Lord of the Rings 4WD Tour from Queenstown (half day)

This 4WD safari combines Queenstown’s backcountry roads with a close look at several Lord of the Rings filming locations. Travelling part way up Queenstown Hill, you get a wide view over Lake Wakatipu and Deer Park Heights, the setting used for the refugees of Rohan and the Battle of the Wargs scenes.

From there, the tour heads to the Kawarau Gorge, where filming took place for the Argonath, also known as the Pillars of the Kings. The route then follows a historic gold mining road along the Arrow River, with multiple river crossings on the way to the Ford of Bruinen. Here, there is time for morning or afternoon tea, along with the chance to try gold panning.

The tour also includes filming locations linked to Minas Tirith, the Misty Mountains and Gladden Fields, while keeping the focus on the landscapes and access tracks that shaped these scenes on screen. At the entrance to Skippers Canyon, you stop for panoramic views across the Wakatipu Basin and into Skippers Canyon itself.

Expect a mix of rough-road driving, river crossings, film history and traces of the region’s gold mining past, all set within well-known parts of the Queenstown area.