Weta Cave

Visit Wellington's Wētā Workshop and step into a world of magical creativity. Learn about how special effects and props and designed and made for film and TV on a guided tour of the Wētā Cave. Meet your guide at the Wētā Cave store to begin your journey through the world of Wētā Workshop, one of the film industry’s premier special effects companies, located in the heart of Wellington’s Miramar peninsula. From The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit to Avatar and District 9, learn about props, costumes, and creatures were created for your favorite films. Check out cool stuff from the creative departments and catch an artist at work on the tour stage.

After pickup from the Cruise Terminal or one of several easy Wellington City locations, you will start your journey with one of our knowledgeable guides who have decades of experience between them. See the Embassy Cinema and learn about the amazing World Premieres held here. Then, ascend to the Mt Victoria lookout, where you will enjoy a stunning view of the city and harbour. Then descend into the forested slopes of the nearby Outer Shire to follow in the footsteps of Frodo and the Hobbits as they began their quest to destroy the One Ring. See where they encountered mushrooms and Black Riders before they "get off the road" and flee to the Buckleberry Ferry. You can recreate some of the most famous scenes from The Fellowship of the Ring and make your social media streams go crazy! Next is the famous Weta Workshop to enjoy a behind-the-scenes tour in a specially designed, top secret tour space. A Weta artist will share the secrets behind filmmaking and explain how the props, costumes and weapons were created. Snap photos with some iconic characters from middle-Earth and pick up a souvenir or two, if desired. After this, you venture towards the River Anduin where the Fellowship travelled to the Falls of Rauros after leaving Lothlorien. Then, you will enjoy a delicious hobbit-themed lunch where you can feast on some traditional hobbit fare to refresh your stamina for the journey ahead. All dietary requirements can be catered for, but please advise when booking. After lunch, you will drive to Kaitoke Regional Park - a stunning temperate rain forest and setting for Rivendell. Immerse yourself in the magical location and learn how the area was transformed into Elrond's house, Frodo's bedroom and more. Reenact a famous Legolas image and then recreate the scene where Frodo leads the newly formed Fellowship towards Mordor by posing in front of the Rivendell gate tower which is the only LOTR replica structure in the whole country outside of Hobbiton. You also see a scene from the start of The Two Towers and have a chance to cross a swing bridge and visit a giant 800-year-old native Rimu tree and learn about NZ's flora and fauna. Finally, you will visit the Gardens of Isengard and see where Gandalf rode to meet Saruman after discovering Frodo had the One Ring and where the wizards walked through the beautiful gardens before they were destroyed. This is also the location where the Orcs began felling Fangorn Forest. On the journey home, we pass by Dry Creek Quarry, that was used for Helm's Deep and Minas Tirith. This is now a working quarry so we are not allowed access, but your guide will share stories and photos as you see it from the road. You will then be returned to your pickup location full of information and stories that will make your friends and family jealous. This tour is a must-do for any fan and those who want to enjoy some of the most beautiful places in the Wellington region. Book today and join us on this unforgettable journey!

Discover the best of Wellington on a guided tour of the city. Admire picturesque views of the city and harbor from Mount Victoria, visit the Weta Cave, and take a ride on the iconic Wellington Cable Car. Start your tour with a pick-up from your meeting point and head downtown past Te Papa and the QT hotel. See St Gerard’s Church and Monastery before driving up to the top of Mount Victoria to see spectacular views of Wellington’s city and harbor. Drive to Lyall Bay beach, pass Wellington airport, and see some of the rugged coastline. On a clear day, you may see some spectacular views of the South Island. Pass Barrett’s Reef, where on April 10, 1968, the roll-on/roll-off ferry Wahine hit the reef and capsized near Seatoun during a hurricane resulting in 52 lives being lost. Drive to the Wellington sign on your way to Weta Studios on the Miramar Peninsula for your Lord of the Rings experience with a short visit to Weta Cave where you will have a chance to purchase Lord of the Rings memorabilia and more photo opportunities. Continue around the coastline, passing popular Oriental Bay before venturing through the different parts of the inner city ending up at the bottom of the iconic Wellington Cable Car which first carried passengers in 1902. After you have traveled to the top in the cable car and visited the quaint museum at that end, you will have more breathtaking panoramic views of the harbor and city. Drive past the lovely Botanic Gardens and drive through the Lady Norwood Rose Garden, before seeing the Parliament Buildings and its grounds and finally Old St Paul’s Cathedral – one of the world’s best examples of Gothic Revival architecture. Be dropped off wherever you wish within the city center to take with you lasting fond memories of your visit to Wellington.

