Hobbiton & Waitomo Caves Day Tour With Lunch From Auckland

A big thank you to Cheeky Mike for making our trip such a wonderful experience! 💛 Mike was the gentlest, kindest and most informative tour guide — he honestly reminded me of the grandpa from Up! 🥹 He packed the trip with interesting stories, fun activities and thoughtful little surprises, so there was never a dull moment. His driving was also smooth and safe, making the long journey so comfortable. What made the experience truly special was his warm personality and the care he put into making sure everyone enjoyed the trip. Thank you, Mike, for sharing your knowledge, kindness and Kiwi spirit with us. You made this trip extra memorable! 🇳🇿❤️

We originally booked with Go New Zealand. They promptly informed us our tour would be operated by Cheeky Kiwi. Cheeky Kiwi was awesome. They got us there in style and comfort. They provided snacks, water, and lunch. Trent provided commentary of sights along the way. Hobbiton was amazing. The tour guides were knowledgeable and funny. The photo opportunities and the drink at the dragon inn were just the cherry on top. We had about 30 min at the cafe/giftshop, followed by 2 hour tour. The glow worm caves were so cool. You won't believe your eyes.

Awesome day. Hobbiton is stunning — green, scenic, and beautifully kept. The caves were the highlight though: watching the glowworms felt like looking up at a night sky full of stars. Romantic and unforgettable.

Vicki was AMAZING! She was very knowledgeable and welcoming. This was about a 15 person tour and everything went smoothly from pick up to drop off. Vicki was very attentive with food and toilet stops. She have great recommendations and we felt safe with her driving in the rain. Booking thr excursion through cheeky kiwi makes the whole Hobbiton and Glow worm cave experience much smoother and enjoyable. You dont have to worry about driving or parking or the time. They take care of it all. You just show up and have a great time. We met some wonderful people on our tour and also took a good nap between excursions. Its a 12 hour day so you'll definitely appreciate the comfortability of getting on an air-conditioned bus without having to worry about a thing. All the admission fees were included and we had lunch and well. I would say this is best for anyone, families, couples and if youre considering if its worth it I hope this review helps you make a choice. Cheers!

This tour was one of the best tours I’ve ever been on. Our tour guide, Grant was both cheeky and so very charming. Hobbiton was everything that we dreamed of and more with rolling green hills, grazing sheep, and such detailed hobbit holes, both inside and out. The Green Dragon had such delicious drinks and the bar tenders were so cheerful. Our tour guide, Grant, made sure to provide lots of snacks and water for our long journey, and on top of this, we had a very hearty and delicious lunch included in the tour package. After leaving Hobbiton, we made our way to Waitomo caves, which was simply spectacular and a must see. Finally, we made a pit stop at an ice-cream shop on the way home and it was honestly the best ice-cream I’ve ever had. This was such a pleasant experience and I could not recommend Cheeky Kiwi more.

It was an incredible experience visiting Hobbiton and Waitomo in a single day. Although it was a 13-hour tour, it was absolutely worth it. The scenery was stunning, and the entire journey was truly memorable. I would especially like to compliment our tour guide, Liam. He is highly professional, friendly, and genuinely caring. Throughout the trip, he shared detailed and fascinating information about Auckland and the places we visited, which made the experience even more enjoyable. Liam went above and beyond—he prepared water and snacks for us during the journey, arranged a great lunch, and even helped take photos without being asked. His thoughtful and attentive service made the whole trip comfortable and smooth. Thank you, Cheeky Kiwi, for having such outstanding staff. This was truly a memorable and enjoyable journey.

I had the best time today with our tour guide mark. He was lovely, professional and full of insights! For future everyone should book THROUGH CHEEKY KIWI TRAVEL - and not through Headout as Headout had inaccurate information about pick up times and what to bring etc, I ended up calling CKT directly and spoke to a lovely lady who gave me all the information I needed and made sure I was ready and on time for the tour!! Thanks again!!

