Lord of the Rings - Journey to Edoras from Christchurch

Christchurch, New Zealand

Immerse yourself in the magic of the Lord of the Rings trilogy on this 9-hour adventure to Edoras (Mount Sunday) from Christchurch. Explore with your guide and soak up breathtaking views from the peak of Edoras. Look over exclusive behind-the-scenes photographs of Edoras under construction. Pose for photographs with movie replicas such as Aragorn’s sword, Gimli’s axe and the flag of Rohan. Enjoy a delicious picnic lunch with Champagne. See for yourself how this tranquil mountainside was transformed into mysterious Edoras — the capital city of the Rohan people.

Begin your Lord of the Rings adventure with a morning pickup from your Christchurch hotel and head west by 4-wheel drive vehicle to Mount Sunday, better-known to Lord of the Rings fans as Edoras — the capital city of the Rohan people.

Bounce over rocky terrain and through narrow streams, and alight at Edoras itself. Follow your friendly guide on a tour of the site and stand on the summit — as Eowyn did — for panoramic views over the alpine lakes, mountain peaks, rivers and high-country farm land below.

With informative and entertaining commentary from your guide, take a look at behind-the-scenes photos of Edoras under construction — available only from your tour leaders. Marvel at the Misty Mountains — among the most significant features of Middle-earth’s geography — and see the valley backdrop of the imposing Helms Deep.

After a delicious picnic lunch with Champagne, handle movie replicas such as Aragorn’s sword, King Theoden’s sword, Gimli’s axe and the flag of Rohan. Peruse the wide selection of movie merchandise and perhaps pick up a souvenir of your visit (own expense).

During your time on the mountain, gain insight into Edoras’ magic and mystery. Learn why this special site was selected for the Lord of the Rings movie and enjoy feeling part of the action.

When your time on Edoras comes to an end, hop back in your vehicle for the drive back to your Christchurch hotel, where your Lord of the Rings adventure will come to an end.

USD $189.00

Review by:   Jordan V,    June 2018
This tour was incredible! As a Lord of the Rings fan it was a fantastic experience! The tour guide was knowledgeable and fun. While it was a long drive they stopped as needed and played behind the scenes videos etc. to keep us entertained for the drive. Once at Mt. Sunday we were driven on to the mountain and did a small walk up to the top for an incredible photo opportunity and time to explore. However, be prepared for strong winds while on top.

Review by:   Glenn,    May 2018
We took the Journey to Edoras tour on April 1. The weather was clear and still, our guide was friendly, and we had beautiful views of Mount Sunday and the surrounding valley. Our guide had pictures of what it looked like when they filmed, and you could be forgiven for expecting a troop of horsemen to come across the plain. Lots of time for pictures on the hill, and a nice lunch, too. We even met a herd of curious goats along the way. Recommended for both LOTR fans and anyone who wants to see some stunning scenery.

Review by:   scutty,    March 2018
Great fun and the guides sure know their stuff to keep you safe.

Review by:   Lisa M,    March 2018
even though it started out raining we had a great day. Mike was a wonderful guide.

Review by:   Charles M,    February 2018
Long ride but the destination was worth it.

Review by:   Zheng X,    January 2018
The guide was very nice, 4-wheels drive car was great, the view in the mountains was wonderful

Review by:   Jeffrey Y,    January 2018
The Edoras is hard to drive to so a tour is definitely a better option. When I booked the tour I had the doubt if it might be worth it but after the whole day I’d say it is definitely worthwhile. Very helpful and friendly driver and tour guide contributed to a very organised day trip.

Review by:   Robert S,    October 2017
Good trip. Interesting conversations.

Review by:   Lucy P,    October 2017
This was a brilliant tour, well worth the money and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who is staying in Christchurch. The tour guide was informative and entertaining, including everyone in the tour and full of interesting information. He had lots of information about the places we were seeing as well as New Zealand as a whole. To be able to stand on top of Mt Sunday, especially with the snow creating a winter wonderland effect, was excellent. This tour made my holiday and I would definitely look at similar tours in the future.

Review by:   Shirley M,    August 2017
We enjoyed this tour with the wonderful picnic lunch and the climb to the top of Mount Sunday. Our guide was fun and helpful. We would definitely recommend this tour.

Review by:   Kevin G,    July 2017
Excellent day out, comfortable vehicle, great friendly and knowledgable guide and then the views... Oh, my the views! They're amazing!

Review by:   pavel,    July 2017
This 1-day tour is simply amazing. It does not matter if you are not a fan of Lord of the Rings. The trip in the 4x4 car is nice, as well as the informative and joking talk of the tour guide I am sorry I can't remember his name. The timing of the tour is also worth as you can't feel anyone is hurrying up and you also can't feel you are slacking around and wasting your time. The lunch is provided at a hostal in the surrounding area of Mount Sunday and involves a sandwich, champagne and a biscuit. Personally, I did not drink champagne so I would vote to have Neo Zealand wine as a B option -they also provide orange juice. Not mentioning the landscape which is simply breathtaking. I would certainly take this tour once again.