Wētā Workshop Experience + Guided Transfer Discover how imaginary worlds are brought to life during this 90 minute experience, with a guided transfer that will take you There and Back Again (please allow up to 3 hours from pick up to drop off, which also gives you ample time to explore the famous Wētā Cave). Pick up and drop off is from Wellington i-SITE visitor centre. What to expect? Guided return transfers Journey from Wellington to Wētā Workshop in your dedicated shuttle. Your friendly driver will point out iconic landmarks along the way. The Wētā Workshop Experience Explore props, costumes and cool stuff: From The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit to Avatar and District 9, learn about the making of props, costumes and creatures created for your favourite films. Interact with cool stuff from our creative departments and, if you're lucky, catch an artist at work on our tour stage. Explore the Wētā Cave retail store: A cavern of creativity in its own right! Be greeted by giant trolls on arrival, explore our mini-museum.

Explore Wellington's highlights on a 5-hour fully-guided tour. After pick-up at a meeting point your hotel, head along the Wellington Waterfront and up to the Mt. Victoria Lookout. Marvel at stunning 360-degree views of Wellington city and it's picturesque harbour. Journey along the coastal drive around Oriental Bay and Evans Bay Parades. Stop briefly at the iconic windy Wellington sign. Arrive at the famous Weta Cave Shop, the hub of Weta Studio Tours in Wellington. It's not just a retail store: it's a cavern of creativity. At the Weta Cave, snap a selfie with the life-sized sculptures, wander through the mini-museum, and watch the exclusive documentary.  Continue along to scenic Shelly Bay and around the Miramar Peninsula. Break for lunch at a seaside cafe or restaurant. Pause for a moment of remembrance at the Wahine Memorial Park. Explore the south Wellington coast, Taputarenga Marine Reserve, and Te Kopahou Reserve Visitors Centre. As the tour returns to the city, benefit from optional stops available at central city locations including the Cable Car, National War Memorial, Brooklyn Wind Turbine or Old St Paul’s Cathedral before the final drop off at Wellington I-SITE.

Experience the enchantment of Weta Unleashed in Auckland with our exclusive creative workshops designed to ignite your imagination and artistic skills. Whether you're drawn to the creation of fantastical worlds or the spine-chilling realism of special effects makeup, we have the perfect class for you. Option 1: Intro to World Building Step into the shoes of a practical effects artist with our "Intro to World Building" workshop. Guided by expert Weta crew, you'll learn to sculpt, flock, and paint using recycled materials to create intricate miniature environments. This hands-on session will teach you the skills needed to bring your fantasy landscapes to life, culminating in a unique diorama inspired by our original fantasy movie, "The Age of the Ever-Clan." Perfect for budding artists, this workshop offers a chance to unleash your creativity and receive a Certificate of Creativity upon completion. Option 2: Intro to Scars & Scrapes Discover the art of special effects makeup in our "Intro to Scars and Scrapes" workshop. Learn the secrets behind creating ghastly wounds and realistic prosthetics as you mix your own fake blood and sculpt spine-chilling effects. Inspired by the faux horror movie "Fauna," this workshop guides you through layering and coloring prosthetics to achieve terrifyingly real results. All materials are provided, and you'll leave with a Certificate of Creativity, marking your adventure into the world of film magic. No prior experience is necessary—just bring your enthusiasm!

Begin the tour with a visit to the Mount Victoria Lookout, offering spectacular views of Wellington’s city and harbor. The journey continues through Courtenay Place, past the Embassy Picture Theatre, renowned for hosting the world premieres of "The Return of the King" (2003) and "An Unexpected Journey" (2012). Descend Mount Victoria to the Hobbiton Woods, where pivotal scenes from the epic trilogy were filmed. This area includes iconic locations like the Shortcut to Mushrooms, Sam & Frodo’s Second Breakfast, the Black Rider hiding spot (“Get off the Road!”), the Race to the Buckleberry Ferry, and King Théoden’s Dunharrow Encampment. Next, head to the Weta Workshop in Miramar for an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour. Witness the creation of props and weaponry, and potentially meet artists at work. At the Weta Cave, purchase unique souvenirs and take photos with lifelike characters such as Gollum, Lurtz the Uruk-hai, Bilbo’s three Trolls, and more. The tour concludes with another drive past the Embassy Picture Theatre, home to the premieres of "Return of the King" and "The Unexpected Journey".

