Red Carpet Tours
Red Carpet Tours
5
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Monday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Tuesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Wednesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Thursday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Friday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Saturday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Sunday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
About
We offer 14, 10 and 6 Day Lord of the Rings™ Tours. Red Carpet Tours are the premier tour company for fans of The Lord of the Rings™ and Hobbit™ trilogies. Operating since 2002, we are the only multi-day tour company to be endorsed by Saul Zaentz (owner of the rights to Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit). Our aim is to bring people from all over the world to join a fellowship of like-minded people and experience the breathtaking landscapes and movie locations. Let us take you on a journey of the real Middle-Earth™, walk in the foot steps of your favorite Tolkien characters, experience behind the scenes exclusive experiences and meet stars of the films! Red Carpet Tours will take you there and back again on an adventure of a life time.
Auckland Central, New Zealand

Awards
Travellers' Choice
2023

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Travellers talk about
(123 reviews)

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

5.0
5.0 of 5 bubbles424 reviews
Excellent
422
Very good
1
Average
0
Poor
1
Terrible
0

Sīla W
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2024 • Solo
I spent so much money on this trip and it EXCEEDED my expectations. It was life-changing and transformational for me. Josh and Julie took such great care of me with playfulness and love. It starts in Hobbiton and only gets better from there. They have taken us to spots from LOTR that I imagine would be very difficult to find without them. If you really want a LOTR journey, go on this trip. If you want a fellowship of wonderful people and to meet lifelong friends, go. If you want to play and laugh, see amazing scenery and eat amazing food, go. Since I have come back, magical things have happened as well. I have given presentations on my trip, and others have given me feedback a week after each presentation saying they are still profoundly inspired by it. This is an epic adventure of a lifetime. I would go on this trip 5 more times. Thank you to Josh and Julie and to the amazing fellowship and to everyone that made this journey what it is!
Written 7 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

exploreKrisK
Payson, UT161 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2024 • Couples
If you love J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings, Peter Jackson’s epic movies, incredible scenery, delicious food, luxurious accommodations, and the BEST TOUR GUIDES in Middle-Earth, book this tour today!
My husband and I celebrated our 44th anniversary and my 66th birthday with Red Carpet Tours in 2024 and best of all, we were able to add our son at the last minute. (He grew up reading all the books and watching the movies multiple times.)
Warning! Do not try to go to New Zealand and try to do this tour on your own, or book through another tour group, as you will be disappointed. I know this because we talked to many other people who chose not to take the Red Carpet Tour.
Red Carpet Tours has the connections, the resources, the props, and the enthusiasm you won’t find anywhere else. Most importantly, these people have the ALL the passion!
Even though our tour group was large (37) we each received personal care and attention. All of us bonded over our profound love for all things Tolkien! I also believe acting out many of the movie scenes on the filming locations with legit props and costumes was a highlight that can’t be duplicated anywhere else.
The 14 day tour takes you through the North and South Islands of New Zealand, so you get a detailed introduction to this beautiful country. When we had bookend days, Red Carpet Tours offered great recommendations. The ONLY thing I would change about our once-in-a-lifetime trip is to add another day at Hobbiton! I wanted to do this before we flew home out of Auckland, but there were no openings. Also, come prepared to eat like a Hobbit the entire time as my husband and I both gained 5 Hobbit pounds!
“All We Have to Decide is What To Do With the Time That is Given Us”.
The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R Tolkien (Harper Collins 1991) pp. 48-51
Written 5 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

John M
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2024 • Couples
For first time travelers like me and my husband, Red Carpet Tours gave clear set of instructions, are very supportive and always available for any questions/concerns via email- from travel requirements to payment and beyond- thus signing up, committing is not problematic. Meeting their team in person and getting to know them is like gaining a family. For 2 weeks, spanning about 9 hotels and more or less 20 towns/cities/places, they’ve shown us nothing but kindness, patience and absolute love for all things LOTR, no wonder they came up with such a brilliant program! The welcome and farewell dinners are special, also the mini souvenir book. I fancy all the hotels where we stayed most of them with views/waterfront. I appreciate that we have full breakfast every day so we never go out hungry and my vegetarian diet is well accommodated. I appreciate that we have safe drivers and good buses to transport us. I love all the LOTR locations, all the stops in between, all the free time to just explore. And I delight on how LOTR fans from across the globe are amongst the coolest nicest people, so don’t worry about blending in with the group, it will come naturally.

