Join us on an epic Tour through Middle-Earthtm New Zealand
Red Carpet Tours are the original and premier The Lord of the Rings tour company operating since 2001. Join us on our next journey and be a part of a fellowship of like-minded people as we travel through stunning Middle-earth, New Zealand.
Middle-earth, LOTR, The Hobbit, One Ring and The Lord of The Rings, and the characters, places, items and events therein are trademarks of Middle-earth Enterprises and are used with permission by Red Carpet Tours.
The Lord of The Rings Filming Locations Visited
Our New Zealand The Lord of the Rings tours include many movie locations such as Hobbiton and Trollshaw in The North Island, to Laketown and Edoras in the South Island! All of these beautiful places are instantly recognisable in real life.
What makes our tours special
100% kiwi guides
The only authorised LOTR Tour company
Family owned and operated
Exclusive access to LOTR movie locations
Fan based and focused
Operating since 2001 with 5 star reviews
Our Tours
Our Tour options range from 6 to 14 days long and feature amazing key filming locations from both movie trilogies!
14 Day The Lord of the Rings Tour
This 14-day LOTR New Zealand adventure is our most popular tour. Take a once-in-a-lifetime journey to Middle-earth, travelling from Auckland to...
12 Day Winter The Lord of the Rings Tour
This 12 day New Zealand Winter The Lord of the Rings Tour is not to be missed. Take a once-in-a-lifetime journey to Middle-earth, traveling from...
September Hobbit Celebration Tour
Our special 12 day The Lord Of The Rings tour will take you on a Middle-earth adventure from Queenstown through to Auckland. This particular tour...
Deals and Specials
2026 Tour Dates Now Available!
Join us in 2026 for the adventure of a lifetime on one of our Lord of the...
Winter Tours of Middle-earth
This 12 day Lord of the Rings New Zealand adventure is designed specially...
Featured Posts
Read our latest blog to keep up to date with Middle-earth news
Step Inside The First Ever Hobbit Hole
03 October 2023
As of this December, a new Hobbit hole interior will be a part of our tour through Hobbiton, which will transport you into the heart of Tolkien's
Weta Workshop Unleashed
02 January 2021
Weta Workshop Unleashed is an extension of their creative work and reflects all the talented people who work on the films
Artists of Film
28 August 2020
A Weta Workshop Artist, Reece Dixon shares with us some insights into his career with Weta and the pieces of art he has worked on for films.
What people have said
This was a trip of a lifetime. I honestly couldn’t imagine seeing Middle Earth any other way. Julie is amazing and truly cultivated an experience that I will treasure forever. If you’re thinking about booking this trip—just do it. I promise that you will have the time of your life.
Brenna M
Red Carpet Tours is a fabulous company - been with them 3 times. I agree with others posted here that it is the BEST way to see New Zealand, especially if you are a "Lord of the Rings" and "Hobbit" fan - and even if you're not! From all the Magnificent New Zealand...
John N
This tour changed my life, Julie and Josh were amazing tour guides, everywhere we went was stunning. I could not have asked for anything more from them. Even where there were some hiccups outside of anyone’s control Julie and the team worked tirelessly to ensure we had the best experience...
Jon
With Julie James as our guide (Feb. 2018) on the 14 day tour... it was excellent! She always took every effort and opportunity to see to everyone's requests. The hotels we stayed in were wonderful. The meals were delicious. But the tour itself??? Awesome!!! We had big LOTR and the Hobbit...
Katherine C
I don’t have enough good things to say about this incredible experience. Our guide Julie is so knowledgeable and fun about everything LOTR AND New Zealand in general! My husband and I went for our belated honeymoon and I would do it all again in a heartbeat. You’re fed like Hobbits...
Taylor & Nick L
"Exceptional! Marvellous! Outstanding! Just a few of the words I could use to describe how fabulous the Red Carpet Tours winter Lord of the Rings tour was. The organisation from beginning to end couldn’t be faulted. Hotels were carefully selected for location and quality. The days...
Judith S
I went solo and am a bit of an introvert, but Julie and the rest of the tour members made this an unforgettable experience and made me feel right at home. This was number one on my bucket list and it exceeded my expectations across the board. If you're contemplating booking this tour, just...
Jordan M
Just returned as part of the February 2023 Fellowship with Red Carpet Tours and it was one of the best trips of my life. I've been wanting to do this for years and was worried my expectations might be too high, but it was amazing and I wish it didn't have to end! Love the family...
Emily V
Just concluded my third trip with Red Carpet Tours. 5 stars for the 3rd time running! Excellent planning and attention to detail by the James Family and fabulous guiding by Julie. Once again, a very lovely, friendly ‘Fellowship’ of travellers with a common interest. You might expect...
Sue B
From first contact with the James family, and the Lord of the Rings-Red Carpet Tours, you are in the best of hands. You expect so much on the tour but you receive so much more. I came back from my first tour believing I'd never have a better, truly satisfying experience, and they could...
Barbara S