My wife and I booked through Tripadvisor with the Cheeky Kiwi operator. They provide the coach, book the tickets at the sites, provide lunch, and the driver provides the commentary to and from the sites. So, the review is half about the operator and half about the actual sites. Our driver was a fat, jovial character called Ale (Alessandros?) The driver is in an unenviable position. He needs to keep the customers amused for two or three hours each way, and also know when to shut up and give them a bit of peace and quiet. We got on the coach at 5:45am, and I would have been happier if he just said "folks, I'm going to collect all of us from the various hotels; we'll head off and stop after an hour at a _really_ good coffee place; and after that I'll start telling you about what you're going to see today". However, he felt obliged to talk almost without stop all the way. I suppose it doesn't matter who the operator is - they all have the same balancing act to navigate. Advice: if you book through Tripadvisor you may not be able to specify your exact hotel as your pick-up point. We chose one that was close to our hotel (Crowne Plaza) then after we'd paid we contacted the Cheeky Kiwi operator directly and changed the pickup to where we really wanted to be picked up. No drama from them, so I guess this happens frequently. OK. Hobbiton. New Zealand's #1 tourist attraction with 250,000 visitors a year. Don't think you can just hire a car, drive up on spec and buy a ticket. You won't be able to get in. You need to go through an operator - which books the tickets in advance and allocates a couple to you when you book. If they have sold all the ones they have purchased, they won't take any more bookings for that day. So be aware, for Hobbiton you must go through _some_ operator. Good crowd, good weather, good atmosphere, good guide at the site. If it had rained, I dare say it would have been miserable. Check the weather forecast and take an umbrella if it looks iffy. I went because my wife wanted to see it, so I was there on sufferance. However, it was more enjoyable than I thought it would be, and she found it enthralling. By contrast, the Waitomo Caves was strange and enjoyable in a different way. Imagine a cave system with stalactites and stalagmites. There's a river that flows through it. Get in a boat, go round a bend and there - up in the air - are glow-worms, hanging from the roof. Never seen anything like it, anywhere in the world. As an example of natural history, I think it's unique. All in all, I was happy with the operator and the two sites we saw. At first sight, it looks expensive, but just cost out what you would pay to arrange it yourself with a hire car, lunch, tickets (if you can get them !) and the exhausting driving for hours on roads you don't know. Suddenly, this looks like very good value for money. Five Stars from me.

Amazing tour. Atmosphere great. Great people.

Cheeky Vicki was an awesome guide, knowledgeable about all areas, happy, helpful and even able to throw a few laughs at an ungodly hour of the morning!! And the lunch stop food was beyond what I expected,

The trip was amazing. Vicki was a great guide, and helped make the day enjoyable. Hobbiton was more then what i hoped for, and the Waitomo caves were fun and informative. I would recommend to everyone.

We took cheeky kiwi to visit hobbiton and waiting caves. Rich took us there and through out the trip he was amazing. He explained things along the way, booked our lunch and made sure we had our orders ready when we arrived. Stopped near really good breakfast and icecream places as well he was very positive and really loved this trip with rich.

Amazing service by Cheeky Kiwi Travel. Our tour guide was very knowledgable. It will be a memorable trip and highly advisable

We came for our honeymoon and left with great memories thanks to the tour and our guide, Ben. Our guide, Ben, was especially kind and friendly, making the tour even more enjoyable. Thank you for your hard work. If you want to take the Hobbiton Waitomo Caves tour, I recommend this tour and Ben.

This tour was amazing! We had Ben as our guide and he made the experience so enjoyable with all his stories, jokes, local insights and great playlist. He made sure everyone was comfortable and included and gave us extra snacks and water (he even made time for a coffee stop in the morning). The tour was very relaxed and never felt rushed, and we got a decent amount of time in the gift shops. Lunch was good, lots of options to choose from. I liked how the group size was small (about 15), which made the tour feel more inclusive. I definitely recommend this tour!