Review by:   Sarah J,    April 2017
Great trip with amazing scenery. Walk to the top of Mount Sunday, particularly if going up left hand side is rather steep though._br/_ Fabulous views from the top.

Review by:   Kevin G,    March 2017
This would have been better if it wasn't raining, but our guide Phil made the best of the day. He was completely honest with us about the weather which I appreciated, but he made everything fun anyway. He had a lot of knowledge about the site and was fun to be around.

Review by:   sagar.sunita,    March 2017
Extremely well organized and fantastic tour.

Review by:   Jason H,    March 2017
This was a great experience! Our tour guide Hammond was fantastic and I don't want to spoil the surprise but he has a certain connection to the Lord of the Rings movies pretty awesome if you ask me. I would definitely recommend this tour to anyone who is a Lord of the Rings fan!

Review by:   Robert,    February 2017
This was a very enjoyable tour. The view from Mt. Sunday was awe inspiring. We were surrounded by several peaks just like in the movie Lord of the Rings. The wind was blowing so hard that at times it was difficult to stand and the temperature was cool. Still we would go again if we returned to New Zealand. The tour that took us to Mt. Sunday was able to drive up to the base of the peak bypassing other tourists on foot that had to navigate around mountain streams. We were told we were with the only tour company able to drive up to the base of Mt. Sunday. Tourists with other tour companies had to hike to the base of the mountain.

Review by:   Granster,    January 2017
We had a wonderful day out. Our driver was very knowledgeable about the making of the films and we watched some clips of filming on the mini-bus on our way to Mount Sunday. Can highly recommend this to Lord of the Rings fans, but even for non-fans, the scenery, local history and fun atmosphere are well worth going for.

Review by:   Brian W,    January 2017
The journey started with a pick up from our hotel by a very friendly guide from Cornwell in England. On the long journey to the mountains we were fully briefed and entertained. At the Edoras location swords were drawn and most members of our group climbed up high. Lunch with bubbly and finally the entertaining ride back to our hotel. A really great day with a great group of people.

Review by:   st.svitlana,    January 2017
I loved it. I am a huge fan of LOTR and The Hobbit and I loved this tour. But even if one is not a movie fan, the scenery is still beautiful and breathtaking. I was very excited to take some pictures with swords and axes, but at the time of our tour they were not available, so I was a little upset. Other than that, I had a great time!

Review by:   Gaye N,    December 2016
Great experience. Our tour guide was very informative and his knowledge of the area was great. We thoroughly enjoyed this tour and highly recommend.

Review by:   naturebynat,    December 2016
Wonderful trip, Edoras is really beautiful, gorgeous views. Tour is well done, lots of behind the scene videos during the drive, really makes you feel like you are in Middle Earth.

Review by:   DAVID D,    November 2016
very good trip teh best the explanations of the guide.

Review by:   Vanessa C,    October 2016
My partner and I absolutely loved the tour. Our guide was entertaining and informative and a two time Oscar winner! He and his team worked on the sound in LOTR. It goes without saying that the scenery was stunning. We also loved the sandwiches and slices provided for lunch. The caramel slice was divine and I'm bummed out that I can't get something like that where I'm from. All in all we had a blast. I would recommend this tour to anyone who is relatively fit. It's quite a climb to get to the top!

Review by:   timothvn,    October 2016
We absolutely loved the tour in its whole. From the our tour guide Hammond, who was immensely informative and helpful throughout, to the gorgeous views of the park, I would encourage every individual to check this tour out.

Review by:   GUODONG C,    September 2016
The view was fantastic. Our tour guide Steve was so knowledgeable and friendly.

Review by:   Shui Bung C J,    August 2016
Loved the experience. Loved the scenery. Loved the hike up Mount Sunday Edoras. Simon was a great tour guide - he deserves a raise!! We saw sun, rain and snow all in the same day and we had lots of fun. Picked us up from hotel with no problems.

Review by:   Elizabeth S,    July 2016
What made the trip interesting was our driver who shared much about the filming of the movie. He also had lots of interesting info and facts on New Zealand. The drive was beautiful with opportunity for stops to take photos.

Review by:   Peter B,    July 2016
Superb!!! Magnificent!!! We had a fabulous time with our driver and guide Gaike, who proved to be wonderful company as well. The weather was admittedly exceptional, but this only proves that magic happens. The views were breathtaking, the scenery at turns quaint and stunning. We enjoyed all aspects of our trip, including the drive, great food along the way, a reasonable hike up the hill to Edoras itself, and mugged it for the camera with the replica swords and flag. The air was like champagne all day, and I took over 100 snapshots. Worth every penny.

