PRIVATE Full Day Lord of the Rings and Weta plus keepsake
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September 2026
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Adults
Age 13 and over
Children
Age 12 and under
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Free cancellation up to 24 hours before. Same price on Viator, Outty earns a commission.
Traveler rating
5.0/5
Based on 1 traveler reviews. Ratings and reviews provided by Viator and Tripadvisor.
Quick answer
Is PRIVATE Full Day Lord of the Rings and Weta plus keepsake worth booking?
PRIVATE Full Day Lord of the Rings and Weta plus keepsake is a 6.5-hour experience in Wellington, New Zealand, from $190 per person. It scores 56 out of 100 on the Outty Ranking, which we label “Worth a Look”, based on a 5/5 rating across 1 reviews. Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before the start time. Same-day spots are currently showing.
- Outty Ranking
- 56 / 100
- Rating
- 5/5 (1)
- Duration
- 6.5 hours
- From
- $190 per person
One tour to rule them all...... You'll get to check out the filming locations of the magical Lord of the Rings trilogy & you also get to wander around the beautiful city. All hosted by expert guides! Including but not
What you get
- Bottled water
- Admission to the 90 minute Weta Cave Experience is included in your cost
- Licensed guide/ driver
About this experience
One tour to rule them all...... You'll get to check out the filming locations of the magical Lord of the Rings trilogy & you also get to wander around the beautiful city. All hosted by expert guides! Including but not limited to the Outer Shire, Helm’s Deep, Minas Tirith, Isengard & Rivendell. We'll recreate some iconic scenes & enjoy some stunning scenery whilst we go! Your tour includes the 90-minute Weta Cave experience where you'll be taken behind the scenes of Weta Workshop.
What's included
Included
- Bottled water
- Admission to the 90 minute Weta Cave Experience is included in your cost
- Licensed guide/ driver
Not included
- Lunch
What you'll see and do
Wellington
COLLECT Our journey starts by safely collecting all of our guests & getting onboard our vehicle. If you are coming in by cruise ship, we will collect you directly from the port. You do not need to get on a shuttle bus or head to the city as we are accredited to collect you as you walk off the ship. If you are being collected from your hotel then please wait in reception or just outside where you can been seen by your friendly guide. Sit tight, sometimes traffic (or people) can delay our arrival. If you are being collected from the iSite then pop out to the tour bus stop just outside/beside the iSite. Keep an eye out for Ka Rawe signage on the vehicle & we'll see you soon!
15 minutes here
Embassy Theatre
What a beautiful cinema & plenty of history to go with this one too. The Embassy Theatre is located at the Eastern end of Courtenay Place in the shadow of Mount Victoria. It was thrust into the international cinematic limelight when it hosted the world premiere of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King on December 1, 2003. Nearly 120,000 people lined the red carpet along Courtenay Place to watch the procession of actors and filmmakers as they made their way into the theatre for the screening. The theatre also hosted the Australasian premieres of The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers. The theatre held a red carpet screening of Peter Jackson's King Kong in 2005 and the 2012 world premiere of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.
10 minutes here
Mount Victoria Lookout
Check out the best vantage point in our beautiful city. Breathtaking 360 degree views of the central business district, the harbour & the ocean to the south. Stunnnnning! Legend has it that Wellington harbour, originally a land-locked lake, was home to two large and very active taniwha (sea monsters). One taniwha forged a passage to the open sea creating the entrance to the harbour. The second, named Whataitai, tried a different route, became stranded and died. It is believed that Tangi-te keo (Mt Victoria) was named after the soul of Whataitai. Probably the best photo opportunity on the tour, our guide/host would be delighted to be your personal photographer for the day. What a beautiful city!
15 minutes here
Mount Victoria
HOBBITS HIDEAWAY Not only is Mount Victoria the best vantage point in Wellington with those 360 degree views but where the first day of filming took place for the Lord of the Rings trilogy back in 1998. Some of the most iconic scenes from the trilogy were filmed here & your guide will use imagery from the trilogy to bring those scenes to life. Hideaway from the Black Riders & move swiftly to Buckleberry ferry & who knows, maybe we might just recreate those scenes........Don't forget, your guide LOVES taking photos for you. Your guide will share loads of insider knowledge weaned from training given by Lord of the Rings experts & hours of watching behind the scenes documentaries! Get off the rooooad!