Beautiful locations and very well organized tour! Liam and Richard were amazing guides, well-informed and chill vibes all around. Can highly recommend!

This day trip from Auckland was a fantastic experience from start to finish. I'm not a big fan of Lord of the Rings but the Hobbiton movie set tour had me smiling all the way through. The tour operator Cheeky Kiwi with Mike & Anahea (sorry if misspelled) got us there early before the masses of crowds, with commentary of the local history along the journey. Onto Waitomo caves and again what an experience. The family that still own the caves and our expert and comical guide made this a day to remember. I highly recommend Cheeky Kiwi and this day trip from Auckland

Wonderful trip with our guide Simon. We had a great time with the group and Simon gave us lots of good tips for the rest of our travels and took us through some very scenic areas during the drive to the different spots.

This small group tour was great with two very friendly and interesting guides to drive us through the amazing region of Auckland, Cambridge, Hamilton and Waitomo. The journey to the first stop in the Alexander Farm in Watamata to get to the movie set Hobbiton was extraordinary accross the countryside, with our two guides full of anecdotes about the history of the land. The visit of the movie set itself, with a great guide, was incredible, with a story to every Hobbit hole of the set and many fun stories of the behind the scenes of the movie shooting. The visit ends with the exploration of two remodeled Hobbit holes in which it is so fun to take photos among the furnitures. The Hobbiton tour is followed with a drink at the tavern the Green Dragon. After the movie set, it was fine having a well deserved lunch at a local authentic restaurant, and to the next step: the exploration of the mysterious Waitomo Glowworm Caves, a wonder of Aotearoa, with a passionate local guide. The way back to Auckland, though a bit long, was still enjoyable with the stories and joke of our two guides. Pick up and drop out at the hotel was pretty convenient. The tour also included a coffee break for breakfast and an ice cream break at Pokeno. The atmosphere was cheerful all the day and the small size group was great to have fun. I recommend Cheeky Kiwi Travels for a fun time, great value for the price tag, and thank you to our two guides, Joeff and Arahia for the amazing day spent together.

We were a group of six who joined the one-day tour from Auckland to Hobbiton and Waitomo. Thanks to our guides, Jeoff and Arahia, and to the wonderful people who joined the tour from around the world, we had a great time getting to know each other and chatting along the way. As for the tour itself, the pick-up location was easy to find, and the pick-up was punctual. It took around 2.5 hours to reach Hobbiton from Auckland, but the ride didn’t feel long at all because Jeoff shared lots of interesting background stories and local knowledge throughout the journey. Both Hobbiton and Waitomo are absolutely worth visiting. At Hobbiton, you can see the actual filming locations and iconic scenes from the movies — it really brings back all the memories! Our Hobbiton tour guide, Sam H, was also fantastic and made the experience even more enjoyable. Waitomo was even more amazing and beautiful than I expected. The glowworms were magical — a truly unforgettable sight. Overall, it was a well-organized tour with friendly guides and a great atmosphere. Highly recommended to anyone visiting Auckland!

Great tour and great company. 100% recommended. This was part of our honeymoon. Jeoff was a truly great guide, he owes me a Kiwi from a bet we did but that’s fine he’ll give it to me next time :)

Jeoff was our guide for the day and we couldn’t have a better one. He was very experienced and shared much about our tour and NZ history and culture. It was a thoroughly enjoyable day! Very highly recomm Cheeky Kiwi and esp kudos to Jeoff.

What a great day visiting middle earth. Jeff our tour guide was absolutely fantastic. His restaurant recommendations were spot on!

