Wellington's Original Lotr Experience - Includes Weta And Lunch

Super fun tour with Chris with lots of interesting stories and awesome filming locations. Weta workshop was an experience itself.

Our guide was fantastic and the vistas seen were magical. The stories and details shared throughout the tour were fascinating and did well to emphasize the importance of New Zealand to the films. We really can’t recommend this tour enough.

Great LOTR experience, it’s a very full day. Lunch was very nice and LOTR themed as well which was a nice touch. Our guide was friendly and very knowledgeable about LOTR and the film industry

Super fun tour with Chris with lots of interesting stories and awesome filming locations. Weta workshop was an experience itself.

Our tour guide was warm, welcoming, knowledgeable and made our day! He took us around even when there was low numbers. Very much appreciate this company and this guide that they would take a group tour even if it was only us! Was great to learn all the behind the scenes information that our guide had, as well as more about NZ and its culture. We would recommend this tour to any fan. Thank you to Waiwai for the excellent tour!

Covering so many LOR experiences as well as Wellington’s history. A very charming and well informed guide -Sarah- who managed to make driving the bus look simple, often on very narrow roads. Always went out of her was to help. You can tell I was smitten! Altogether excellent value for money.

The workshop tour was Fantastic!! The film sites were very interesting because James was such a wealth of information! And as a bonus lunch was fantastic!!!

The weather didn’t cooperate but the tour was amazing. Grant showed us not just where scenes were shot but made you appreciate the effort they took to take the shot and the angles they used. An impressive day!

Our 8-person family group, with members ranging from age teens to septuagenarians, spent a great day with Grant from Wanderlust Tourism for Wellington's Original Lord of the Rings (LOTR) Full Day Experience including Weta Workshop and cafe lunch in October 2026. Grant shared fascinating insights about our LOTR tour destinations and the filming, moving seamlessly between the film production and books. He was also great about sharing his expertise in Wellington-area history, flora, and fauna as we traveled in a large, comfortable van with more than enough room for our group. Thanks for the friendly, professional service throughout the day, highly recommend!

Wywy was hilarous and great to talk to, one of the coolest tours ive done. Loved seeing all of the behind the scenes models and props

Our tour guide was very knowledgeable about all things LOTR and was an excellent storyteller! I thoroughly enjoyed the Weta Workshop tour and seeing all the amazing props and costumes that were made for movies other than LOTR. Seeing the film locations with the sets no longer there required your imagination—but you can’t be an LOTR fan without one.

Such an awesome way to see some of the filming locations from LOTR, learn lots about how the movies were made and see some beautiful scenery around Wellington. The tour guide was fantastic and knowledgeable and the lunch was great. Overall really great day and highly recommend doing

We had the best guide on our tour; Marc. Ha was a Ringwraith, an elf, a Gondorian, a Rohirrim and a bunch of other things in the original films and had so many great stories to tell from the set and from behind the scenes. Being on the actual locations are cool on its own, but it’s a different thing entirely when you’re there with someone who worked on the films, both behind and in front of the camera. Marc’s passion for the films and everything Tolkien radiates and really elevated the whole experience.

Fantastic tour - our guide was extremely well versed, friendly and had a huge knowledge base. He exuded his love of all things LOTR. You could tour all the locations by yourself and come away none the wiser and disappointed. We came home and replayed the movies and instantly could recognise the locations we visited. Sorry, I can't remember the guides name - maybe in his 50's - runs marathons and has visited and researched Tolkiens home and history. Thanks so much - very highly recommended

If you’re a Lord of the Rings fan and coming to NZ, I would go to Wellington just to do this!! The weta workshop was amazing and then visiting all of the locations around Wellington where LOTR was shot was breathtaking. Our guide Sarah was so knowledgeable of not just LOTR but also Wellington and all of the surrounding areas. She brought props for photo opportunities at filming locations as well as snacks and drinks for everyone along the way. Truely an unforgettable experience and I can’t recommend this enough.

I enjoyed my tour around Weta Workshop. The weather was rainy, but it was still good to look around filming locations for The Lord of the Rings.

Such a fun day out!! Our guide (Natalie(?) was incredibly knowledgeable and fantastic at getting loads of photos to capture the day- super helpful for solo travellers such as myself!

