someone who genuinely cares about their guests even after their working day is over is something really special. Matt, if you’re reading this, thank you so much once again! You really made a difference to our trip, and your kindness is something I’ll remember long after leaving New Zealand. I would wholeheartedly recommend Cheeky Kiwi Travel, and if you’re lucky enough to have Matt as your guide, you’re in excellent hands! ❤️

Had a really great day with Cheeky Kiwi Travel visiting Hobbiton and Wai-O-Tapu. Everything was well organised and the day went really smoothly, even with the early start! Our guide, Vikki, was honestly one of the highlights. She was really friendly, easy to talk to and clearly knew a lot about New Zealand. The drives between stops were never boring because she was always sharing interesting stories and information about the places we were passing through. I also really liked how respectfully she talked about Māori culture and the history of Aotearoa. You could tell she genuinely enjoyed sharing her knowledge rather than just giving the usual tour spiel. Hobbiton was obviously amazing and Wai-O-Tapu was really cool to see as well. The scenery throughout the day was beautiful, and having Vikki as our guide definitely made the experience better. Would definitely recommend Cheeky Kiwi if you're planning to visit Hobbiton and Rotorua. And if you get Vikki as your guide, you're in good hands! Thanks Vikki for a really fun day! 🇳🇿 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 10/10

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Absolutely Amazing Experience – Vikki Was Brilliant! What an absolutely amazing experience with Cheeky Kiwi Travel! A huge thank you to our wonderful driver and guide, Vikki, who made the whole day so memorable. Vikki was incredibly knowledgeable, friendly, respectful and professional. She shared so much interesting information throughout the journey and had a wonderful way of explaining the history, culture and places we visited. I especially appreciated the respect she showed when speaking about Māori culture and the history of Aotearoa New Zealand. She made everyone feel comfortable and welcome, kept the day relaxed and fun, and was always happy to answer questions. You could genuinely tell that she enjoys what she does and cares about making sure everyone has a great experience. The scenery was beautiful, the tour was well organised, and visiting Hobbiton was an experience I will never forget — but having Vikki as our guide made the day even more special. I would absolutely recommend Cheeky Kiwi Travel, and if you are lucky enough to have Vikki as your driver and guide, you are in excellent hands! “Kia ora Vikki, ngā mihi nui for an unforgettable day in beautiful Aotearoa! ❤️NZ” 10/10 — Highly Recommended!

John is professional, informative, organized and personable

Excellent tour! Timmy our guide was very informative, friendly and thoughtful. Hobbiton was fun whether you are a Lord of the Rings fan or not.

Wonderful tour. This is my second experience with Cheeky Kiwi and like the first time I really enjoyed it. Timmy our guide was very informative, friendly and thoughtful. I will be back again. Hans Merkel

It was an incredible and completely unforgettable experience. Even though I had never watched the movies and I’m not a fan of the universe, the Hobbiton tour really surprised me and gave me a whole new perspective on everything. The visit to Wai-O-Tapu was beautiful as well. It’s a wonderful place. Vicki, our guide, made the whole experience even more special. She was very punctual, responsible, and fun. It was definitely worth it!

5 Stars. Vicki was very knowledgeable and gave us lots of interesting information over the day. Communication before and during the day was also fantastic. Thank you Vicki we will definitely be back.

As a LOTR/The Hobbit fan, visiting Hobbiton was a dream come true. I thoroughly enjoyed learning about how Peter Jackson “discovered” the place and glad they didn’t tear it down a second time so nerdy fans like myself can have the pleasure of geeking out over the hobbit holes. Wai-o-Tapu was also a pretty cool place to visit as I’ve never been anywhere like it. One thing I had to question—and my reason for taking off one star—is the other tourists in our group that was “allowed” to just purchase their Wai-o-Tapu tickets when we got there because they only initially booked the Hobbiton tour. Does that mean they paid less than those of us who booked the combo tour, meaning they more or less got free transportation to Wai-o-Tapu? It was never really explained. I just heard our tour guide saying that 6 people from our tour only booked the Hobbiton tour but decided to continue the day with us and will be purchasing their tickets at Wai-o-Tapu. If that was the case, then it would be not fair for those of us who paid full price.

The tour of Hobbiton was fantastic. It did not feel at all contrived or hokey. Exceeded expectations. And the people working there are so passionate and knowledgeable about this place. We also loved the walk through the geothermal rocks et al in Roturua. Really interesting. A great day. Matt was a great tour guide, providing us with a lot of information along the way.

Ark, our tour-driver guide was great. He was friendly, made the trip interesting with his knowledge of destination. His passion is felt and much appreciated. Definitely a fantastic trip and would highly recommend it. Maria,Yolanda,Angelita and Melinda

Horrible booking experience. They let me know 2 days beforehand that the tour was being cancelled due to not enough people (I had booked months in advance). One option was to book a similar tour that was $150 more NzD so I had to pay the difference and upgrade. The tour itself was fun and the guide was the best. Timmy went out of his way to make sure everyone had the best time, 5 star guide and class act.

Amazing experience. Tour guide Grant really knew what he was talking about and was very knowledgeable on Auckland as well as the surrounding country side. He was on time, full of character and made the whole trip enjoyable.