LOTR and the majestic picturesque NZ via Red Carpet Tours is worth every penny !! I totally recommend to take this unforgettable trip!
💯❤️🇳🇿 In fact I hope to do it again 🙏
Written 3 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Beth L
2 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2024 • Couples
My husband and I just got back from New Zealand and Red Carpet’s 14 Day LOTR tour, and I already want to go back. New Zealand felt like a whole other world, and there was so much to do and see. Being on this tour was great because our hosts- Julie and her son-in-law Josh- had a beautifully laid out itinerary that allowed us to maximize our time in NZ and see so many sights and different parts of NZ- and they have access to certain parts of NZ that other locals and visitors don't have access to which was super cool.

The itinerary was filled with just the right amount of activities and excursions- I didn't feel COMPLETELY exhausted when our tour ended, but we were certainly busy the entire time. The bus and hotel accommodations were great, and Julie and Josh were EVEN better. They both know so much about LOTR- lots of fun facts about the actors and filming of the Hobbit and LOTR movies- and they're both so lovely and charismatic. We really did feel like family when the tour ended which made it even harder to leave... but I guess this means we'll just have to come back for a visit!
Written 3 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Alex G
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2024 • Couples
I had an amazing time with red carpet tours! Josh and Julie were the absolute best tour guides. They were kind, helpful, and very knowledgeable. The locations you get to see are gorgeous and there is so much to learn about the films, filming locations, and the culture in NZ. Excellent restaurant recommendations and above all they make everyone feel welcome and included! 10/10 will tour again!
Written 3 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Leisa M
2 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2024 • Family
This is the most amazing tour! Julie and Josh were fantastic; the sites were breathtaking; the lodgings very comfortable. It was truly a trip of a lifetime w opportunities you won't get w other groups. If you are a LOTR fan...this trip is a bucket list must!
Written 6 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Leesa M
Melbourne, Australia1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2024 • Family
Absolutely spectacular and faultless tour.Julie with her inside knowledge and props/tips for reenacting scenes from Lord of the rings and Josh with his bubbly personality and enthusiasm are unbeatable tour guides.Beautiful scenery, hotels and food and we truly walked in Middle earth for two weeks.Cannot recommend enough.There is no other tour to do than this.
Written 2 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Paula M
Sao Paulo, SP1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2023 • Family
OMG. This experience was absolutely magical. Red Carpet helped me to live a dream. I really want to go another time. Thanks everybody. Our fellowship will last forever.
Written 28 January 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jock Y
1 contribution
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2024 • Friends
There's a reason why Red Carpet Tours is booked so far in advance. I had planned a week-long LOTR tour of New Zealand with my friend and, on the majority of fronts, they handled it much better than I could have hoped for by myself. Further, on the small number of areas (which were disability, personality and health-related) where I think I would have had a better time, there was nothing Red Carpet Tours could have done more to alleviate the issues. I definitely recommend this company.
Written 26 January 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Kristin S
3 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2024 • Couples
I have been wanting to do this trip for years and it surpassed all of my very high expectations! We were part of the January 2024 Fellowship and right away Julie & Josh made everyone feel welcome. You could tell from the very beginning how much this family truly loves LOTR and wants to share that passion with all of us! From fun facts to re-enactments, we got to see all the NZ had to offer! We had access to so many special filming locations and had a ton of fun nerding out with so many like minded people. On top of that, we are walking away from this trip with new friends. Big bucket list item checked off! Red Carpet Tours is the BEST way to experience LOTR! 1000000000/10 would recommend and 1000000000/10 will be doing this tour again. FOR FRODO!!!
Written 26 January 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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RED CARPET TOURS (Auckland Central) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go