We're big LotR fans, but it's worth mentioning there were people on this trip who'd never seen the movies or read the books (not sure how that's possible, but it happened), who also had a great time on this movie. "Frenchie", our guide, was an extra on the film, playing "around twenty elves, and a black rider in one scene", to hear him tell it, and the behind-the-scenes stories and lore alone were worth the price of the tour. Add to that the official locations, and the tour and history of Weta, and it was a day to remember.

This tour was simply phenomenal! Talk about hitting all of the most important parts of Wellington in a day! We visited so many film sites and learned so many cool Lord of the Rings facts that we had never heard of despite being die hard Lord of the Rings fans. The tour guide also provided costumes and props to make our experience extra fun. WETA workshop was a beauty in and of itself. You cannot take photos on the first half of the tour, but Saurons armor was probably the most incredible work of art I’ve seen and I was so happy to view it up close and take in every detail. The lunch that we stopped at was also spectacular and was off of a very cute Lord of the Rings menu. It was one of the best dining places we’ve done in New Zealand so far. The Legolas Lembas Bread option was particularly a favorite among my family.

The tour was so worth it. Wellington’s weather was not playing nicely, but Marc was an exceptional tour guide who shared interesting stories and experiences while showing us film locations. It is a tour I would happily do again!

Marc was amazing. Very knowledgeable, funny and a great guide to spend the day with. Our son simply loves Marc, and even though we have been travelling for over six months, been on over 150 tours, Marc is in his top three.... Thank you, Marc, for an amazing day

Unmissable for any LOTR fan!!! Robbie is one of the best storytellers that I have ever met - his extensive participation as an extra in the LOTR trilogy made him an absolute insider… Do not hesitate to book this tour! The connection that you’ll experience to actual filming locations (where your imagination takes over and transports you back to the movies) is astounding!! Highly, highly recommended - the 8 hours passed by in the blink of an eye.

This tour was excellent. There were multiple locations used around Wellington, and we visited them all. From some of the River Anduin scenes, to where the Hobbits tumbled down the side of the hill as they are escaping Farmer Maggot. Even the spot where they hid under the tree from the black rider, though this tree was just a prop in the film you can still see where they hid. This was just in the morning. Then to top it off we drove past Stone Street Studios (where the looked to be setting up for the Hunt for Gollum) which was cool and then onto Weta Workshop to see all the props and how they were made for the films even getting the chance to pick up some swords and dress up. And it was interesting to see some of the other projects that Weta have worked on, not just Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit Lunch was included and afterwards, we visited the Forrest where Rivindell was filmed, took pictures and got to dress up and get some great photos. We also got to drive past the quarry where Helms Deep and Minas Tirith were built however since this is a working quarry there is no public access. The tour guide was very knowledgeable and interesting and even had some behind the scenes stories as she worked on the Lord of the Rings films. Overall an excellent day

Jacks enthusiasm and knowledge really made this tour special! Thanks so much for taking me around Wellington and sharing all the info on the LotR sights. I would recommend this tour to anyone, was a lot of fun!

Hamish was a wonderful tour guide! He was funny and friendly and made the day excellent. Would definitely recommend to our friends.!

Excellent tour! Grant was so knowledgable and enthusiastic about all things Lord of the Rings and Tolkien, but he also shared so much about Wellington too! We had a fabulous time.

Had a wonderful and memorable time. Our tour guide Grant was so friendly, approachable and helpful. He had an endless supply of fascinating tidbits about Wellington, its flora and fauna, and of course all about the LOTR filming process that I didn't know about, even as a decades long fan! Thoroughly enjoyed my delightful pilgrimage to Rivendell. Highly recommend this tour!

Brilliant tour! Hamish was super knowledgeable and went above and beyond. So great to see some of the Lord of the Rings locations.

A surprising and enjoyable tour around the LOTR locations near to Wellington. Our guide, Garth, was very adept at bringing to life the scenes that were filmed at these sometimes innocuous places. The Weta Workshop included tour was fascinating and fun. A must for LOTR afficionados.

It was a great tour. I highly recommend it.

This was a great tour and an awesome way to spend the day! The tour guide was naturally extremely knowledgeable about LOTR but also about New Zealand in general - highly recommend!

