From Middle-earth to Narnia, Discover New Zealand’s Most Iconic Filming Locations.
There are places in New Zealand that might look strangely familiar, even if you’ve never been before.
A quiet stretch of countryside became the Shire. Snow-capped mountains and wild valleys stood in for Narnia. The dramatic beauty of Fiordland set the scene for a high-flying Mission: Impossible chase, while Taranaki Maunga transformed into Mount Fuji for The Last Samurai.
New Zealand’s landscapes have been captivating filmmakers for decades, and the best part is that many of these places are every bit as spectacular in real life.
If a favorite movie has ever made you want to pack a bag and see the place for yourself, consider this your invitation. Here are some of New Zealand’s most iconic filming locations and the scenes that put them on the big screen.
No movie world is more closely tied to New Zealand than Middle-earth. More than 150 locations across the North and South Islands were used to film The Lord of the Rings, with many returning for The Hobbit trilogy.
The rolling green hills of Waikato near Matamata provided the idyllic backdrop for the Shire in The Lord of the Rings, home to Bilbo and Frodo Baggins and the setting for some of the trilogy’s most beloved moments.
The original Hobbiton was built as a temporary set and largely dismantled after filming, although a handful of Hobbit Hole façades remained and soon began drawing curious fans to the farm. Years later, Peter Jackson returned to the same location for The Hobbit trilogy, rebuilding Hobbiton in greater detail and, this time, to last.
Today, Hobbiton™ Movie Set invites visitors to wander past colourful Hobbit Holes, see Bag End overlooking the Shire, cross the stone bridge and stop for a drink at the Green Dragon Inn. It’s charming, wonderfully detailed and about as close as you can get to actually visiting Middle-earth.
The magic stretches far beyond the Shire. Across New Zealand, some of the trilogy’s most iconic scenes can still be traced through the landscapes that inspired them.
In Tongariro National Park, volcanic peaks and lava fields became Mordor, with Mount Ngauruhoe portraying Mount Doom. Near Wellington, the forest trails of Mount Victoria hosted the Hobbits’ tense encounter with a Black Rider, and today a marked trail leads fans towards the filming area. Nearby Kaitoke Regional Park became the Elven refuge of Rivendell.
On the South Island, the mountains and valleys around Glenorchy and Paradise provided spectacular backdrops for Isengard, Lothlórien and other parts of Middle-earth. Farther north in Canterbury, Mount Sunday became Edoras, capital of Rohan. The Golden Hall may be gone, but the sweeping plains and mountains surrounding it look remarkably familiar.
Fans can also head behind the scenes at Wētā Workshop in Wellington, where artists and craftspeople helped create the creatures, armor, weapons and effects that made Middle-earth feel real on screen.
New Zealand has a habit of making fantasy worlds feel surprisingly real.
For The Chronicles of Narnia, filmmakers found everything from golden beaches to extraordinary limestone formations across the country.
On the Coromandel Peninsula, Cathedral Cove appears in The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. The Pevensie children emerge onto the beach upon their return to Narnia, with the cove’s enormous natural rock arch and blue water creating a setting that already looks as though it belongs in another world.
On the South Island, Flock Hill in Canterbury provided a very different side of Narnia. Its rolling hills, mountains and unusual limestone formations became the setting for the climactic battle between Aslan’s forces and the White Witch’s army in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
There may not be a wardrobe required to get there, but these landscapes have plenty of enchantment of their own.
For something with a little less fantasy and considerably more adrenaline, head to Fiordland National Park.
The mountains and deep valleys surrounding Milford Sound provided the dramatic backdrop for the helicopter chase in Mission: Impossible – Fallout, with Tom Cruise piloting a helicopter through the rugged landscape.
Thankfully, experiencing Fiordland doesn’t require quite the same level of commitment.
A scenic flight offers a spectacular perspective from above, while cruising Milford Sound brings you beneath towering cliffs and waterfalls. It’s one of New Zealand’s most famous natural landscapes, with or without an action hero flying through it.
The dramatic landscapes around Queenstown and Glenorchy have played many roles on screen, including a turn in X-Men Origins: Wolverine.
Head towards Paradise, beyond Glenorchy, and you’ll enter some of the same wild South Island scenery used during filming. Surrounded by mountains, beech forest and wide-open valleys, it’s not difficult to see why this remote corner of New Zealand caught Hollywood’s attention.
The journey is part of the experience. The drive from Queenstown to Glenorchy follows the edge of Lake Wakatipu, with brilliant blue water on one side and mountains rising on the other. By the time you reach Paradise, it feels appropriately far removed from the everyday world.
For The Last Samurai, filmmakers found 19th-century Japan on New Zealand’s North Island.
The beautifully symmetrical Taranaki Maunga stood in for Mount Fuji, while locations around the wider Taranaki region were transformed for the Tom Cruise film.
It’s easy to understand the casting choice. Rising dramatically above the surrounding landscape, Taranaki Maunga has one of New Zealand’s most distinctive silhouettes.
There’s plenty to discover beyond its Hollywood connection too, from walking trails and wild coastline to the gardens, galleries and cafés of nearby New Plymouth. It’s a lovely example of how following a favourite film can introduce you to a part of New Zealand you might not have thought to visit.
Peter Jackson returned to his home country for his 2005 adaptation of King Kong, with New Zealand once again proving remarkably good at pretending to be somewhere else.
Locations around Wellington helped create the wild world of Skull Island, while extensive studio work brought 1930s New York to life in the New Zealand capital.
For film lovers, the connection adds another layer to a stay in Wellington. Explore the surrounding coastline and landscapes, then visit Wētā Workshop for a closer look at the artistry and effects behind King Kong and many other productions made in New Zealand.
Following New Zealand’s filming locations can take you to places you may never have thought to put on an itinerary.
One day you’re walking through the Shire. A few days later, you could be standing beneath the mountains of Isengard, exploring a beach from Narnia, cruising through a Mission: Impossible backdrop or looking towards the mountain that became Mount Fuji.
And somewhere along the way, something lovely happens. You stop seeing New Zealand simply as the backdrop.
The landscapes that looked extraordinary on screen become even better when you’re standing in them. There are towns to explore, trails to walk, local food and wine to taste, Māori culture to experience and plenty of places worth discovering long after you’ve taken the movie-location photo.
With filming locations spread across both islands, a Direct Travel advisor can help connect the scenes you’d love to see with everything else you want from your New Zealand vacation, arranging accommodations, transportation, guided experiences and an itinerary that makes the journey as memorable as the destinations.
Ready for your starring role? Connect with a Direct Travel advisor and start planning your New Zealand adventure.
If you're looking for a destination where dramatic landscapes, rich culture, and memorable experiences are all within easy reach, New Zealand offers an impressive variety. You can explore geothermal valleys one day, cruise through a fjord the next, and finish with a vineyard lunch or a Māori cultural experience.
