Half-Day Lord of the Rings 4WD Tour from Queenstown | 4 hours

218 Reviews | Queenstown
From $160.49 per person Lowest Price Guarantee
Select Date and Travelers
You can select up to 6 travelers in total.
Adult (15-99) Minimum: 1, Maximum: 6
2
Child (4-14) Minimum: 0, Maximum: 6
0
Infant (0-3) Minimum: 0, Maximum: 6
0
Free Cancellation For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Afternoon Departure
2 Adults x $161.63
$323.26
Approx Total
$323.26
Wakatipu Basin tour. Departs at 1.30pm, returns at 5.30pm
Lord of The Rings 4WD tour
2 Adults x $170.61
$341.22
Approx Total
$341.22
Morning Departure: Wakatipu Basin tour. Departs at 8.15am, returns at 12.15pm.

Inclusions / Exclusions

  • Mobile ticket
  • Offered in: English
  • Gold panning
  • Transport by 4WD vehicle with your driver/guide
  • Selected Queenstown Hotel pickup and drop-off
  • Lunch

Overview

An adventure safari packed with breathtaking scenery, thrilling 4WD action whilst discovering LOTR filming locations. Visit the filming locations of Minas Tirith, Misty Mountains, the Pillars of the Kings (Argonath), Gladden Fields, the Ford of Bruinen and more. Travel an historic gold mining road, following the Arrow River, stop for an opportunity to try your hand at gold panning. Take in the spectacular panoramic views over the Wakatipu Basin.

Pickup points

Pickup details

... Read more â–Ľ

OR

Meeting points

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Itinerary

  • Lake Wakatipu

    Travelling part way up Queenstown hill you get a birds eye view onto Lake Wakatipu and Deer Park Heights, which was used for the refugees of Rohan and the Battle of the Wargs scenes.

    10 minutes

  • Kawarau River

    Head to the Kawarau Gorge where the filming took place for the Argonath, or Pillars of the Kings.

    15 minutes

  • Arrow River

    Following a historic gold mining road up the Arrow River you will cross the river many times to get to the Ford of Bruinen. At this point you can indulge in morning or afternoon tea and try your hand at a spot of gold panning.

    1 hour

  • N/A

    Travel to the entrance of Skippers Canyon where you will be offered spectacular panoramic views of the Wakatipu Basin and into Skippers Canyon.

    30 minutes

Sample Menu

Additional Info

  • Public transportation options are available nearby
  • Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
  • Suitable for all physical fitness levels
  • Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
  • min 2 per tour for confirmed departure, min 4 on NZ public holidays

Free Cancellation

June 13100% refund
June 14No refund

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

  • For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
  • If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
  • Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
  • Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
  • This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
Reviews

4.7

218 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews
  • 5 stars
    190
  • 4 stars
    9
  • 3 stars
    7
  • 2 stars
    8
  • 1 star
    4

Reviews by TravelOne travelers

Showing 1-5 of 190 reviews with 5 stars

Lord of the Rings and more

Published on Feb, 2025

We had an amazing time! Benjamin was our guide and he was fantastic! The off-roading was so much fun! And seeing Skippers Road was breath-taking. It was such a great way to spend a day!

Fun!

Published on Feb, 2025

Super fun half-day! The kids loved panning for gold and the off-roading. Our guide, Gavin was lovely to chat to and very knowledgeable. A fantastic way to learn about the area in and around Queenstown.

LOTR Location Safari

Published on Feb, 2025

An early start (08:00 if you are retired!!) for a fabulous guided tour into the surrounding area of Queenstown with with our knowledgeable guide and driver Phoebe. Lovely countryside driving down dirt tracks and across fords in a 4WD not to be recommended in cars or even hire cars. Phoebe went into detail as to how the area used in LOTR was adapted with AI etc. During our refreshment break, Phoebe unpacked cloaks and weapons so that our small 6 person group could relive elements from the film and slay the powerful forces searching for the ONE Ring. Plenty of photo opportunity stops. My wife and I weren't LOTR fans but still enjoyed this half day trip. Just need to watch the films now when we get home. Thank you so much Phoebe for a fabulous trip.

Great time for sure!!!

Published on Jan, 2025

Great time with Kelsie! She kept us well informed and we learned so much about Queenstown and the area. Loved the information about Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings! Found gold!! Skipper’s canyon was amazing!

Fantastic Lord of the Rings Tour with Nomad Safaris

Published on Jan, 2025

We had a fantastic tour with Nomad Safaris. We visited the key Lord of the Rings sights - traversed the Arrow river multiple times, panned for gold, climbed up to Skippers canyon and the views were jaw dropping. The travel along the cliff road is not for the feint of heart - especially if you have a fear of heights like me! But it was so worth it! Our guide Phoebe was awesome - friendly, knowledgeable and a great driver who had to maneuver on the cliff to allow a couple of other vehicles to pass us. Highly recommend her as your guide. We have so many photos to treasure. This was a private tour and worth it since we got to see everything we wanted to and so many other things we didn’t know we wanted to!

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