Travel Guide to Lord of the Rings Locations
With the premiere of Peter Jackson's third and final film in The Lord of the Rings trilogy now complete, there has never been a better time to visit the filming locations of this magnificent movie. The third and final installment of the Lord of the Rings follows the book closely, with weddings, coronations, ambushes, suicides and betrayal as Frodo and Sam undertake the last stage of the journey to Mount Doom to dispose of the One Ring, aided by Smeagol (Gollum).
New Locations
The pivotal battle at Pelennor Field and scenes involving the Eastemnet Gullies were filmed on the spectacular
Ben-Ohau high country sheep station located in the Mackenzie Basin, near Twizel. The farm is nestled at the foot of the Southern Alps in the South Island of New Zealand. Tours can be booked at the
Twizel Information Centre.
New Characters
New characters in the third film include Denethor (played by John Noble), the last steward of Gondor and the father of Boromir and Faramir. The film introduces the Witch King of Angmar, played by Kiwi actor Lawrence Makoare. Of course, the biggest question is will we finally get to see Sauron in human form? This quote (source: www.theonering.net) from a 1998 interview with director Peter Jackson leaves the matter open to conjecture:
'This is a great question, and one that we have been grappling with for 18 months. We still don't have a definitive answer. The Sauron of the books is sketchy at best, which makes it hard to turn him into a screen villain to carry 3 movies. Imagine not really seeing Darth Vader for all three Star Wars films. You just can't do it. We obviously have Sauron's various emissaries to represent him, but just how Sauron himself appears is still a puzzle we are trying to solve. I agree that you can't reduce him to being a big guy striding around in black armour - but he cannot be limited to a flaming eye either. It's tough. We'll keep working on it." Peter Jackson
A link to
plot summary and cast.
Ian McKellen talks about
shooting The Return of the King.
Other useful links and articles
Peter Jackson - the director of
The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings - World of Wearable Art
The Lord of the Rings Motion Picture Trilogy - The Exhibition
The Lord of the Rings Trivia
Stansborough - fabric weavers to
The Lord of the Rings - the Magic Cloaks
Weta Studio - Heart of The Lord of the Rings
Wellington - At the Centre of The Lord of the Rings
Wellington - Visit
The Lord of the Rings Locations
The Lord of the Rings Tours
The Lord of the Rings links
The Lord of the Rings - Merchandise - Online at Te Papa Wellington
Film Locations
New Zealand's dramatic and diverse scenery was a compelling element in Peter Jackson successfully pitching his homeland as the location for the epic.
'Tolkien's world was one of deep hidden valleys, barren wastelands, remote mystical mountains and lush, low valleys, and we found all these places throughout New Zealand.'
(Peter Jackson, Foreword, Lord of the Rings Location Guidebook, by Ian Brodie)
This website provides an overview to the locations that help make these special films - New Zealand's remarkable outdoors and its people. Please note that most Lord of the Rings set locations (eg: any actual buildings or sets constructed for filming) have long gone. In the few cases where they remain - access is often limited. You can, however, visit the stunning natural features that served as a backdrop for filming.
Search for film locations
Waikato - Hobbiton
Taupo Region - Mordor, Emyn Muil
Kapiti Coast - East Road
Upper Hutt - Isengard, Rivendell, Great River Anduin
Lower Hutt - Minas Tirith, Minas Morgul, Helms Deep
Wellington - Bree, The Shire, Moria, Weathertop and Studio scenes
Nelson - Dimrill Dale
Takaka - Chetwood Forest
Queenstown - Lothlorien
Canterbury - Edoras, Plains of Rohan
Tarras / Wanaka - Golden Plains
Twizel - Pelennor Fields
Te Anau - The Dead Marshes
Milford Sound - Nen Hithoel, Amon Hen, Fangorn Forest
Southern Alps - Misty Mountains
LOTR location guidebook
For more detailed information on the filming locations, pick up Ian Brodie's
Lord of the Rings Location Guidebook (Harper Collins 2002, revised edition 2003) or Lonely Planet's Lord of the Rings New Zealand Guide Book. The revised edition of the
Lord of the Rings Locations Guidebook contains new interviews with key cast and crew, new location photographs and movie images from the
Return of the King, along with touring information, GPS references and local directions to filming sites. It can be ordered online at the link above, or from a local supplier or bookstore by quoting the ISBN code (1-86950-452-6) and HarperCollins NZ as the publisher.
Lord of the Rings Tours
For those interested in group travel there are a range of credible touring companies offering
Lord of the Rings themed tours to New Zealand.
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Jasons Travel Guides & Maps.
This site is maintained and updated by Jasons Travel Media, and is in no way affiliated with Tolkien Enterprises or the Tolkien Estate. We in no way claim the Lord of the Rings artwork or images displayed to be our own. Copyrights and trademarks for the books, films, articles, and other promotional materials are held by their respective owners and their use is allowed under the fair use clause of the Copyright Law. All images are sourced from various Newspapers and considered to be in the public domain.