Red Carpet Tours (Lord of the Rings Tours)

The Making of a FellowshipWe have long imagined ourselves visiting many iconic LOTR movie sites and hoping to capture some of the essence and magic of Middle Earth. This amazing tour did this for us and so much more. Thank you Julie for guiding, teaching and encouraging us to embrace our passion for Tolkien’s world. Having a host like Julie with her passion for her beautiful country and love of LOTR made this such a unique and special experience.There were so many highlights including Hobbiton, Trollshaw Forest and Laketown that really made you feel like you were in Middle Earth. This tour is a must do for any fan of LOTR, the Hobbit or the Rings of Power.We met some fantastic passionate people that we are now proud to be part of their fellowship. Do yourself a favour and book this trip of a lifetime.

I can be a bit of a control freak, so this may be my first trip as an adult where I wasn’t the one planning each detail, but rather entrusting it to a tour and (mostly) just going along for the ride. My husband and I are huge LOTR fans, and New Zealand and checking out LOTR filming locations was truly a bucket list item for me. After reading so many great reviews of this local, family-owned company, and seeing the exclusive access they have, I felt confident my husband and I would get the most out of our experience with the least amount of stress going with Red Carpet Tours. And I wasn’t wrong. Julie as I understand has been the primary tour guide for about 13 years, rotating two weeks on tour and then two weeks admin, which just astounds me. I even asked her if she ever got sick of it, and she said no because of all the different people she gets to meet. She has so much knowledge and has a wonderful and entertaining personality. Josh, her son-in-law, is also now sharing the role of tour guide, and he is doing an excellent job, as well. Very kind and big fan with a great personality, as well! I loved everything we did, all the accommodations were suitable, and meeting other big fans and the fun you have together is awesome. I am sure it takes a ton of planning and coordination, so the only thing I would mention is there were some minor inconsistencies with the itinerary/info we were given via email and the way things actually played out, so I would hold off on making any final bookings for free time/optional activities until confirming with Julie if possible on the timing. Thanks so much to Melissa who was able to get me and my husband in for 2023 to celebrate our 5 year wedding anniversary. We did the 12 day winter tour and fully intend to come back in a different season for the 14 day tour.

Had an amazing time touring with Red Carpet with my siblings for our first time to Middle Earth! Julie was amazing and it was such a great experience to tour with so many people who shared our love of LOTR, the Hobbit, and the rest of Tolkien's work. It is clear that Red Carpet Tours is so successful with fans because it is run by passionate fans itself. Julie was packed full of knowledge, and she made touring such a pleasure and a breeze. It was so easy to navigate the filming locations, and Julie always came prepared with props for us to take some great photos. And it is so clear that Red Carpet is revered wherever they go. You can see this from the warm welcome you get from their guests (Mark Hadlow and Daniel Reeve for us), and the little treats and surprises you get from the places you visit, particularly both of the Wētā locations. Julie will introduce you to some of the most fascinating people you will ever meet. Not one ounce of these tours isn't thought out and planned perfectly for the fans they know are coming. If you are a fan of Tolkien in any capacity, this is the tour for you. It really was a dream come true and I am so grateful that I had Red Carpet to take me on this journey with my siblings.

I'm going on an adventure!While researching and planning our adventure through Middle Earth, we stumbled across Red Carpet Tours. I was slightly skeptical of a one stop shop but am so glad I booked with them. The entire experience was magical. Not only did we get to visit some iconic LOTR and Hobbit locations (as well as recreate some monumental scenes), we had the opportunity to see and hear about countless other parts of both the north and south islands of New Zealand. Julie and her team planned everything perfectly and made the trip entirely effortless. If you're an LOTR enthusiast or hard core Tolkien nerd, this is the tour for you. If you want to meet awesome people and see beautiful sites, this is the tour for you. If you wanna eat, drink and be merry, this is the tour for you. Basically this is the tour for everyone! I can't thank Julie enough for taking such great care of us and making our honeymoon the fantastic, fabulous, phenomenal adventure it was. I can't wait to come back!

Everything I wanted out of a Lord of the Rings" tour of New Zealand

Absolutely amazing LOVED every second of it. If you’re thinking of booking it… do it NOW!!it’s the BEST thing I’ve ever done. I highly recommend it. ——I booked this glorious adventure for my 30th birthday. As a group you go everywhere together and develop such wonderful relationships with people so much so, that by the end of the tour you really feel broken hearted when you have to say goodbye.Especially, Julie and josh, the tour providers, they make the whole experience utterly sensational. They are such wonderful, warm, accommodating and lovely special individuals.I feel truly blessed to have met them.Everything they’ve organised and orchestrated is flawlessly and excellently executed. Of all the numerous places I’ve visited and tours I have gone on this is by far THE BEST.Stunning locations, mind browning scenery, an expertly crafted itinerary, exclusive guest meetings and surrounded by incredible people. This tour is the stuff of legend. Thank you for such an unforgettable time. I hope to return one day.

Go to Middle Earth, they say. Keep your feet on the road. Red Carpet Tours takes you there and back again, and leaves you with an unforgettable experience. Julie and her family + team are the perfect crew to lead a fellowship through New Zealand. Their passion for all things Tolkien, and just the beauty of New Zealand itself, lends to how they craft the itinerary and activities so you can have the best possible and personal LOTR tour ever. You will have the chance to see important LOTR sites, recreate fun LOTR scenes (which everyone who is present obviously knows by heart), and connect with all sorts of folk you would never otherwise have the chance to meet. As someone who is usually skeptical of tour groups, I highly recommend Red Carpet Tours because Julie’s family’s love for LOTR and rapport with the community throughout New Zealand is unmatched. There is a special place for all deeply-obsessed fans of Tolkien when touring with Julie. It’s also so much easier to travel in a coach together to make sure you hit not only all the major film locations, but to have the opportunity to make real connections with locals and LOTR-affiliates of the NZ community as well. 10/10 recommend. I also hope to do it again during another season! New Zealand is too beautiful to enjoy just once. :)

Red Carpet Tours is absolutely the best way to travel throughout New Zealand and see Middle-earth! This trip was so much more than seeing Lord of the Rings filming locations (which you see a ton of!) The memories and friendships you bring back with you will last a lifetime. You get to see and learn about nearly every aspect of this beautiful country, join a fellowship of like-minded people, and experience adventures that make you feel like you’re right in one of Tolkien’s stories. Julie is an extremely knowledgeable guide, as well as a kind and extraordinary person! The company she and her family have built is a gift to fans of Middle-earth and New Zealand alike, and we already can’t wait to plan our next adventure with them!

I must start by saying how much I adored my tour guides with Red Carpet Tours, Julie, and Josh. Both were incredibly knowledgeable, funny, helpful, and kind. I could have never imagined I'd make lifelong connections with my tour guides and members of our fellowship (Feb. 2023). If you hope to see exclusive Lord of the Rings and Hobbit locations, then Red Carpet Tours has you covered! Julie and her family have built beautiful relationships with landowners in New Zealand to ensure you see the best LOtR and Hobbit filming locations. My 14-day experience was the trip of a lifetime, and with 100% certainty, I would go again.I think I'm quite ready for another adventure." -Bilbo Baggins"

Red Carpet Tours team organizes the best tours through New Zealand aka Middle Earth :) Full of adventures and visits in some breathtaking places across the country :) Some are so beautiful you'd think they're photoshoped :P Even if you're not a fan of Lord Of The Rings you're definitely gonna love traveling with Red Carpet :) I just came back from New Zealand and I'm sure I will go back there one day and I'd totally take a part in another Red Carpet Tours adventure! <3