Review by:   Billie Yan Zhan H,    June 2016
This tour is just too amazing. The driver, Andre is very friendly and responsible on the journey. Giving us the description along the journey as well as having a friendly talk with the guest.

Review by:   Andy S,    June 2016
Amazing tour that you shouldn't miss ! It was outside of Christchurch but we stopped a couple of times along the way to take some awesome photos. It was a sunny day so the photos turned out absolutely amazing. The tour guides were very knowledgeable !

Review by:   debbiebrown121954,    May 2016
I personally was not able to attend but my 3 guests 4 of us were booked in total gave me this feedback. The driver was 45 minutes late in picking them up. We had to get the hotel desk to call to make sure that the trip was still on. The driver was not very knowledgeable about the tour. Overall they would not recommend this trip to anyone.

Review by:   Baptiste B,    April 2016
Very friendly guide, stunning scenery, perfect day !

Review by:   d4fwilson,    April 2016
We thoroughly enjoyed our Lord of the Rings tour. Our guide was great, lots of info about NZ, the earthquake, local history and the making of the film. The vehicle was purpose built, lots of big windows, very comfortable. The scenery was stupendous, we had a great time imagining the set of Edoras in that windswept panorama. Mind boggling. Thoroughly recommend the tour.

Review by:   Rachel A,    April 2016
Loved this tour! Gorgeous views of Mt Sunday and the surrounding valley and mountians, great hike up to the area where they filmed Edoras. Our tour guide Simon was informative and friendly, and he helped us take all the photos we wanted. It felt like Middle Earth even without the sets:)

Review by:   Deborah K,    April 2016
Absolutely stunning day. Definitely recommend even if you aren't a Lord of the Rings fan.

Review by:   Harry Saputra,    April 2016
my tour leader is fun, his knowledge about the film is so complete. I like the video clip of Air New Zealand._br/_ the idea to bring Legolas and Aragon's sword to the top of the hill is very good. we also have a plenty time to take picture there.

Review by:   garywyo,    March 2016
So so tour, the bloom will be off the rose when the LOTR hysteria passes.

Review by:   Shannon J,    March 2016
This tour was amazing!! Our tour guide Simon I think? was really great and gave us lots of interesting facts and kept us entertained throughout the trip. It was fun to ATV through creeks and rocks to Mount Sunday and it was a nice touch to bring props up to the top so we could take pictures. Mount Sunday was breathtaking even if you aren't a LOTR fan, but if you are a fan this was absolutely worth it.

Review by:   Michael G,    March 2016
Simon the tour guide was great. Beautiful scenery and a fun tour.

Review by:   Clare M,    March 2016
This tour was very good even though today it took a lot longer than anticipated. Lunch was served at 3pm which was really a bit late. Most of the group got on very well together but there was a family that didn't want to know anybody else and were getting alot of favoritism from the driver. The driver/tour guide was very good but some people missed out on photos due to the family that obviously thought they should have had a personal trip._br/_ Apart from that the tour was good and we got to see everything we wanted to._br/_ Generally speaking I would recommend this tour to others.

Review by:   Pamela W,    March 2016
I wish I had known a little more about what was going to happen on the excursion. I did not know that there would be a hike involved so wore the wrong clothes. Some more information explaining what to expect on the whole trip would have been good.

Review by:   Ann D,    February 2016
we had a fantastic day. Tour guide Simon was excellent. absolutely stunning scenery -a MUST DO for Lord of the Rings fans. When booking we were a bit concerned about the price but after the tour felt it was money well spent - it was our favorite tour of NZ

Review by:   Edna J,    February 2016
In a word AMAZING!!! Our guide Simon went out of his way to make it personal and if anyone is considering coming to NZ it would be a crying shame to miss this expetience. The photos can't begin to do it justice you must be thete!!!

Review by:   mai.shihah,    January 2016
a superb day out activities even for old ladies like us....we were fortunate to witness a courage of a special friend aided by a wheel chair who joined the tour group...again the tour guide Simon was very helpful and patient.

Review by:   Lacey,    January 2016
It was Awesome!!!! The view's were amazing and Steve was a great guide, very knowledgeable and a amazing photographer.

Review by:   Rachel P,    January 2016
I really enjoyed seeing the location. What really helped the long car ride to Mt Sunday were all the LOTR clips we watched in-between photo stops. I also loved the props the guide brought so we could take great pictures. The highlight for me was the excellent picnic spot by the stream. The guide was full of information about the location.

Review by:   Jane W,    October 2015
Our tour guide was awesome and knew a lot about the area and the movies.

Review by:   Charles B,    August 2015
Our driver was great and very knowledgeable. It was a wonderful tour and I highly recommend this to anyone interested in seeing this beautiful site.

Review by:   mary l,    July 2015
We enjoyed this tour so much! The highlight of my family's trip to New Zealand by far.