Real Stays in Middle-Earth
Peter Jackson filmed across the entire length of New Zealand. These are the best places to stay near each major location.
Shire's Rest — The Official Accommodation at Hobbiton Movie Set
The Alexander Farm was selected by Peter Jackson after spotting it from a helicopter. Today the permanent Hobbiton set remains open for tours, and Shire's Rest is the official accommodation on the same farm. Wake before the day-trippers arrive, walk to Bag End in golden morning light, and have breakfast at the Green Dragon Inn. This is the real Middle-earth — all of it.
Eichardt's Private Hotel — Base Camp for Gondor & Rohan
Queenstown is the adventure capital of the world AND the filming hub for much of Middle-earth's dramatic landscapes. Eichardt's — a converted 1871 stone hotel on the Lake Wakatipu waterfront — is the finest base. Guided Lord of the Rings tours leave daily, visiting actual Edoras approach sites and Pelennor Fields locations with the remarkable Remarkables range in the background.
The Hermitage Hotel — At the Foot of the Misty Mountains
The Hermitage has been welcoming mountaineers, scientists and now film pilgrims to Mount Cook since 1884. The Fellowship's Caradhras crossing was filmed on these very glaciers. On a clear night, the Milky Way above Mount Cook is so bright it's been designated a UNESCO dark sky reserve. You are literally looking at the roof of Middle-earth.
Chateau Tongariro — Base Camp for Mount Doom
The volcanic plateau of Tongariro — with its active volcanoes, alien lava fields and barren red landscape — is Mordor. Mount Ngauruhoe IS Mount Doom. The Tongariro Alpine Crossing passes its base. Chateau Tongariro, a grand 1929 hotel right on the park boundary, is the most atmospheric base for walking to the fires of Orodruin.