30 minutes here
Wellington
WETA CAVE Don't be fooled into thinking we're here to see some New Zealand native insects up close...... Whilst the Weta is a native new zealand cricket like insect, its also the name of a World famous Film & Special Effects company right here in little old Wellington! Arguably Weta is most famous for the incredible work of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, however their impact on the greater industry is much broader than that. Included in your cost of the tour, you'll also participate in the 90 minute behind the scenes Weta Cave experience. Our guide will check you in for that. This is also your chance to purchase some memorabilia, check out some of the items on show in the mini museum & you'll even have a photo opportunity with the Cave Trolls! At Ka Rawe, our guides make great photographers too. Once we leave the Weta Cave, we check out the Wellington sign on our travels, this is the one our friends from Hollywood copied!!
120 minutes here
Oriental Bay
We make our way back into the city around the bay & your guide will keep you informed as we go. We make it around to Oriental Bay known for being both a popular beach and an opulent centre of affluence in the city. Its a little bit pricey around here!. You'll get to see some amazing architecture & perhaps this will be the only "man made" beach you'll ever see in your lives!!? Check out Carter Fountain too. Originally named Duppa Bay after its original sole resident George Duppa, it was renamed to Oriental Bay after one of the first to bring settlers here to Wellington. Spectacular! Beautiful
15 minutes here
Wellington
LUNCH - We'll find a suitable location for lunch. Costs are met by the guests
45 minutes here
Upper Hutt
HUTT VALLEY & QUARRY We take a short journey out to the Hutt Valley region, where more movie magic was made. Whilst it looks a little different these days, the Dry Creek Quarry housed some of the most impressive sets from the movie. Believe it or not, this is where the epic Battle of Helms Deep was shot. Our guide helps bring these scenes to life with historic pictures & images from the movie. They'll also share some of the lesser known facts about the movie that relate to this particular site. For example, did you know that some of the crowd noise generated for the Battle of Helms Deep was derived from an International Cricket match that took place around the time of filming?? Genius huh!!? A reminder, don't forget to bring your imagination!
30 minutes here
Poet's Park
The locals know this location as Poets Corner, however at Ka Rawe, we know it & show it as part of the Riven Anduin! Similar to the Dry Creek Quarry, whilst much has changed here in the last 25 years, what hasn't changed is that Poets corner served as part of the River Anduin where the Fellowship travelled in boats after leaving Lothlorien. Our guide will share other interesting facts regarding this location as we do throughout our journey, we bring these facts to life with supporting imagery.
10 minutes here
Upper Hutt
ISENGARD We continue our journey a little deeper in to the Hutt Valley & as we slip off the main thoroughfare, we encounter what the locals know as Harcourt Park but we prefer to recognize as Isengard! A great opportunity to recreate one of the shots from the movie where the background still looks largely similar to how it did those 25 years ago. We showcase some of Peter's ingenuity as we reimagine how he shot some of the scenes & how they morphed into the final images you see on screen. As always, our guide is happy to act as photographer for you & has images to share to fuel your imagination! And we share a little insiders knowledge as we go.
20 minutes here
Kaitoke Regional Park
Well if you ever wanted to experience the beautiful scenery & mature that New Zealand is renowned for, then look no further than Kaitoke Regional Park. We prefer to think of it as Rivendell! Once again we marvel at Peters ingenuity as we share how composite scenes are created & talk a little about the use of miniatures & bigatures! There can be no mistake that Kaitoke Park was used in the filming of Lord of the Rings, as there are many items & land marks to showcase this fact. Fantastic photo opportunities (again) as we escape the van to soak up the serenity & imagine just what it looked like some 27 years ago. Your guide will once again share some little known facts with you, show you some imagery from the film & act as you personal photographer. Magic!
30 minutes here
Wellington
DROP OFF To conclude our journey, we head back to the city & we rejoice in the success & fun that our day brought to alll!
45 minutes here
Where it starts and ends
Meeting point
Wellington
The Wellington iSite is just by the Michael Fowler Centre. Keep an eye out for Ka Rawe signs on cars or vans!
Hotel pickup
Pickup is available for selected locations. Pickup begins about 15 minutes before departure.
Ends at
The Wellington iSite is just by the Michael Fowler Centre. Keep an eye out for Ka Rawe signs on cars or vans!
Before you book
- Cancellation
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
- Languages
- en
- Ticket
- Mobile Only
- Runs on
- Every day
- Group size
- Up to 11 travelers per booking
- Operated by
- Ka Rawe Tours
Know before you go
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Please note that the order of the itinerary items may vary
- Note that we visit filming locations not movies sets. Please bring your imagination!
