Red Carpet Tours (Lord of the Rings Tours)

"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."

"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."

"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 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'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!"