A meek Hobbit from the Shire and eight companions set out on a journey to destroy the powerful One Ring and save Middle-earth from the Dark Lord Sauron.
Department of Conservation Fiordland National Park Visitor Centre, 1, Lakefront Drive, Te Anau, Fiordland Community, Southland District, Southland, 9460, New Zealand / Aotearoa
Hyde-Middlemarch Road, Dunedin City, Otago, New Zealand / Aotearoa
Puwehea Road, RangitΔ«kei District, ManawatΕ«-Whanganui, New Zealand / Aotearoa
Ashburton District, New Zealand / Aotearoa
Northern Community, Southland District, Southland, New Zealand / Aotearoa
Tuatapere Te Waewae Community, Southland District, Southland, 9620, New Zealand / Aotearoa
Fiordland National Park
Mavora Lakes
Waiau River
Skippers Canyon
Mount Olympus Ski Area
Hobbiton Movie Set
Middle-earth is New Zealand, and no film made that clearer than the first. The Fellowship of the Ring turned the whole country into Tolkien’s world – the Shire in the Waikato, Rivendell in a regional park, Mordor on a volcanic plateau – filming it all across both islands in one extraordinary production.
Where was The Fellowship of the Ring filmed?
The film was shot entirely in New Zealand, across both the North and South Islands. Real landscapes played nearly every location, from the green hills of the Shire to the snow of the Misty Mountains and the volcanic wastes of Mordor.
Every location, explained
1
Kaitoke Regional Park – Rivendell
The elven refuge of Rivendell is Kaitoke Regional Park near Wellington, its bush and river dressed with elegant set pieces.
2
Harcourt Park – Isengard
The gardens of Isengard, before Saruman’s industry, were filmed at Harcourt Park in Upper Hutt near Wellington.
3
Queenstown and Fiordland – the mountains
The South Island around Queenstown and Fiordland National Park supplied the wild mountain country the Fellowship crosses, including the approach to the Misty Mountains.
4
The Central Plateau – Mordor
The volcanic Central Plateau around Mount Ruapehu (Ruapehu District) provided the blasted landscapes on the road to Mordor.
Planning a visit
New Zealand leans into its Middle-earth fame: Kaitoke Regional Park near Wellington marks its Rivendell scenes, Queenstown runs Lord of the Rings tours into the Southern Alps, and the Central Plateau’s volcanoes are a national-park highlight. The whole country is, in effect, the film’s map.
Fellowship of the Ring Fun Facts
1
All of Middle-earth is New Zealand The entire film was shot across New Zealand’s North and South Islands.
2
Rivendell is a regional park The elven city of Rivendell was filmed at Kaitoke Regional Park near Wellington.
3
Isengard's gardens are Harcourt Park The green Isengard scenes used Harcourt Park in Upper Hutt.
4
Mordor is a volcanic plateau The road to Mordor used the volcanic Central Plateau around Mount Ruapehu.
5
Three films shot at once The trilogy was filmed back-to-back in a single mammoth New Zealand production.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Rivendell?
Rivendell was filmed at Kaitoke Regional Park near Wellington, New Zealand.
Can you visit the Lord of the Rings locations?
Yes – many are public, from Kaitoke Regional Park to the Central Plateau national parks, and Queenstown runs dedicated tours.
Where is Mordor in the films?
The Mordor landscapes used the volcanic Central Plateau around Mount Ruapehu on the North Island.
Was any of it filmed outside New Zealand?
No – the trilogy was shot entirely in New Zealand.