- Lunch venue & duration of break time varies depending on traffic & other timings
- Please stay flexible regarding travel times & itinerary times
- There is some track walking required up & down a mild incline
Photos
Good to know
- Duration
- 6.5 hours
- Free cancellation
- Up to 24h before
- Minimum age to book
- 1+
- Availability
- Bookable today
- Runs on
- Every day
- Price range
- $190 to $775
- Hotel pickup
- Available for selected locations
- Booked in 30 days
- 0
- Verdict
- Worth a Look
Who runs this experience
Operated by Ka Rawe Tours, who run 9 experiences we rank across 1 city, with an average Outty Ranking of 62.8.
See everything Ka Rawe Tours runsWhy this scores 56
The Outty Ranking is a weighted composite. Here is how this experience performed on each component.
PRIVATE Full Day Lord of the Rings and Weta plus keepsake: questions travelers ask
Practical detail on this experience, plus the wider planning questions for Wellington.
How much does PRIVATE Full Day Lord of the Rings and Weta plus keepsake cost?
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Prices start at $190 per person. The final price depends on the date, the time slot and the number of travelers, and peak weekends in Wellington usually price higher than midweek mornings. Live pricing and remaining availability are confirmed on the booking screen before you pay.
How long does PRIVATE Full Day Lord of the Rings and Weta plus keepsake take?
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Plan for about 6.5 hours from start to finish, not counting travel to the meeting point. Most travelers leave another 30 minutes on either side so the rest of the day in Wellington is not rushed.
Is PRIVATE Full Day Lord of the Rings and Weta plus keepsake worth it?
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It holds an Outty Ranking of 56 out of 100, which we label "Worth a Look". That score blends traveler sentiment (5/5 across 1 reviews), the depth of that review evidence, recent booking momentum, value for money against comparable last minute in Wellington, and how flexible the cancellation terms are.
Can I cancel or reschedule PRIVATE Full Day Lord of the Rings and Weta plus keepsake?
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Yes. Cancel free up to 24 hours before the start time for a full refund. Inside that window the booking is non-refundable, and no-shows are not refunded.
Is PRIVATE Full Day Lord of the Rings and Weta plus keepsake suitable for kids and families?
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The operator sets a minimum age of 1. Older children generally do well here, and families should factor in the 6.5-hour running time when deciding.
How far in advance should I book PRIVATE Full Day Lord of the Rings and Weta plus keepsake?
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Around 0 people booked this in the last 30 days, so popular slots go early. Two to three weeks ahead is comfortable in shoulder season, while summer weekends and holidays in Wellington can sell out a month out. Same-day spots do open up when other travelers cancel, so it is worth checking if you are already in town.
What should I bring or wear?
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Bring photo ID, your booking confirmation on your phone, a refillable water bottle and comfortable shoes. Dress for the weather in Wellington and add a light layer if any part of the 6.5-hour experience runs outdoors or after sunset.
Where does PRIVATE Full Day Lord of the Rings and Weta plus keepsake start and how do I get there?
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The exact meeting point and directions are on your voucher once you book, and they sit in central Wellington within reach of public transport. Arrive 15 minutes early: late arrivals are treated as no-shows by most operators.
What are the best things to do in Wellington?
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On Outty we rank every Wellington experience on the same 0 to 100 scale, and alongside this one the highest scorers right now include Overnight Experience Tour on Kapiti Island, Discover Wellington 3 hour City Tour, Martinborough Wine and Wild Coast Tour from Wellington. The city page groups everything into most popular, highest reviewed, last minute and family-friendly so you can build a day around what actually delivers.
When is the best time to visit Wellington?
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Booking patterns follow the same curve: prices and queues climb in peak weeks, while shoulder season gives you better availability on the top-ranked experiences and more room to change plans.
How many days do you need in Wellington?
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Three full days covers the headline sights without sprinting. A workable rhythm is one anchor experience each morning, such as this one, an unhurried afternoon in a single neighborhood, then a food or nightlife booking in the evening. Five days lets you add a day trip outside the city.
Do I book through Outty or through the operator?
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Outty ranks and explains the experiences, then hands you to Viator to complete the booking with the operator directly. The price is the same as booking on Viator yourself, and Outty earns an affiliate commission on the referral, which is how the rankings stay free to read.
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