Dave was very serious about keeping a schedule. I’m a person who’s early everywhere I go but dave was a little excessive. We’d have 20 minutes at a stop and he’d be pushing us to get back on the bus at the 10 minute mark. Having said that we were able to see a lot of stuff and Dave did keep things moving. We truly enjoyed Hobbiton. We had a lovely tour guide there. The hobbit homes were so cool and the fact that it’s still on a working ranch is awesome. Even if you weren’t a fan of the LOTR movies, it’s worth seeing. The Waitomo caves were very cool and the staff there were knowledgeable and I was impressed by the boat guides ability to navigate the boat

Great tour. Professional and friendly guide, Grant. He was personable, confident , experienced and made every bit of the tour comfortable and easy! Got the tickets, prepared us for what would happen next, where to meet, where everything was located, etc. He gave informative talks interspersed through the day, but not too Much information. Let us know where and when to meet, and made the entire day go smoothly. The group was lovely, fun to interact with some of the passengers from all over who were traveling alone, and with the groups and couples. Everyone was respectful, ready for pickup and ready at each designated time, so made the group aspect easy and pleasant. We loved Hobbiton and the glow worm caves also exceeded our expectations- both great experiences!!

The tour was excellent. Our tour guide and driver, Jason, was informative and fun! I would recommend this tour company and this tour. Hobbiton was magical as were the Glow worm caves. We weren’t able to enjoy the BBQ lunch that day due something with the restaurant. Cheeky tours refunded the amount immediately and we were taken to a very nice little town to explore and buy lunch.

John was so much fun! Weather was kind of…wet! But we enjoyed the day tremendously! Was a great day of laughter. Thanks John!

Pouring down rain yet was still a magical experience at Hobbiton. Glow work Caves are cool and I see why they are interesting treasure. The BBQ didn’t happen due to restaurant being shut down during Covid and not making it through the other side. Full refund for that part.

Great tour well worth the time and distance from the city. John was a great guide and very knowledgeable. Excellent experience overall.

Our driver Michael was an excellent driver and tour guide. My husband and I truly enjoyed the courtesy, pick up from our hotel and a fabulous day of tripping around. The tours were both of them, excellent.

Beautiful, peaceful. Our driver took care of every detail Glad I did it. The chofer took very good care of the group.

Awesome day, Mark and Michael were both amazing tour guides. So much fun and very informative. Definitely would recommend this company if you’re looking for fab places to visit with friendly and informative guides.

Most memorable part for me was when we were inside the Waitomo cave and everyone sang a birthday song for me. Looking forward to attend your other tours. To Michael, our awesome tour guide you rock; thank you for making may birthday a memorable experience.

My wife and I loved the tour from start to finish. Our guide Michael was extremely knowledgeable, friendly, and ultimately made the long drives between destinations enjoyable. Great value for the money.

Coming from United States where we drive on the opposite side of road, we were apprehensive whether we should drive or do a guided tour. I am glad we did this tour. We had a great experience. Simon was our driver and guide. He was very informative. Hobbiton set was worth going to. The Glowworm experience was awesome. Highly recommend

I had a lovely time with Louise as our tour guide. Definitely ask to be on her group because she's a pleasure to be around and super knowledgeable. I was by myself and it was still definitely worth it. Hobbiton is amazing and definitely worth checking out. Waitomo caves are...ok. I wouldn't say it's worth it, so if you can do the other tour going to someplace else, I'd advise doing so. The lunch is also not necessary, kind of expensive for what it is, so skip it if you're not that hungry.

All you need to know is that this company hires amazing people, and one in particular is Lance. He made the day so so good for us. He showed our family, and each guest, special attention. In particular, our 21 month old girl was especially well taken care of. He made sure he had a car seat for her that fit on the bus. He got her extra cookies during lunch. He even bought her a stuffed toy at one of the stops. It was a long day and all of these extra little efforts kept our daughter happy and thus ALL of the passengers happy. He is also a consummate story teller. His stories were interesting and useful, and made the long drives pass much quicker. He did how we allow us jet lagged travelers time to Rest between stops without interruption. He gave us helpful tips to maximize our experience at each stop. The van was new and comfortable. The lunch included was good enough and got the job done. Overall, a great experience made all the much better by Lance!!!!

