Where was The Lord of the Rings filmed?

More than any film before it, this epic trilogy turned a whole country into a destination. New Zealand's landscapes were so integral to the storytelling that fans came to think of the islands themselves as the real Middle-earth, and decades on, the journey to see them remains one of cinema's great pilgrimages.

Two locations carry the heart of it. Near Matamata, the rolling green Hobbiton Movie Set, complete with Bag End and its round hobbit-hole doors, was built on a working sheep farm and, unlike most sets, kept permanently as a visitor attraction. Far darker is Tongariro National Park, whose ash plains and the near-perfect cone of Mount Ngauruhoe stood in for the slopes of Mount Doom and the wastes of Mordor, still standing exactly where the cameras found them.

The two sit on New Zealand's North Island and pair naturally into a single road trip. Hobbiton runs guided tours of the village, so book a slot rather than turning up cold, while Tongariro rewards walkers, its famous alpine crossing is a serious full-day hike best attempted in good weather with proper gear. Together they make a satisfying contrast: the cosy Shire one day, the volcanic wilds the next.