Took me a while to get to this because I just had to take some time to process everything. The Welly Tour was the last thing I did in Aotearoa, and a brilliant fitting end it was. Our group was very small but I think that made everything even better, Grant was able to cater to the numerous questions thrown his way by a young lad in our group—and at times I even chimed in for assistance. I could truly tell just how much love and dedication Grant had for his job and for the LOTR films AND for filmmaking in general. Im glad I did film a lot though, he had so much information to share and I didn’t want to forget any bit of it! I’m so glad I was able to take this tour and I have every intention of being back in Wellington soon 💚

Fantastic day out seeing so many filming locations and hearing stories, would highly recommend for any LOTR fans! Dixie was an amazing guide

A reminder that this tour takes you to film locations, but all film sets have been removed, so you really have to use your imagination.

An exceptional tour of so many LOTR filming locations around Wellington with a full lunch and visit to Weta Cave. Hamish was a wonderful guide, highly knowledgeable and enthusiastic. The photos of the locations were an additional benefit helping frame everything.

Must do when you are Lord of the Rings fan. Great filming locations and visiting Weta was also awesome. Dixie as a guide made the day really fun and she got deep knowledge of the movies.

LOTR wellington was phenomenal. Our guide was so knowledgeable and kind. He was very informative and made the experience extra special.

This tour was great! Our tour guide Grant was fun and knowledgeable and gave us chances to take fun photos. Our group was full of LOTR fans so we had a great time at each location hearing about the filming. I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a good LOTR tour.

This was an incredible experience! I loved that this all day tour included constant fun facts and information not just about Lord of the Rings, but also about Wellington and New Zealand. My tour guide was enthusiastic the entire time and welcoming to everyone. He made sure that we had enough time to take as many photos as we wanted and even helped us recreated different scenes from the movies. The Weta Workshop experience was fantastic. It focused on Lord of the Rings, but also shared about other movies that Weta has worked on. I learned so much. I loved that this tour was accessible to solo travelers and offered pick-up and drop-off at our housing accommodations. I absolutely loved this experience!!

Had the good fortune to take this tour on Our visit to Wellington. I am a huge LOTR fan but my wife is not. Nevertheless Grant our guide not only showed us the sights of Wellington but his enthusiasm and humor kept everyone interested. I was wowed by the entire trip with the sights the filming places the lunch the entire presentation was first class and top notch. Highly recommend for that once in a lifetime event

The tour is a masterclass in "behind-the-scenes" storytelling. It’s not just about seeing locations; it’s about standing exactly where the magic happened.

What a fun time! I truly enjoyed this trip into movie-making madness with a group of people who loved the movies. Natalie, our driver/guide, had great energy and stories. The tour of the Wētā Workshop was fascinating. While some may think that kind of background knowledge ruins the magic, I think it actually enhanced the magic in some ways. Why? Because there is a kind of magic in the Workshop's creativity and creations. And the fun we all had with the props!!!! I would do this tour again... And again.

It's a long and thorough day. On the one hand, even non-major LOTR fans will get something out of it because the locations are gorgeous and the WETA tour is interesting. But what comes out to about eight hours is mostly for the dedicated, who will enjoy being in locations related to or directly included in the films. That said, our tour guide was fun and knowledgeable, and seemed to enjoy what he was doing.

There is a bit of walking up and down hill at the beginning of the excursion, but not too extensive. Otherwise this was a fantastic experience. Jack, our tour guide was awesome. So knowledgeable, personable, and entertaining. This was a really great way to get in the beautiful scenery of NZ and get your LOTR nerd-on. Highly recommend!!

Guide Jack was so friendly and accommodating. Tour was extremely well organized. Easy and efficient pickup and return to the cruise port. Beautiful scenery and interesting tour at Wētā Works. A LOT of LOTR trivia and movie info.

The tour was very well organized. Jack, our tour guide, was very knowledgeable about all aspects of Lord of the Rings. We were picked up at the cruise ship pier. We were returned to the ship with plenty of time to spare before "All Aboard". It was a great day.

Meeting the tour, coming off the cruise ship was so easy. Van was 100’ away. Grant was a wonderful guide who had expert LOTR knowledge and passion. Saw all the sights and lunch buffet was really good. Weta production was interesting too. Water was provided and a small snack would have been nice since there was a 6 hour time between breakfast and lunch. We were on time and the company is proud to have not missed a ship departure. The value was excellent and small group was perfect. Highly recommend.

Wha a great experience. If you love LOTR this is a must do! So fun to stand where they filmed the movies and to hear about the history. Our guide Hamish was great and so knowledgeable. Lunch was tasty.

Hamish was a great (and patient) guide! He sprinkled plenty of humor in along with all the knowledge he imparted (cool LOTR and nature facts!) ...and he was able to keep us moving and on time to everything!