Absolutely amazing tour from start to finish! Hobbiton was magical, and the stunning geothermal scenery at Wai-O-Tapu was unforgettable. Everything was well organized, and our guide made the whole day fun and enjoyable. Highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting New Zealand!

The trip to Hobbiton is amazing. It really is like being transported to the Shire. Jeoff our guide was knowledgeable and friendly. The meat pie he suggested was better than the one in Australia just like he said. The day made want to do another Cheekt tour aoon

Jeoff was an amazing tour guide and really made the day special with a wealth of knowledge. Perfect amount of time at each location. Can definitely enjoy Hobbiton even if you havent seen the Lord of the Rings / Hobbit movies.

It was a great tour! Jeff was very friendly and informative

This was a great experience. Convenience: we were able to stay in the CBD (downtown) area of Auckland and still get out to see Hobbiton and Rotorua without having to rent a car and drive on an unfamiliar side of the road, or on the windy country roads. As long as you're okay getting up early for the pickup, it's super easy. Roads: if you get carsick, definitely consider a scopolamine patch and have dramamine on hand if needed. The roads get a little windy near Hobbiton and near Waiotapu. Sitting up front helped a lot (there's windows all around the sides of the van but being able to see the road better helped). Hobbiton: this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. This tour gets you there bright and early for the 9:10 tour group, so Hobbiton ends up feeling not too crowded and you get some lovely morning light for pictures. The approach to the farm is gorgeous, and they take you to a shop/cafe staging area where you board a bus operated by the Hobbiton site. The shop is small but has some good stuff, and the cafe food was tasty. Your Cheeky Kiwi tour guide gets you the Hobbiton tickets and then meets you after you get back from the Hobbiton tour. The Hobbiton tour itself is extremely well run. They give you a few minutes in each spot to take pictures, talk with the tour guide, etc. Because the path they take you on winds through the set a bit, it doesn't feel crowded, especially when you're there first thing in the morning. Seeing the level of detail and how they play with scale is really interesting. While the set itself was only ever built for exterior shots (you can't go in Bag End or the majority of the hobbit holes), they built a pair of hobbit holes you can wander around in. In a given tour, you only get to see one of them, but you don't miss too much by just doing one (we ended up doing the tour twice and checking out the one we hadn't seen the day before). They're very similar, like neighbor's houses with a mirrored floor plan. The knickknacks and furniture were different, but were both fantastic for photo ops. Be sure to check out the eels in the pond by the Green Dragon Inn! At the end of the tour of Hobbiton they give you a drink (they had a cider, a stout, and a lager, plus a non-alcoholic ginger beer) plus a food counter. Waiotapu: Waiotapu was a neat self-guided tour around the geothermal vents. The tour guide drops you off at the gift shop/cafe and gets you the tickets, then you get to wander the vents yourself. If you're reasonably mobile/fit, you should be able to see the entire path. The first two sections are very accessible, while the third section involves the most elevation changes and stairs. If you're running low on time and want to see the best part of the green (third) section, veer left to get to a beautiful turquoise lake at the end. The sulfur smell can be a bit strong at first, but it's an otherworldly experience to see the vents. There's also the Waiotapu Mud Pool very close to the visitor center that was really cool. This section of the tour is go at your own pace, and it's worth noting that this is the last place to get a meal other than a quick ice cream stand where they stop for restrooms on the way back to Auckland. It's also worth saying the driving around Rotorua is incredible. As a Southern Californian, it was a bit nerve-wracking to see white "smoke" coming up out of the vegetation because the first thought is "wildfire" but it's just the volcanic vents. Food: the one thing I think we wish we'd understood more clearly during this tour is when to grab food. Some of the other tours include a specific packed lunch or meal stop, while this one was more "grab something when you can." I'd plan on having your own snacks (the guide provided some but if you have a big appetite it helps to have more) and grabbing a meal both at the Hobbiton cafe and at the Waiotapu cafe.

We really enjoyed the tour, Matt is an excellent tour operator, he gave us all the advice and answered all our questions. Communication with staff was very efficient. We absolutely recommend it!

had a fantastic experience with Cheeky Kiwi Travel on the Hobbiton & Wai-O-Tapu day tour. The day started with an early morning pickup that was right on time, and everything was well organized from start to finish. Our tour guide was incredibly friendly, knowledgeable, and always happy to answer questions or offer helpful tips throughout the day. They made sure everyone was comfortable and kept the schedule running smoothly while still allowing plenty of time to enjoy each stop. Both Hobbiton and Wai-O-Tapu were absolutely worth visiting, and having all the transportation and logistics taken care of made for a relaxing, stress-free day. I would definitely recommend Cheeky Kiwi Travel to anyone looking for a well-run day trip from Auckland!

