On a recent trip to New Zealand, my family and I visited Hobbiton, the movie set for all of “The Hobbit” and “The Lord of the Rings” movies.

The tour starts with a bus ride where they give you the history of the area and how they found the location and then turned it into the enchanting land it is today. It tells of how the filmmakers used a helicopter to scout out aerial views for possible filmmaking. They stumbled upon a working farm and deemed it the perfect fit for this series. The farmers willingly agreed for the filmmakers to use their land for the set. As you ride the bus, it’s very easy to see why this was their choice.

After walking no more than 100 feet to the entrance, tour guests arrive at the scene when in “The Hobbit, an Unexpected Journey,” Bilbo Baggins says, “I’m going on an adventure.” After  a few minutes of exploring a vegetable patch and some of the 44 hobbit holes that make up the place, the tour continues up a hill to where Bilbo lives.

After that, visitors are led around some more hobbit holes, eventually ending in The Green Dragon Inn. Here they offer a choice of ginger beer, apple cider and beer.

During the tour, guests are encouraged to spot the one and only artificial tree, though very few find it because it is not as easy as one might think. I highly recommend this enchanting experience to all that choose to venture to New Zealand, especially those that are interested in “The Hobbit.”

Top Photo: hobbitonmoviesettours.com