Our shared half day tour starts in the Wellington CBD as we collect our manuhiri (visitors) before heading off on our epic journey! Our fully trained guides are locals to Wellington. So they know the best routes around our city & they'll always have your safety in mind. You'll travel in clean, air conditioned & comfortable vehicles with a driver who is passionate about Wellington. We love for our tours to be interactive so feel free to ask as many questions as you wish. Please feel free to laugh at any attempted jokes too! This Lord of the Rings Tour includes a number of little know facts that have taken hours for us to learn. You'll need to bring your imagination as we will be visiting movie sights as opposed to movie sets. To add value to your day, we'll also provide some general commentary about Wellington & New Zealand. Did you know that Wellington is officially the windiest city in the world? You'll likely get to experience our infamous wind on this tour too. We check out the Weta Cave where there are great photo opportunities & you're welcome to have a spend up on memorabilia in store. And whilst we're at the Weta Cave, you'll join the behind the scenes Weta Experience. Wow! Hopefully you'll agree that we've packed loads of Wellington goodness into your time spent with us today. However as the old saying goes, all good things must come to an end. We offer a few different locations for you to get dropped off & don't forget that Wellington is a very small, compact city that is easy to get around & you're never too far from where you want to be. What a day out!

Discover the best of Wellington with a local guide on a shared tour. Learn about the city's history, culture, and landmarks as you explore many other places of interest. Our journey starts by safely collecting all of our guests & getting onboard our vehicle. If you are coming in by cruise ship, we will collect you directly from the port. If you are being collected from your hotel then please wait in reception or just outside where you can been seen by your friendly guide. If you are being collected from the iSite then pop out to the tour bus stop just outside/beside the iSite. What about this for a first stop! Check out the best vantage point in our beautiful city, breathtaking 360 degree views. Stunnnnning! Probably the best photo opportunity on the tour, our guide/host is your personal photographer for the day. We head due south to our stunning coastline. Did you know that no matter where you are in Wellington, you are 3km (1.8 miles) from a beach? How lucky are we!? We continue around our stunning coastline where you can breath the fresh, salt air & marvel in the picturesque views. As we turn the corner, we learn about Wellingtons worst ever maritime disaster in a more sombre moment. Next we stop at the Weta Cave, who are most famous for the incredible work in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. This is also your chance to purchase some memorabilia, check out some of the items on show in the mini museum & you'll even have a photo opportunity with the Cave Trolls! We make our way back into the city via Oriental Bay & your guide will keep you informed as we go. Please laugh at his/her jokes! One of the most iconic attractions in Wellington is our Cable car. You'll take a short ride up to the suburb of Kelburn where you'll get to enjoy more spectacular views of Wellington on arrival. Your ride on the Cable Car is included in your tour price. Next stop, Botanical Gardens. Did you know that in 2015, the Lady Norwood Rose Garden received the Garden of Excellence award from the World Federation of Rose Societies? Well you do now! . Then we're off to the Parliament’s grounds, which are used regularly for many kinds of public gatherings. From the grounds you can admire Parliament’s buildings, the flags on the many flagpoles, the rose and camellia gardens, fine ironwork on the gates and lamp standards, and commemorative statues and plaques. Wow! Hopefully you'll agree that we've packed loads of Wellington goodness into your time spent with us today. However as the old saying goes, all good things must come to an end. We offer a few different locations for you to get dropped off & don't forget that Wellington is a very small, compact city that is easy to get around & you're never too far from where you want to be. What a day out!

Intro to Sculpting Immerse yourself in the art of sculpting at Weta Workshop Wellington. In the "Intro to Sculpting" workshop, you’ll learn to bring a three-dimensional character to life using tinfoil and plasticine. Guided by experienced Weta technicians, this hands-on session will teach you the basics of sculpting, allowing you to create and take home your own fantastical creature. No prior experience is necessary, and all materials are provided, making it a perfect opportunity for aspiring artists. Intro to Scars and Scrapes Explore the fascinating world of special effects makeup in the "Intro to Scars and Scrapes" workshop. Discover how to create realistic wounds and prosthetics, guided by skilled professionals. Learn to mix fake blood and sculpt effects that bring horror scenes to life. This workshop provides all the materials needed and offers a unique insight into the craft of movie magic. Choose this workshop to master the basics of special effects artistry and receive a Certificate of Creativity.