We had an incredible Rotorua and Hobbiton tour with Timmy! From the moment we set off, Timmy made the entire experience enjoyable, informative, and memorable. He is not only an excellent tour guide with a wealth of knowledge about the area, but also a genuinely kind and caring person who goes above and beyond to make everyone feel welcome. His enthusiasm, sense of humor, and passion for New Zealand really brought the tour to life. Everything was well organized, and we never felt rushed, giving us plenty of time to enjoy both Rotorua and the magical Hobbiton experience. If you're thinking about booking this tour, I can't recommend Timmy highly enough. He made an already amazing trip truly unforgettable. Thank you, Timmy, for such a fantastic day!

Great experience in Hobbiton and Waiotapu. Guide Trent very kind with us and provided valuable information during the tour. The tour exceeded our expectations which were high since the beginning.

The Hobbiton & Rotoura tour with Cheecky Kiwi Travel was excellent. The tour and driver John were fabulous for a multi-generational family, captivating each family member’s attention and enthusiasm. We strongly recommend this tour for anyone traveling through the North Isle of New Zealand.

Our driver Ark is very nice and professional to provide info and assistance. We are happy to join this tour especially having Ark, many thanks to him.

Ark was really kind, accommodating and knowledgable. He's also fun to talk with.

Thankyou Anna from Stuttgart who was our guide today around Hobbiton. We thoroughly enjoyed our experience. We highly recommend this tour made possible by our very patient driver Hanoz. He was amazing !

The tour is great!! The tour guide Jeoff shared a lot during the driving, and planned our day very well! He is really helpful and passionate. The Hobbiton and Wai-O-Tapu are worth visiting!! I had a great time!

Trent is a nice guy, a good guide with good services. He is considerate, caring and on time for the trips and visits. We had a great time and we enjoyed the trip and experiences.

Trent was an amazing guide and such a nice guy to talk to! Our group was really small so the experience felt like a group of friends on a road trip tbh :) Trent was also very considerate, making sure we were comfortable, asked if we needed breaks, and provided us with different snacks and water! :)

Jeoff was our Guide and Driver. Extremely professional throughout, he made our trip totally stress free and great fun throughout. He created camaraderie between the group, created a WhatsApp group to give latest updates and to connect us and gave so many value add suggestions. One of the best experiences of our stay in New Zealand.

Had a magnificent day! Our driver Grant was friendly, gave interesting information about various locations on our drive, and had humorous stories to tell. Hobbiton was surreal and incredible. We were free to be as nerdy as we wanted and were encouraged by our tour guide. The geothermal location was a fascinating and scientific experience, but the smell of the sulfur and other fumes in the water made us wish to return to the Shire. Overall a wonderful day, highly recommend overall!

Cam was a fantastic guide! Super friendly, informative and knowledgeable. We had a great time chatting and learning about New Zealand from him. Hobbiton and Waiotapu were amazing to see. Pickup and drop off were super easy and the whole day went very smoothly. :)

Had a wonderful and smooth tour

Couldn’t believe the attention to detail on the set. Definitely an amazing experience.

My guide was very friendly and knowledgeable. I would recommend this tour group to others. The tour van/bus was also modern and spacious.

curated adventurous journey but still gave me plenty of space to experience things the way i wanted. hurry slowly, yet everything in pace (hello from last minute guest). still can't move on from roadtrip sceneries across places i can't even pronounce, but surely will be back for more i'm still picky about foods, but each year my palate found a few new favorites. thanks hanoz for introducing me to this whole new culinary library, maori taste atlas thru his handy hints. never a boring convos with him, great music taste, absolute best! +love the extra stop to watch live stream, admire the doggy toilet facades and sunset scoops

Amazing day!! Our driver and guide, Mike, was exceptional. He was everything you'd want in a guide- fun, entertaining, interesting, kind, helpful, and knowledgeable. He explained everything ahead of time very well, so we all knew what to expect and where to be and when. He shared great insights along the drive as well. Hobbiton was awesome and such a cool, immersive experience. Waiotapu was fascinating and fun to walk thru the park. Would highly recommend this tour.

We absolutely loved the Hobbiton Tour with Cheeky Kiwi! The pickup at our hotel was on time and our driver, Colin, was great. The van was comfortable and we appreciated the stops for food/restrooms. Our favorite part of the day was absolutely the Hobbiton tour. It was a seamless transition from the Cheeky Kiwi guide to the Hobbiton staff. He made sure we knew what the tour would entail, provided time to shop at the gift store and gave us some tips to make the day even better. Wear shoes with good grips, especially if it's sprinkling/raining. There are umbrellas provided by Hobbiton throughout the tour so no need to bring your own. In hindsight I wish we would have booked the Hobbiton only tour with Cheeky Kiwi as we did not enjoy Waiotapu as much as I thought we would have - this was 100% a personal preference and absolutely nothing that Cheeky Kiwi did wrong. We were at the end of our 2 weeks in NZ and were probably more tired than we realized. Also, as part of the natural environment from the geothermal activity, Rotorua and Waiotapu are very stinky (sulfur smell). The drive back to Auckland was very relaxing and we stopped for Tip Top ice cream and enjoyed a movie to pass the time. This was our 2nd tour with Cheeky Kiwi and I highly recommend their tours!

Excellent Tour. Our driver, Michael was brilliant, very knowledgeable and made sure everyone was comfortable. Rob, the guide at Hobbiton was excellent and kept everyone engaged