My husband and I took the Cheeky Kiwi tour to Hobbiton and The Glow Worm Caves with Louise as our tour guide and driver. We had 16 on the tour. Louise is an excellent driver and very conscience of every detail. It was a very long day (12 hours) but she made it very interesting with her commentary and “secret” side trips making a long day enjoyable. Hobbiton was interesting even though we are not huge Lord of the Rings fans. The glow worm cave tour was a unique experience and worth the trip. I can’t say enough about Louise. She greatly enhanced our experience from the snacks she provided to the bbq place she selected for lunch it was all well planned and she got us back on time.

Lance, our tour guide, promptly picked us up from our hotel for the long day. His humor, knowledge of New Zealand’s history and fun stories kept us all entertained throughout the day. Even if you’ve never seen a lord of the rings movie, or have lived in a cave (not the type with cool glow worms) and haven’t heard of lord of the rings, we highly recommend going to hobbiton. The detail and creativity of the movie set makes you feel like you’re in another serene world. After the tour of hobbiton we chose to eat at the BBQ buffet for lunch. The steak was delicious and the meal was fairly priced for all of the food that was provided. Following lunch we headed for the glow worm caves. The tour was very interesting and marvelous to see but very short. We would still recommenced it because it only exists in a few places throughout the world. Overall, Lance and the Cheeky Kiwi Travel company made the experience very easy and fun! PS-if lance is your tour guide and you stop for ice cream get the hokey pokey ice cream.

The whole day was so informative, Lance our driver and guide was so entertaining, you can hear and see his pride for his country and culture. Lance made our whole experience wonderful, and welcomed all of us as family.

We had an amazing day travelling to Hobbiton and Waitomo Glowworm cave. Our guide, Michael was excellent. He was informative and had some great stories to tell! He really looked after us! Lunch at the Roseland Restaurant was wonderful. It was worth the visit. I highly recommend this tour.

We had a wonderful day traveling to Hobbiton and Waitomo Glowworm cave. Our guide, Lance did a great job. First off, he picked us up on time. He was informative, witty and conscientious of everyone's diverse needs. The van was a perfect size to make the travel more enjoyable. The venues were great and well organized. Thanks again Cheeky Kiwi!

Booked this tour on bookme.nz and it was great! Our guide Lance was enthusiastic with and a storyteller. The bbq lunch is worth the price. We stopped a really good and cheap ice cream place on the way back, where you need cash. I can 100 % reccomend this tour!

What a great day we've had with Grant and Cheeky Kiwi tour. Glow worms, Hobbiton, steak lunch at a lovely spot and stopover for NZ made ice cream. Professional service, well organised. Do it! You won't regret it.

The tour was so perfect! Everything on time and the cheeky driver, Michael, was very attentive and friendly! I recommend for everyone! Thank you very much!

We had an absolute blast on our tour! Louise was an amazing guide. She listened to what we were excited to see and maximized our time for those activities. Even when there was a snag in the plans, she smoothed over everything and made the experience absolutely effortless. Friendly, patient, and knowledgeable; an absolutely incredible host for this very memorable journey. Hobbiton is magical, go do it!

Great tour. Great accommodations. Nice not having to drive and getting to see both Hobbiton and caves in one day. There is also really good tour commentary for general topics on the road that make it a beneficial experience. Martin is a wonderful tour guide and he made it a great time

Excellent tour, the driver was nice and very informative. Was picked up from and dropped off at my hotel.

Louise was excellent! She remembered everyone's name from the very first intro. She was very personable and attentive to everyone's needs - very impressed. The time for each event to Hobbiton and Waitomo was perfect - not too long or too short. It was truly a small group, just as advertised. Louise's commentary was informative and peppered with her great sense of humor - that is, never dull! We had a wonderful experience and would highly recommend to others.