The Hobbit movies were filmed almost entirely in New Zealand , with key scenes also shot on sound stages in the UK for certain studio work.

Main filming locations

  • The Shire / Hobbiton was filmed on a farm near Matamata in the Waikato region of New Zealand’s North Island.
  • Trollshaws Forest, Staddle Farm, and other wilderness scenes used Mangaotaki Rocks near Piopio in the North Island.
  • The approach to Rivendell, Misty Mountains landscapes, and warg chase scenes were shot around Lake Pukaki and Braemar Station in the South Island.
  • Additional epic landscape shots used areas around Te Anau Downs and Mararoa Saddle in the South Island.
  • Some interior and controlled environment scenes were filmed at Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire, England.

Quick travel scoop

  • Hobbiton (the Shire set) is now a permanent tourist site near Matamata, offering guided tours through the village as it appears in the films.
  • Many of the New Zealand locations used for The Hobbit overlap with those promoted as “Middle‑earth” touring routes, making them popular stops for film-location trips today.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.